Fashion designer

Want to create the next must-have co-ord set or launch a standout streetwear range? As a fashion designer, you'll spend your days designing clothes and bringing fashion ideas to life.

You'll play a key part in producing popular clothes that are sold in high street shops. In some roles, you'll design the glamorous and expensive creations worn by actors, pop stars and celebrities.

Fashion designers sometimes specialise in a particular type of garment. For example, you could work with children's clothing, sportswear or athleisure.

You'll use your drawing skills and computer-aided design software to produce clothing concepts. To create prototypes of your designs, you'll need to develop technical skills such as pattern cutting and sewing. You'll work closely with garment technologists and sample machinists.

Fashion designers must understand production processes and be commercially aware. After all, you must be able to produce nice clothes that people want to buy!

Your tasks might include:

• working to design instructions – known as a brief

• analysing or predicting trends in fabrics, colours and shapes

• producing concept and mood boards with photos, fabric pieces and colour samples

• developing basic shapes – known as 'blocks' – through patterns

• estimating costs of materials and manufacturing before finding suppliers

• supervising the creation of sample clothing items

• UK Fashion and Textile Institute (UKFT) – learn about the largest network for fashion and textiles in the UK

• Chartered Society of Designers – check out the internationally recognised body that provides support and guidance for designers

• British Fashion Council (BFC) – discover this not-for-profit organisation that focuses on responsible growth, innovation and amplification of the British fashion industry

• Creative Scotland – explore the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across the country