A career in fashion design is as challenging as it is rewarding. If you possess strong artistic abilities, a fashion design role is a great way to turn your job into your creative outlet.
However, to secure a job in this popular industry, you’ll need to prove that you’ve got something that other applicants don’t. Use the tips below as a guide to write a convincing fashion CV of your own.
1. Write a compelling personal statement for your fashion CV
A great way to immediately grab employers’ attention is with an impactful personal statement. A personal statement is a 3-4 sentence paragraph placed at the top of your CV that gives employers insight into your professional experience, as well as what you’ve got to offer that sets you apart from other candidates.
A personal statement for a fashion design CV should include:
- A brief overview of your experience in the fashion industry
- Particularly noteworthy skills and accomplishments
- How you plan on applying your skills and experience to benefit the company
Here’s a good example:
This personal statement works well because the candidate mentions they’ve worked with several top brands, specifies what their strengths are as a designer, and draws attention to their leadership skills which will help them succeed in a senior position.
2. Include a link to your portfolio on your CV
As an applicant for a job in a creative industry like fashion, you need to be able to provide examples of your previous work. Employers want to see concept mood boards, print and colour inspirations, sketches, technical drawings and professional photos of your finished pieces before they decide whether or not to hire you.
Obviously, you can’t fit all that on your resume. So the best way to show off your work is by including a link to your portfolio.
To include your portfolio on your CV, link to it in your personal information section. Depending on which CV template you choose, your contact information should be listed either in the header itself, or placed below the header along with your personal statement.
Here are two fashion CV examples to illustrate these two different types of contact information sections:
In the example above, the contact information is included in the header.
In this example, the personal information is listed next to the personal statement.Regardless of what kind of CV design you choose, including a link to your website at the top of your CV ensures employers won’t miss it and can easily access your portfolio.
3. Highlight your formal training
Along with the professional experience section of your CV, your education section will help convince employers that you have the formal training required to be successful as a designer for their brand.
If you’ve earned any relevant fashion design related certifications, these should also be included in the education section.
When you write your CV, list your most recent education experience first and include the following information:
- Name of the school/awarding institution
- Name of the degree/certification
- Year earned
- Relevant modules
Here’s a good example of how to put together a strong education section for your CV:
This example works because instead of including every single course they’ve taken throughout their academic career, this applicant focuses on highlighting the qualifications relevant to the position they’re applying for.
4. Spotlight your fashion designer skills
Your day-to-day duties as a fashion designer will not be limited to drawing, cutting, and sewing.
While fashion designers need a solid set of hard skills to do their job well, you also need to show employers that you possess the soft skills necessary for client interactions and effective teamwork.
Need to see examples of skills for your CV? Here are some of the top skills for the fashion industry:
Hard skills
- Sketching
- Clothing design software
- Hand stitching
- Sewing machine operation
- Knowledge of different fabrics and textiles
- Colour theory
- Tailoring
- Fashion history
- Styling
Soft skills
- Creativity
- Communication skills
- Innovation
- Leadership
- Flexibility
- Visualisation
- Teamwork
- Attention to detail
- Multitasking
- Time-management
While you can always list your skills in your CV’s skills section, the best way to demonstrate your abilities is by highlighting them using examples of your past work experience.
Here’s an example of a CV bullet point on a fashion designer CV that showcases the candidate’s relevant skills:
The applicant draws attention to their ability to work with others and negotiate about fabric choice and other aspects of the design process.
