Textile designer : Entry requirements

A degree in the following areas may increase your chances of entry:

• textiles;
• knitwear;
• fashion;
• art and design;
• surface design.

Textile degree courses may have a specialist focus, e.g. constructed textiles, mixed media or printed textiles. You should check whether your choice of course is appropriate for the way you wish to work. For example, a mixed media course may be most relevant if you wish to work in decorative design, creating artefacts or in the craft industry. Most fashion degree courses offer a general background in all aspects of fashion design, but it is possible to specialise, for example, in contour design, knitwear, costume accessory design, clothing technology or production management. Some fashion degrees also offer students the opportunity to spend a year working in industry. Go to the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS)  for a full list of university courses.

Whilst a relevant degree significantly increases opportunities, entry is possible with an HND in Fashion and Textile Design or Textile Technology. An HND in Surface Decoration can also be useful. Skillset: The Sector Skills Council for Creative Media - Fashion and Textiles  provides a directory of textiles courses, colleges and universities, up to and including BA (Hons) level.

Entry without a degree or HND is possible, usually as a machinist or pattern cutter, but career development is slow without design training.

A pre-entry postgraduate qualification is not essential, although postgraduate study provides the opportunity to develop and experiment with ideas and techniques and to extend personal expertise into related areas. Prospective postgraduate students will need a suitable portfolio and would normally have already attended a relevant degree course or have substantial prior work experience.

Assistant designer positions are usually gained on completion of a specialist degree or diploma course. Graduates who have not followed this route will need to gain experience (and develop a portfolio) by either joining a degree course or undertaking short, part-time courses to develop knowledge and expertise. Those from other disciplines may have more difficulty, although colleges are increasingly offering part-time foundation and degree study routes suitable for non-design graduates.

Funding for textile-related courses is available from the Worshipful Company of Weavers  and the Textile Society .

Relevant paid or unpaid work experience, through holiday work or course placements, is an almost essential part of the process of getting into this industry. HotHive Textiles  has a list of work experience opportunities in aspects of the textile industry.

Be proactive about looking for relevant work experience and try to gain practical knowledge of relevant technical processes.

As in other areas of art and design, employment opportunities, both permanent and freelance, are more likely to result from speculative applications and effective networking than from a routine vacancies search. It is important to build up relationships with more established designers, fashion houses and design companies in order to get commissions and placements. Course tutors may be valuable contacts as many, if not all, work in the industry in addition to their teaching work. Going in person to trade fairs and other events is another proactive and effective way to make contacts.

For more information, see work experience and internships and search courses and research.