The roll of the fashion designer is to create clothing that is functional while at the same time pleasing from an aesthetical viewpoint. They need to take into account who would wear the garment they design and the situation and conditions which would warrant the wearing of their designs. Usually they work with a wide range of materials, colors, patterns and styles and combine them according to their training and what their inner sense of style dictates. Everyday clothes they design fall within a narrow range of conventional styles which may restrict, to a certain degree, the designs they create. When they work on specialty clothing lines, like those for special occasions: evening dresses or party gowns, then the designer is free to work in a more unique and creative fashion.
In some cases the fashion designer will create clothes specifically for one individual, which is quite often the case with haute couture. Everyday fashion designs, however, are going toward the mass market of every-day and casual wear.
There are several ways a fashion designer might find work. Typically they are going to be full-time employees of a fashion company, in which case they are called ‘in-house designers’ and their fashions belong to the company. Under these circumstances they might be working on their own or with a team. The other kind of employment for fashion designers is to work for themselves and market their creations to fashion houses, clothing manufacturers or directly to smaller shops. Labeling is critical as they advertize and distinguish who the fashion designer is or for which house they work. Some designers create their own label, or they work under the label of their company or individual clients. The majority of fashion designers are employed by apparel manufacturers, designing clothes for men, women and children’s that are sold in mass markets. The high branded fashion designers who work under a name brand like Gucci, or Chanel typically work in teams under the direction of a design director who keeps the brand styles within the brand expectations.