One significant CV challenge you might encounter is showcasing your diverse range of skills and creative projects in a concise and compelling manner. Our guide offers tailored advice on how to highlight your most impressive achievements and construct a narrative that captures the essence of your unique design ethos.
What information should you include in your fashion designer CV? Learn how to create your interview-landing and job-winning profile with our bespoke guide on:
- Applying best practices from real-world examples to ensure your profile always meets recruiters' expectations;
- What to include in your work experience section, apart from your past roles and responsibilities?
- Why are both hard and soft skills important for your application?
- How do you need to format your CV to pass the Applicant Tracker Software (ATS) assessment?
If you're writing your CV for a niche fashion designer role, make sure to get some inspiration from professionals:
Structuring and formatting your fashion designer CV for an excellent first impression
The experts' best advice regarding your CV format is to keep it simple and concise. Recruiters assessing your CV are foremost looking out for candidates who match their ideal job profile. Your white space, borders, and margins. You may still be wondering which format you need to export your CV in. We recommend using the PDF one, as, upon being uploaded, it never alters your information or CV design. Before we move on to the actual content of your fashion designer CV, we'd like to remind you about the Applicant Tracker System (or the ATS). The ATS is a software that is sometimes used to initially assess your profile. Here's what you need to keep in mind about the ATS:- All serif and sans-serif fonts (e.g. Rubik, Volkhov, Exo 2 etc.) are ATS-friendly;
- Many candidates invest in Arial and Times New Roman, so avoid these fonts if you want your application to stand out;
- Both single and double column CVs can be read by the ATS, so it's entirely up to you to select your CV design.
PRO TIP
Use font size and style strategically to create a visual hierarchy, drawing the reader's eye to the most important information first (like your name and most recent job title).
The top sections on a fashion designer CV
- Highlight your Design Portfolio showcasing your creative works, as this is the cornerstone of a designer's expertise.
- Detail your Fashion Education and Qualifications to establish your foundation in fashion theory and practice.
- Outline Relevant Work Experience to display your history of practical involvement in the industry.
- Include a List of Fashion Shows and Events to demonstrate your active participation and networking in the field.
- Show any Fashion Awards and Recognitions to underline your talent and accomplishments recognised by the industry.
What recruiters value on your CV:
- Highlight your design philosophy and aesthetic, as this showcases your personal style and what sets you apart from other fashion designers.
- Include a portfolio link or QR code, so potential employers can easily view your collections and past work, demonstrating your range and creativity.
- Detail your experience with fashion shows, including involvement in planning, coordinating, or presenting collections, as hands-on experience is invaluable in the fashion industry.
- Emphasise your proficiency with design software and technologies such as Adobe Creative Suite, CAD, and 3D modelling, as technical skills are increasingly important in fashion design.
- Outline any collaborations with fashion brands, artists, or designers, which can highlight your teamwork skills and connectivity within the fashion community.
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How to present your contact details and job keywords in your fashion designer CV header
Located at the top of your fashion designer CV, the header presents recruiters with your key personal information, headline, and professional photo. When creating your CV header, include your:
- Contact details - avoid listing your work email or telephone number and, also, email addresses that sound unprofessional (e.g. koolKittyCat$3@gmail.com is definitely a big no);
- Headline - it should be relevant, concise, and specific to the role you're applying for, integrating keywords and action verbs;
- Photo - instead of including a photograph from your family reunion, select one that shows you in a more professional light. It's also good to note that in some countries (e.g. the UK and US), it's best to avoid photos on your CV as they may serve as bias.
What do other industry professionals include in their CV header? Make sure to check out the next bit of your guide to see real-life examples:
Examples of good CV headlines for fashion designer:
- Creative Director | Women's Haute Couture Specialist | M.A. in Fashion Design | 15+ Years' Expertise
- Head Pattern Designer | Menswear Innovation | Textile Technology Graduate | 10 Years' Industry Leadership
- Lead Accessory Designer | Luxury Leather Goods | BA Hons Fashion Design | 5 Years’ Creative Vision
- Senior Fashion Illustrator | Digital Design Prodigy | Adobe Suite Expert | 8-Year Industry Veteran
- Junior Apparel Designer | Ethical Fashion Advocate | BA Fashion Design | Emerging Talent 2 Years' Exp.
- Fashion Product Developer | Sportswear Enthusiast | MA Fashion Merchandising | 7 Years’ Strategic Innovation
Catching recruiters' attention with your fashion designer CV summary or objective
Located closer to the top of your CV, both the summary and objective are no more than five sentences long and serve as an introduction to your experience. What is more, you could use either to entice recruiters to read on. Select the:
- Summary, if you happen to have plenty of relevant experience. Feature your most impressive accomplishments and up to three skills that are relevant to the job you're applying for;
- Objective, if you're just starting your career off. Provide your career goals and answer how you see the role you are applying for will match your professional growth.
Judging which one you need to add to your fashion designer CV may at times seem difficult. That’s why you need to check out how professionals, with similar to your experience, have written their summary or objective, in the examples below:
CV summaries for a fashion designer job:
- Dynamic Fashion Designer with 8 years of experience, specialising in women's haute couture. Exceptional skills in pattern making, draping, and textile selection, with a portfolio that includes design awards from Paris Fashion Weeks. Known for delivering sophisticated and innovative designs that resonate with international clientele.
- Menswear Designer with a decade of experience in the fast-paced New York fashion scene. Holds an impressive record in leading design teams that revitalised heritage brands. Skilled in CAD, trend forecasting, and sustainable fabric sourcing, with a signature aesthetic showcased in GQ and Vogue.
- Seasoned Graphic Designer pivoting into Fashion Design, bringing 5 years of creative expertise from a top London agency. Proven mastery of digital design tools, a keen eye for aesthetics, and an understanding of consumer psychology. Driven to blend visual storytelling with apparel to captivate the contemporary market.
- Innovative Interior Designer transitioning to Fashion, offering a fresh perspective from a 7-year career designing high-end living spaces in Milan. Strengths include a detailed understanding of textures and materials, combined with a flair for colour theory and spatial design, and a desire to make a mark in wearable art.
- A recent Fashion Design graduate with a first-class honours degree from Central Saint Martins, eager to apply theoretical knowledge and creative passion to practical design work. Ambitious about exploring avant-garde techniques and committed to contributing fresh ideas in a dynamic team environment.
- Highly motivated individual with no professional fashion experience but a lifelong passion for following and documenting global style trends. Enthusiastic about gaining hands-on knowledge in the fashion industry, with a dedication to learning and excelling in pattern cutting, styling, and the complete garment construction process.
How to meet job requirements with your fashion designer CV experience
We've now reached the essence of your actual CV - your experience section. This is the space where you can list your career roles and on-the-job successes. Many candidates tend to underestimate just how much time and effort they should put into writing this CV section. Your experience shouldn't be a random list of your responsibilities, but instead:
- Match the job description with your skills, values, and accomplishments;
- Start each bullet with a strong action verb, followed up with one key skill and your outcome of applying this skill;
- Spotlight parts of your career history that are relevant to the job you're applying for.
Before we move on, make sure to check out some professional CV experience sections.
Best practices for your CV's work experience section
- Designed an original autumn/winter collection which was presented at London Fashion Week, receiving accolades for innovative fabric use and sustainability.
- Collaborated closely with fabric suppliers to ensure the highest quality materials were used, resulting in a 20% increase in product longevity.
- Developed a streamlined design process to improve efficiency, cutting lead times from concept to runway by 30% without sacrificing detail or craftsmanship.
- Managed a team of junior designers, pattern makers, and seamstresses, fostering a collaborative environment that encouraged creativity and skill development.
- Used advanced draping and pattern cutting techniques to create flattering silhouettes, which became the distinctive feature of our Spring/Summer 2021 collection.
- Implemented eco-friendly design practices, successfully launching a line of upcycled garments that reduced fabric waste by 25%.
- Oversaw the selection of trims and accessories for collections, paying attention to the minutiae that distinguished the brand in a competitive market.
- Led successful negotiations with manufacturers to ensure products were produced to the highest standard, within budget, enhancing brand reputation for quality.
- Regularly analysed fashion trends and forecasted future directions, integrating them seamlessly into designs that resonated with our target market.
Work Experience
Senior Fashion Designer
Gucci
03/2018-08/2021
- Led a design team for Gucci's 2020 Summer collection, enhancing brand recognition by incorporating sustainable materials in 70% of the pieces.
- Spearheaded the redesign of women's haute couture line, resulting in a 25% increase in sales compared to the previous fiscal year.
- Negotiated collaborations with influential fashion influencers, increasing social media engagement and brand awareness by 40%.
Work Experience
Accessory Designer
Louis Vuitton
05/2012-11/2015
- Developed a new accessory line for Louis Vuitton, which expanded the company's product portfolio and accounted for 15% of accessory sales in its first year.
- Implemented a customer feedback loop to adjust upcoming designs, leading to a 10% decrease in product returns due to fit issues.
- Collaborated with marketing teams to conceptualize and execute highly successful seasonal campaigns that boosted web traffic by 30%.
Work Experience
Lead Fashion Designer
Versace
09/2016-06/2019
- Devised and implemented a streamlined prototyping process at Versace, reducing the lead time for sample development by 20% without compromising quality.
- Coordinated with cross-functional teams to produce a limited-edition menswear line, contributing to a 22% rise in quarterly revenue.
- Hosted a series of design workshops for junior designers, boosting department productivity and innovation.
Work Experience
Fashion Design Consultant
Prada
02/2013-12/2017
- Redesigned Prada's casual wear portfolio, which increased the product line's market share by 18% within two years.
- Initiated a fabric innovation program that resulted in a 15% reduction in material costs while maintaining product quality standards.
- Optimized the supply chain process by partnering with ethical suppliers, increasing overall sustainability ratings by 30%.
Work Experience
Creative Fashion Designer
Burberry
07/2011-05/2014
- Revitalized Burberry's seasonal collections by introducing cutting-edge fabric technology, which attracted a younger demographic and improved sales by 20%.
- Conducted market research to analyze consumer trends and translated findings into design elements that were incorporated into the next two seasons' lines.
- Collaborated with production teams to ensure design integrity was maintained from concept to final product, leading to a 95% approval rate from first-line quality control.
Work Experience
Head of Design and Innovation
H&M
Ongoing
- Introduced an innovative digital design workflow using 3D design software at H&M, cutting the sample creation timeline by 35%.
- Leading a team in the creation of H&M's eco-conscious line, aimed at reducing the company's carbon footprint by 20% within the launch year through the use of recycled materials.
- Managing collaboration with up-and-coming artists to create a unique 'Artist Capsule Collection,' anticipated to drive a 25% growth in online sales.
Work Experience
Fashion Collection Manager
Calvin Klein
06/2013-03/2016
- Curated a vintage-inspired line for Calvin Klein that tapped into the retro trend, resulting in a 12% increase in customer base among millennials.
- Leveraged analytics to refine fit and sizing, reducing exchange rates by 18% due to improved customer satisfaction with garment fit.
- Mentored a team of assistant designers, enhancing their skillsets and enabling them to take on more complex projects within the year.
Work Experience
Fashion Product Developer
Zara
01/2009-04/2012
- Played a pivotal role in launching Zara's fast fashion protocol, which cut down design-to-store time to 2 weeks, boosting the company's ability to stay ahead of trends.
- Designed over 150 unique garments each year, which contributed significantly to maintaining high turnover rates and a fresh inventory at Zara stores.
- Implemented a cost-saving material utilization plan that saved the company an average of $100,000 annually on textile waste.
Work Experience
Couture Fashion Designer
Chanel
11/2014-02/2018
- Orchestrated the fusion of traditional and modern designs for Chanel's resort collection, which was critically acclaimed and led to a 30% increase in sales for the season.
- Conducted extensive fabric research that allowed the brand to pioneer the use of a new sustainable silk-alternative, reducing environmental impact.
- Partnered with global artisans to incorporate authentic traditional craftsmanship into high-fashion pieces, boosting cultural appreciation and brand value.
Work Experience
Fashion Tech Designer
Tommy Hilfiger
05/2015-07/2018
- Developed and launched Tommy Hilfiger's first line of wearable technology clothing, contributing to a 15% increase in brand engagement from tech-savvy consumers.
- Oversaw the design process from concept to runway for three consecutive seasons, receiving the 'Most Innovative Collection' award from Vogue.
- Implemented a cross-department communication system that enhanced efficiency in the design-to-manufacturing process, shortening product rollout timelines by 10%.
What to add in your fashion designer CV experience section with no professional experience
If you don't have the standard nine-to-five professional experience, yet are still keen on applying for the job, here's what you can do:
- List any internships, part-time roles, volunteer experience, or basically any work you've done that meets the job requirements and is in the same industry;
- Showcase any project you've done in your free time (even if you completed them with family and friends) that will hint at your experience and skill set;
- Replace the standard, CV experience section with a strengths or achievements one. This will help you spotlight your transferrable skills that apply to the role.
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PRO TIP
Include examples of how you adapted to new tools, environments, or work cultures, showing your flexibility.
Mix and match hard and soft skills across your fashion designer CV
Your skill set play an equally valid role as your experience to your application. That is because recruiters are looking for both:
- hard skills or your aptitude in applying particular technologies
- soft skills or your ability to work in a team using your personal skills, e.g. leadership, time management, etc.
Are you wondering how you should include both hard and soft skills across your fashion designer CV? Use the:
- skills section to list between ten and twelve technologies that are part of the job requirement (and that you're capable to use);
- strengths and achievements section to detail how you've used particular hard and soft skills that led to great results for you at work;
- summary or objective to spotlight up to three skills that are crucial for the role and how they've helped you optimise your work processes.
One final note - when writing about the skills you have, make sure to match them exactly as they are written in the job ad. Take this precautionary measure to ensure your CV passes the Applicant Tracker System (ATS) assessment.
Top skills for your fashion designer CV:
HARD SKILLS
Sketching
Pattern Cutting
Sewing
Textile Knowledge
Fashion Illustration
Technical Drawing
Computer-Aided Design (CAD)
Knowledge of Fashion History
Tailoring
Garment Construction
SOFT SKILLS
Creativity
Visualisation
Communication
Attention to Detail
Teamwork
Time Management
Flexibility
Trend Forecasting
Decision Making
Problem Solving
PRO TIP
If you have received professional endorsements or recommendations for certain skills, especially on platforms like LinkedIn, mention these to add credibility.
Education and more professional qualifications to include in your fashion designer CV
If you want to showcase to recruiters that you're further qualified for the role, ensure you've included your relevant university diplomas. Within your education section:
- Describe your degree with your university name(-s) and start-graduation dates;
- List any awards you've received, if you deem they would be impressive or are relevant to the industry;
- Include your projects and publications, if you need to further showcase how you've used your technical know-how;
- Avoid listing your A-level marks, as your potential employers care to learn more about your university background.
Apart from your higher education, ensure that you've curated your relevant certificates or courses by listing the:
- name of the certificate or course;
- name of the institution within which you received your training;
- the date(-s) when you obtained your accreditation.
In the next section, discover some of the most relevant certificates for your fashion designer CV:
PRO TIP
Order your skills based on the relevance to the role you're applying for, ensuring the most pertinent skills catch the employer's attention first.
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Key takeaways
Here are five things you need to remember about writing your fashion designer CV for success:
- Sort your experience based on the reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent career items, to showcase how you've grown your career;
- Include within your CV header your relevant contact details, a headline that could spotlight your unique value, and a photo - if you're applying for roles outside the UK or US;
- Decide to use the CV summary, if you happen to have more professional experience, and an objective, if you want to showcase your career goals;
- Within the experience section, write your bullets using action verbs, skills, and success, instead of just merely listing your on-the-job responsibilities;
- Prove your technical skills, using your education and certificates, and your soft skills, with your achievements and strengths sections.
