Career-Minded Women Embrace Fashion Design
by Sarah Clark
Fashion School Review Columnist
April 23, 2007
Professional women are no longer reluctant to don fashionable clothes in place of bland suits like those worn by the career-minded woman of the 1970s. Today, more women with influence in the workplace are indulging in their love of fashion design. This has great significance for fashion school students preparing for a career in fashion.
Fashion designers couldn’t be more delighted with this development because working women today have the money to invest in great pieces, fueling ever-higher demands for well-made, exquisitely designed clothes.
The Rise of Powerful, Fashion-forward Working Women
A recent issue of Vogue focused on powerful women, profiling several who aren’t afraid of sartorial expression, like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and equities trader Jenny Just. Pelosi’s style, however, is significantly toned down to reflect her serious role as the third in line for the presidency.
Even women journalists are allowing themselves more room for fashion design experimentation. Newswomen like Cokie Roberts and Katty Kay wear feminine skirts and tunics, but keep it professional by not overdoing it or revealing too much skin, particularly during their frequent appearances on Sunday morning news shows.
Fashion School Students Study Habits of Working Women
What does this mean for fashion school students? It means thinking more deeply about how these successful, ambitious women work and play. Think about what is important to them and how their priorities may influence their fashion design choices. Once you get a sense of their preferences, you can begin making a career in fashion of outfitting these women in clothing that suits their lifestyles and tastes.
So get your career in fashion off to an auspicious start by thinking about the women you’d like to design for. And after fashion school you’ll be ready to target the new market of fashion-conscious career-minded women who aren’t afraid to spend generously on clothes that communicate taste, power, and sophisticated beauty.
About the Author
Sarah Clark is a freelance writer specializing in career development and postsecondary education.
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