Elle Fashion Editors Start Successful Design Career

by Marianne Salina
Fashion School Review Columnist

November 22, 2006

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Who doesn't want a fashion design career? Many get their fashion fix with jobs in apparel design, retail and merchandising, or, as it was for three fashion and accessories editors at Elle Magazine, fashion writing. But for Abigale Levinson, Karen Reinitz, and Anna Maria Pemintel, writing about fashion design wasn't hands-on enough. After years in the magazine industry, the ladies took their passion for apparel design into their own hands and started AKA -a New York fashion label.

Chanel: The Muse Behind a Fashion and Apparel Line
After surveying one fashion design trend after another, there was one designer that stood about above all others for the Elle editors. When Chanel re-introduced their tweedy, retro-classic women's jacket, the ladies were inspired to create their own version of the design with a casual twist: terrycloth. Thus began the transition from their role as fashion editors to co-creators of an apparel line.

Can Fashion Editors Create Clothing Without Fashion Design School?
How do editors go from writing about fashion to actually making it? While the ladies of AKA had sketches and a vision for their line, without any previous experience or fashion design school training, they had to rely on a pattern maker to get their ideas off the ground.

Fashion Design Industry Experience Helps AKA Launch
Fortunately, with connections in the fashion magazine industry and a sexy line with easy-to-wear designs for women, AKA is finding its niche after two years on the market. But their success isn't without limitations. Without formal training in pattern-making, sewing, or fashion merchandising, it's difficult to evolve and expand a line in this competitive industry.

Interested in building a successful fashion design career? Give yourself a real shot with fashion design school experience.

Sources:
AKA New York

About the Author
Marianne Salina is a freelance writer in Spokane, Washington. She writes about pursuits in education and degree opportunities.

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