Textile Designer

Textile Designer Career

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Textile Designers create the designs that are made into knitted, printed, and woven fabrics. In most cases your designs are small, and a sheet of fabric is made by repeating the design until the entire area is covered. In some cases though, like area rugs for example, your design can be quite large and thus used only once.

To become a Textile Designer you need a blend of creative and technical skills: A design must be beautiful to sell, and it must work with a fabric’s fibers and production method to be produced. Selling and production are important, so these skills sit at the base of all your creations. For example, you create a silk pattern in a very different manner than you do a wool pattern. A Textile Designer needs to understand the aesthetic, scientific, and mechanical reasons of why that is.

Your daily tasks could include sketching out designs, meeting with clients or bosses, drafting the technical instructions of how to imprint your design onto cotton, or attending a trade show on textile design trends. In the bigger picture it is your job to understand how fabrics work, then use your knowledge and style to create the fabric your client wants.

How do I become a Textile Designer?

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If you are really set on this path then a degree in textile design exists, but degrees in fashion or clothing design would also be fine and would open more paths for those who aren’t completely decided. Try to get an internship while at school. Industry experience and industry references will help when looking for an entry-level design position. Your professors will have industry connections, so sit in the front of your classes.