What is the Difference Between Textile Designer and Fashion Designer?

Textile Designer

A textile designer creates designs, patterns for fabric and develops fabric structures. The end product of a textile designer is fabric and embellishment of fabrics. Textile designers select yarns, yarn colors and dyes to make new fabric textures, hand feel and finished look. Textile designers do raw material sourcing to production follow up for new development. They give instructions to weavers, knitters how to make the fabric they have designed.


Textile designers develop fabrics for clothing, home made up and Carpets.

Image source: darkroomlondon.com

They not only create new fabric patterns but work with finished fabrics. They select prints to be printed on fabric. They decide whether a yarn dyed stripe or printed stripe to be develop for fabric.

During designing a product they consider the technical aspects of production friendly and cost effectiveness.

Textile designers work in textile manufacturing companies, textile design firms. Textile designer develop raw material for Fashion designers.

Fashion Designer

Image source: fstudio.in On the other side a fashion designer creates designs and patterns for clothing. Fashion designers also create designs for footwear and accessories. They imagine a clothing design; sketch it on paper with colors, select fabrics for the development and finally cut and sew the garment. They normally acquired knowledge on fabric properties, garment pattern making, Garment Fits and human body shapes. Fashion designers develop collection for retailers for each season. Fashion designers source fabric and other accessories for their creations. If required fashion designers seek help from textile designer for fabric designs what thought in their creations.

Fashion designers work in garment manufacturing companies, apparel buying houses or with buyers, design firms and film industry.