Dressing for any job interview is critically important. Your appearance is your first impression, and first impressions can make or break your chances. But it's doubly daunting to plan your outfit if clothes are going to be your business. Dressing creatively for fashion design interview is a key part of your professional calling card.
No Boring Suits
The standard job interview advice is to wear a conservative suit -- one that makes you look more or less like everyone else who works at that office. That's definitely out for a fashion design interview. You can potentially get away with wearing a suit by the designer who is interviewing you, but avoid anything generic.
True to Your Style
Think carefully about your personal style, and what's important to you -- think about the fashion you are passionate about. Have your outfit reflect your personality. If your style is more vintage, stick with that. If you make your own clothes, choose a piece you made yourself. At the same time, your outfit should reflect that you understand the designer's sensibility and his market. If the line is young and edgy, trend that way. If it's more upscale, reflect that from within your own wardrobe.
Smart
No matter that you are dressing creatively, you still need to look smart and pulled together. The interviewers have to imagine you meeting with a potential client or a vendor, and know that you could represent the company with professionalism. Don't show too much skin, even if you would usually wear something with cleavage or a short skirt. If your personal look is grunge, you'll have to be careful --- try to represent it with a piece that's deconstructed, or makes reference to grunge fashion, but don't wear anything that makes you look dirty or sloppy.
Prepare to Talk
You are very likely to be asked to talk about the pieces you have chosen to wear, so prepare the story that you want to tell. Make sure you know which designers made your clothes, or that you remember where and how you acquired them. Tell why each piece is important to you, and why you combined them in this way.
