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Campbell
Student
Charleston, South Carolina
1
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As a communications major wanting to get into design, with no experience, what should my next step be?
Wanting to get into creative direction ideally for fashion campaigns or fashion events
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1 answer
Johnson Tran
Tutor
92
Answers
Houston, Texas
Updated
Johnson’s Answer
Hi Campbell,
Good news first: communications majors break into fashion creative work all the time, and "no experience yet" just means your portfolio hasn't been built, not that it can't be.
Your next step is to start producing, even small. Creative direction is judged on a body of work, so treat every assignment, class project, and campus event as raw material. Ideas you can start this month: style and shoot a mini lookbook with friends (a phone camera is fine), re-create a campaign concept from a brand you admire and write a short creative brief explaining your choices, or run visuals for a student club's social media. Fashion-specific helps, but showing that you can conceive an idea, art-direct it, and explain the story behind it is what creative directors actually look for.
Second, learn the tools and the language: get comfortable in Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and ideally Figma (Adobe offers student pricing, and YouTube tutorials take you a long way). Read about campaign production, mood boards, styling, and set design so you can speak the vocabulary in interviews.
Third, build proximity to the industry. Follow fashion creative directors, agencies, and production studios; study their work and engage genuinely. Look for internships at fashion PR firms, magazines, or event production companies in Charleston or over the summer in bigger markets, and consider volunteering for Charleston Fashion Week or similar local events; being in the room is the fastest way in.
Your communications background is an asset here: creative directors live on storytelling and clear briefs, and that is exactly what your degree trains.
Warm regards,
Johnson Tran
Math Tutor / Educator
Within two weeks, create a mini portfolio of 3 to 5 concept projects (one fashion lookbook shoot, one re-imagined brand campaign, one event concept with mood board) and post your strongest piece to a simple Behance or Instagram page.
Good news first: communications majors break into fashion creative work all the time, and "no experience yet" just means your portfolio hasn't been built, not that it can't be.
Your next step is to start producing, even small. Creative direction is judged on a body of work, so treat every assignment, class project, and campus event as raw material. Ideas you can start this month: style and shoot a mini lookbook with friends (a phone camera is fine), re-create a campaign concept from a brand you admire and write a short creative brief explaining your choices, or run visuals for a student club's social media. Fashion-specific helps, but showing that you can conceive an idea, art-direct it, and explain the story behind it is what creative directors actually look for.
Second, learn the tools and the language: get comfortable in Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and ideally Figma (Adobe offers student pricing, and YouTube tutorials take you a long way). Read about campaign production, mood boards, styling, and set design so you can speak the vocabulary in interviews.
Third, build proximity to the industry. Follow fashion creative directors, agencies, and production studios; study their work and engage genuinely. Look for internships at fashion PR firms, magazines, or event production companies in Charleston or over the summer in bigger markets, and consider volunteering for Charleston Fashion Week or similar local events; being in the room is the fastest way in.
Your communications background is an asset here: creative directors live on storytelling and clear briefs, and that is exactly what your degree trains.
Warm regards,
Johnson Tran
Math Tutor / Educator
Johnson recommends the following next steps: