Careers in fashion span the gauntlet and can propel aspiring designers into a wide variety of job roles. Patti Call of the Color Marketing Group can certainly attest to that. Patti is the Vice President of CMG, an international association that focuses on the development of color trends across fashion, design, branding and marketing industries.
Since 1962 CMG has been helping its members choose the right color for their designs by forecasting the direction of color development across various industries. By hosting regular member events they ensure that heads of various fields and industries stay abreast of the hottest color trends.
Patti, in addition to being VP, Chairperson and Executive Committee member for CMG she also runs her own consulting firm, Call Designs Inc. Patti regularly lectures across the country for the American Society of Interior Designers, CMG and other professional groups.
A natural born leader, Patti jumped at the chance to offer advice to those just starting out in the fashion (and color) industry:
What inspired you to get into the Color and Fashion Industry?
Color touches every aspect of our lives, from your first mug of coffee in the morning to the clothes you select to wear each day. Color creates an emotional impact that can carry you throughout the day.
What type of education did it take to get you where you are today?
A university education in color, design, and/or marketing is the first step. After that the world is your university. Call it cultural anthropology, study the world around you. Read, research, walk the streets. Create a vision for clients to embrace.
How has your time at CMG influenced your career?
The Color Marketing Group has numerous opportunities for the fashion industry, to interact with members from interior design, graphics, transportation, action/recreation, paint, flooring, independent artists, pigment, and a myriad of other industries for insight into color applications.
What is your favorite part of your job?
CMG offers a platform of directional colors that can be tweaked and combined ad infinitum.
What advice would you give to aspiring fashionistas?
Create a colorful vision and know your customer.
What schools does your company generally recuit new hires from?
Students from all recognized design and marketing programs are welcome, from all over the world.
Do you think there is an overall increasing or decreasing need for people in the fashion industry?
There is always a place for a new mind with a new vision. Fashion and color are not static.
Do you think fashion jobs require more of an artist’s touch or a business-like ruthlessness?
Ideally there is a symbiotic relationship between art, materials, and business.
Which skills do you concider to be the most critical for a career in fashion?
Talent, charisma, and connections are important!
What do you think the future holds for CMG?
Color will continue to enrich our lives. Our friendships, contacts, stimulating global speakers, educational programs, and strong communications at CMG propel us into a bright and exciting future.
Check out more interviews at The Fashion-Schools.org Interview Series.
