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Creative & Media · Updated Aug 2026

Fashion Designers

Design clothing and accessories. Create original designs or adapt fashion trends.

JVS 2.0.0-phase4b
AI Exposure
64/100
High

How much of this occupation’s work can be materially affected by current AI systems.

Replacement Risk
60/100
High

How likely exposure is to translate into reduced human demand.

Includes provisional estimates for AI adoption pressure and labour-market resilience. How this is measured

Evidence quality
Confidence83/100
Task coverage88%

Confidence reflects task coverage, mapping and capability-evidence quality, and how much of the score rests on provisional inputs.

Task-level evidence

What is driving the score?

Occupation scores are built from the task mix—not a single prediction about a job title.

JVS 2.0.0-phase4b
TaskImportanceAI impactExposure
Sketch rough and detailed drawings of apparel or accessories, and write specifications such as color schemes, construction, material types, and accessory requirements.High
80
Select materials and production techniques to be used for products.High
81
Research the styles and periods of clothing needed for film or theatrical productions.Medium
79
Collaborate with other designers to coordinate special products and designs.Medium
80
Read scripts and consult directors and other production staff to develop design concepts and plan productions.Medium
76
Identify target markets for designs, looking at factors such as age, gender, and socioeconomic status.Medium
81
Attend fashion shows and review garment magazines and manuals to gather information about fashion trends and consumer preferences.Medium
81
Develop a group of products or accessories, and market them through venues such as boutiques or mail-order catalogs.Medium
79
Purchase new or used clothing and accessory items as needed to complete designs.Medium
81
Design custom clothing and accessories for individuals, retailers, or theatrical, television, or film productions.Medium
81
Direct and coordinate workers involved in drawing and cutting patterns and constructing samples or finished garments.Medium
43
Examine sample garments on and off models, modifying designs to achieve desired effects.High
34
Confer with sales and management executives or with clients to discuss design ideas.High
45
Test fabrics or oversee testing so that garment care labels can be created.Medium
81
Provide sample garments to agents and sales representatives, and arrange for showings of sample garments at sales meetings or fashion shows.Medium
39
Sew together sections of material to form mockups or samples of garments or articles, using sewing equipment.Medium
39
Draw patterns for articles designed, cut patterns, and cut material according to patterns, using measuring instruments and scissors.Medium
25
Most exposed

Where AI can do more

Routine, digitized, and highly repeatable tasks face the greatest pressure.

  1. Select materials and production techniques to be used for products.81
  2. Identify target markets for designs, looking at factors such as age, gender, and socioeconomic status.81
  3. Attend fashion shows and review garment magazines and manuals to gather information about fashion trends and consumer preferences.81
  4. Purchase new or used clothing and accessory items as needed to complete designs.81
Hardest to automate

Where people still matter

These tasks score lowest on automation feasibility—physical presence, judgement, accountability and real-world variability all resist end-to-end automation.

  1. Draw patterns for articles designed, cut patterns, and cut material according to patterns, using measuring instruments and scissors.01
  2. Examine sample garments on and off models, modifying designs to achieve desired effects.02
  3. Provide sample garments to agents and sales representatives, and arrange for showings of sample garments at sales meetings or fashion shows.03
  4. Direct and coordinate workers involved in drawing and cutting patterns and constructing samples or finished garments.04
  5. Sew together sections of material to form mockups or samples of garments or articles, using sewing equipment.05
Where else this work leads

Related occupations

Occupations O*NET links to this one. Relatedness reflects shared work, not a claim that these roles are safer.

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Beyond AI capability

Adoption and labour-market outlook

Structural factors are kept separate from raw capability so you can see what actually resists automation. Adoption pressure and labour-market resilience are still provisional models—25% of this occupation’s replacement-risk weight rests on them.

Human dependency60
Physical dependency39
Adoption pressure51
Labour-market resilience51
Methodology & sources

O*NET 30.3 occupational data interpreted through the JobsVsAI capability, automation and structural-constraint models.

Confidence83/100
CalculatedAug 21, 2026
Read methodology →