A fashion designer is a creative individual dedicated to the creation of a garment or series of garments & accessories (often referred to as a fashion line or collection). Fashion designers typically sketch concept drawings of pieces, as well as creating inspiration boards containing bits and pieces of particular designs, fabrics, color schemes, artwork etc that will help guide the overall design process. Once the designer has determined the direction for a collection, they work to source proper fabrics and hardware required to create the physical samples, and either create patterns and sew the pieces together themselves or hire/oversee pattern makers and seamstresses to produce the finished samples. In a larger supply chain, these samples can then be replicated by a factory for production.

A textile designer, on the other hand, is solely tasked with creating the artwork for textiles (fabrics). Textile designers are usually skilled at setting up seamless design repeats so that entire bolts of fabric can be printed utilizing the same design prior to being cut and sewn into finished garments. In addition, textile designers are more likely to perform inter-industry work, developing designs for not only the fashion industry but also for use in the interior design industry, fine art exhibitions, and theatrical performances.