Does it take brains, wits, beauty, socialitism, luck, chance? What does it take to be a fashion designer. Lets take a look at some famous examples... Gucci was a family started business that turned corporate after many of the family ailed. That can be an example of who you know and it's all in the family. Priveleged into the life of fashion through genious relatives. OR what about D&G, better known as DOLCE AND GABBANA, both were assitants, also who to know, when they decided to open their own Italian House brand. Marc Jacobs a prominent East Coast desinger when to the high school of arts and design in NY, then went to Parsons school of design. This can be seen as an example of education. Kira Plastinina is an example of keeping it all in the family. Her father, a Russian millionaire, bought her a line for her birthday (what a gift right?) .Paris Hilton has a line, some may say she got it from her looks, her beauty, her family, or a combination thereof. But do these elements make you a designer? I think it takes all of the above. You can not have the five star education that Marc Jacobs got but still be an amazing designer but there are other factors. School certainly helps you meet people and there in lies the internships and socializing opportunities. You can be famous from family, or inherit a famous line. But does that make you a designer? No, look at Lauren Conrad. She inherited money, fame and a good education based on the wealth of her family. But, in the spotlight she is seen as a designer which is false. She is actually in product development and creates concepts. There are a string of designers who actually design her concepts and brings them to real life. So its not necessarily one thing but a combination of sugar spice and everything nice that makes a designer amazing.