DESIGNER PROFILE – Asuka Tsukamoto
What is your employment status?
AT: Unemployed due to Coronavirus Pandemic
What is your official job title?
AT: Apparel Graphic Designer
Please summarize your professional career in 1 to 3 sentences; what should everyone know about you?
AT: Apparel graphic designer with 15+ years experience designing for contemporary womenswear, kidswear & sleepwear. Unique sense of design combining Asian and Western aesthetics.
Describe what you do?
AT: I create graphic, print pattern and embellishment artwork mainly for women’s sportswear, sleepwear & kidswear.
What steps did you take to become a designer?
AT: I was born in Tokyo. After I graduated college there, I moved to LA, CA to go to design school, FIDM to study graphic design. Started as an intern at small graphic firm in Venice, CA. While I was working for them, I met a client who owned sleepwear company. Since their business was expanded quickly, they asked me to join their company as a in-house designer. Since then, I’ve been working as an apparel graphic designer.
What is the best/most challenging part of your job?
AT: Meeting sales goals. Even you deliver great designs/products, if they are not selling well, you won’t be a great designer. You must know the market and your customers well.
If you weren’t a designer what would you be?
AT: Own a gift shop or boutique.
How did you get started in design?
AT: Went to design school.
What do you like about what you do?
AT: When I see someone who is wearing the clothes I designed on street, it makes me feel great! Proud of myself!
What’s a common misconception people have about what you do?
AT: A lot of people think my job is very glamorous, but in real life, it’s totally opposite. Long hours and stressful work most of the time.
What is the biggest lesson that you have learned since you started your career?
AT: You should not forget to work as a team. You can’t create great products/designs by yourself. Also I try to listen to my team option for product development.
What advice would you give to young designers?
AT: Keep working hard, challenging everything you want. It’s OK to make mistakes while you can!
What’s your motto?
AT: Work hard, Play hard!
Graphic/print designer with 15+ years experience designing for contemporary womenswear, kidswear & sleepwear. Unique sense of design combining Asian and Western aesthetics.