53123 Theatre, fashion, exhibit and other creative designers

What this occupation covers

Theatre, fashion, exhibit and other creative designers conceptualize and produce designs for film, television, theatre and video productions, garments and textiles, displays and exhibits, and for other creative items such as jewellery and trophies. Theatre designers are employed by performing arts and broadcasting companies and by festivals; fashion designers are employed by clothing and textile companies or may be self-employed; and exhibit designers are employed by museums. Other creative designers in this unit group are employed by manufacturing establishments or may be self-employed.

Official main duties

The NOC profile lists 4 main duties for this code.

• Design and create settings, scenic environments, properties, costumes and lighting for theatre, film and video productions, operas and ballets.
• Design and create clothing and accessories for men, women and children.
• Plan and develop permanent and temporary or moveable exhibits and displays for museum exhibitions, trade shows, conventions and other exhibitions.
• Theatre designers may specialize in costume, lighting or set design; fashion designers may specialize in men's, women's or children's apparel or in different lines such as sportswear, footwear or formal wear.

Do not copy these lines into your reference letter. The letter has to describe what you actually did, in your employer’s words. DUTYPROOF flags wording lifted from the NOC as something to review, and an officer reading a letter that mirrors the NOC reads it the same way.

What DUTYPROOF screens for

This is DUTYPROOF’s screening threshold, not IRCC’s decision. For this NOC, screening requires at least 2 of its 4 official duties to be evidenced in your own words, plus the required letter elements. IRCC asks that you performed the actions in the occupation’s lead statement and a substantial number of its main duties — so treat the duty coverage as the number that matters, not the badge.

Codes this one is confused with

The NOC profile names these itself. Choosing the wrong code of a look-alike pair is the most common way genuine work experience fails to establish eligibility.

• 53100 Registrars, restorers, interpreters and other occupations related to museum and art galleries
• 52120 Graphic designers and illustrators
• 22211 Industrial designers
• 52121 Interior designers and interior decorators
• 53125 Patternmakers - textile, leather and fur products
• 64200 Tailors, dressmakers, furriers and milliners

Excluded from this code

• Diorama maker - museums and art galleries (See 53100 Registrars, restorers, interpreters and other occupations related to museum and art galleries)
• Graphic designers and illustrators (See 52120 Graphic designers and illustrators)
• Industrial designers (See 22211 Industrial designers)
• Interior designers and interior decorators (See 52121 Interior designers and interior decorators)
• Patternmakers - textile, leather and fur products (See 53125 Patternmakers - textile, leather and fur products)
• Tailors, dressmakers, furriers and milliners (See 64200 Tailors, dressmakers, furriers and milliners)

Job titles filed under this code

A title on this list does not by itself put your experience in this code — the duties in your letter decide that.

assistant costume designer · clothing designer · costume designer · couturier - haute couture · crest designer · designer - theatre · display designer - museums and art galleries · embroidery designer · exhibit designer · exhibit designers supervisor · exhibition designer - museums and art galleries · fabric designer · facilities designer · fashion coordinator · fashion designer · fashion goods exhibit coordinator · fashion stylist · fashion wear designer · fishing lure designer · food stylist · fur designer · garment designer · glove designer · handbag designer

Employment requirements

• A university degree in fine arts or visual arts with specialization in theatre design, clothing design or exhibit design or completion of a college or art school program in theatre design, clothing design or exhibit design is required.
• Creative ability, as demonstrated by a portfolio of work, is required.
• Use of computer-aided design (CAD) software may be required.