Introduction
Fashion design is the applied art devoted to the designing of
clothing and lifestyle accessories. This art is influenced by cultural
and social attitudes and has evolved over time and place. Fashion
designing has come a long way from the designer clothes worn by the
royalty of the ancient world to the haute couture products of the
present.
Fashion designing is one of the most lucrative,
appealing, glamorous and exciting career options in today's world. If
you have a penchant for creativity, style and originality, a career in
fashion designing is the one tailor made for you. On one hand, the
fashion industry satisfies both the creative fancies and the
materialistic needs of the people. On the other hand, it promises
glamour, fame, success and a high pay package to the talented people.
However,
it is also a demanding career, as fashion designers need to combine
their creativity with managerial skills to sustain in this industry.
Thus, if you can create magic with colours, shapes and designs, then
just obtain a professional course to begin a successful career in the
alluring world of fashion designing.
Step-by-Step
To start a career as a fashion designer, two types of qualifications are required, that is, natural and acquired.
•
Natural:
this skill set would comprise of a decent aesthetic sense, colour
expertise, good taste and sense of trends and fashion. An eye for
detail, knowledge of fabrics and so on is a big plus for those serious
about a career as a fashion designer.
•
Acquired
skills would be a qualification from a decent, recognized fashion
Institute. You can enrol for either a full-time course or a part time
certificate course.
Students usually take these up after their 10+2
level. Not that the courses are not available for graduates or people
with higher qualification. There are several short-term certificate
courses that are offered by the same fashion institutes for super
specialization, on part-time basis. These courses equip you with
technical and creative thinking skills.
Start Early
The word ‘fashion’ immediately conjures up images of glitz and
glamour. The onset of the International fashion market in India has
given an impetus to the fashion industry which has emerged as the
booming industry and a career as a fashion designer is like a pot of
gold. So, many young people who are attracted by these attributes decide
to foray into the fashion industry.
While the academic
requirements are not very high, you need considerable aptitude and
talent to be labelled “designer” material. You must be highly creative
to combine colours, shades and textures and express your ideas through
sketches.
Your race for admission into a reputed fashion school
will begin straight after school. Subjects like drawing, painting, home
science and computer graphics will develop your creativity.
By
the time you finish the course you will have mastered the step-by-step
making of a garment: from designing to pattern making, production and
even marketing.
Is it the right career for me?
A career in fashion designing is right for you if you are
talented and exude style in everything you do. You must also possess the
ability be original and creative and love to make people look good.
Further,
you must be creative enough to combine colours, shades and textures and
express your ideas through sketches. You must also visualise new
design, patters, garments and accessories and enjoy working with fabrics
and accessories.
If you have all this and more in you then you are all, set to step into the arena of fashion designing.
What would it Cost Me?
The fee structure varies from institution to institution.
However, on an average you will have to dish out more than Rs. 45,000
per annum to complete a course in Fashion Designing from a reputed
institution.
Funding/Scholarship
Some fashion academies extend merit based scholarships. These
scholarships usually waive off payment of tuition fee only. These
waivers continue in the subsequent year(s) on the condition that the
awardees academic performance meets the prescribed standards of
achievement.
The criterion of these scholarship programmes is
based on the annual income of the eligible student’s parental annual
income. There are a few scholarships sponsored by reputed companies for
meritorious and financially deserving students. Scholarship awardees
also get educational loan facility to cover other payable fee and
expenses.
Job Prospect
In India, the fashion industry has just begun to come of age,
as it is still in its fledgling stage. This industry offers plenty of
opportunities for talented hard working and enthusiastic people.
Prospects for fashion design graduates are pretty good thanks to the
huge and still growing demand for “designer wear” and the equally
outsized quantity of exports.
After successful completion of the
course, you can remain self employed. Alternatively, several export
houses, garment store chains, textile mills, leather companies,
boutiques, fashion show organizers, jewellery houses and media houses
recruit professionals interested in a career in fashion designing.
Pay Packet
The Starting monthly package can be around Rs.10, 000 to
Rs.15, 000. With experience, you will acquire maturity in designing
skills and a few years down the line your salary would be in the range
of Rs.30, 000 to Rs.40, 000 per month. Of course, if you become a
reputed designer you could demand the world.
Great fashion
designers salary always shows an upward moving trend. However, hard work
and a conscious effort to update the latest trends in the fashion
industry are imperative.
Demand and Supply
Economically India is progressing rapidly today with even
better future prospects. Therefore, the country is today witnessing
rapid growth in many sectors which includes the fashion industry.
Indian
fashion is gaining a lot of popularity abroad because of cheap labour
and excellent craftsmanship. Many top Indian designers are now catering
to this growing international demand for quality fashion products and
accessories. In addition, for the demand for Indian garments, designer
saris and textiles are also of great demand.
Many individuals
choose careers in fashion designing today as there are many areas of
work and countless opportunities within this field.
Market Watch
The scope for fashion design jobs in India is immense as
Indians have increasingly become more fashion conscious and seek to
enhance it in every way. Clothing companies need to hire people in a
variety of jobs, ranging from fashion designers, textile designers,
models, retailers, buyers and merchandisers, to provide end-to-end
solutions to their clients.
According to a recent study, the
India’s fashion designing industry aims to grow to Rs.1, 000 crores from
the current to Rs.180 crores within the next 5 to 10 years.
International Focus
Better prospectus both in terms of salary and growth of
fashion design jobs is enormous and extends beyond India’s markets to
international markets too. Indian fashion designers are doing very well
in almost all countries and hence the scope has broadened for students
of fashion designing.
Fashion designers such as Ritu Beri, Ritu
Kumar, Rohit Bal, Satya Paul and Tarun Tahiliani are known worldwide.
Many Institutions provide training to potential fashion designers to
expand their talent and become entrepreneurs in the fashion world. The
India Fashion Week has become an international fashion event, with
buyers from international stores making an appearance to transact
business.
With more and more Indians dressing up and focused on
looking good, there is an increasing awareness about fashion in India.
The Indian fashion industry is booming. The domestic Indian Textile
market is worth $25 billion today and growing at an annual rate of
15-20%.
Mega Malls are mushrooming all over. The Retail sector is
witnessing a virtual explosion with the Ambanis, Mittals, Birlas and
now, the Tatas making a foray in this sector. The fashion market will
require thousands of trained professionals in the fields of design,
management, communication and technology.
Positives/Negatives
+ives
• The scope of fashion design is such that it’s cut out for success.
•
There are some glamorous aspects to this business, you may get to rub
shoulders with the rich and famous, but reaching there is absolute hard
work.
-ives
• Fashion designers need a lot of experience and hence they have to
work as assistant for any reputed fashion design firm in the initial
phase.
• You might want to set up your own studio but you will need a
lot of money or have to find investors who are ready to invest in your
studio.
• Unless you have some hands on experience, it is hard to get investors.
Different roles, different names
As a professional fashion designer, you can work in areas like
designer wear production, fashion marketing, planning and concept
management. Then there is fashion media, design production management,
fashion accessory design, quality control and promotion of brands.
You
can also work as a designated costume designer, fashion consultant,
personal stylist, technical designer, graphic designer, production
pattern maker or a fashion coordinator.
Other roles include:
apparel production manager, fabric buyer, fabric quality control
manager, show room sales representative, illustrator, cutting assistant
and outside sales representative. Those interested in a career in
fashion designing can also become entrepreneurs and form their own
companies.
Top Companies
1. Fashion houses run by top fashion designers such as: Abu
Jani, JJ Valaya, Manish Malhotra, Neeta Lulla, Rina Dhaka, Ritu Beri,
Ritu Kumar, Rohit Bal, Sandeep Khosla, Tarun Tahiliani and so on.
2. Top notch garment and textile export houses
3. Textile and fabric manufacturing units
4. Exclusive and branded fashion showrooms
Tips for getting Hired
1. Make a great portfolio that showcases your creative talents
2. Apprenticeship under a well-known designer is desirable for getting hired in this industry
3. Thoroughly research the market before making a foray into it
4. Do freelancing for fashion houses and boutiques
5. Be creative, exclusive and innovative
6. Don’t be impulsive and impatient
7. Don’t get disheartened by rejections, understand your drawbacks and work on it
8. Start affordable and once you have proved yourself, you can go for the stars
