What are your educational options after passing the Class 12 boards? Good question!
You are preparing for your high school boards? As you study hard, the thought that worries you most is what should you study in college? Should you opt for a traditional college degree in the arts, sciences or in commerce? Or should you go for something far more exciting and innovative?
Remember there are several new age and emerging courses to choose from, especially for those who wish to choose a career path that is out of the traditional norm. Fashion Designing is one such exciting course that prepares you for a truly exciting, creative as well as a lucrative career.
Fashion designing is for you if you have a creative bent of mind and possess a keen eye for balance and symmetry. If you are passionate as well as choosy about colours and shapes and have an irresistible inclination to perceive beauty and grace in the way people dress, then a career in fashion designing is waiting for you!
Fashion Designing – an Introduction
A fashion designing course is a degree or diploma course that trains students to acquire the skills and techniques to conceptualize and create designer clothing and accessories. The different aspects of fashion covered by a typical fashion designing course includes the understanding of basic design concepts as well as textile and fabrics, the skills to sketch fashion ideas, the art of pattern making, sewing as well as CAD (Computer-Aided Designing).
Fashion designing courses can range from short-term diplomas to full-degree programs (like a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree), depending on the level of expertise you want to achieve. They are available at design schools and universities. The National Institute of Fashion Designing (NIFD) is a premier fashion designing institute in India. In the North Bengal region, Inspiria Knowledge Campus is the only institute that offers a B.Sc degree course in fashion designing.
Different Areas in Fashion Designing
Universities and institutes offering fashion designing courses provide different kinds of degrees for a career in fashion designing. They are all designed to trains students with a specialized focus on a specific area in fashion design. All these courses train students on the fundamental aspects of fashion designing. These degrees include B.Des (Bachelor in Designing), B.SC in Fashion Designing and B.FTech (Bachelor in Fashion Technology). Further, the specialized areas within the broad scope of fashion designing vary from apparel & textile design, knitwear design, leather design, product design and industrial design. More advanced specializations include UX and UI designing.
Career Positions in Fashion Designing
The following are the prominent career positions which fashion designing graduates can take up after passing out:
- Fashion Designer: This is the broad role in a fashion designing career. Fashion designers conceptualize and create clothing, accessories, and footwear. They study and often create fashion trends, sketch designs, select fabrics besides overseeing the production process.
- Fashion Stylist: Fashion stylist is a specialist role where the stylist arranges the visual representation of clothing for media appearances, photo-shoots and runway shows, and media appearances. They manage the outfits for celebrities and models during advertising campaigns.
- Textile Designer: A fashion designer who specializes in textile designing and creates patterns, prints, and textiles for fashion clothing. Working closely with fabric manufacturers they design fabrics that match the designer’s vision.
- Pattern Makers: Designers’ concepts are converted into technical patterns by pattern makers. In order to guarantee correct fit and proportions, they design templates that will be used to cut the fabric for clothing production.
- Fashion Illustrator: Drawing sketches of apparel and accessories is the area of expertise for fashion illustrators. They frequently use both traditional and digital drawing approaches to conceptualize designs before they are made.
- Footwear Designer: As the name implies, designers of footwear concentrate only on shoe design. They create footwear collections by fusing their creativity with an awareness of comfort and utility.
- Fashion Merchandiser: Fashion merchandisers are in charge of overseeing the purchasing and selling of fashion items as well as forecasting trends. To make sure that collections meet consumer needs, they collaborate closely with retailers and designers.
- Fashion Buyer: Buyers are responsible for selecting and purchasing clothing, accessories, and other products for stores or online retailers. They need to have a keen understanding of customer preferences, trends, and budgeting.
- Garment Technologist: These professionals make sure that clothing is manufactured effectively and satisfies quality, fit, and durability requirements. They supervise the production process and collaborate with manufacturers.
- Jewelry Designer: Designers of jewelry make bracelets, rings, necklaces, and earrings. They frequently make unique items for customers using materials like gold, silver, and gemstones.
Sectors Employing Fashion Designers
The fashion industry, chiefly the apparel sector, is the chief employer of fashion designers. The market value of the Indian fashion design sector was estimated at roughly ₹15.1 lakh crore in 2023 and is projected to treble to over ₹45.3 lakh crore by 2032. This is a 12.6% growth rate. Besides the garment designing sector, fashion designers are in great demand in footwear industry, film and TV production houses, IT and tech sector (for those who specialize in UX and UI designing) and also the advertising industry.
Conclusion
The fashion industry thus is a sector with huge potential in terms of growth. As disposable income of the middle class rises and people get used to more comfortable and affluent lifestyles, people will become more stylish and sensitive to the way they carry themselves around. For young students with taste and a knack for style and creativity, fashion designing is a career that offers not only great material prospects but also immense job satisfaction. Enrolling in a fashion designing degree course is the best way to make a start to your fashion designing career.
