Fashion designing is a bright and promising field with diverse career opportunities. The Indian fashion industry is vast and very diverse, making it a wonderful destination for different kinds of talent. If you are keen on building a career in fashion, then you will need to follow certain steps towards your goal. But first, let us understand what fashion designers do and discuss the top jobs in the world of fashion.
What do Fashion Designers Do?
Fashion designers have to perform different tasks as a part of their job. Here are some of the most vital functions of a fashion designer:
- Developing Various Designs: Fashion designers must work on different kinds of design, depending on the brief given to them. They can be expected to create utfits like ball gowns, summer dresses, casual outfits and much more, depending on their area of expertise.
- Choosing Materials: These professionals are expected to choose the right material to build an outfit. There are many factors that go into choosing the right material, and it is a skill learnt by fashion designers through experience.
- Syncing with the Manufacturing Process: Fashion designers must submit their designs to ensure that the manufacturing can start on schedule. Once the manufacturing process is completed, the final goods have to reach the marketplace on time to ensure sales.
- Working with the Marketing Team: Fashion designers must work with the marketing team to ensure that the team knows how to market the product to the target customers. They have to share its salient features with the team in layman’s terms to avoid any miscommunication.
Leading Careers in Fashion Design
As mentioned earlier, the fashion industry is very vast with diverse career opportunities. Before choosing a path within the industry, you need to know about the opportunities available to you to make an informed decision. Here are some of the top jobs in fashion that you can consider for a bright future in this industry:
- Fashion Designer
- Fashion Stylist
- Fashion Merchandiser
- Personal Stylist
- Textile Designer
- Costumer Designer
- Creative Director
- Accessories Designer
- Fashion Photographer
- Fashion Journalist
Top Tips to Build a Career in the Indian Fashion Industry
1. Identify Your Path in the Fashion Industry
Once you have decided to make a career in fashion, it is important to identify which branch of fashion designing you wish to pursue. Do you want to be a fashion designer who works for ready-to-wear fashion brands, or do you wish to work with Haute Couture? Or, do you wish to design fashion accessories like shoes, bags, scarves, belts, luggage etc.? It is vital for you to identify your path in the fashion industry so that you can start working on building specific skills based on your end goal in the industry.
2. Pursue a Fashion Design Program
People generally think that all you need to make a career in fashion is creativity and originality. While these are very important factors, there is so much more you need to build a successful career in this field. You need to gain some industry-synced qualifications to start your career in the industry. You can start with a Bachelor of Design in Fashion and Lifestyle Design to set the right foundation for your fashion career. This program can be followed by a postgraduate degree in fashion for more specialised training. Your qualifications will help you stand apart from your peers in the job market.
3. Start Building Your Portfolio
No one can make a career in a creative field without a portfolio. Be it a writer, a photographer, a graphic designer, or a fashion designer, a portfolio is a must for these professionals. A portfolio is a short yet creative collection of your work. It can help you showcase your talents and become your ticket into the world of fashion. Professional fashion houses generally expect aspiring fashion designers to submit their portfolio before considering them for a job in their organisation. You must start building your portfolio as soon as possible to have a body of work to show prospective employers.
4. Develop Industry-related Skills
The fashion industry is very skill-oriented. Hence, you need to put in the hours to build your skills in this field. Artistic ability and creativity can only take you so far if you do not have skills like sketching, sewing, embroidering, a basic understanding of fabrics and materials, effective communication skills, and developing a keen eye for fashion trends. Fashion is all about timing. You need to hone your eye to identify upcoming trends so that you can create pieces to work with those trends. Follow popular fashion houses, keep an eye on the collections they launch every season. Take some classes if you need to improve upon your sketching and sewing skills.
5. Pursue Fashion Internships
While pursuing a college education and building skills in the classroom is vital, nothing beats hands-on work experience. Internships are a great way to insert yourself into the industry. You can seek out brands you like, submit your portfolio to them, and keep an eye out for summer internships. Such opportunities can open up a world of opportunities as you can build contacts in the industry during the internship. If you play your cards right, an internship can transform into a solid job opportunity.
Conclusion
These simple steps can definitely help you build a good career in the fashion industry. Do some introspection and work out what you wish to do in the industry. Pursue some degree programs in fashion to gain the right academic knowledge and skills needed to do the job. Remember, creativity and passion for fashion are just as important as qualifications in the world of fashion. Good luck!