If you’re reading this article, chances are you’re one of those people wondering, ‘Is fashion designing a good career choice?’ or maybe something like ‘What exactly does fashion designing entail?’, ‘What skills does a career in fashion designing involve?’ or ‘Is fashion designing a good career in India?’
A career in fashion design can be extremely attractive, given the industry is known for its glitz and glamor to make a statement for yourself.
This may get a little overwhelming. So we’re here to answer all of your questions with the help of this article.
Who is a fashion designer and what is fashion designing all about?
Let’s start with the basics that everyone is already familiar with, defining the designation of a fashion designer:
In plain words, a fashion designer is someone responsible for creating and ideating what individual garments will look like. In a more artistic sense, a fashion designer stitches together an evolution, speaks volumes about generational fashion, and puts together embellishments that make for more than just a statement.
For example, you don’t just aspire to wear a particular cloth because it’s pretty, but because it makes you feel either the change you want to bring or the comfort of who you already are.
Starting as a fashion designer, designing your first piece of clothing can bring along many questions and confusion of where to start. This can include the answers to questions such as:
- What will be the specific shape of the garment?
- What color will the garment be?
- Will it have any trimmings?
- What fabric will be used in the making of the garment?
Usually, the fashion designer first has an idea of what a garment will look like, he or she then puts that idea down on paper in the form of a sketch and makes sure to specify the details in the design that the garment will require to look a specific way. Fashion designers can work at different levels of the fashion business, as couturiers, anonymous designers that work for commercial brands or fashion houses, or simply as stylists who make modifications to existing designs.
Through the years, fashion designers have been known to work their magic and make significant contributions to the cultural and social environment of the world.
4 signs that you’re already a fashion designer in hindsight!
Some qualities and skills such as innovation and creativity are essential when it comes to fashion designing.
Four signs that can help you determine if you want to choose a career in fashion:
- What Makes You YOUnique
If you’re someone that doesn’t believe in following fashion trends but creating your own, this career is definitely for you. Do you like standing out from the crowd and making heads turn with the way you dress? Fashion designing is just the thing for you, because why not show the rest of the world how unique a fashion sense you have!
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You Stay Updated On the World of Fashion
Do you always know about the hottest trends in the fashion industry? Do you have subscriptions to more fashion magazines than you can count on your fingers? Well, we’ll just say you’re reading the right article!
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Creativity is key for all your projects
Any kind of projects you’ve worked on throughout your life always had some kind of creative element, something different that made your work worthy of applause, a new perspective on everything. Before a lot of fashion designers got into the field, they portrayed their creativity using other art forms such as painting, sketching, knitting, or anything else! Whatever gets your creative juices flowing, give that a try.
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You’ve always been the ‘Fashion Guru’
Whether it’s your siblings asking for advice on what they should wear to the party this weekend or your friends asking to borrow your clothes constantly, take these as signs that the fashion business was made for you.
You look at Fashion beyond just clothes and as a medium of expression, be it for your mood, personality, or to channel the strength to make a statement.
Career Options after a Fashion Design Course
Making a career in fashion designing after graduation will depend entirely on your talent and how much you’re going to love working in the field. The scope of fashion designing is fairly large depending upon the kind of job you’re going to pick.
If after reading, you related to each of these signs and found yourself exclaiming, “YES, that’s me!” then you have your answer as to “Is fashion designing the right career for you after all”.
After having found your answer, we’re sure you are thinking about where to start with and what jobs to take up. Let’s help you with that!
Any person that has a degree in fashion designing can take their pick from two kinds of jobs in the fashion industry, as listed below:
Jobs that are Directly Related to Fashion Designing:
- Fashion Designer
- Retail Buyer
- Retail Manager
- Fashion Stylist
- Merchandiser
- Textile Designer
- Visual Merchandiser
- Fashion Illustrator, and more
Jobs that are Indirectly Related to Fashion Designing:
- Textile or Clothing Technologist
- Event Manager
- Jewelry Designer
- Magazine Journalist
- Make-up Artists
- Public Relations manager, and more
The pay for individuals who step foot into the fashion industry after their course will find an upward trend based on their merits. Apart from this, if you wish to leave a mark in the industry you must work your way to the top, be on top of the hottest trends and keep your eyes wide open for inspiration. The salary may also differ greatly from place to place. At the entry-level, however, an annual pay of somewhere between ₹3.5 lakh to ₹6 lakh can be expected.
Why Fashion Designing?
If you have roughly made up your mind about having fashion designing as a career alternative, seeing the rosy picture you’ll soon find that the industry is competitive yet attractive. At times, it may even get stressful to deal with but the joy of working in the field you’re passionate about will make it worth the hassle.
As the years pass, along with experience and tenure will come greater opportunities. If you move to work as a full-time employee at a fashion house, you will find yourself amid several great opportunities and even a few advantages such as health insurance. Your employment at a fashion house will make sure you’re paid well for the time and effort you put into the job and it might even land you a paid vacation!
However, when the dream of starting your own fashion house someday turns into reality, you might find yourself benefiting most at the time.
We understand words of encouragement can paint dreams, but to prove it to you in reality let’s depend on statistics and research!
According to statistics, almost 25% of fashion designers are self-employed. You may have a wide variety of clients ranging from media outlets to even whole textile mills. With your own fashion house will come the freedom to explore your interests and bring to the forefront your sense of fashion for the world to see.
An added benefit of being a part of the fashion design industry is the traveling that comes with it. Events, parties, celebrations, you can have the opportunity to attend all of these in some of the best countries of the world like Milan or Paris.
You already have butterflies in your stomach, thinking about that outfit you’d be flaunting in front of the Eiffel Tower, on a red carpet!
What goes without saying is the sheer pleasure out of creating something new and seeing it come to life in the form of a fashion trend. This kind of satisfaction is rare. This also works as motivation for you to keep working in the same direction because your work is now being recognized and appreciated by the whole world!
In Conclusion
If you’re thinking about taking up a career in fashion, we’re going to help you achieve your dream.
Fashion Designing is the perfect blend of Science and Arts. It is a fashion designer’s job to merge both fields in their work.
ISDI offers various design programs such as Fashion Design, Fashion Communication and Styling, Interior Design and Strategic Design, Communication Design, Product Design, and Management. Pursuing one of the degree programs, that is, Bachelors in Design (BDes) – 4 year program or Postgraduate In Design (PGDI) – 11 months program. Either of the programs are an alternative for a career in fashion and design.
The ISDI campus is located in the business district of Mumbai, the commercial center of India. ISDI consists of a curriculum that is based on that of the Parsons School of Design, experienced and industry-leading faculty, practical project-based training, all situated in a state-of-the-art campus. ISDI is just the right place for someone looking to start a career in fashion design.
Innovation and creativity are all the qualities you need. Oh and proper training, of course!