About Fashion Designing

Fashion design is an area of art & design which uses design and natural beauty to enhance the quality and aesthetics of clothing and accessories. Fashion Designers are creative people with the correct mix of aesthetic sense and creative thinking who can work wonders with different types of fabric.

A host of countries offer fashion design courses for students. This translates into a steady demand for fashionable clothing and accessories which in turn mean that a steady influx of creative people is required.  Europe is the epicenter of the fashion industry. The chance to learn new stuff is immense but one should have the right aptitude for it.

Fashion design is defined as using design and natural beauty to enhance the quality and aesthetics of clothing and accessories. It is assumed to have originated in the 19th century with Charles Frederick Worth who was the first designer to have his label sewn into the clothes that he fashioned. High fashion originated from the rather garish attires worn at royal courts.

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The job of a fashion designer may seem glamorous but in reality that is only 10% of the work. The remaining time is spent in sweaty factories, working endlessly on fabrics or accessories. Long hours are put in cleaning, machining and sewing fabrics to get the uber cool look.

Let us take a look at the top colleges offering the course:

INDIA

National Institutes of Fashion Technology | National Institute of Design, NID | Indian Institute of Craft & Design, (IICD)

USA

Parsons, The New School for Design | Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) | Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM)

UK

Brunel University | University of Dundee | University of Leeds

Career Prospects

People from this field normally get trained to do the following:

  • Researching fashion trends and staying up-to-date on contemporary styles
  • Creating sketches and samples
  • Choosing materials
  • Attending fashion shows
  • Performing business administration tasks
  • Marketing products
  • Supervising or working with design team members
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Jobs & Salary

Graduates in fashion design can work with apparel manufacturers, designers, wholesalers, leather companies, boutiques, jewellery houses, importers and many major and independent retailers. People who love glamour can opt for jobs like fashion photography and costume designers.  After gaining experience, people start and run their own ventures.

What kind of companies do you work for?

  • Fashion houses hire fashion designers to work in-house as employees. They are employed to follow instructions and supplement the vision of the designer that owns the house
  • There are some department stores, like Shoppers Stop or Lifestyle retail, that hire in-house fashion designers. While it is similar to working for a high-end fashion house, these designers do not own any of their work and cannot sell it to anyone else.
  • Working freelance involves selling garments directly to boutiques and shops, or selling designs to fashion houses and clothing manufacturers. Here, the garment is a finished product.
  • Another avenue of employment is corporations like airlines, hotels and other large entities that have specific uniforms required for their large numbers of employees. Fashion designers are utilized for the new uniform designs.
  • Toy companies also hire fashion designers. The most famous fashion icon being the Barbie doll.

Remuneration in the fashion industry has no upper limit.  Fresh graduates start out at less salary but once you find your foothold, name, fame and moolah start raining on you. So bring out the creative monster and spin your magic because the gravy train is loaded guys!

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • You will be a harbinger of change, especially when introducing new designs and styles in clothes.
  • This career allows you to be wildly creative and it encourages you to push boundaries and tread new design ideas. Look at Satyapaul’s creations. Weird to some but they still sell like hot cakes.
  • If you have a penchant for clothing and designing something using your own brand of style, then you will definitely find your place in the fashion industry.
  • Fashion design can give you the opportunity to make a profitable and famous business, if you happen to come up with a successful clothing line.

Cons

  • Fashion design is filled with people who are highly critical when it comes to choosing who actually brought something new. What you may think as the best design concept may not be aesthetically pleasing to many. So develop a thick skin as people may not be kind to you.
  • You need to be very patient and hardworking for that big break you are longing for.

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