Fashion designing as a profession is a relatively new entrant in the career firmament but one that has grown into such a big and high profile industry that future prospects appear very attractive.

Professionals in the fashion industry talk of turnovers in multiples of crores. The Fashion industry entails a variety of components such as garment design and manufacture, retail and merchandising, accessory design as well as market research and fashion journalism. It is therefore assumed that employment opportunities in the industry are very high. But though the industry is still in an emerging state everything about the industry carries with it a high degree of professionalism, to the extent that it is more of a business than an art.

Beginning with design and production to marketing and sales, the people engaged in this consumer-oriented business are highly talented and motivated and quality standards are generally very high. Fashion design covers both the export and the domestic markets. Exports are a growing sector where there is a demand for trained people. The garments industry is in fact the largest exporter in the country today accounting for nearly 2000 crores. And the figure is expected to double in the next couple of years. A large number of graduates in fashion design and technology are absorbed in the export sector. Nowadays as fashion accessories manufactured in India have reached international standards of quality and design, they too have entered the export market in a big way. The most preferred accessories are leather, silk and jewellery items.

Since the mid 1980s the whole country has become more design conscious. Liberalisation and consequent consumerism have brought in newer awareness and attitudes. An upwardly mobile society is now more prepared to spend money on fashionable clothes and accessories. This, in turn, has meant more opportunities for designers. The term designer is now common place and the rich and the famous make it a point to exhibit their expensive designer labels. Lifestyle changes and the desire of today’s generation to look good have ensured that the fashion designing industry has come to stay. The most exclusive area of the fashion industry is haute couture or high fashion. Abroad, the big names in haute couture enjoy celebrity status. Today our fashion designers too, are getting recognised internationally.

The market, the magazines, and the media are all showering attention on the fashion industry, which means that the industry is invested with a lot of glamour and money. The top designers of today have shown the way to the glamorous and successful world of fashion. But an industry can not survive on the top end market alone. So in addition there are a number of cheaper lines such as ready to wear, sportswear, accessories, etc. The largest section of the fashion market is actually the mass market- the wholesale manufacturers. Like the big name designers, they too often have their own house style, which their designers have to reflect in the ranges designed.

With only a few institutions catering to the requirement of trained manpower for the fashion garment and accessory industry, there is always a shortage of trained people in the industry. Whatever the extent of one’s natural talent and creativity, one needs to hone it to be able to produce the best and thrive in a competitive market.

Of course, there are designers who have had no formal training and who have been successful, but with fashion design having become so organised and professional it does make a difference between those who are formally trained and those who are not. There are many institutions all over the country that offers courses in fashion design. Criteria for admission and content of the courses vary from institution to institution. The course generally covers all aspects of fashion design, right from its conceptualization to the finished product. In many schools, special aspects such as fashion art, pattern making, and draping are taught through hands-on training.

The best known Institute offering a comprehensive course in fashion designing is the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), New Delhi. NIFT imparts professional training in fashion design technology and marketing with special emphasis on fashion and accessory design.

The basic qualification needed to join a 3 year undergraduate diploma course is a 10+2 in any discipline with a minimum qualifying marks of 50% (45% in case of SC/ST).

Students of the three year diploma courses learn all aspects of designing garments/accessories from the stage of its conceptualization to the final products. Visualising the pattern of a garment or the design of an accessory, making of the pattern/design, construction of the dress or waistcoat, selection of the material inputs, the final shape in which it is to be displayed all this is part of the course. Students are also given valuable tips on fashion choreography and ramp displays.

NIFT also offers 2 year post-graduate design cum technology Diploma programmes in various aspects of fashion design for which the minimum qualification is a graduate degree from NIFT or in specific cases a Bachelor’s degree in Arts or Home Science (minimum 50% marks required; 45% in case of SC/ST). Some of the better known Institutes and the courses they offer are as follow:

National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) Courses offered . --Undergraduate diploma in accessory design· --Undergraduate diploma in fashion design · --Postgraduate diploma in apparel marketing and merchandising · --Postgraduate diploma in garment manufacturing and technology · --Postgraduate diploma in leather garment design and technology . --Postgraduate diploma in knitwear design and technology · --Postgraduate diploma in textile design and development · --Certificate course in production technology

National Institute of Design (NID) · Paldi, Ahmedabad 380 007 Course offered · Advanced Entry Professional Education Programme in Apparel Design (Open to graduates in Fine Arts, Home Science & Humanities) International Institute of Fashion Technology · South Extension Part I, New Delhi 110 049 Courses offered · Advanced diploma in clothing management · Advanced diploma in textile designing · Advanced diploma in commercial art · Advanced diploma in fashion design · Advanced diploma in apparel merchandising · Diploma in accessory design · Diploma in garment production technology · Diploma in garment quality control · Certificate course in garment merchandising · Certificate course in garment manufacturing · Certificate course in garment import and export · Certificate course in quality control · Certificate course in textile designing Wigan Fashion School · Wigan and Lieigh College (India) Ltd., Nehru Place, New Delhi 110 019 Courses offered Diploma in fashion technology · Certificate in fashion design SNDT Women’s University · Nathibai Thackersey Road, Mumbai 400 020 Course offered · Course in Children’s Garments Footwear Design and Development Institute · A8 Sector IX Noida 201 3011 Course offered · Course in Footwear design

Depending upon one’s qualifications, creativity, talents and the company size one may start at Rs. 4,000 to Rs. 10,000 a month. Prospects are bright for those desirous of launching their own outlets but they have to be prepared to take risks. It is usual practice for a beginner to join as a trainee and gain experience for one-two years before venturing out on one’s own. The job market in the fashion industry is unpredictable at the best of times and in times of economic slowdown as currently, liable to become quite gloomy.

The safest jobs are those in an established designer house, a clothing or textile company, or an export house. Free lancers are the hardest hit in times of crises but they are also the ones who can command the best prices at better times. Nowadays, theatre and film companies as well as television companies are hiring fashion designers. One may look for an assignment either on a free lance basis or if the company so desires, join it as a staff designer. Whether one is an employed staffer or a free lancer the monetary returns are good. An established designer can expect anything from Rs. 2000- 50,000 for a single piece but understandably they have to build up an exclusive clientele for this.

Fashion designing more than any other profession lends itself to self employment but establishing oneself in this profession is not all that easy unless one belongs to the right social milieu where a network of social contacts will serve to one’s advantage.

Gaining a foothold in regular employment in the fashion industry should be the first and best foothold for future self-employment or consultancy. Though many untrained designers have gone on to make a fortune it is recommended that one undergoes a formal course in designing before setting up shop. More than anything, a course teaches one discipline and imposes a work schedule, which is essential for serious designers. It's also a good idea to do an internship with a well-known designer or in a boutique as it gives the much-needed exposure to the real world of fashion.

This helps because it provides Professional training on how the business works First-hand knowledge of customer demand and trends Finer details of business management, wholesale buying, exports and retailing. Before taking the plunge it is also desirable to develop a personal style statement or what is known as a signature brand. Discerning customers seldom patronise a designer whose outfits are run of the mill or uninspiring and it is therefore prudent to do a market survey prior to retailing and pricing. It also helps to be selective about one’s clientele if one is to build up a reputation of exclusiveness. However, the market for the high priced fashion garments and accessories is very small in India and so one has to strike a balance between haute couture and ‘mass line’ products.

India and so one has to strike a balance between haute couture and mass line products.

The designing of garments and accessories for the high fashion segment or the mass market entails a number of allied fields of work within or closely allied to the Fashion industry. These include: Market Research The global fashion market is extremely dynamic; hence, the need to constantly keep a tab on changing trends. Market research is crucial to manufacturing units, retail businesses and export houses. Pricing and product requirements are directly dependent on market research statistics. Researchers conduct market research with at least 5-10 years experience in the fashion industry or by designers themselves.

Marketing and Merchandising Marketing helps to provide a link between the manufacturer and the retailer/customer. It involves research and analysis of general fashion trends, and the market competition, product planning, to make sure that the garments produced meet a demand and continue to do so, sales forecasts, advertising, public relations and promotion. Merchandising, strictly speaking, is the marketing or targeting of products to particular customers, or to particular sectors of the consumer market. This overlaps with the definition of ‘Marketing’; hence the training is usually a composite one. Manufacturing Manufacturing is an important area of work in the fashion industry. It includes: · Purchase of textiles and fabrics · Training · Scheduling · Pattern making · Finishing · Quality control The production process begins with the receipt of design from the designer/s.

The required textiles are then purchased and the production process begins. The master pattern is created according to the design prescribed. The master pattern is then reproduced in a variety of sizes. With the help of the trained personnel (such as tailors, assemblers, embroidery experts etc), the garment is created. Wherever machinery is used in the production process, machine operators are employed. Quality control is also an important focus area especially if garments are being produced for the export market. Packaging is also a part of the manufacturing process. Textile Design A textile designer needs to have an exhaustive knowledge of the production processes such as weaving, dyeing, and printing. Textile design expands beyond clothes and has spilled into furnishings and floor coverings. The scope is good in both the domestic and the export sectors. Accessories designers are those that create the accessories. Their medium for expression is not fabric alone.

Therefore, he or she must be aware of the utility, feasibility and the general properties of the material that he will be using. To enter this aspect of fashion design, one needs to have special training in material and technology. Garment Design The bulk of the fashion designing industry is concentrated in the mass manufacture of garments for the booming export market. With garments now being manufactured on a mass scale in factories, pricing is extremely competitive and productivity is also much higher.

On the other hand there are traditional manufacturing units that rely heavily on handwork. From cutting to embroidering, the ‘karigars’ - whose families have been in the business for several hundred years do everything by hand. Consequently production is limited and the costs are higher. Fortunately, these units are receiving patronage from the government in the form of tax cuts and promotional activities and the export market for these exclusive handcrafted garments is growing.

Accessory Design Today fashion design is not complete without a range of accessories, which include shoes, handbags, scarves, as well as matching jewellery. The design of leather footwear, garments and bags constitute a separate industry that falls within the ambit of the leather industry. Students at NIFT are offered a course in Accessory Design that consists of visualisation and representation, visual studies, computer application, introduction to gems and settings, leather product and design etc. Fashion Communication This is a completely new field that trains students as fashion journalists in print and TV, as event managers, visual merchandisers etc. The role of fashion journalism is poised to take off in a big way as more and more fashion journals hit the stands and ramp shows become more popular for merchandising of products.

Already, many newspapers have special fashion reporters and forecasters who are drawn mostly from the fashion fraternity itself. Fashion Illustration and Fashion Photography are two other avenues for a fashion designer or allied professional but there is no specific training for these jobs. Garment Manufacturing Technology Garment manufacturing technologists or garment technologists are the experts who bridge the gap between design and manufacture. They take the sample and plan the way in which the garment will be made. Since they have a clearer idea of technical feasibility they are in a better position to decide if a design is too complicated or expensive. They can then work out a few changes with the designer in a way that will reduce the number and complexity of the manufacturing operations but still retain the designer's original concept.

Costume Designing This is an area where there is considerable demand for Fashion Designers. They may work as costume designers for cinema, TV productions or stage theatre. This field calls for in depth study of sartorial history and considerable research is necessary to be successful in this field. Costumes can make or break a film, especially if it has a historical theme and special awards are instituted for authentic and appropriate use of costumes in cinema.

It is not advisable to choose fashion as a career simply for its glamour. This is a highly unpredictable field where only a handful among the hundreds passing out actually makes the highest grade. It would be a misconception to think these courses less demanding than other academic degree courses. Most of the courses require a high degree of self-motivation and when choosing a fashion course, you must be prepared to slog it out unless you are training at an institute where cent per cent campus placements are the rule. The job market in fashion is always uncertain and in times of economic slowdown, clothes and accessories are one of the first areas people cut back on. After completion of training, fashion professionals should evaluate their priorities, their skills and interests and envisage what kind of career they want in the shortterm and the longterm.

Also they need to be well acquainted with the prevailing market conditions and be realistic in their self-assessment. They have to be self motivated, flexible and adaptable to change, doggedly persistent, professional and able to see fashion in the broader perspective. Establishing a network of friends and contacts, grouping together with others for ideas, sharing skills and experiences can help overcome a feeling of helplessness after college and also help to provide leads for interesting work options. It is better to start off as a trainee with an established designer and gather experience on all aspects of the business and at the same time develop customer relationships. A few years of hands on training is invaluable before starting off on one’s own.

With a rapidly expanding market for designer apparel there is no reason why a trained and motivated professional cannot succeed.