‘Scope for fashion design is immense’

If you love to create magic with colours, shapes and designs, then working as a fashion designer is just right for you, says AMANDEEP SINGH

In India, the fashion industry has just begun to come of age. This industry offers handful of opportunities for talented, hardworking and enthusiastic people. Fashion design is the art dedicated towards the designing of clothing and lifestyle accessories. Fashion designing has come a long way from the designer clothes worn by the royalty to the haute couture products of the present.

Fashion designing is one of the most lucrative, appealing, glamorous and exciting career option in today’s world. If you have a penchant for creativity, style and originality a career in fashion designing is the one tailor made for you.

On one hand, the fashion industry satisfies both the creative fancies and the materialistic needs of the people. On the other hand, it promises glamour, fame, success and a high pay package to the talented people. Thus, if you can create magic with colours, shapes and designs, then just obtain a professional course to begin a successful career in the alluring world of fashion designing. Your race for admission into a reputed fashion institute will begin straight after school.

Here are some sort of steps to help you drive easily towards your career.

Know Your Type: To start a career as a fashion designer, two types of qualifications are required, that is, natural and acquired.

• Natural skill set would comprise of a decent aesthetic sense, color expertise, good taste and sense of trends and fashion. An eye for detail, knowledge of fabrics and so on is a big plus for those serious about a career as a fashion designer.
• Acquired skills would be a qualification from a decent, recognised fashion institute. You can enroll for either a full-time course or a part time certificate course. There are several short-term certificate courses that are offered by the same fashion institutes for super specialisation, on part-time basis. These courses equip you with technical and creative thinking skills.

What would it Cost Me?: The fee structure varies from institution to institution. However, on an average you will have to dish out more than Rs 50,000 per annum to complete a course in fashion designing from a reputed institution.

After successful completion of the course, you can remain self-employed. Alternatively, several export houses, garment store chains, textile mills, leather companies, boutiques, fashion show organisers, jewelry houses and media houses recruit professionals interested in a career in fashion designing.

Pay Packet: The starting monthly package can be around Rs 10, 000 to Rs 15, 000. With experience, you will acquire maturity in designing skills and a few years down the line your salary would be in the range of Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000 per month. Of course, if you become a reputed designer you could demand the world.

Better prospectus both in terms of salary and growth of fashion design jobs is enormous and extends beyond India’s markets to international markets too.

Indian fashion designers are doing very well in almost all countries and hence the scope has broadened for students of fashion designing.

Fashion designers such as Ritu Beri, Ritu Kumar, Rohit Bal, Satya Paul and Tarun Tahiliani are known worldwide. The India Fashion Week has become an international fashion event, with buyers from international stores making an appearance to transact business.

By the time you finish the course you will have mastered the step-by-step making of a garment: From designing to pattern making, production and even marketing.The scope for fashion design jobs in the country are immense as Indians have increasingly become fashion conscious and seek to enhance it in every way.