The fashion industry in India is plagued by myths, which can attract the wrong sort of people, or keep away true enthusiasts. There’s far more to fashion than attractive models walking the ramp. The fashion industry demands hard work, passion and tremendous grit. Many young fashion aficionados today, miss out on an early education in fashion because of their misconceptions about the business or a lack of awareness of the educational opportunities available.
However, what many eager fashionistas don’t know is that even if you miss the bus at the undergraduate level, there are a host of postgraduate programmes that you can pursue to help you break into the industry. These courses can give you a complete grounding in the business. As Anuj Sharma, a designer, avers, “Today, the PG courses available in fashion institutes in India, offer a holistic fashion education, rather than specialised education as is the case abroad.”
The best fit
Vishal Gupta, Centre Coordinator, NIFT enthuses, “The fashion scene today, is extremely promising, as Indian designers are making their mark globally. Increasing fashion consciousness, brand awareness (lead by the retail invasion), higher disposable incomes, and higher spend on clothing and lifestyle products, ensure that the domestic market holds great promise as well. The economic meltdown notwithstanding, clothes are something that people will continue to wear.”
The fashion industry works at different levels, and aspirants can look forward to working in other areas besides designing. The business of fashion is dependent on professionals from three main areas - design, production, and management.
Design
A fashion designer stands at the centre of the industry, and is responsible for coming up with apparel designs in three basic categories - men’s wear, women’s wear and children’s wear. These categories are further divided into specialised segments, related to occasions and places, like casual wear, formal wear, evening wear, sportswear, lounge wear, resort wear, beach wear or maternity wear, to name a few. The manner of production of apparel also classifies them as prêt (mass production, ready-to-wear fashion) and haute couture (customised garments for high society). There are also areas like inner wear, body wear, leg wear, accessories and home fashion, that today, form a part of the fashion world.
What skills must fashion designers come equipped with? Amit Sinha, Coordinator, Apparel Design and Merchandising, NID, shares, “Apart from obvious skills like a good sense of observation, sense of colour, sketching and visualisation, it will also help if one is able to present their work well, is good at articulation, management in terms of time, and is efficient at utilisation of resources”
Production and management
Fashion also involves production, which deals with technical knowledge like patternmaking, draping, stitching, etc.
The third segment of the industry is management, comprising merchandising, retailing or buying. A merchandiser is a link between the client and production, retailing involves working with stores of different formats, and buying houses are assigned entities, who, on behalf of a foreign or a domestic client, either make purchases for their stores, or give licenses to manufacture. They communicate the design requirements of their client and maintain their quality.
There are a host of auxiliary services that support the industry as well, and those fascinated by the fashion business can also consider becoming a fashion journalist or fashion consultant, or can opt to teach fashion or involve themselves in an R&D agency, which studies trends and forecasts.
Industry trends
After completing your education in fashion, you can choose to become an entrepreneur and establish your own boutique, or start a label and supply your designs to retail chains/ stores. You could also assist an established designer, work for an export house, a buying house, the crafts sector, or a publication.
Like with any other business, if you’re about to enter the fashion industry, it’s advisable to evaluate your priorities, to decide whether you want a high paying job or a job with high satisfaction. Digvijay Singh, a designer, corroborates, “Freshers should look out for opportunities, where the experience gained by them will add to their knowledge reservoir, in terms of exposure to different areas of the industry, and should look at understanding the working cycles. It’s a good idea to start off working under someone, and gain experience, as that is one of the most valuable assets here.” The entry-level salaries range from Rs 8000 to Rs 10,000 at the lower end, and Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 at the higher end, in different areas of the field.
The industry recruits freshers with the aim of infusing their firms with freshness, creativity and energy. Initiative, willingness to learn, enthusiasm, resourcefulness, and good networking abilities are qualities that will help you survive in the fashion business.
Institutes
· AIFD - Army Institute of Fashion and Design
· Academy of Fashion Studies - Courses in fashion design
· Government Institute of Garment Technology, Amritsar - Courses in apparel marketing and fashion technology
· Heights - Courses in computer programming and fashion technology
· IMS Academy of Fashion and Jewelry Design, Noida - Courses in fashion technology, jewelry design
· Jewellery Design & Technology Institute - Courses in jewellery designing
· Mayura School of Fashion Technology - Courses in fashion designing, thread design and painting
· NIFT, Calcutta - Courses in fashion design, management and technology
· National Institute of Design - Courses in industrial, textile and apparel design
· National Institute of Fashion Technology - Courses in fashion design, garment technology and apparel marketing
· National Institute of Fashion Technology, Bangalore - Courses in textile design, management & technology
· National Institute of Fashion Technology, Chennai - Courses in apparel, textile & leather design & technology
· National Institute of Fashion Technology, Gandhinagar - Courses in fashion design & technology
· National Institute of Fashion Technology, Hyderabad - Courses in fashion design, technology & management
· National Institute of Fashion Technology, Mumbai - Courses in fashion & knitwear technology
