Clothes and couture have always been synonymous with India as we’ve had a long history of unique fashion contribution to the World. Fashion design is a highly reputable and lucrative career in India where the market for the same is huge and ever growing. Professional fashion designers like Manish Malhotra, Sabhyasachi, Ritu Kumar etc. have carved a global niche for themselves and represented the country many times in cinema, public events, award shows and social circles. If you have the passion for fashion and styling, here’s how you could become a professional fashion designer in India.
Is it hard to become a fashion designer?
Fashion design requires hard work, technical know how and tonnes of creative ideas. There are many good fashion schools and institutes in India with good syllabus and training modules for future designers. The course requires dedication, innovation and an eye for detail. If you have the right attitude and aptitude, fashion design could be a fun, flexible and successful career option.
Skills required to become a fashion designer
Fashion design isn’t a difficult course per se, rather it is a creative field. A sense of basic fashion and knowledge of various styles, trends, brands is encouraged. Generating new ideas and concepts, the ability to sketch and play with fabrics, prints and motifs are some of the skills students would acquire during the course. Embroidery and computer aided design softwares which are a must in modern fashion design careers are also part of the syllabus.
- Creativity
- Knowledge of fabrics and textiles
- Fabric care and maintenance
- Expertise in embroidery, patterns, motifs and textures
- Color theory
- Sketching
- History of world fashion and costumes
- Familiar with Computer aided design
- Visual merchandising
- Fashion photography
- Styling, draping, makeup and grooming
- Marketing and branding knowledge
Do fashion designers sew?
Although fashion designers are taught to sew, embroider and put together fabrics in garment design and construction, sewing is not a compulsory skill set to have. Fashion designers conceptualize and develop new silhouettes for garments, yet it is not them who actually sew the outfits. For customized clothing, fashion designers rely on tailors to sew the clothes according to their design.
Joining diploma in fashion design course after 10th?
Several courses are open in the fashion design for students after 10th. These are short term diploma courses generally for 6/12/18 months. Diploma courses for 10th standard students are less detailed, with decent but not wholesome training in all skill-sets. Below are the top diploma courses specific to the area of fashion design.
- Fashion Technology
- Fashion Design
- Apparel or Textile Design
- Jewelry Design
- Retail or Visual Merchandising
- Fashion photography
Subjects to select after 10th to become fashion designer?
Fashion design is open to students from any stream after 10th. Students have the choice of taking Science, Commerce or Arts streams in higher secondary to become a Fashion designer. Science is a better stream as it allows students to keep more options open with subjects like languages, math, sciences etc. However, Arts and Commerce are also viable options for students passionate to make a career in fashion.
What to study after diploma in fashion designing?
After gaining a diploma in fashion designing, students could opt for a more thorough degree course in Fashion Design. A bachelor’s degree course which is generally 3 years duration equips students with a higher level of knowledge in the fashion stream. Better career aspects are available to students holding a degree in fashion design.
Students also have the choice to pursue a Masters degree in fashion after acquiring a bachelors degree. Post graduate students are obviously given preference over Diploma or Degree students. They have a higher pay-scale with more entry level jobs and positions in the fashion field.
Joining fashion design course after 12th
Fashion design is a glamorous and profitable career stream open to students after 10+2 in India. Science, Commerce or Arts students who have secured minimum 50% in 12th boards may apply to a number of reputed universities or institutes to pursue this course.
Students from the Science stream can pursue the following bachelors degrees in fashion after higher secondary education:
- B.Des / Bachelors in Fashion Design
- B.Sc. in Fashion Designing
- BBA / BFA in Fashion Design
- Bachelors in Fashion and Apparel Design
- B.Sc. + M.Sc in Fashion Design
Commerce students are eligible for the following bachelor courses in fashion design:
- Bachelor of Leather Design
- B.Sc Footwear Design and Production
- Bachelor of Knitwear Design
- Bachelor of Accessory / Jewelry Design
- Bachelor of Fine Arts
Syllabus taught in fashion design course
Creating garments and outfits involves a lot of background knowledge and hard-work. As part of the course work, students in fashion design have to go through lots of training in developing design thinking, innovation in materials and fabrics, comprehensive study of global fashion, brands, styles and imaging etc.
| Degree | Subjects |
|---|---|
| B.Des. Fashion Design |
|
| BA (Hons) Fashion Design |
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| B.Sc. Fashion Design |
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| B.Sc. Fashion Design & Technology |
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Is fashion design a good career?
Fashion design is a reputed, glamorous, flexible and lucrative career path. With an exponentially growing market for fashion and apparel in India, fashion designers are in high demand with opportunities in media, cinema, couture and costume designing jobs. There are several career paths students can pursue after studying fashion design.
How many years does it take to become a fashion designer?
Fashion Design courses varies in duration from up-to 12 months to 3 years depending on the Diploma/Bachelor’s degree. B.Sc in Fashion Design is a 3 year course. This meticulous course trains students in the basics of fashion, fashion illustration, fashion marketing, computer aided design, embroidery, garment construction, visual merchandising, fashion styling and photography etc. The Diploma in Fashion Design is a 1 year course which is a more rapid study in the previously mentioned syllabus.
What is the age limit for fashion designing?
Learning is a never ending process. There is no age limit for design, one can take it up passionately at any time during their life. Design is also a flexible field which allows professionals to work remotely, from home, or start their own businesses. Thus, age is just a number when it comes to fashion designing. Minimum eligibility criteria usually is 10+2 (Grade 12) level in academics.
What is the starting salary of a fashion designer?
In India, entry level jobs as a fashion designer range from INR 20,000 – INR 35,000 depending on the company, qualifications and portfolios of the applicant. For better pay or profits, designers can set up their own boutiques, brands or labels after their graduation.