Dr Roopak Vasishtha
Fashion is a constantly evolving process of selecting, adopting, and changing what we wear. Factors such as people, events, society, economy and technological changes influence the fashion industry. In recent years, the fashion and apparel design industry has experienced rapid growth, making it one of the fastest-growing professions in India. The fashion industry has expanded into a vast sector, catering to domestic and export markets. With a multi-crore turnover, India’s fashion industry is experiencing significant growth.
The ever-increasing demand for innovative designs that can be commercially viable in the export market has created a strong need for qualified fashion designers. Fashion design offers endless opportunities for those who excel at it. If a person can establish a reputation in the industry, their status and income will increase. Furthermore, exposure to the global fashion industry can also broaden horizons, especially for those who get inspired by the West and replicate it in their collection.
With the rise of Beauty Pageants, Fashion shows, international labels, and a growing fashion-conscious consumer, Fashion designers have ample opportunities to showcase their talents. In addition, enterprising individuals can set up manufacturing or export units, providing significant financial benefits. Alternatively, lucrative job opportunities exist in the Apparel Industry.
Fashion Merchandising: Fashion Merchandisers are mainly responsible for sales & marketing. An individual must study past and current sales data and analyse future trends. To meet market demand, they must gather buyers’ requirements and collaborate with the designer and the production team to develop the desired product. One must possess knowledge of fashion trends, textures, materials, colours and a good understanding of market demand and production processes. Analytical ability and communication skills are also essential.
Visual merchandising is a new career field that emerged with the increasing popularity of window and floor displays. Visual merchandisers focus on creating impressive window displays, shop floor merchandise planning and overall aesthetics. They can find employment with fashion boutiques and shopping malls or work as shop floor managers. They can also freelance for window displays at exhibitions, fairs, and other places.
Fashion Journalist: As in charge of a fashion magazine, the fashion journalist is responsible for informing the general public about the latest and future fashion trends. They must have excellent taste in fashion and keep up-to-date with the latest fashion news, consumer preferences and buying trends, fashion shows and current trends in colour, design, and fabric. Today, fashion journalism has a bright employment scope due to the need for the latest information and knowledge, with an increase in public curiosity and the development of the fashion industry.
Fashion Photography: Fashion photography is a highly creative and well-paid profession that requires a keen eye for aesthetics and detailing, comprehensive knowledge of cameras, and technicalities involved in capturing light, distance, and perspective to achieve success. In addition to being inventive and able to conceptualize and communicate ideas effectively, a fashion photographer must also be sensitive to the models and their moods and be able to convince them. One can pursue freelance opportunities or work with fashion houses, designers, fashion journals, and newspapers.
How to become a professional in fashion design?
The fashion industry requires a visionary mindset to anticipate market trends and stay ahead of the competition. Qualifications may not be as crucial in the creative field of fashion design as talent and creativity. Styles and tastes evolve constantly, and a skilled designer must stay current and offer consumers the latest and greatest. To succeed in design, you must possess a natural talent for creativity, be eager to learn, have a vivid imagination, excellent manual dexterity, superb organizational skills, a keen sense of colors, textures, and style, and good business acumen.
In the realm of design, fashion is a business and not an art form. Contrary to common belief, fashion design does require a certain level of technical knowledge regarding different types of fabrics and materials, including their suitability for various weather conditions, durability, and wearability. Production facilities and costs also need to be considered. The apparel industry has various career opportunities, including design, production, merchandising, and marketing.
Fashion Designing: Fashion Designing encompasses the creation of new styles and products for clothing, apparel, and accessories. It involves the development of original designs or the adaptation of fashion to suit local conditions, trends, and the preferences of buyers The responsibility of approving final samples before production falls on the designer. They begin the design process after conducting thorough market research, which involves understanding clients’ or consumers’ needs, the changing trends and budget.
Accessory designers specialize in designing shoes, bags, scarves, jewellery, ties, and other accessories.
Fashion Stylist: The role of a fashion stylist is to organize the entire wardrobe for a fashion show or program that promotes the sale of products. As part of this role, one must ensure that the model’s attire, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and even nail polish colour are all well-coordinated to match the show’s theme and overall aesthetic. Occasionally, a stylist may also participate in the fabric selection process. To excel in this role, a fashion stylist must deeply understand industry trends and current fashion styles.