Bishal Mukherjee

Here’s why you should choose Fashion as a career Fashion industry has been trancing for the youngsters for ages. It indeed is a global industry and the job options seem to be increasing substantially with every passing day. An Overview It doesn’t matter anymore if you know how to sketch or sew fabrics; you can still opt for the fashion industry and build a career for yourself. The advent of internet, online design courses, fast track education has opened doors to a new era of professionals. Fashion designing and other related career choices are a fad these days. If you are the child who loved dressing up your dolls as a kid, stealing your mom’s makeup kit to beautify your Barbie doll or even if you love making fashion statements, this career option is for you. Fashion design is not about clothes, there are many other aspects of the industry. Your talent is and will be highly valued in the fashion industry if it is backed by certifications of fashion designing courses – both long term and short term designing courses. The numbers of fashion designing colleges are abundant and you can choose one per your need. The fashion industry is growing mostly internationally as outsourcing production overseas cuts down the cost of manufacturing. Ladies, do take a note of the fact that over-the-top trends found in Paris and New York’s runways is just a shade of the fashion designer’s work. The ground opportunities are multitudes – from sportswear, kids wear to haute couture. Is it for me? Are you the type who has confidence, knows about grooming and professionalism? Do you know what to wear to standout in this world of monotonous shades and hues? Can you create a statement without compromising on style? You know your colors? Are you creative and original? Do you visualize concepts and enjoy fabrics and accessories? If you did nod your head to any of these, fashion industry is for you. A few stats to invoke the workaholic in you Though the fashion industry is huge and job prospect is varied, but those with formal education in fashion design will be able to land the best jobs. Per data scientists, they project around 2.3k or 3 % new opportunities in the fashion market by 2024. In India, the market is expected to rise from 180 crores to 1000 crores in the next 5-10 years. What does fashion industry has to offer? There are varied paths to choose from within the fashion industry. In addition to fashion designing courses, there also are - I. accessories design II. fashion marketing III. personal shopping IV. textiles V. fashion communication VI. fashion language VII. merchandising VIII. styling Some of the top colleges and courses to help you achieve a professional degree When it comes to the top colleges offering design courses, NIFT and INIFD are the most preferred. You can be a regular student and enroll in fashion design classes from renowned institutes like Vogue Institute, Pearl Academy, National Institute of Design, Symbiosis and many more. If you wish to go global, there is Parsons, The New School for Design which offers programs in fashion marketing, studies and fashion design. Then there is Fashion Institute of Technology, Central Saint Martins, London College of fashion etc. Since, we are speaking fashion; we can’t miss Milan and Paris. Correct? These places boast of the best fashion scene and colleges like Istituto Marangoni, Politecnico di Milano, and ESMOD etc. If you are looking for free and short online design courses, you might want to check with Oxford’s Home Study portal. They do offer a short online course on Fashion Design. The duration of the course is 20 hours and it covers topics like introduction to fashion design, the elements of design and the principles of design. This university, in addition to the basic course, also provides online certification programs on Level 1, 3 and 4 Fashion Designing. Now, comes why. Why should I opt for it as a career? If we talk about India, it is just the beginning of a new era and it just entered the league of booming industries. Fashion industry offers plenty of opportunities for the talented, enthusiastic, and hard working people. The prospects for fashion design grads are pretty good – all hail to the booming fashion scene and the imbalance in demand-supply for “designer wear’. There are options to work full time, part time, freelancer, or as a self employed individual. Lucrative pay package – with experience, your pocket gets heavier. The starting pay for a fresher in this industry ranges around 12-15 k per month and can crawl up to 50-60k with time. If you have created a name for yourself, you can obviously demand as per your caliber. With the growing economy and globalization, you have the scope to cater to international brands. Also, the areas of work and relevant opportunities are growing on a daily basis. So, jumping on to this portfolio wouldn’t be a bad choice. Most importantly, the scope of permanent jobs and lucrative offers extend beyond borders. Fashion those not limit it to borders. It is global. You can opt for delivering raw textiles/fabrics for the creation of finished goods. Even, buttons, accessories and other articles are outsources. So, a basic degree is not even required to enter the fashion industry. The Indian fashion market is now looking for professionals in the fields of communication & technology, management, customer service, logistics, marketing, data research, website analytics etc. Conclusion The scope of fashion industry is such that it is designed for success. Furthermore, it is one of the most glamorous businesses where you might get the chance to meet and greet rich and famous personalities. Go on, make a great portfolio that showcases your creative skills and start your journey. Remember that getting the first job isn’t tough; it is maintaining the level of consistency in your work which is tough! Stay true to your tastes and style, make a definitive statement and start walking. You will reach success sooner or later.