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Practical Tips on How You Can Enter the World of Fashion Designing

02-Sep-2021 AUTHOR - New Delhi YMCA

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Devoted to the designing of clothing and a large number of other lifestyle accessories, fashion designing is an applied art that is constantly evolving. This art has come a long way from typical cloth making worn by the high and mighty to the cool dude stuff of the contemporary time. It is an exciting profession that inspires people to think beyond the ordinary making use of imagination as much as they can.

Fashion designing: the most exciting, glamorous, and rewarding career

Started with a diploma course in fashion designing, the career in fashion designing is most suitable to those who have an imaginative and creative bent of mind with a brilliant flair for modern styles and fashion trends. It is one of the most exciting, glamorous, and rewarding careers in today’s world that not only brings you fortunes but also a social status that only the celebrity enjoys. 

 

So, if you have an inclination towards creativity, originality, and style, then fashion designing is the right career for you. This blog discusses how you can enter the world of fashion designing:

 

Set of prerequisites to enter the world of fashion designing

 

Like other career streams and disciplines, fashion designing also has its own set of prerequisites. Those who want to take a plunge into this highly demanding field need to consider a few things. Although, a flair for fashion is a necessary essential to enter this field and the institutions offering a diploma course in fashion designing also ask for the same, having a good understanding of what fashion is, the types of fabrics, along with an insight into various popular types of styling and the silhouettes are an added advantage. 

 

To enter the field of fashion designing, you need to have 2 types of qualifications-

 

  1. Natural
  2. Acquired

 

Natural qualifications include the following:

 

  1. A good understanding and flair for the latest trends in fashion
  2. A good sense of the aesthetics
  3. Expertise in producing color combinations
  4. A keen eye for details, and
  5. Knowledge of different fabrics.

 

Acquired qualifications or skills include:

 

When it comes to the acquired qualifications, first of all, it includes a professional diploma course in fashion designing from an institution of repute. Generally, the following courses are offered by most of the reputed institutions of fashion designing: 

 

One Year Programs

 

  1. One Year Diploma in Fashion Designing (FD)
  2. One Year Diploma in Apparel & Retail Merchandising (ARM)
  3. One Year Diploma in Beauty Therapy (BT).

 

Two Year Programs

 

  1. Two Year Adv. Diploma In Fashion Designing (AFD)
  2. Two Year Adv. Diploma In Fashion Designing (AFD) (Lateral Entry)

 

You can enroll for any of the above-mentioned programs as per your current eligibility status. Most students usually start pursuing a diploma course in fashion designing after the successful completion of their 10+2 examination. 

 

One-year course structure

 

The one-year diploma course in fashion designing creates a student’s foundation turning him or her into an independent thinker. The course aims at making students familiar with the international trends while enabling them to learn designing skills making use of the power of imagination. 

 

During the 1st Semester, students will learn:

 

  1. Color and Texture
  2. Sketching -I
  3. Introduction to Textiles
  4. Drafting and Pattern Making-I
  5. Social and Economic Aspects of Clothing
  6. Traditional Indian Textiles
  7. Communication and Soft Skills

 

During the 2nd Semester, students will learn:

 

  • Drafting and Pattern Making-II
  • Textile Science
  • History of Fashion
  • Traditional Indian Textiles
  • Sketching -II
  • Computer Application
  • Draping – 1
  • Fashion Merchandising.

 

As for graduate students, they also have the chance to join the Two Year Adv. Diploma in Fashion Designing (AFD). This course is also available with Lateral Entry. Students can also join some specific short-term courses with super specialization. Various institutions offer such courses in fashion designing along with hairstyle course in Delhi. 

 

Different roles, different job titles 

 

After completing your degree or diploma in fashion designing from a reputed institute, college, or university, you have chances to work as a professional fashion designer in the areas that include-

 

  • Fashion media
  • Fashion marketing
  • Designer wear production 
  • Planning and concept management
  • Design production management
  • Fashion accessory designing and styling
  • Quality control 
  • Promotion of brands
  • Designated costume designer
  • Fashion consultant
  • Personal stylist
  • Technical and graphic designer, and
  • Production pattern maker or a fashion coordinator.

 

After some years of relevant work experience within the industry along with your degree or even diploma course in fashion designing, you can get a job in various readymade garment export houses and apparel manufacturing companies in the following positions:

 

  • Apparel production manager
  • Fabric buyer
  • Fabric quality control manager
  • Showroom sales manager
  • Illustrator, and
  • Cutting assistant and outside sales representative. 

 

What’s more, there is no dearth of people who have started their ventures to become entrepreneurs after gaining some work experience within the industry. Such people pursue either a degree or diploma course in fashion designing or a hairstyle course in Delhi, gain work experience of some years, and start their venture. 

 

The largest employers of fashion designers include:

 

  • Apparel, piece goods, and notions merchant wholesalers - 29%
  • Self-employed workers- 22%
  • Management of companies and enterprises- 13%
  • Motion picture and video industries -11%
  • Apparel manufacturing -7%.

 

Cons of becoming a fashion designer

 

Unlike other regular and typical 9 to 5 jobs, fashion designing offers challenges of its own. There are often no fixed working hours for professional fashion designers particularly when they are bound to meet deadlines as well as other supplies. This field is getting saturated at a rapid speed and you have to be ready to combat a cutthroat competition. Stress can take its toll in various forms. Those interested in going ahead must be well versed in managing stress at the workplace. Creating your identity might be hard but not impossible. 

 

Concluding Remarks 

 

Be it fashion designing or any other profession, proper professional training is what paves the way for a bright future. Fashion designing being a creative field must be explored just after 10+ 2 levels. It is the high time one can nurture his or her skills to the best of the potential. The earlier you do more, the better opportunities you get. A professional diploma course in fashion designing is the passport to actualize your dreams.