Clothing is regarded as one of the basic necessities of life. In the beginning we clothed ourselves for safety from the natural elements, but as the times passed by, new objectives were incorporated. The concept of fashion now goes well beyond mere clothing. Today, fashion designing has evolved as a full- fledged industry. The profession is concerned with creating innovative and inspiring garments that enhance the body, personality and character of individuals. One needs to have a passion for line, shape, texture, color, drape and fabric for this field. Fashion Designing can be divided into three main branches Garment design, Leather design, Accessory & Jewellery design. There is a tremendous growth for talented professionals in this creative field.
While the academic requirements are not very high for this profession but one needs need considerable aptitude and talent for getting success in this field. You must be creative enough to combine colors, shades and textures. Generally, the aspirant should have 10+2 (Arts, Commerce, Science) /P.U.C./Polytechnic/equivalent with 45% marks in aggregate (40% is sufficient for SC/ST candidates).
Along with fashion consciousness and creativity, you also need excellent communication skills to express your ideas and listen to the clients requirements. Knowledge of the market trend is also necessary.
The primary areas of work in the fashion industry are:
Designing
This is the most important area of work in the fashion industry. This involves designing garments for different age groups and according to specific requirements (for instance, costumes for television, film etc).
Designers are involved in:
Research Designing according to needs of the clientele (functionality, budget and choice of textile are the key considerations here) Patterning Presentation to clients
The designer begins the designing process only after thorough market research, i.e., understanding the needs of the client/market in terms of functionality, budget etc. Single designer or a team could undertake the designing process.
On completion of the designing, a presentation is made to the client and the production department. Changes if any,are incorporated at this stage. The final design is created and passed on to the production department. This master design becomes the basis for production in the manufacturing department/unit.
Market Research
The global fashion market is extremely dynamic; hence, the need to constantly keep a tab on changing trends. Market research is crucial to manufacturing units, retail businesses and export houses. Pricing and product requirements are directly dependent on market research statistics. Market research is conducted by researchers with at least 5-10 years experience in the fashion industry or by designers themselves. Manufacturing
Manufacturing is an important area of work in the fashion industry. It includes:
Purchase of textiles and fabrics Training Scheduling Pattern making Finishing Quality control
The production process begins with the receipt of design from the designer/s. The required textiles are then purchased and the production process begins. The master pattern is created according to the design prescribed. The master pattern is then reproduced in a variety of sizes. With the help of the trained personnel (such as tailors, assemblers, embroidery experts etc), the garment is created. So let's hope I will keep the promise.
Wherever machinery is used in the production process, machine operators are employed. Quality control is also an important focus area especially if garments are being produced for the export market. Packaging is also a part of the manufacturing process.
Thanks to the increased expansion of fashion industry coupled with globalization, the status of fashion designers has becomes very lucrative. Depending on your qualification and experience, one can expect to be paid well in this hot career option. As a trainee, one can start with a salary of Rs.1000-Rs.15000. One can command a higher salary as the experiences raises.
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