Make a style statement through a career in Fashion

Antonio Maurizio Grioli

Fashion is a billion dollar industry with changemakers who have impacted how we work, dress and live our lives. It’s no longer considered the poorer cousin of more relevant careers in fields like IT, Management, government administration and others.

 Rather, it’s a heavyweight that has boosted economies, propelled technological shifts and created jobs that did not even exist a decade ago.

 True to it’s term, Fashion has arrived in style!

 With the tech boom multiplying across the world, India has witnessed tremendous shifts in many aspects like E-commerce platforms and social media that have propelled the fashion industry in public and government domain, like never before. For example, social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and even TikTok have fuelled careers, become a launchpad for young talent and sought after opinion makers in their own right.

 Creativity and fashion have blazed through humanity across the globe on these platforms.

Fashion is a voice, an expression of creativity, a reflection of our times and a spark of change. It is not just a glamorous superficial profession, but one that thrives on passion, creativity, innovation and skills. Is these lines resonate with your heart and talent then this is your first step into an amazing future of your choice.

 Here are some of the top courses in fashion that students can look forward to after Class XII:

 Fashion Designer

A career in fashion designing is best suited for someone who loves to study fashion trends, sketch designs and come up with original ideas in the world of vogue. It is one of the most popular, lucrative and exciting career options for students to pursue. A successful designer is someone who can create an experience for his consumers that compels them to buy his designs.

 There are a vast number of options within fashion designing that the students can opt for: Production of Designer Wear, Fashion Marketing, Planning and Concept Management, Fashion Media, Fashion Accessory Design, Quality Control and Promotion of Brands etc.

 Fashion Styling and Image Design

Fashion styling refers to creating alluring images based on current fashion trends, social context, and personal identity. To be able to do well in this discipline one needs to have adequate knowledge of history, societies, cultures, politics, science and technology, art and aesthetics.

On one hand, where a fashion designer is a person who creates new clothes and is the hands and brain behind creating a new fashion trend, fashion stylists are people who study these fashion trends and select clothes and accessories to style models or celebrities.

 They also work closely with fashion photographers, helping them select the most photographic locations for a particular shoot and it’s their responsibility to ensure they select apt models, hair stylists and makeup artists so that the overall aesthetics are met.

 Textile design

Textile designers are involved in the process of crafting designs for knitted, woven, and mixed fabrics. It is imperative for textile designers to stay up to date with both fabric and fashion trends. They are vital for taking the design process forward to its final stage. If you wish to make a career in textile designing you need to have a deep understanding of fiber, yarn preparation process and textile construction methods. Technological advancements like Computer aided Designing (CAD) have brought with it plenty of opportunities for textile designers. These technologies help convert design ideas on fabrics.

 For students who don’t wish to go for the usual undergraduate programmes, several institutes offer short term professional programmes of 11-12 months of duration. These courses provide the students with professional hands-on experience and help them specialise in a particular genre.

 Fashion Media and makeup

The beauty industry is growing at an exponential rate and the changing market scenarios have created a huge demand for highly proficient beauty professionals. After completing this short term course in Fashion media and makeup students can take up key positions as makeup artists, hair stylists, photographic stylists, fashion promotion events, retail cosmetics sales, and other related areas.

 Surface design for fashion and surface

Surface design for fashion and surface is a new-age programme that crafts unique creative identity for the future leaders in the fashion arena. The unique thing about this course is that it fuses technical skills with traditional and contemporary arts which helps in creating a transformative and impactful experience. Post completing the certification, students will be able to work with a wide range of industries like the fashion textiles, home furnishing, craft sector, handloom cooperatives.

 Remember, fashion is not just a career. It’s a way of life.

 — The writer is Dean, School of Fashion, Pearl Academy