Fashion design and interior design are two dynamic fields that shape the career in the design industry. Fashion design revolves around clothing and accessories, enhancing personal style and more. While interior design focuses on creating harmonious living spaces that reflect our tastes and lifestyles. This article provides key differences and similarities between fashion design and interior design, exploring their unique characteristics, challenges, and contributions to our daily lives.
Many aspiring designers are confused in selecting a fashion design career or interior design career. To help the candidates in choosing the right career according to their choice of fashion design vs interior design, refer to the complete article.
Particulars | Fashion Design | Interior Design |
Works on | Garments, footwear, jewellery, bags, and other wearable items. | Room layouts, furniture, fixtures, lighting, colour schemes, and overall interior environments. |
Process steps | Research, sketching, fabric selection, pattern making, and garment construction. | Client consultation, concept development, space planning, material selection, and project management |
Skills required | Artistic, technical skills, and trend analysis | Technical skills, spatial awareness, and design principles |
Client types | Fashion brands, individual clients, and retail consumers. | Homeowners, business owners, corporations, and public institutions |
End product | Seasonal collections, fashion shows, and retail products | Commercial interiors, renovated houses, new houses, newly designed living spaces, and functional environments. |
Fashion Design: It is the art of creating the clothes and accessories that are stylish and beautiful as per the current trends and client requirements. Fashion designers express their creativity by choosing the colour, fabrics, and patterns and bring them together through sewing and crafting garments to create outfits for the individuals. Designers often think about the trends, individual choice, cultural influences and then they design their collections. Designers are often inspired from art, culture, history, nature, and street fashion and everyday life to create unique and fashionable garments or accessories that they want to wear.
Interior Design: It is the art of making indoor spaces look attractive with furniture, colour, decoration which create a pleasant environment. Interior designers pick the suitable furniture that suits the space and matches the style. Interior designers will select the colours and decoration that make the room feel comfortable and welcoming. Interior designers use furniture, textures, lighting, colours, and how things are arranged to create rooms that are practical and look good. The aim of the interior designer is to meet the requirements of the people who live or work there. Interior designer inspired from architectural styles, client needs, environmental factors, and current design trends.
Both fashion design and interior design can be done after the student has qualified a 10+2 level of education. There is no requirement of a specific stream to study fashion design or interior design. However some top fashion design and interior design colleges required the students to appear and qualify certain entrance examinations. Besides that the students should aim to have 50% or more in 12th class to get into the best design colleges.
Interior Design Education qualification: Candidates can pass 10+2 from a recognised university and are eligible to opt for a bachelor's degree. Candidates completed the bachelor's degree in interior design or related disciplines can pursue the masters degree in interior design. These programmes teach various skills required for interior designing such as space planning, colour theory, furniture design, and building codes.
Fashion design Educational Qualification: Candidates passed their 12th standard from a recognised board or university can pursue bachelor's degree. Whereas, candidates holding a bachelor's degree in a related design course can pursue their masters. These programs focus on sketching, pattern-making, sewing techniques, textiles, and fashion history.
Choosing between fashion design and interior design as a career path involves not only understanding the differences between these creative fields but also entrance exams required to get admission at top design colleges in India. This article guides the candidates to know the list of design entrance exams for fashion design and interior design in India.
Fashion Designing Entrance Exams: Candidates can check the list of some of the fashion designing entrance exams in India are:
Interior Designing Entrance Exams: Design aspirants can refer the list below for interior designing entrance exams in India are:
There are several fashion design and interior design courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level which allows the students to join at any stage of their life. Here are some common courses which are opted by students to pursue fashion design and interior design.
BID: Bachelor of Interior Design is a program specifically designed for interior design aspirants. This course teaches the students the basics of interior design and helps them get into the complex ideas throughout the 4 years of course.
B.Des: A Bachelor of design course can be specialized into fashion design or interior design. This is the most commonly opted course for design students as it provides the students with basic understanding of the design principles. Students can opt for this course as many top colleges offer great placements to graduates after 4 years of the course. The course has various specializations out of which fashion design and interior design are the top choices.
M.Des: Students who opt for higher studies in designing or want to change streams after graduation can opt for a Master of Design course. This course has a duration of 2 years and the students deeply dive into the specifications of designing. The specialisations under this course are available for fashion design as well as interior design.
B.Sc: Bachelor of Science is also available for both interior design as well as fashion design aspirants. The duration of this course is 3 years and students learn about theoretical aspects of designing through this.
M.Sc: A Master of Design course delves deeper into the theoretical aspects of design. In two years the students are trained for the design world.
Designers usually undergo formal education through design schools or universities offering specialised programs. Apart from the education qualification designers required other skills to excel in their field. Candidates can check some of the essentials skills required for fashion designer and interior designer from the below:
Fashion Designers Skills:
Fashion design requires creative and artistic skills which shows the ability to sketch and visualise the design.
Knowledge on the garments construction skills such as sewing and pattern making.
Designers need to familiarise themselves with different materials and understand the fabrics and Textiles.
Designers need to be updated with latest trends, ability to forecast and interpret fashion trends.
Need to understand the fashion industry and consumer behaviour.
Interior Designer Skills:
Interior designers need to have the ability to understand the spatial relationship.
Designers need to be proficient in design principles such as lighting, colour theory, and composition.
Requires the technical skills like competence in using design software and drafting tools.
Interior designers should manage and coordinate the design projects from concept to completion.
Designersneed to have the ability to communicate and understand the client needs and preferences to translate into design solutions.
Fashion design and interior design, while both rooted in creativity and aesthetics, cater to distinct aspects of human life. Here are the key differences between fashion designing and interior designing.
Particulars | Fashion Design | Interior design |
Primary Focus | Clothing and accessories. | Living and working spaces. |
Scope | seasonal collections, Personal style, trends, and individual expression. | Functionality, spatial harmony, comfort, and individual expression |
Output: | Footwear, bags, jewellery, Garments, and other wearable items | furniture, fixtures, lighting,Room layouts, colour schemes, and overall interior environments. |
Creative Process | Fashion design process involves research, sketching, fabric selection, pattern making, and garment construction, resulting in seasonal collections, fashion shows, and retail products. | Interior design process includes client consultation, concept development, space planning, material selection, and project management, leading to renovated or newly designed living spaces. |
Inspiration Sources | Art, culture, history, nature, and street fashion. | Architectural styles, environmental factors, client needs, and current design trends. |
Client Interaction Level | Moderate, often indirect through brand identity and retail experiences. | High, with direct involvement in understanding and fulfilling client needs and preferences. |
End Users | Individuals who wear the designed garments and accessories | Occupants of the designed spaces, including families, employees, and customers. |
Impact | Personal style, self-expression, and confidence. | Quality of life, comfort, functionality, and well-being within a space |
Market Dynamics | Rapidly changing trends, seasonal collections, and a fast-paced industry. | Slower-paced with long-lasting design solutions. |
Product Lifespan | Short term with frequent updates | focusing on durability and timeless appeal. |
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Both fashion design and interior design have immense career opportunities. Fashion design students get jobs in fashion houses, retail shops, e-commerce, and magazines. They work as fashion designers, fashion illustrators, bloggers, stylists, consultants etc. They can choose to work under top fashion designers or become their own Boss by starting their label. They can choose to work in an office environment by choosing retail options or design for the runway.
Interior designers on the other hand work in interior design firms or architectural firms. They can work as space decorators, interior decorators, interior designers, furniture designers etc. Many students after interior designing choose to become specific designers such as kitchen designers, office space designers, bathroom designers etc.
Fashion design and interior design both are creativity fields that allow the designers to express their thoughts and skills. Fashion designers focus on clothing and accessories, i.e, on wearable art, while interior designers focus on working and living spaces. Choosing the fashion design or interior design is a tough job for design aspirants. Each field has its advantages and challenges to face by the designer. Students can look at the Fashion design vs interior design pros and cons, which helps in taking the decisions which fits better for the candidates.
The students who are confused between the two streams must know the interior design vs fashion design salary which can help them make a better decision. The fashion designer vs interior designer salary depends on various factors such as experience, expertise, job profile, company, sector of employment etc.
The average salary of a fashion designer in India is Rs. 4.3 LPA. Students after fashion designing can earn in between Rs. 0.6 LPA to Rs. 7.5 LPA. The salary of a fashion designer in India varies according to skills and experience. Similarly for interior designers expertise and experience matters a lot. The average salary of an Interior Designer in India is Rs. 4.1 LPA. The salary range of an Interior Designer varies in between Rs. 1 LPA to Rs. 6.6 LPA.
The students must know about the interior design vs fashion design college fees which can help them plan their education better. Being from the same field the fashion design vs interior design cost of education is similar in nature. They both require theory and practical classes and studios to work in. The top cost of fashion design courses in India is about Rs. 9 Lakhs to Rs. 54 Lakhs. The interior design fee for the top colleges ranges in between Rs. 8 Lakhs to Rs. 27 Lakhs.
Sl | Top Fashion Institute in India | Top Interior Design Colleges in India |
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3 | Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Bangalore Courses & Fees | Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Bangalore |
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8 | School of Design, UPES Dehradun - School of Design, UPES, Dehradun | |
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Creative Freedom: Fashion designers have the freedom to create their own and unique wearable art by experiment on the fabrics, style and patterns.
Dynamic trends: Fashion design industry is constantly changing with new trends. It create continuous opportunities for the fashion designers
Global Audience: Fashion design has a wide audience throughout the world by fashion shows, social media, online stores and more.
Wide career opportunities: It has a wide range of scope with various sectors such as ready-to-wear, sportswear, and even costume design for movies and theatre.
High Competitive: The fashion industry is a highly competitive, challenging for the new fashion designer to gain recognition in the market.
Challenging Work Environment: It often takes long working hours especially at the time of fashion shows, or major deadlines.
Constant Pressure: To remain in the fashion industry, designers need to create fresh and innovative designs continuously.
Financial Instability: Initial financial investment is high for the new designer, with uncertain risk.
Impactful work: Ability to transform the space, improving the functionality which enhances the people's living and working environment.
Steady Demand: Interior design field provides stable career opportunities. It has consistent design for designers across residential, commercial, and hospitality sectors.
Diverse Projects:Interior designers work on a variety of projects, from homes and offices to restaurants and hotels, keeping the work interesting and diverse.
Collaboration: Interior designers work with clients, architects, and contractors which requires close collaboration promoting a dynamic and interactive work environment.
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Client-Driven: Designers must often balance their creative vision with the practical needs and preferences of their clients, which can sometimes be restrictive.
Regulations and Codes: Interior designers need to be knowledgeable about building codes, regulations, and standards, which can add complexity to projects.
Project Delays: Projects can be delayed due to unforeseen issues such as construction problems or material shortages, which can be frustrating.
Physical Demands: The job can involve physical tasks such as site visits, measuring spaces, and overseeing installations, which can be demanding.
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Choosing between interior designing and fashion designing depends on personal interests and career goals. Interior designing involves creating functional and aesthetic spaces, while fashion designing focuses on clothing and style innovation. Both fields offer creative opportunities with distinct industry dynamics.
Yes, it's possible to pursue careers in both fashion designing and interior designing, as they involve creativity, design skills, and aesthetic sensibilities that can overlap.
Interior design is not typically categorised as a fashion but rather as a distinct discipline focused on creating functional and aesthetically pleasing interior spaces.
Interior design can be a lucrative career with high-paying opportunities, particularly for experienced professionals working on prestigious projects or in specialised areas like luxury residential or commercial design.
CUET qualifies BDes Fashion Designing students.
The basis for admission is the CUET score.
Hello,
No, for B.Des Fashion Designing , CUET is not always needed.
Some colleges take admission through CUET, but many top fashion institutes like NIFT have their own entrance exam. So, it depends on the college you are applying to. Always check the admission process of that particular college.
Hope it helps !
yes, Indeed, CUET qualifies BDes Fashion Designing students.
Admission CUET score is very important.
1. MIT Institute of Design, Pune
2. Pearl Academy (Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Bengaluru)
3. Unitedworld Institute of Design, Gandhinagar
4. Srishti Manipal Institute, Bengaluru
5. ISDI School of Design, Mumbai
6. Lovely Professional University, Punjab
7. Chandigarh University
8. Arch College of Design and Business, Jaipur
9. Amity School of Fashion Technology, Noida
10. RV University, Bengaluru
Currently, NSUT does not offer a B.Des. program. However, other institutes like IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, and IIITDM Jabalpur offer B.Des. through UCEED.
Expected UCEED Cutoffs (General Category):
IIT Bombay: Around Rank 14
IIT Delhi: Around Rank 35
IIITDM Jabalpur: Around Rank 165
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