8 Promising Careers In Fashion To Look Forward To

If you like to express yourself in style, you like to be trendy or even set the trend, you may want to consider a career in the fashion industry. Fashionistas may not always be the ones in the frontlines wearing stylish clothes, they may be the ones behind the scenes working to bring fashion to the stage. There are many ways in which you can craft a career in the fashion industry. It could be clothing, textile, make-up, leather, accessories or even lifestyle products. This article highlights some of the careers and jobs available in the fashion industry and some relevant details for you as you read and explore this field.

Fashion Designer

Becoming a fashion designer is considered very cool and trendy. If you are observant of fashion trends, can sketch, have a love for clothes and designs and like creative work this could be a good field for you.

As a fashion designer, you may need to sketch clothes, shoes, apparel and provide details of colour, material used, design, construction etc. Your design should be easy to follow for a team of tailors and the production unit. You also need to have a keen eye for detail, monitor quality and conduct sample checks.

You need to be creative, high energy and be comfortable working with deadlines as the fashion industry is keen to change trends often and produce a new line of clothing.

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All established brands need fashion designers to create new designs and set the trends for the next season or line of fashion. You need to have a good understanding of customer preferences and be able to multitask and coordinate with buying houses, production houses etc.

To become a fashion designer, you would need to complete a degree or diploma in fashion designing. There are many institutions that train you in this area. Salaries vary at the entry level, and it can become a lucrative option as you grow and create your own personal brand and reputation.

Stylist

A related area of work is that of fashion styling. A fashion stylist is more in touch with the customer and provides advice on clothes that will suit their body types, profession, and personal needs. You may work on the floor and advise customers who walk in to choose apparel, or you might work as a personal stylist for professionals who have a personal brand, are a part of the glamour profession etc. You need to have a keen interest in helping your customers look good and advise on their complete looks to match their attire from head to toe.

A fashion stylist is more in touch with the customer and provides advice on clothes that will suit their body types, profession, and personal needs.

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A keen eye for fashion, an understanding of fabrics and their suitability, a pleasing personality and good interpersonal skills are all helpful in becoming a good stylist. The customers need to feel happy and connected to the stylist, so they frequent the stores more often and help them build more customers. You may also work alongside photoshoots as a stylist and assemble the complete look along with accessories, jewellery, shoes, and even the mood that is showcased by the model.

A degree or diploma in fashion designing and a good understanding of sales will be helpful in making you successful in this profession.

Jewellery Designer

Jewellery business is a highly-valued and profitable area especially where diamonds, precious gems and precious metals are involved. There are also many family run businesses in this area of work. As a jewellery designer, you need to have a very keen eye for detail. You need to be comfortable working with technology as well as in manual designing of jewellery as this is an effort-intensive field. Most jewellery design roles will require you to specialise in a specific form like kundan, diamonds, minakari etc. As there is a huge market for exports in jewellery from India, you need to be flexible and understand different tastes and cultures so you can create designs for your niche target.

Jewellery designers are also needed for the mass-production market wherein designs are crafted to be sold in silver, white metal or even costume jewellery that have become popular for their ornate looks and affordable costs.

A good course in jewellery design, internships and exposure to the jewellery business early is helpful in crafting a career in this area.

Textile Designer

Textile designers need to have a very good understanding of fabrics, designs, durability, quality control and production. As a textile designer, you may specialise in specific types of designs or fabrics like cotton, linen or designs like kantha, block print, tie and dye etc.

As a textile designer, you would focus on home furnishings like bed linen, table linen, kitchen linen, towels, office, and home furnishings. You may also work in coordination with fashion designers and merchandisers to coordinate the design, production and quality of products.

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Textile designers often work with non-government organisations and help in overseeing the production and distribution of indigenous and rural arts and handicrafts like kantha, pochampalli, ikat weaving, basket weaving etc. They help in providing work to less privileged workers in remote locations, train them in new production methods and designs and oversee their work and quality. A degree in fashion with a specialisation in textiles and relevant work experience makes for a good textile designer.

Merchandiser

The fashion industry is raw material and labour-intensive. There is an entire life cycle from design to creation and movement of finished products to stores and retail outlets. Bottlenecks in any of these areas will disrupt the finished product’s quality and cost-effectiveness. A merchandiser focuses on ensuring that the products are available at the right places and at the right price. As a merchandiser you will work with product designers and developers to make sure the product is crafted and delivered. You need to have a good eye on the market, competitor prices, new designs, customer mindset and focus on making the fashion product available at the right price to the ready customer.

Most courses in fashion design have a specialisation in apparel production or merchandising and sales which would enable you to work in this area. You could pursue an undergraduate degree in apparel and merchandise in a fashion institute to equip you with the necessary skills and knowledge in this area or do a diploma course in the same.

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Fashion Model

Many glamourous and presentable youth look forward to a career in the modelling industry. This is a challenging and competitive field as there are many aspiring models. Top models are often asked to showcase fashion lines by leading designers and labels. At this level it is a highly lucrative profession. The entry level is not clearly organised, and many models start their career based on advertisements or opportunities they may be offered by modelling agencies, business houses etc.

Becoming a model needs you to be comfortable being clicked in different types of clothing and jewellery, and appearing in print and other media.

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Becoming a model needs you to be comfortable being clicked in different types of clothing and jewellery, and appearing in print and other media. Models need to take care of their health, fitness, and diet. To start your career, you need to design a portfolio of your pictures and share them with photographers, agents and advertising agencies that need models. Your initiative, spontaneity and flexibility for photoshoots shall help in building your reputation as a model. Often models are signed up for contracts with leading designers and labels, so you get work on an ongoing basis. A degree or diploma in modelling is not essential, though familiarity with their lifestyle and work is very beneficial.

Fashion Photographer

To become a fashion photographer, you need to have a keen eye for space, design, lighting, and the ability to work with your model to create the mood needed for the shoot. To start your career in this field, you could take a diploma course in photography, though what really helps is to work alongside an established photographer. You would need to build a portfolio over the years to showcase your work and patiently build your reputation as a fashion photographer.

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Fashion Journalism

If you are interested in writing and fashion, then becoming a fashion journalist is a great option. You need to follow trends, describe the designs of leading designers and labels. To pursue this field, you could be a graduate in media, journalism, fashion, or other related fields. There are fashion magazines that employ fashion writers on a full-time basis, or you could be a freelance feature writer.

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Apart from the above, professional make-up artists, ramp choreographers, fashion show hosts, image consultants etc. are all part of the fashion industry. The skills for these jobs are often learnt on the job and by working alongside experienced professionals.

Dr. Srividya is an Organisational Psychologist, Career, and Personal Growth Coach. She works with teens, parents, adults, and returning professionals, to help them align their personal and professional needs, desires, and overcome personal and professional challenges. She can be reached at www.lifevidya.in