Career As A Fashion Designer – Courses, Jobs, Salary, Eligibility

Jd Institute

• July 25, 2021
• 26 min read
• JD Connect

About Fashion Designer

A curious vision and dreams held in the eyes and heart of the Fashion designers. They are not ruled by the rules of this world but they draw, sketch, paint and knit their dreams and make their own destiny with the tiny hope in the heart that one day they can live their dreams fully. In this world, nothing is better than living the life of the dream. Fashion designers are talented but moreover, they are passionate and courageous to vision their dreams into reality. Their vision plays a huge role in their career as Fashion Designer. It makes fashion designer competent and skilled to look around and analyze the people, culture, social structure and emotion so that as fashion designer can contribute best to society. 

A Fashion Designer is always keen to study existing and old fashion trends. As a fashion designer, you mainly draw and sketch the designs after study then select the required materials and arrange it’s all part and takes it ahead in the production phase of the designing. As a fashion designer, you add your best and contribute to the conception and formation of millions of pieces of fashion clothing and accessories purchased and consumed by consumers on the daily basis. As a fashion designer, you not only create a fashion item but create hope and dream for the customer that passes self-esteem and confidence when they wear it on their bodies.  

Fashion designers design and create women’s, men’s, adults’, children’s and newborn babies’ apparel. This might include office wear, outerwear, formalwear, sportswear, maternity wear, undergarments, eyewear and footwear. Fashion designers also design fashion accessory and items like belts, scarves, hats, sunglasses, handbags and hosiery. At different and every levels of the fashion industry, there are fashion designers. From not known fashion designers working for ready-to-wear houses to very well known couturiers like Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Manish Malhotra, Ritu Beri to the fashion stylists who make and affix the design of the existing designers in the market to Fashion designers who uphold and promote themselves with the support of the marketing and advertising agencies. Some designers build themselves and their fashions in the market through fashion shows and runway shows and with the help of their own retail stores. Some fashion designers also let somebody use their name for the other licensed products and fashion items in order to develop and expand their brand name and brand identity in the market. In fact, in so many circumstances many celebrity fashion designers do very little designing work of the collections and later put up in the market with their name.

The field of Fashion Designing and Fashion designers are raising every day with the merge of machinery and technology. Now Fashion designers beginning to adopt and use new technologies and tools like body-scanning for the better custom design fit or the seamless knitting tools and technologies that can fabricate clothing with just a mere push of the start button. Analogous to how the sewing machine has changed the face and methods of the fashion industry in the past and now changing the future because of the introduction of the new tools and machinery, technologies, resources, and artificial intelligence. High-tech tools and pieces of equipment in the textile industry are facilitating the fashion designers to craft and build the new product lines in the market for the customers that include and incorporates exclusive feature like sun protection, adaptability to the environment and other unique qualities. New consumers are demanding and choosing or looking forward more to do with function and utility than with fashion due to the tiring pandemic experience which cannot be ignored or overlooked. 

Fashion designers are inspired, creative, innovative and unwavering folks who are having awareness, knowledge and passion for fashion in the required market. Fashion designers should be keen to learn new things. They should be interested in reading journals, magazines, and books on fashion design history, fashion development, fashion designers biography and new trends in the business. The job of fashion designing in the fashion industry engages a wide set of skills that range from market research and survey to creativity to sketching and fabric selection to production of the fashion item. It is a vocation that demands designers to persistently be in tune with consumer need and market trends. To be victorious in this profession, fashion designers must have a fair understanding of the audience’s behaviour, attitude, lifestyle, customer needs and demands.

A career in the field of fashion is counted to as fashion designing which is the art of innovation or beatifying the clothing by adding or using certain accessories and items. This job of a fashion designer includes a wide spectrum of artistic work like sketching the fashion ideas on paper then turn into a feasible and marketable fashion design for cutting out and sewing the clothing item by using the tailoring skills to create the perfect fit. The drawing of patterns to create the garments and selecting the right fabrics and any special embellishments for the outfit requires a lot of effort, time and energy. Fashion designers should be reading fashion books and magazines to keep up with the latest fashions and market trends. Fashion designers should be attending fashion shows also as it helps in observational learning and networking. Thus to be successful in the career of fashion designing, a fashion designer should have a strong business sense also. 

What does a Fashion Designer do?

Fashion designers are responsible for the whole designing process from concept designing to final production which takes many weeks and months. It requires researching the current fashion trends in the market to the future fashion needs of the consumers. It also involves making a forecast of the future trends which is considered as the first step in creating the fashion design. Some fashion designers believe in doing their own research while others depend on the trend market reports published by the fashion industry trade groups and research agencies. Trend market reports help the fashion designer to learn and know that in the market what styles, pattern, colours and fabrics will be accepted and popular for the certain coming season in the near future by the audience. Textile manufacturers and distributors use these trend market reports to design and draw the patterns of the fabric while fashion designers begin to work on the sketch of the designs. Fashion Designers then do visit the manufacturers or trade shows to understand the fabric and to get samples of different fabrics to figure out which fabrics to use for which particular design and style or which fabric enhances the design and like by the consumer. 

A fashion designer automatically takes part in just about almost every aspect and phase of bringing fashion to the market in front of the audience and public. The creation of the basic design can be done in different possible ways. It involves crafting storyboards with many sketches to working with dummy and sewing many material pieces together to understand the design. This particular phase of creation requires patience and perseverance by the fashion designer. It is when the designer takes his or her vision that is spinning and building in the mind’s eye and puts it into a visual expression for later creation and production. The designer develops the first basic prototype by working on the first draft of the design that is created through illustration. 

Computer-aided design (CAD) is now being prominently used in the fashion design industry by designers. Even though most of the designers initially prefers to sketch the designs with their own hands but there is a growing number of designers who take these hand-drawn sketches and put them on the computer software. CAD allows fashion designers to look and understand the designs of clothing in many colours and shapes on virtual models. Thus it saves a lot of time for the designer by leaving only the fewer adjustments for the latter.

The next step for the fashion designer is to take the rough sketch or model and develop it into a more specific feasible pattern. Generally, the designer tries to make a rough model draft of the design by creating a toile which is a fabric sample that can be tested and perfected later. Toile is an early version of the finished complete garment. It is made by sewing reasonably priced material like muslin to make a rough model draft of the design. When this is placed on the mannequin or the dress stand, the designer can see and understand how the material and fabric will drape or hang on the human body.

Large fashion design houses or couturier appoint and employ their own pattern makers, tailors who can sew the prototypes and create the master fashion patterns. The Fashion Designers who are working with small design firms or houses or those who are new to the business usually do most of the work of technical pattern making, sewing and designing the clothing in order to get the final masterpiece. When the garment making is finished, the designer either alter, scrap or agree to the design for the final showing in a collection.

A fashion designer generally has control and decision making of a fashion show by often picking the models, determining the budget and price of each garment and deciding on how the garments will be offered. Most designers have some assistants to support with the help of deciding many small details. But overall, the designer maintains the control of management and development of the garment for the fashion show.

What is the work requirement of a Fashion Designer?

Now a fashion designer that works for fashion house or wholesalers or manufacturers creates the designs for the worldwide consumers and markets. These designs are produced in a different range of sizes, colours, patterns and materials. A small proportion of haute couture designers are self-employed and work for their own label or brand. They craft and prepare custom designs, generally at a very high price for individual high-end clients. Some high-fashion designers display and sell their designs in their own retail stores or high-end fashion department stores or provide them to speciality stores. These fashion designers try to build a mixture of original garments and also the established of the novel fashion trends in the market. Usually, the fashion designers employed or engaged with the fashion house, manufacturing establishments, design firms or wholesalers are working regular hours in the comfortable and well-lighted settings of the workstation. Some zealous fashion designers are specialized in costume designing for movies, television productions and performing arts. The work of the costume designers is comparable to other fashion designers in the fashion industry except they must perform extensive research to style the artist and create the fashion design worn by the artist during the period in which the performance or act takes place. Sometimes they also work with the film directors for the selection and creation of certain attire for the movie or television program. Costume fashion designers need to work within the costume budget specified by the production. They create sketches of designs, select fabric and other materials. They also direct and supervise the production of the costumes. Costume fashion designing is a multi-tasking job and for that, a designer needs to be a good team player. 

Some designers work as freelancers that facilitate the work on a contractual basis or by the job for certain specified durations. Freelance designer habitually adjusts themselves and their workday to suit their clients’ budget, deadlines and schedules. Sometimes freelance designers meet up with prospective customers or clients during the evenings or weekends. Freelance designers are likely to work according to project requirements for example longer hours work schedule or in compact environments or under the constant pressure to satisfy the clients or work hard to find new clients to build and maintain the steady flow of income. All fashion designers despite their work setting seldom work resiliently to get ready for fashion shows and long hours to meet the deadlines of the same.

The nature of the fashion business is supple. It requires unfailing communication with fashion suppliers, garment manufacturers and customers all over the world. Many fashion designers also travel to different countries quite a few times a year to trade or to learn from the diverse fashion shows about the latest fashion trends. Designers also travel repeatedly to meet fabric supplier or material suppliers or garment manufacturer to see the facility.

Eligibility to become Fashion Designer

In India to be eligible for admission in a fashion designing course in a prestigious fashion designing institute like the JD Institute of Fashion Technology, the candidate must be cleared and passed in 10+2 or its equivalent from a recognised school board or state board. After finishing class 12, candidates can seek admission in Undergraduate design courses also. There some national fashion design institutes also that asks for the clearance of the entrance exam before admission in UG design courses. 

Types of Job Roles of Fashion Designer

The conceptualization, development and expansion of the convoluted designing details of the style and fabric are the main work vicinity for a fashion designer. After pursuing the fashion designing course there are a variety of job profiles available for fashion designers. However, now fashion designers are taking such jobs that depend and involve their interests and skills. Following are some of the job profiles or job roles for fashion designers that one can opt for in the fashion industry. The growth prospects in the industry are limitless and as a fashion designer, you can decide any of the niche areas according to your interest and liking listed below to make a mark in your preferred and selected forte of expertise.

Fashion Designer

You will be playing a vital role as a fashion designer. You will be accountable for the creation of new fashion designs and products for the fashion house or brand. These will be according to the trending and prevailing style and pattern in the market. It always leaves the room for innovation open. As a fashion designer, you have to be creative and innovative. You need to work on your instinct to think out of the box. The career of fashion designer will reward and compensate you with boundless growth and opportunities.

Fashion Illustrator

If you love drawing, sketching and fashion as well then you can think of this career option. A fashion illustrator is the creator of design ideas. He/she is primarily responsible for the preparation of primary sketches on the paper that the fashion designer will later elaborate on. If you have a fine hand in scribbling and drawing can consider opting for the role of fashion illustrator in the fashion industry.

Fashion merchandiser

If you are working as a fashion merchandiser in the fashion industry your primary responsibility would be to take care of the marketing needs of the company or the fashion house. You would be working for the fashion organization to understand their demand in the market. Some of the biggest responsibilities of a fashion merchandiser are to analyzing of past and present trends and sales data of the market and understand the market demand. 

Retail Manager

As a retail manager, you are responsible for the smooth function of the business of a fashion retail store. The retail manager ensures that marketing, promotions and sales work efficiently. He/she sets daily targets for the staff and makes sure the customer satisfaction in the store. He/she also heads the human resources, admin department and finance department in micro or small enterprises.

Fashion Coordinators

If you have an interest in the marketing aspect of fashion then you can think of an option for the role of fashion coordinator in the fashion business. This job role mainly does not include designing work. It fundamentally gratifies to advertising and promotion of the product range and organization of fashion shows or runway shows for the fashion house. As fashion coordinators, you profoundly look after the advertising and promotions of the brand. To fetch out the best of products you have to work directly with fabric dealers. 

Fashion Stylist

As a fashion stylist, your role will widespread in the fashion business. A fashion stylist is in charge of selecting the wardrobe of a fashion show. His/her job is to choose the right piece of garments from the designer’s collection or wardrobe which would suit the client’s character, body type and the purpose of the occasion or event. 

As a fashion stylist, you will be responsible for the hairstyling, dress code preparation and fashion style of the artist. One of the other responsibilities that you will be expected to handle is the promotion of fashion shows. It is the primary area where a fashion stylist will be working on. Career options are quite wide in this field. You can consider the option of working for a fashion house or with some media agencies or as an entrepreneur. Some of the top fashion stylists also work to provide consultation to Bollywood and Hollywood stars that are broadly known.

Fashion Consultant:

The role of fashion consultant will match your aspirations if you prefer to choose entrepreneurship in the fashion industry as your forte.  You have to be aware of the current and past trends and transitions in the fashion industry. Also, you have to do some deep-rooted and detailed study of fashion designing and its business as well. Observation skills must be your principal strength. It should be the field of your interest as you will be anticipated to keep a steady check on the budding and growing fashion designs and trends in the fashion industry and business. As a fashion consultant, it is mandatory to keep a close and constant eye on the changing and latest trends of the market. 

Textile Designer

As a Textile designer, you will work both independently or as part of a design team in industrial and non-industrial settings of the fashion business. Textile designer illustrates ideas for patterns and designs on paper or by using computer software programs. He/she is in charge of designing 2D patterns, weave and printed fabrics or both repetitive and unique for knit patterns, etc. Textile designers are extremely creative people. He/she can draw and have a greater eye for design, colour, pattern, texture and an appreciation for the fine points of fashion and textiles. 

Makeup Artist

In the fashion industry, Make-up artists have an integral role to play. A make-up artist will be hired for fashion shows, fashion events, weddings, pre-wedding photoshoots, bridal makeup, for models and celebrities. These artists are quite different from beauticians. They do not take up normal beauty treatment jobs or services.

Sketching Assistant

Sketching Assistant must be good with illustrations and sketches. He/she is mainly responsible for making technical sketches of garments for various presentations and shows. These sketches are later used for the fabrication of the garments and specifications on the design.

Fashion Journalist

If you love to write and read about fashion then you can think of this career option. The fashion journalist’s job is to write or report about the latest fashion events, trends or happenings in the fashion world for a magazine or newspaper. To be a fashion journalist you should be able to know the most recent fashion trends as well as the past trends. You should be also in touch with the news of the fashion business around the globe.

Employment Sector or Industry for Fashion Designer

Around the world, there is growth and expansion in the need of Fashion Designer across the industries. There is a multiplicity of employment opportunities for a fashion designer in diverse sectors or industries. Some of the major sectors that look for or require fashion designers are as follows:

Fashion Enterprise, Corporate businesses, MNCs, Consulting Firms, Colleges and universities, Garment stores, Textile mills, Media Houses, Leather companies etc. 

Top Recruiting Companies for Fashion Designer

The fashion industry is a booming industry in the world. The job profile of a fashion designer demands great passion, imagination and focus. A fashion designer should possess creativity in order to grow unique ideas to attest as an asset for the recruiting company or agency.  Some of the major recruiting companies or enterprises for fashion designer where he/she can discover employment opportunities are following: Vera Moda, Raymonds, AND, Allen Solly, BATA, Pantaloons, Lifestyle, Sykar, Fastrack, Van Heusen, Zara, Peter England etc. 

Are fashion designers in demand?

Competition in the arena of fashion design does exist in the fashion industry. Mainly it is because of the occupation’s conventionally low turnover and the low annual rate of new job creation. The glamour associated with the fashion industry also impact and enhance the competition. Most opportunities do exist with the firms that design mass-market clothing garments and sell in the department store or fashion retail store or chain stores. This is in the relation to the rising demand for stylish clothing, trendy garments, footwear and accessories and the desire to look good and feel good. This demand is backed up by the rise in purchase power of the consumer and the increase in affordability mainly by the middle-income consumers in the market. High-end stores, design firms and boutiques looking for a fashion designer who can perform many roles in-store management, advertising and promotion. The demand for expensive fashion along with luxury products and services stipulate the need for fashion designers in the business. Employers, firms and agencies generally prefer fashion designers who possess a diploma or degree with the knowledge and enthusiasm about textiles, fabrics, fashion trends and embellishment. 

Pay Scale or Salary of Fashion Designer

If you have a creative mind and determination then the world is filled with opportunities. One of the best professions to grow and rise at a professional level if you are a creative individual and love fashion are the career of fashion designing. Even though fashion designing is a glamorous field but it also bears some cut-throat competition and race. It offers ample growth opportunities and challenges in your career all at the same time. As a fashion designer, the whole world of opportunities opens up with some adventure and excitement for you. You can surely plan for making a career in the field of fashion illustration or fashion merchandiser or designing or garment production or textile designing.

Great and skilled fashion designers salary always displays an upward moving trend in the career graph. However, a conscious effort to update and build creatively the latest trends and hard work play a critical role in the fashion industry. The salary bracket of a fashion designer varies broadly from designer to designer. It usually depends and decides by the creativity, level of education, experience and skill. A fashion designer with a keen interest in fashion designing can grow immensely. A fresh fashion design student’s salary varies from fashion company to company. Generally, the salary package offered to a fresher fashion design student is up to INR 15,000 per month. However, as a fashion designer who learns and gains experience and expertise in the selected niche segments of the fashion industry stipulate to the high rise in the salary. After some years of experience and working in the fashion industry for 3-4 years, a fashion creator can expect to fetch out from INR 35,000 to INR 80,000/- per month as per the job role, profile, employer, sector and industry. Substantial expertise and experience in the fashion field also mean that a fashion designer can also anticipate becoming an entrepreneur in this particular domain. You can also plan to open your own fashion house or can offer consultations to different players and clients in the fashion industry. In the entertainment business also there is dearth and the real need for brilliant and skilled fashion designers. Many fashion designers earn huge profits in the entertainment business field. One of the key areas in the fashion industry is the knowledge of the sprouting trends and the gut feeling to experiment with fashion and designs. It will always boost your career growth and take you to a new scale of height in any of the chosen role or job or segments in this field.

Learn More About the Pay Scale of Fashion Designers

Pros of Becoming a Fashion Designer

It is always better to make a list to understand and calculate the plus and minus of the role or job that you are planning to take for the coming time in your career. Following are the pros and cons of becoming a fashion designer. 

• The work and role of a fashion designer are incredibly creative and innovative, provided you have an eye for fashion and passionate about the same. It all about coming up and creating fresh and unique innovations in a fashion that are trending or could trend in the future among consumers and fashion enthusiasts.

• The career path of fashion designing provides self-satisfaction and fulfilment to the profession if you are passionate about it. A fashion designer comes up with new and improved ideas and thoughts on fashion trends to influence consumers to start using that particular design garment or fashion accessory. So, if the fashion design or fashion product is used by a large number of consumer in the market then the fashion designer will have the greatest contentment knowing that the customer is using something that has been created and innovated by him/her.
• Those who love to travel, meet new people and explore the world for fashion designing can prove a very promising career. A career in fashion designing provides a lot of opportunities for travelling abroad and networking if the clients and partners are residing over there for trade meetings or fashion shows or events.

Cons of Becoming a Fashion Designer

• A fashion designing job is a challenging job. There are no permanent working hours for the fashion designer. Generally, the working hours of a fashion designer are stretched in order to meet client’s deadlines and order supplies.
• The fashion industry is a competitive and extensive industry. Fashion designers have to take some pressure as an individual to encounter aggression in this field. He/she can come in a number of different forms to survive and grow in this industry. If the person is incapable to deal with stress or anxiety in the beginning days of the career then, it can lead to upset and an eventual failure in the fashion business.
• The high income or the large pay scale or the beginning salary of a fashion designer is difficult to anticipate for the fresher fashion designer alike all the sectors in the industry. In the beginning, may not have permanent financial stability for the person who wishes to live out the art of fashion and art. So it can be easily said that the pay scale of a fashion designer is unpredictable in the beginning days but later on it grows and rises immensely for the fashion designers in the business.

Career path for Fashion Designer

In the fashion industry in the field of fashion designing employers generally seek and appreciate applicants with creativity and skills. They also look for the candidate with good technical skills and understanding of the production process for garments, fabric, accessories, bags or footwear. Designers must be capable enough to express their vision and idea for the design through illustration and sketch. One must have the academic qualifications and acumen to become a fashion designer, in order to be a part of this career in the fashion industry.  

Key steps to a successful career in Fashion Design

A Bachelor’s in Fashion Design or Fashion And Garment Management or Fashion Business Management or a related discipline will help you to build up and establish the necessary skills and knowledge. Although it does guarantee that you will make it and rise into the competitive and spirited fashion industry. You must invest your time and energy in other activities also, such as:

• Meeting like-minded people and Networking
• Finding your niche area of expertise in the fashion business
• Try to discover and learn about the own business probability

To have a successful career in the fashion business you should start meeting people in the fashion industry as early as possible. If at all possible try it while you are still a Fashion Design student. Keep your eyes open and be aware of paid or unpaid internships during college as sometimes it’s much easier to land a job on a reference than trying to persuade others and convince them that you have what it takes. Also, as an individual keeps in mind that you can’t do everything in the fashion business. That’s why you’ll have to make a decision what branch or role of fashion attracts you more. Figure out your preference in designing whether it is women, men or children or kids fashion designing or sportswear design or accessories design or you find more interest towards the business side of fashion.  Apart from that of a fashion designer what other role of fashion fetches your attention like Merchandiser, Brand Manager, Fashion Consultant, Photo Shoot Stylist, Fashion Journalist etc. 

While some Fashion maybe passionate about art but it is also a tough business. Most famous fashion designers have admitted that they have needed to study and learned business skills to succeed in the market. In order to further growth and success in your career, you must consider the option of a Master’s degree in Business and Management. It will facilitate understanding how to run a booming fashion business and you’ll find out the ways to promote the brand.