Scope of Fashion Designing in India

by Tayeeb Khan Digital Marketing Expert

India is a land of a plethora of ethnicities which brings diversity in the culture and traditions. Being from a land of such diverse cultures and traditions does give Indian Fashion designers an edge over others since they have so much to be inspired from.

People all around the world are getting more conscious about their looks and aware of different Fashion cultures which are opening doors of great opportunities for Fashion designers. But the growth is as tremendous as it is around the world.

Before we dive into the scope and everything of Fashion designing, let us have a look at numbers to give you an idea of how big the Indian Fashion Industry actually is.

According to this article about the Scope of Fashion designing, the Indian Fashion Industry holds 13.5% of the world’s market share and accounts for at least 5% of India’s total GDP. Indian Fashion Industry is expected to grow to at least 223 billion dollars by 2021 from 108 Billion dollars — That’s almost 2x growth.

The fashion industry is one of the most glamorous, creative, and financially rewarding industries. But everything comes at a price, here the price is intense competition and the pressure — If you are passionate about being a Fashion Designer.

That being said, let’s dive into the actual scope of Fashion Designing and what are the ways of becoming a Fashion Designer.

Being in Fashion Industry does not only mean that you should be a Fashion Designer. There are other designations as well which are nothing less than being a Fashion Designer.

Here is a list of all the Job Roles that you can choose from after you get a degree in Fashion Designing. I will be explaining some of them but not all of them.

Fashion Illustrator: Fashion Illustrator is the person who is responsible for creating sketches and illustrations based on the Fashion designer’s inputs. A very important skill you need to acquire to be a successful Fashion Illustrator is Drawing/Sketching.

Fashion Stylist: Suppose you have created some great designs, but how do you go about presenting them. Presenting the designs is equally important as creating them and that is where Fashion Stylist comes to play. They are good at deciding what accessories go with what kind of designs; What hairstyles should be chosen for a particular dress etc... Fashion Stylists help Fashion designers present their designs in the best way possible during Fashion shows. The strength of Fashion Stylist lies in here attention to detail.

Fashion Designer: In a nutshell, a Fashion designer is someone who comes up with design ideas based on trends. There are times when Fashion Designers have derailed from the current trends only to create a new trend. So, Fashion Designers are basically the creators and trendsetters of the Fashion Industry.

Fashion Consultant: Fashion Consultants are mainly called upon when there is a make-over required. They have the power to redefine a person’s look. Most Fashion Consultants are exclusive to a client and look after their client’s image and style in public.

Fashion Coordinator: The coordinator aka Fashion Director is responsible for developing policies and managing the arrangements at a Fashion House or a Fashion Company. Being a Fashion Coordinator, you will be more into organizing Fashion Events, Advertising, Fashion Research, and other aspects of Fashion Marketing than Designing or other kinds of tasks.

Fashion Merchandiser: These are the people who are good at creating stuff that people actually want to buy. Fashion Merchandised needs to have at least fundamental knowledge of all the aspects of Fashion Designing. Their job role is to study the current and past trends and help companies develop merchandise based on the trends.

Bridal Designer: I believe this one is pretty self-explanatory. When you think of wedding dresses and bride's look, Bridal designers are the ones who come to mind. They specialize in styling a bride to look her best on her special day. Being a Bridal Designer could be a very satisfying job, given the fact that you are given the power to make someone’s very special day extra special.

Assistant Designer: Assistant designers as the name suggests are the assistants to Fashion Designers. If you are just starting your career in Fashion, Being an Assistant Designer to a famous Fashion designer could give your career a huge kick start. Being an Assistant Designer your job most often is to lend a Fashion Designer creative as well as practical support.

Costume Designer For Film/ Theater: This one might be the most interesting of them all. Being a Costume Designer especially for Films might prove to be difficult and creatively exhausting. But all of that hard work pays when you see your costumes give depth to the story of the film. As a Costume Designer, you have to learn about the character, period, and costumes accordingly. Loads of research and a lot of experimentation are what make this job an interesting one apart from the fact that you get to meet the actors and style them.

Some honorary mentions:

CAD Designer
Fashion Content Developer
Milliner
Production Assistant

Now that you know the scope of different job roles and the scope of Fashion Designing in India, Let's have a look at the scope of different courses you can pursue to get into the Fashion Industry.

Fashion designing course durations range from 6 months to 3 years based on which course you are opting for, which fashion designing college you are getting into and how much Fashion designing you want to learn.

Diploma in Fashion Designing and Boutique Management course lasts a whole year where you will learn the basics of Fashion designing, Boutique Setup, and Boutique Management.

BSc in Fashion Design & Apparel Management is two years course where you learn the fundamentals and intermediate topics related to different aspects of Fashion Designing in detail.

Master in Fashion Management is a 3 years course that deals with Fashion Designing's advanced topics and Fashion Marketing.

Apart from these three courses, there are several certification and diploma courses which range from 3 Months to 1 Year. You can take them up if you don’t have time to go to college or if you wish to learn only the absolute basics of Fashion designing, Pattern Making, etc...

Here is a list of some of those courses offered by IIFT, one of the best Fashion Designing colleges in Bangalore.