Fashion Technology Courses - Careers, Salary, Jobs, Scope

Why Fashion Technology?

The fashion industry has redefined the way we perceive things, the way we dress, the way we decorate. Whenever we hear fashion technology, we relate it to designing garments. However, it is not just confined to one segment; it encompasses numerous other branches like accessory design, leather design, home decoration etc.

If you love unleashing your creativity and exploring new avenues, then a career in the fashion industry is a good choice. In this course, students get to learn the different techniques and practices employed in the fashion industry and learn various concepts like designing clothes, accessories etc.

Additionally, it is considered to be one of the fastest growing industries and offers numerous lucrative and eye-catching opportunities. Usually, the working hours are around 35 – 40 hours a week. Additionally, these professionals also get to attend many fashion shows and meet new people in the industry on a regular basis.

Fashion Courses

Fashion Design

This course deals with the design of accessories and clothing. People enrolled in this course study about the different designs that are being used in the industry and learn to create their own designs. Creating and analyzing the designs being used is a cumbersome task. Students conduct surveys and analyze the reviews of people on different designs.

Based on their findings, they learn which designs are preferred and hence work on creating similar designs. This course is extremely popular, with a large number of youth preferring this course. Students also learn to value and respect individual choices and are tasked with creating designs that are modern, trendy and at the same time aesthetic.

Accessories Design

‘Accessories’ is a broad term and this course includes a wide variety of topics like the design of belts, jewellery, shoes etc. Usually, there is a misconception in the public that fashion only refers to the design of clothing. However, accessories play an important part is enhancing the look of a person and complimenting their clothes. Students enrolled in this course learn about different designs employed in designing.  The designs incorporated in jewellery tend to have a traditional background and hence the students also learn about the origins of different designs.

Leather Design

It is considered to be one of the most rapidly growing subfields under the fashion industry, this course deals with the design of jackets, shoes and bags and every other accessory which is made of leather. Being a high in demand commodity the need and want for new designs is on the rise. This is a course, where having practical knowledge is a must. Students enrolled in this course are given a lot of physical work and the learning curve is steep. Usually, the course is designed to give the students a thorough theoretical and practical knowledge of this field.

Fashion Communication

The students enrolled in this course study about the different techniques of portfolio creation, marketing, public relations, creative writing, styling and strategy making. The main aim of this course is to make students proficient enough about fashion that they can offer expert advice on the fashion industry. They focus more on the theoretical aspects of fashion, with the course leaning towards the research field. They are usually taught how to advertise and market design, come up with strategies that can be enforced to improve the performance of the firm etc. Additionally, they also learn about the technological tools needed to improve their output.

Jobs and career opportunities in Fashion Industry

Fashion Journalist

Reviewing, critiquing and reporting of fashion trends and designs is what a fashion journalist does. Usually, they publish their articles on the web, newspaper or are contracted by a particular firm to market their product.

They edit and write articles, interview people and sometimes are also involved in the process of organizing photo shoots and other fashion events. Additionally, they might also author or co-author books, write blogs and reports on the fashion industry.

The salary of fashion journalist is around Rs. 3,50,000 per annum on an average and this value increases as the candidate acquire more experience.

Fashion Coordinators

Also called as fashion directors, they are responsible for showcasing the works of an individual or of a firm. They usually decide on the best way to depict and broadcast a particular fashion line that is financially beneficial and also get the deserved applause and acclaim.

Considered to be a very important position, Fashion Coordinators professionals are paid around Rs. 4,50,000 per annum. However, larger and recognized firms pay a higher salary when compared to the small and budding organizations. The work assigned to the coordinator also determines the pay that the individual receives.

Fashion Designers

Their main goal is to come up with new and creative designs for clothing, footwear etc. Usually, the work is divided among many people with each group being assigned one particular department. The area of focus for such individuals includes high street fashion, haute contour and ready to wear. Their responsibilities include:

• Negotiating with customers
• Planning the design process
• Coming up with new ideas
• Know the recent developments in the fashion industry
• Selection of raw material for development

Fashion Designers are paid on an average Rs. 3,58,000 per annum. Candidates entering this field are requested to have some practical knowledge in this field and this will help them in securing a higher package and adapt to their profession quickly.

Jewellery Designer

As the name suggests, they work on designing jewellery. They tend to work with numerous metals and gems and should know how to shape these metals in order to get the desired impression.

Considered to be exceptionally challenging, this job requires concentration, patience, precision, and dedication.  Most of these professionals opt to go for freelancing where people contract them for a certain amount of time.

Jewellery Designer gets paid around Rs. 3,30,000 per annum. However, the freelancers are paid for every piece of jewellery they design and hence their income varies based on the number of customers they serve.

Fashion Stylist

These individuals need to have extensive knowledge of the current fashion trends, marketing skills, have a clear understanding of what suits different body types and shapes etc.

They usually work for celebrities or for fashion organizations. Starting annual salary of Fashion Stylist can be anywhere around Rs. 4,50,000. Considered to be one of the high paying jobs in the fashion industry, skills that organizations look for in potential stylists include:

• Creativity
• Good fashion knowledge
• Good communication skills
• Good grasp of art and design
• Well organized

Other job positions that can be taken up by fashion technology graduates are as follows:

• Knitwear Designer
• Head of Design
• Pattern Maker
• Visual Merchandiser
• Fashion Forecaster
• CAD Designer
• Technical Designer
• Art Director
• Brand Strategist
• Fashion Director

Salary in Fashion Technology Industry

Candidates employed in the fashion industry are usually paid handsomely.  Their salary can range from Rs. 3,00,000 to Rs. 10,00,000 per annum. Students aspiring to enter this industry are expected to have some practical knowledge in the field and are encouraged to attend workshops and internships to gain recognition and experience.

Experienced professionals are usually paid around Rs. 6,00,000 to Rs. 9,00,000. The salary is highly dependent on the firm that the candidate is employed in and on his / her experience.

Fashion Technology Recruiters

The fashion industry is growing rapidly, extending its roots. It offers numerous opportunities with many new firms and organizations investing heavily in this filed. The following are a few companies who recruit people with a degree in fashion.

• LifeStyles
• ITC Wills Lifestyle
• AND Design India Limited
• Pantaloons
• Aditya Birla fashion
• Adidas
• Loewe
• Farfetch
• Levi Strauss & Co
• Berluti
• Gucci
• Zara

Courses & Subjects

Top colleges offering Fashion courses in India

Below is a list of some of the popular colleges in India offering Fashion Technology courses–

National Institute of Fashion Technology

Being one of the top-rated universities in India, this institution is on the list of every student who wants to pursue a career in fashion. They offer a wide range of both UG and PG programs. The courses offered at this university include

• Bachelor of Design (Fashion Design / Textile Design / Accessory Design / Leather Design / Knitwear Design)
• Bachelor of Fashion Technology
• Master of Design
• Master of Fashion management

Every year, this university conducts NIFT entrance exam which is divided into two parts – Creative Ability Test (CAT) and General Ability Test (GAT).  The fee for one semester is around Rs. 90,000. Every year, around 100 companies visit the campus looking for talented individuals. A few of the companies include

• Arvind Limited
• Sabyasachi Couture
• Abhishek Zaveri
• Artex Apparel
• August Jewelley

The package of Rs. 14,00,000 P.A was offered by Must Apparel. For 2017, Sabyasachi Couture recruited the maximum number of students.

National Institute of Design

The courses offered at this institution are

• Bachelor of Design (Furniture and Interior design/graphics design/ ceramics and glass design)
• Master of Design (Ceramic and glass design / exhibition design / furniture and interior design/ product design / textile design)

The fees for one year of study at this university is Rs. 1,09,500. They conduct an entrance test named NID entrance exam, which is conducted in two phases – Drawing Aptitude test and studio test interview. Only people scoring a decent mark in these two tests will be eligible for admission into this university.

This university has an amazing record when it comes to placements. For the year 2017, Samsung R &D was the highest recruiter and around 100 firms participated during the first week of placements. A package of Rs. 72,00,000 was offered to a PG student by a  Ludhiana based textile producer.

International Institute of Fashion Technology

Established way back in 1990, they have an amazing record when it comes to education. The courses offered at this institution are as follows:

• Diploma in fashion and clothing technology
• Diploma in textile marketing and management
• BBA in Fashion Designing
• BBA Apparel Designing
• Master of business administration

They have a significant presence in Europe and America too, which enables them to do numerous student exchange programs providing international exposure to its students. A few companies that visit this campus are as follows:

• Cipla
• Glaxo Smith Kline
• Sun Pharma

They also help their students with internships as the syllabus stipulates that the candidate should have practical knowledge of the field. Admission into this university is based on an admission test conducted by the university every year.

Amity School of Fashion Technology

They offer the following courses:

• B.Des in Fashion Communication
• B.Des in Fashion Design
• B.Des in Fashion Technology
• B.Des in Textile Design
• Diploma in Fashion Design
• MA in Fashion Retail Management
• B.Des in Fashion and Textiles
• BA in Fashion Management
• Ph.D in Fashion

The fees for the B.Des course is around Rs. 5,76,000. A few companies that visit this campus are as follows:

• Fab Creations
• Gaurav International
• Fashion makers Group
• Arrow
• Finesse International Design Pvt Ltd

Additionally, many fashion designers like Ashish Soni, Namrata Joshipura, Manish Arora, Shantanu, and Nikhil also visit this campus looking for potential employees or interns.

Vogue Institute of Fashion Technology

The following are the courses provided at this university

Here is a list of companies that visit the campus.

• Tommy Hilfiger
• Levis
• Lifestyles
• Mysore Saree Udyog
• Davanam Jewellers
• Shoppers Stop
• Wills Life Style
• Asian Paints
• Reliance Trends
• Jisco Jewellers
• Big Bazaar
• Raymond’s

The fees for one year at this university amounts to Rs. 2,90,000.

Requirements for Fashion Technology course

The requirements for the Fashion Design Technology course are simple and concise.

• The candidate should have secured a minimum of 50% in their 10^th and 12^th
• The candidate has to be of the age of 17 or above.

Many universities conduct entrance exams to select students for their university. A few of them are as follows:

• Common Entrance examination for design
• National Institute of fashion technology entrance exam
• All India Entrance Examination for Design
• National Institute of Design Entrance Examination
• School of Fashion Technology Entrance Examination
• Pearl Academy of Fashion Entrance Examination

Usually, all these tests follow a similar pattern – written examination which checks the candidate’s skills in General Studies, English Language, and Managerial Abilities. This is followed by a personal interview / Group Discussion or psychometric Test.

Scope of Fashion Technology in India

India, being one of the fastest growing economies in the world has numerous opportunities in the retail market. Indian apparel industry is the second largest contributor to our economy.

Currently, the worth of the Indian Fashion industry is around INR 1000 crores and this number is only set to increase. Some people consider the fashion industry not the right fit for academically proficient candidates. However, this is not true. The competition and craze for such courses is on the rise especially among the youth of the country.

Additionally, with many international brands making their entry into the Indian industry, the demand for talented and proficient candidates is steeping upward. This industry definitely has a bright future with many new opportunities at the horizon.

There are many different avenues that one can pursue in the fashion industry like kids wear, men’s wear, leather design, fashion journalism etc.

Some people also go for their masters to broaden their scope. This is seen as a budding industry with seamless opportunities both in India as well as abroad.