In our post ‘ A definite introduction to fashion in the 21st century ‘ we understood the various elements of fashion. It is a general misconception that the only career in fashion industry is that of a fashion designer. But that is not true. This post will bust that myth. Because the fashion industry is so broad in its reach, so is the type of fashion jobs that it offers. Let us look in detail all the kind of fashion jobs that you can consider when looking for a career in the fashion industry.
Best career opportunities in fashion industry
As seen in our previous posts decoding the fashion industry, we will now deep dive and see that what all functions or jobs are there that you can consider when looking at a career in the fashion community. Usually, the first and mostly the last thought that comes to our mind when discussing a career in fashion is that of a fashion designer. In my days, I remember when my own parents referred to it as ‘tailor’. And the stigma associated with it was heavy.
As our society has progressed, now people are more open to a career in fashion that before. But we all can not be designers, can we? We must carefully understand and identify our strengths and weaknesses and then decide on what to do in life. This post will inform you about all the various career paths are there in the world fashion designing.
It takes a village to create clothes
As mentioned in my previous posts, fashion is one of the most complex industries in the world. Ans as such it has a vast number of opportunities for working. Before reading all the career opportunities are there, do this exercise. From your own imagination, create a list of all possibilities of work that you think are there in the fashion industry. How many jobs could you write down? Now, see the list below. This is only the first part of the list of design jobs, non design jobs, creative jobs, managerial jobs, and a lot of other skill-oriented jobs that make up the entire fashion industry. The remaining list will be shared in the following posts.
Fashion (Apparel) designer
This is the most obvious one as this is where it all starts. The design jobs are divided, further based on specialization like men’s wear, women’s wear, kids wear, sports etc.it is a very challenging and creative field.
Footwear designer
Not many people realize, but footwear is a very essential part of fashion. There is a whole industry that is just focused on designing footwear. Just like clothes there are footwear designers for men’s shoes, women’s shoes, kid’s shoes, sports and athletic shoes, special medical shoes etc.
Jewelry/Accessory designer
No fashionable outfit is complete without accessories. Jewelry designing needs a special kind of education to understand metals and gems and it has its own aesthetics and history. Accessories like earrings, bags, bracelets etc. are all designed for men, women, children, teenagers, and people of all kinds of tastes and requirements.
Perfume designer
The perfume industry is a field for people who have a high sense of smell. Creating experiences by mixing scents and oil, designers create experiences that every one can wear to respond to their personality and fashion choices. The city of Grasse in France is the perfume capital of the world and the city of Kannauj is the perfume capital of India.
Knitwear designer
A specialized branch of apparel design is knitwear designing. The knitwear designer would experiment and create fancy textiles and fashionable garments with knitting techniques. Being a specialized designer is a very profitable profession.
Lingerie/swimwear designer
Because of the specific needs based on body types and cultures, these kinds of designers are high in demand. Creating comfort and fantasies for people based on technical expertise. This is a very niche group of designers who get to work in high end brands.
Costume designer
While fashion designers create clothes for everyday life, costume designers do extensive research and study and create character-based clothing for film, theatre, or television productions. Costume designers have the responsibility to make sure that the costumes align with the story’s era, mood, and character personality.
Textile designer
Fashion designers can only create exceptional clothes if they have the right fabric with them. And this is only possible because of the textile designers. Textile designers are the basis of all the fashionable garments that we see around us. They get to learn ancient techniques of the weaving culture and then combine them with modern technologies to create unique fabrics for consumption. In this regard India is world renowned for the variety of indigenous textiles that it gives to the world.
Fashion Forecasting expert
Fashion forecasting experts analyze industry trends, consumer behavior, and cultural influences to predict upcoming fashion movements, aiding fashion brands and designers in staying ahead of the curve. There are special companies who do this research work across the globe and publish their findings in highly valued publications.
Trends and Research analyst
Trends and research analysts delve into market data to provide insights into consumer preferences and emerging fashion trends, guiding fashion businesses in their decision-making processes. Slightly like forecasters, but analyst deal more with raw data.
Pattern Master / Draping Expert
Pattern masters and draping experts translate fashion sketches into wearable garments, skillfully shaping fabric to achieve desired fits and styles. These are the backbone of any fashion studio as they translate the artistic visions of a fashion designer into reality.
Fashion illustrator
Fashion illustrators use their artistic talents to visually represent clothing designs, helping designers and clients visualize the finished products. Traditionally there were illustrators using pencils and hand drawn illustrations, but these days there are all kind of digital tools to make graphic illustrations.
The fashion industry offers a wide variety of opportunities; both design jobs and non-design jobs.
Now that you know a few of the types of jobs in fashion, stay in touch when we discuss this profile in detail. But this is only the first part of the list. To know more about the job opportunities available in the fashion industry, read the next post in this series. Also, now start looking at these fields and think where in the future do you see yourself in the fashion industry.
Conclusion
As opposed to popular belief fashion is not a one job industry. It has many opportunities, and you must identify what role suits your best. Before making any decisions, it is always advised to create a strategy. The best way to decided on a career path in the fashion industry is to read about all the job opportunities we have discussed above in detail. You should talk to experts, read blogs, speak to peers, and take advise of people who are working in the fashion industry, before arriving at a conclusion.
