Fashion is a lot like architecture, only more complex – anthropometry takes into account personal sensibilities and style, unlike any other designing field. Then, is it a marvel that the glamorous, dynamic, technology-injected, and limitless industry of fashion design continues to remain the most enchanting and sought-after? There are myriads of career options waiting to be explored, especially given the advancement in technology. For a successful career after PG in fashion designing, the following 5 options are worth reflecting upon.
1. Fashion Designer
Perhaps the most obvious career option awaiting fashion designing post-graduates is that of a fashion designer! If there is one thing that remains constant in the world of fashion designing, it is change. As such, for fashion designers, not even the sky is the limit; aspirants can choose their niche based on their unique talents and interests – be it old-school haute couture designing or pret-a-porter (ready-to-wear) apparel designing. Then there’s the choice of style – fashion designers can either choose to create diverse designs across niches or stick to a particular style. Options range from theatre-wear designing marked by drama and ornate patternsto conceptualist-wear designing that constantly pushes all boundaries of traditional fashion, to post-modern wear that is all about seeping through the fashion bubble to convey some hidden message.
2. Textile Designer
The world today is not just adorned in vibrant colours but also in intricate and eye-catching prints and patterns. Now, imagine being the one responsible for ideating and creating one-of-a-kind prints and patterns – could there be anything more invigorating than that! From tossed layouts to symmetrical composite repeat patterns, from border layouts to two-colour counterchange patterns, the textile designer has countless mediums to work their magic.
And such individuals need not limit their creative abilities to apparels; they can create designs for home goods such as bed-covers, table cloths, curtains, and more. However, textile designers do not work in isolation – their designs become a mouth-piece, speaking of their influences such as current trends, style specifications, motifs, culture and tradition, etc.
3. Jewellery/Accessory Designer
Accessories, especially carefully-selected jewellery are the exclamation point of any outfit, and fashion designing post-graduates have the exciting opportunity to make an “exclamatory statement” – they can choose to design different accessories such as scarves, belts, jewellery, even different kinds of footwear to take the blandest and most boring of outfits to the next level. In terms of jewellery, an aspirant can further narrow down their pool of options - opportunities await in the field of wire wrapping jewellery, metal clay jewellery, all-pearl jewellery, mixed modern jewellery, Perspex jewellery, traditional ornate gold jewellery, and so much more!
4. Fashion Blogger/Writer
For those who possess an exemplary flair for writing, thorough knowledge of creative visualisation and photography, and solid social media marketing skills over and above a post-graduate degree in fashion designing, the exciting and unique role of a fashion blogger or writer is open. Blogging about fashion is equivalent to selling your personal fashion magazine online; bloggers can choose to write on a plethora of topics based on their knowledge and interest. As such, they can either write about different fashions or stick to a singular area – budget-friendly styles, vintage fashion, etc.
5. Stylist
The term ‘personal stylist’ is a buzzword among celebrities. And rightfully so! Stylists hold the power to take an individual's appearance from drab to fab. Such professionals work closely with a celebrity, model, or individual and help them make the best of their wardrobe by mixing and matching (even contrasting) different fashion elements - be it garments, footwear, accessories, or makeup. Transforming a person’s identity requires thorough knowledge of body types, client character, occasion or event, something which stylists must be conversant with.
To build a successful career in the most coveted of industries, aspirants must apply for professional UG and PG courses with reputed and internationally-acclaimed institutions such as the Pearl Academy that tie tradition and technology to support the fashion designing demands of the future.
By its very nature, fashion designing is an evolving industry, full of pleasant surprises. The career options are vast, the nature of work is anything but monotonous, and future prospects are as glitzy as the industry itself.