JOB DESCRIPTION:

Fasion designers give new shapes to garments, footwear, jewellery and even luggage to make strong personality statements.So, the first thing one has to do is to pick one's field of specialistion.

1. Garments : To begin with there is the garment industry, also the most glamourous.The designer uses the right fabric, the right cut, an ensures a good finish to meet his client's unique needs.He turns out eighter a singuler creation or a garments that reaches a retails outlet in different sizes and colours.A creation may be mass produced for a specific market.
2. Leather : Indian leather and leather goods are famed the world over.Made-in-india jackets, shoes and luggage have reached many international markets. yet, we are miles away from eating into a big chunk of the world market.But a determined push, strict quality control and design excellence will help us win many customers abroad.
3. Accessories & Jewellery : Indian jewellery is known for its master craftsmanship and aesthetic quality. jewellers here have an eye for details, not generally found elsewhere. But the world of fashion jewellery is relatively new and is a whole new universe with a mordern idiom, in terms of style and materials used. This makes jewellery designing a wonderful career option.

ELIGIBILITY:

Most young people who can sketch well and have an intrest in fashion believe that that is enough to qualify them for the fashion industry them for the fashion industry. Sure, talent is important but specialised training is must.

With the focus on quality and novelty, the designer has to have a ken eye for details with a sense of colours, shades and textures and be able to express idia through sketches. So, if you can visualise designs and enjoy working with fabrics and accessories you're looking at the right career.

But training provides the right technical knowhow that can give you the much- needed edge to succeed in an increasingly competitive market place. Most courses in afshion designing teach you about things like garments manufacturing machinery, apparel construction methods, textile science, fabric dyeing and printing, and garments finshing. Remember, too, that communication skills are most important, especially to understands the client's needs.

PROSPECTS:

Until a few years ago, there was not a single Indian name on the global fashion scene. The industry is yet to attain its full potential in india. So there's plenty of room for talentsed young professionals. But if you are planning a career in fashion designing merely for the glamour of it, beware. Hard work alone will see you through.

You can adopt four courses of action.

1. Apprenticeship under a flouring designer. An internship in the small- scale or largescale sectors in the industry usually forms a part of the course and often students return to work for the same organisations.
2. Join an export house or garments manufacturing unit.
3. Freelancing for fashion houses and boutiques.
4. Self-employment --- open your boutique or manufacturing unit.

WHERE TO APPLY IN INDIA :

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNALOGY ( NIFT ) There are centres located at :

1. Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016.
2. Tata Mills, Administrative Wing, Parel, Mumbai 400014.
3. Manjusha Bjawan, Karnangan LA Block, 1B-181, Sector 3, Salt lake city, Calcutta 700001.
4. Cooptx Building, Pantheon Road, Egmore, Chennai 600008.

• THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DESIGN ( NID ) Paldi, Ahmedabed 380007
• SNDT WOMEN UNIVERSITY, Mumbai.

Footwear designing is taught at the folowing institutes :

• FOOTWEAR DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT INSTITYTE ( CFTI ) at Agra & Chennai.
• GOVERMENT LEATHER INSTITUTE ( GLI ) at Agra, Chennai, Jalandhar and Mumbai.
• AVI SCHOOL & SHOE TECHNOLOGY, SCO 493-94,Second Floor 35, Chandigar.

Some institutes that offer courses in jewellery design and gemology are :

• NIFT, New Delhi 110016
• SNDT WOMEN'S DIAMOND INSTITUTE, Surat
• GEM & JEWWLLERY EXPORT PROMOTION COUNCIL, Jaipur.