fancy salaries

The fancy salaries and the hype that you read about in the glossies is only for those who are really talented to begin with or those passing out of the premier institutes. For the rest, finding a decent toehold can be pretty tough. Also considering the fact that just about everyone is rushing into fashion designing, it may be wise to opt for some of the other courses like Merchandising, Accessory Designing, Garment Manufacturing Technology, etc., all of which have a component of fashion design in them.

Having said that, the money is pretty good. As a fresher you’ll start out with a monthly package of Rs.8,000-14,000. A couple of years down as your designing skills mature, your salary would be in the range of Rs.30,000-40,000. Of course, if you become a marquee designer and are lucky enough to go international, you could for a single creation, quite literally ask for the moon!
Where to study?
Your race for admission into a reputed fashion school will begin straight after school. Subjects like drawing, painting, home science, computer graphics will develop your creativity.

By the time you finish the course you will have mastered the step-by-step production of a garment — from designing to pattern making, production and even marketing.

Although, if you are interested in further specialisation to work in a large manufacturing unit or start your own fabrication unit someday, you could opt for post-graduate courses in garment manufacture, merchandising, etc.

When we talk of fashion, we often forget the wide range of accessories that also constitute fashion. Although the courses listed here mainly pertain to apparel design, you could opt for a course in accessory design or specifically in jewellery design, knitwear design, footwear design or leather design — the options are as diverse as the range and variety of accessories themselves.

Apeejay Institute of Design, 54, Tughlaqabad Institutional Area, Mehrauli Badarpur Road, New Delhi 110062 www.appejay.edu
National Institute of Design (NID), Paldi, Ahmedabad 380007. www.nid.edu
National Institute of Fashion Design (NIFD), Chandigarh. www.nifd.net
National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), at New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkatta, Hyderabad, Chennai, Gandhinagar, Bangalore. www.niftindia.com
Northern India Institute of Fashion Technology (NIIFT), C-115, Phase-VII, Industrial Area, Mohali 160055 www.niiftindia.com
Pearl Academy of Fashion, C-56/2 Okhla Indl Area, Phase II, New Delhi 110020 www.pearlacademy.com
SNDT Women's University, Mumbai www.sndt.edu
Srishti School of Art, Design & Technology, PO Box 6430 Yelahanka, Bangalore 560064 (Kar) www.srishtiblr.org
University Of Mumbai, M G Road, Fort, Mumbai 400032 (Mah). www.mu.ac.in
Wigan & Leigh College
New Delhi: 86-A, Central Avenue, Sainik Farms, Tel: 011-26858849-51 Mobile: 9818479333
Mumbai: Tel: 022-23015591/4, 56623997
Kolkata: Tel:033-24487140/50
Bangalore: Tel: 080-25574311/12/13
Hyderabad: Tel: 040-55767425
Pune: Mobile: 9850271167
Email: mail@wiganindia.org
Website: www.wiganindia.org
(Note: This is an indicative listing in alphabetical order. Please check the respective websites for details. Don't go for short-term courses offered by institutes whose bonafides are yet to be verified. Instead, some of the women's polytechnics also offer fairly decent courses).

Along with fashion consciousness and creativity, you also need excellent communication skills to articulate your ideas and understand the client’s requirements. Knowlege of the market is also required

Fashion design is not just about sketching pretty clothes. Barring a few exceptions where talent borders on genius, it is certainly recommended that you pursue a course in fashion design
India has a rich and varied textile heritage, where each region of India has its own unique native costume and traditional attire. While traditional clothes are still worn in most of rural India, urban India is changing rapidly, with international fashion trends reflected by the young and glamorous, in the cosmopolitan metros of India. Fashion in India is a vibrant scene, a nascent industry and a colorful and glamorous world where designers and models start new trends every day.

While previously a master weaver was recognized for his skill, today a fashion designer is celebrated for his or her creativity. Young urban Indians can choose from the best of East and West as Indian fashion designers are inspired by both Indian and western styles. This fusion of fashion can be seen on the streets and ramps of the fashionable cities of India. Fashion in India is also beginning to make its mark on the international scene as accessories such as bindis (red dots worn on the forehead), mehendi (designs made by applying henna to the palms of the hands and other parts of the body) and bangles, have gained international popularity, after being worn by fashion icons like the pop singers Madonna and Gwen Stephani.