Pursuing a course in Fashion Design ?
The only option after graduating is not only to become a Fashion Designer -independent or under an established Fashion house / designer. Options are many, in fact.
At a webinar conducted by Chief Creative Officer, Sikha Agarwal at DIA, Noida, Sikha held forth about possibilities of opting for diverse careers in Fashion after graduating.
A Fashion Designer can start one’s own Fashion Business online without spending too much. One can gain valuable experience and exposure by joining an export house and working with international brands. One should spend 5-7 years towards learning your craft & gathering experience before launching your own brand, warned Sikha.
If one’s specialty is Digital design , use it in the fashion space. Work for online apparel brands like MYNTRA .Make NFTs design animated presentations etc. Costume designing, corsetry , lingerie , niche areas like oversized clothing hold a lot of potential.
Sikha also talked about dealing in Preloved fashion (Used clothes , shoes, bags etc.) During Covid, a batchmate of Sikha launched this venture at Hauz Khas, Delhi and it has many branches now. Thrn there Reconstuctive ( garments made from parts of used garments )and Deconstructive fashion which involves leaving raw edges or unfinished look clothes .. a trend started by Japanese designers, Yohji Yamamoto , Rae Kawakubo etc. Sikha said she is working on a deconstructive project herself.
Attendees asked Sikha how to increase one’s creativity for FD ? She replied that you need to practice foundational sketching, learn about colour theory, attempt creativity excercises, and also learn about different streams of design. She said,”Creativity is not a measurable thing… the more you experiment, the more it grows. “
When asked about which CAD softwares should one try to learn, Sikha named Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Adam, CLO 3D etc.
Regarding work experience while / after completing studies, Sikha said, “All professors at DIA have worked in the industry, are well connected with the industry …so internships are not a problem.”