By Rupal Dalal, Executive Director, JD Institute of Fashion Technology
The fashion industry is vast, with a gamut of job opportunities for creative professionals. It is a highly visible industry due to the glamour quotient and exclusivity attached to it.
Fashion institutes are now offering an array of courses which not only cater directly to the industry but also to the auxiliary industries. Fashion is obviously not just about clothes, it is about life itself. From the food we eat to the travel we do, fashion is everywhere. A fashion enthusiast now is not expected to be a specialist in a niche field. Fashion designers are now moving into high-level positions in the corporate world and are heading the e-commerce industry. A fashion enthusiast can choose to explore other industries related to designing if it isn’t something that he/she wants to pursue.  Jewellery and footwear designing along with accessory designing are equally popular among creative aspirants. Designing is not restricted to garments solely; graphic designers are also emerging in the industry as collaborations and capsule collections are becoming a norm due to the need to maintain exclusivity.
Many designers dream about having their own label or design studio. A new venture can be tricky, but technology, opportunities and entrepreneurial drive amongst young professionals has made it easier than ever to start a brand. A physical store is not the basic requirement as designers can outsource their outfits through various available channels and online retail. Besides clothing, designers are retailing fashion and lifestyle accessories online.
Fashion Public Relations
Fashion Public Relations is the underdog of the fashion industry. A strong media presence online and offline is required through ethical channels to increase profitability. Fashion PR not only builds relationships with professionals outside the company but also analyses the organisation, finds positive points, works on weak points and builds their positive public image accordingly.
Writing is becoming one of the major fields as a potential full-time career prospect for fashion professionals. Awareness about fashion and style is increasing with the arrival of bloggers, influencers, social media and even E-tail websites. Now there is an urgent need to provide customers with novelty content. Content writers or blog writers are being hired, full-time or part-time, to provide customers with information-rich content about fashion and styling as well as solutions to their style-related queries. Content writers and bloggers help create strong write-ups about products, places and trends and their work depends on the brief provided by the client. They can write about the qualities and properties of a product or can write a promotional article for magazines, websites or online readers. Fashion content writers or blog writers focus more on fashion trends and styling and how to incorporate those inputs into real life.
Action speaks louder than words, and in the fashion world, presentation speaks louder than writing. All these products and services need a fitting presentation along with strong content. This is where fashion stylists, make-up artists, hair stylists, photographers and videographers are needed. Fashion stylists and fashion photographers used to work majorly with magazines and entertainment industry but the need to be prominent brought together the opportunities for creative professionals. A fashion stylist, who is well versed in global and local trends, is needed to make clothes look their best. Make-up artists and hair stylists are also required to be able to create looks according to the theme and styling demand. The fashion industry is currently leaning on freelancers for styling needs as all the major work is outsourced.
Fashion and lifestyle influencers are also emerging as promoters by generating demand and creating the value of products. Social media has become the go-to platform for customers about honest opinions and reviews about places, products and fashion advice. Fashion bloggers and fashion influencers are earning by promoting and endorsing products by known and unknown companies alike. Customers trust influencers and their opinions and hence this becomes the most favoured platform for companies to invest their money which otherwise could have been spent on advertising or promotion through professional companies.
Fashion photography
Fashion photography and fashion styling go hand in hand. A course in fashion designing teaches you about the basic ideologies and historical culture of fashion. Fashion photography is taught in fashion communication and fashion designing courses to make students aware of the fundamental understanding of the related field. All products need to be photographed in order for them to be available online and professionals are required for the task. Fashion photographers can either work with one or multiple companies simultaneously. As startups believe in smart work and hence hire freelancers and part-time professionals because having a full-time professional isn’t feasible for them.
The growing fashion industry is accountable for generating various career opportunities and innovating new areas for research in terms of technology and sustainability. This increase in opportunity is increasing the demand for creative professionals. Educational institutions are introducing new courses and re-evaluating their curriculum to incorporate the changing trends in fashion academia. Short-term and long-term courses are being offered by fashion institutes keeping in mind the need of the industry as current time is the best time to invest their interest in this field, explore their creativity and seize new opportunities.
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