Careers in the Fashion Industry

There are multiple streams in the Fashion Industry in which an aspirant can dip their toes. Designing, Styling, Illustration, Fashion Journalism and Merchandising are the most prominent ones, but there are others that are still gaining ground. Career lines like Patternmaking, Textile Making and Production Management are some streams that have yet to be commercially famous. Like any other profession, being aware of all aspects of any career line is necessary, which is why we are here.

First up is Patternmaking as a choice of career. Every garment is created by assembling pieces of fabric together, thus a Patternmaker is the one who creates garment or apparel patterns. They are responsible for designing and creating different patterns that are used to create different types of garments. Patterns for garments are shapes that are cut out before an outfit is made. Different materials like fabric or plastic can be used, but a thin paper, also known as pattern paper, is preferred. A patternmaker has two options, either creates unique patterns for mass production or they can work closely with a designer to create custom patterns. There are four aspects that a patternmaker should be excelling in; conceptualizing, measuring, drawing and cutting. In order to achieve this, you need a formal education in fashion. 

Next in line is Textile Making, which is a relatively familiar field. Textile making comprises of weaving, knitting, crocheting or print. A textile designer will be involved with the production and supervision of these designs. The process is a transformation from raw material to finished garment. A course in textile making will enable you to understand the different types of weaves and more importantly knowledge about fabric, they way a fabric behaves and their characteristics. For a designer to experiment with different weaves a person should have a good sense of visual and design principles like color, composition and most of all, patterns.

Last, but not the least, we shall talk about Production Management. This line of profession is not creatively related to fashion designing, but a fashion designer heavily relies on a production manager. As the name rightly suggests, a production manager is the one who handles the entire show. It is a multi-tasking job and someone who juggles tasks well will find success here. Their organizational skills should be excellent because while a designer is drawing their next collection it is the job of a production manager to organize things. They have to handle the finance aspect too, like maintaining spreadsheets etc, so basically their job is to see that everything is running smoothly.

The good thing about the fashion industry is the various options it can offer to everyone. It is a perfect blend of creativity and business which creative minds and the business minded can explore. The various courses at Whistling Woods Neeta Lulla School of Fashion will let you explore variety of career paths both in designing and management. So read a lot, research even more and decide the stream you will choose to enter into this world of glitz and glamour!