Seeking a Quality Fashion Education

Fashion designing is one of most artistic fields and has witnessed a steady growth in recent times. One of the reasons for this is globalization. A lot of international labels have established themselves in the country and a lot of Indian designers have made big on the global scene. But to reach those heights, your fundamentals need to be strong and for that you need a quality education.

Education is the first step towards starting your career, be it the typical nine to five job or a job with unrestricted hours. As far as fashion designing is concerned you may have the artistic skills to become a fashion designer, but you need the backing of a formal education to learn the very essence of designing. A formal education is necessary for anyone for any career in the fashion industry, from designing to managing.

Rocky S

Rocky S, one of the most influential designers in India, has made a niche in the fashion industry. He has successfully established his brand ‘Rocky S’ on both national and international levels. His initial education was in commerce, but his passion was fashion. He had the knack for picking up the right clothes and would be the fashion advisor for his friends. Coming from a conventional family, breaking away was a little challenging. But he did emerge victorious and joined J. D. Institute for Fashion Designing. He had an eye for fashion and the hands of an artist but these skills need to be developed and enhanced which is what a formal education did. Working for Roopam was his first break and a couple of years he entered the world glamour by designing for Akshay Kumar.

Neeta Lulla

Another prestigious personality in the world of fashion that reaped benefits from a formal education is Neeta Lulla. With her classic elegance and enormous amount of knowledge, she has been among the selected few to earn numerous awards. She has been on top for nearly two decades, but she started with a Degree in Dressmaking and Apparel Construction from SNDT University. Each of her works has been vibrant and unique, right from Chandni to Devdas. Now the Dean of Whistling Woods Neeta Lulla School of Fashion, Lulla is a firm believer in formal education.

Often young aspirants have a lot of questions regarding the need of education pertaining to careers in creative fields. Even with the internet making things easier, there is still a certain hesitancy among students. The Whistling Woods Neeta Lulla School of Fashion is dedicating an evening to aspirants, a little A & Q time with Subhash Ghai and Neeta Lulla. So make sure you’re ready with your questions on 5^th July 2014!

Career in Fashion Marketing & Fashion Communication

Fashion Marketing and Fashion Communication are two streams of the fashion industry that are not as extensively known compared to others, but are as critical career lines as any other in this industry. Most aspects of fashion designing needs highly sharpened creativity, but a fashion designer or a fashion house cannot run on creativity alone. This glamorous industry is incomplete without being business minded.

Fashion marketing is quite similar to marketing any product. Integrating brand into the product is something always popular in the fashion world for many popular retail fashion products. Fashion marketing can be perceived in two ways; one is marketing for the fashion conscious consumers and the other is marketing to distribution channels such as retail franchises. Fashion marketing basically focuses on promoting, publicizing and increasing awareness of a particular brand or designer. A person pursuing a career in this line should have the skill of strategically pushing a product into the limelight. A fashion marketer should be able to recognize the target audience and the needs of the consumers. This information will be the base point on which the strategies will be developed. Advertisements, public and media interaction, social media, events and magazines are used by a fashion marketer intelligently to create awareness. 

Fashion communication is an emerging career line that is gaining space in the market. It has a lot to do with the business side of fashion designing and so it is bound to share similarities with fashion marketing. As the name suggests, it is all about communication, or more accurately mass communication. In this globalized world and constantly changing trends where styles keep changing by the minute, communicating a particular brand or designer in a unique and impactful way is the priority. Through the use of mass communication, brand labels or designers are promoted. Just as it is with fashion marketing, fashion communication uses advertisement, promotion, social media, print and videos to get the message across.  

In order to gain successes in these two professions an individual needs to have a strong background in fashion education. They need to possess knowledge about every aspect of the fashion industry, the business as well as the creative part. The MBA in Fashion Management at the Whistling Woods Neeta Lulla School of Fashion does just that. Aspirants are introduced to the fundamental business concepts along with the application of commercial practice, which is required before entering the world of fashion. 

Make the write choice with a career in Fashion Journalism

Fashion is a huge industry, but not everyone belonging to this creative field has pocketed a degree in fashion designing. A large number of the population in the fashion world are indirectly but crucially related to the ongoing developments of the industry. Fashion Journalism is one such genre that may not be a direct branch of fashion designing, but is absolutely necessary for the field to thrive. 

Journalism is a familiar area but mixing fashion into it results in one of the most intriguing professional choices. There are a lot of writers with an eye for fashion who combine their skill sets and become a fashion journalist. Anyone who is writing, critiquing or reporting falls under this genre. Magazines and newspapers are the major outlet, but books, fashion related reports on television, online magazines, websites and blogs has also been a means of fashion journalism. 

The job description of a fashion journalist can vary according to their personal choices. Characteristically their work involves writing and editing articles, or to formulate and style a fashion shoot. They spend a good length of time researching and conducting necessary interviews. Covering fashion shows and being up to date with the current trends are also included under the job criteria. A fashion journalist needs to have a healthy and active communication with photographers, designers themselves and the public relations specialist.

The field must look like all glitz and glamour, but along with that it is backbreaking and one of the toughest jobs to succeed in. Besides the obvious writing skills and command over language, a journalist needs to be imaginative, resourceful and have the ability to understand fashion from a wider perspective. They should have the knack of expressing ideas and create an accurate impression of the fashion world. Knowledge is the key, and having the appropriate fashion knowledge will take a person far. Possessing knowledge regarding their techniques is very important. So undertaking a course in fashion will shape your perspective perfectly.

Meher Castelino

Though a rather new genre, it is not an unexplored area. Meher Castelino is a fashion journalist who has done exceedingly well. Another name that pops up is Nimisha Tiwari, Editor at Economic Times- Travel, Times of India. She strongly believes that academic guidance in this field not only helps in gaining a better understanding of the craft and the medium but also makes one confident of what needs to be conveyed to the wider audience. Fashion education and business is getting more organized and this is the best time to make the most of the varied opportunities available. Fashion Journalism has the potential to help you make a career. Knowledge in the subject will also help fashion journalists to make interesting and informative stories on the latest fashion trends to hit the market.

Nimisha Tiwari

In order to write accurately along with being engaging, understanding fashion is necessary. There are courses that will aid you in getting just that, like the courses at Whistling Woods Neeta Lulla School of Fashion that helps in understanding all aspects of the fashion industry. 

Fashion Merchandising as a Potential Career

The fashion industry has over the years encompassed every aspect of the art and business world. This highly creative field offers jobseekers careers in various fields tailored to their liking. A career in Fashion Merchandising is proving to be one of the most important aspects in the field of fashion.

Fashion merchandising is the business side of the fashion industry. It creates a link between fashion creators and buyers. Along with having an eye for fashion, an aspirant should also have a strong business sense. A rather broad term, a fashion merchandiser’s responsibility is to deliver the apparel requests and meet the needs of customers and designers. The job description also includes developing campaigns, displays, advertisements and marketing, creating sales strategies, customer relations and creative technologies as required. They not only have to ensure accessibility of the merchandise but also make sure it appeals to the targeted customers. Basically buying, pricing, marketing, displaying and selling of garments and accessories are things a fashion merchandiser must take care of.

For a successful career in this field, possessing a formal education is crucial. You need to know the ins and outs of the business and having a good fashion sense is just a bonus. Developing your business skill is of the utmost importance. You must polish your marketing strategies, know which store should sell what and how to recognize fashion trends and, of course, learn to predict future trends.

The other point of importance is that of an internship, which has been emphasized time and again. No matter the career you opt for, having an internship will definitely build a strong foundation. You will get familiar with the ways things work in the business world and once you complete your education you will have enough knowledge to forge your own success story in the real world. There are fashion schools that provide placements and internship options, so do your research about the school you want to join.

We at Whistling Woods Neeta Lulla School of Fashion have a diploma course which specializes in various fashion aspects. As a part of the Fashion Merchandising course students are introduced to the three key aspects of merchandising, namely visual, retail and export. This module will aid students by increasing their global awareness of the fashion industry and identify where opportunities exist. A student’s knowledge base is enhanced by attending workshops, presentation, group projects and eminent guest lecturers from the fashion industry. Through our courses, we look to not only build the practical knowledge a student possesses but also augment their theoretical knowledge since the latter is of key importance in the professional world. Explore a career in fashion with us and get ready to do what you love!

Illustrating the World of Fashion

An illustrator is a person who draws or creates pictures for magazines, books or book covers. In the vast field of fashion, illustration holds an extremely important position. Fashion Illustration is the communication of fashion that originates with illustration, drawing and painting. It is usually commissioned for reproduction in fashion magazines as one part of an editorial feature or for the purpose of advertising and promoting fashion makers, fashion boutiques and department stores.

The profession of fashion illustrator has been in existence for centuries now, for as long as clothes and fashion has been around. The job description of a fashion illustrator has entailed sketching creative ideas for clothing accessories and outfits. An illustrator can be very precise and detailed in their depiction or as vague as they please. They are the one that give life to an idea, breathing life into them on a day-to-day basis. Fashion houses, design studios or going solo are some of the options that an illustrator can look into.

                               

           

Fashion illustrator is a challenging profession and there are a couple of factors that you should possess in order to get into this artistic line. The factor that tops the list is having a hand for drawing, this is an absolute must. If you are a talented artist, half the work is done, but the second step is to polish these skills. Technical skills should also be up to date; these technical skills could range from simple free hand drawing to new computer software.

                                    

                   

Having fashion education on your resume will definitely take you places. While working with designers, your understanding of fabrics and colors will be reflected in your sketches. More than anything, do as many internships as you can to gain knowledge aplenty. Two goals are achieved with this; one is the experience you get and the other is networking. Building connections is very important to break into this glamorous profession.

Belinda Bawa                 Garance Doré             Richard Haines        Dallas Shaw 

Fashion illustration had been on a steady decline for quite some time but is now rejuvenating and this is thanks to the talented people like Belinda Bawa, one of the best known Fashion Illustrators in India. Other international biggies like Dallas Shaw, Garance Doré and Richard Haines are swinging the professional spotlight onto Fashion Illustration. 

Belinda Bawa's Illustrations 

Fashion industry is a competitive field for which a strong foundation is required. The courses at the Whistling Woods Neeta Lulla School of Fashion explores multiple facets of the fashion world, laying a strong foundation to build a career on.

Styling a Fashionable Career

Becoming a Fashion Stylist is grabbing the attention of young fashion enthusiasts. Styling as a career has been around for a long time but is just coming into the spotlight. Before opting for the career, you must know what fashion stylist's entitles. A fashion stylist also referred as Wardrobe Stylist, this line of profession is different from a Costume designer or even Image Consultant both is often confused with styling. For a Costume designer films are the main area of work. 

The traditional job description of a stylist includes selecting correct clothes for editorial features, prints, television, advertising campaigns, movies, music videos, award functions, music concerts or any other public appearance by celebrities. Helping a designer put together a fashion show is also included in their job description. Basically the stylist decides what and how to wear a particular outfit. They collaborate with the designers, hair and makeup artist and create the perfect look.

Fashion, is said to be a tough industry to break into, which is true, the industry demands the best. To be an established stylist a lot of hard work and perseverance is required.

An interest in fashion alone would not suffice; you need to be fashion sensitive. The next step is formal fashion education. Even though you may not sketch or draw designs and are not the one making the decision on which fabric to use, knowledge about the subject is an absolutely necessary. ‘Know the fabrics’ should become one of the many mantras. Fashion business is another critical area that a formal education will provide. 

One way to strength your foundations is to get as many internships as possible. Create styling portfolio showing your creativity and skills. Be up to date with the current trends, this is extremely important. Research and read a lot, this will help in predicting future trends. A stylist has to be flexible to the changing trends and versatile to keep up with the ever changing fashion.

Pearl Shah, Tanya Ghavri and Pernia Qureshi are some of the top fashion stylist of our times. They broke through this touch fashion business making fashion a stylist a hot new profession.

Fashion industry has developed immensely in the recent years leading into new streams and the courses at Whistling Woods Neeta Lulla School of fashion encompassing every aspect of fashion industry which in turn can help you venture into these new budding areas of fashion confidently.