Fashion design aspirants and students have endless questions about what lies ahead. As someone who has worked in the fashion industry for almost a decade in various roles from designer to educator, I can confidently say that what lies ahead is ambiguity, doubts, stress, and many sleepless nights. Fashion thrives on change and the industry is changing at lightning speed in the era of digital communications. Social media has democratised the once exclusive and secretive world of fashion. With the surge of social media, the dialogues catalysing the global fashion industry are out there on the internet for everyone to access. With the rapid shift in perspective and approach, young fashion design professionals are required to adapt and embrace the changes that continue to change forever. Regardless of the paradigm shift, some fundamental values and principles remain constant. The following tips will guide the students aspiring/pursuing UG in fashion designing to build a solid foundation for vision, action, and innovation.

1. BUILD A PERSONALITY

Our school life comes with a uniform dress code for us to understand and celebrate oneness. College offers the freedom to experiment, evolve, and identify who we are. Be you, because everyone else is already taken. Be you, because that’s the most original you can get.

2. GOOD-BYE FASHION MAGAZINES, HELLO ARTS & CULTURE

Let’s face the music, fashion magazines of our era are loaded with advertised fluff. One of the best decisions I made early in my career was to skip reading fashion magazines and instead spend more time studying art history, global cultures, and arts. The inspirations you can derive from arts and cultural history are endless.

3. INSPIRATION IS EVERYWHERE

Nature is the mother of all inspirations. Look around. The beach, the road, the metro station, the bus, the people, the clothes they’re wearing, the language they’re speaking… anything and everything you relate to can be a source of design inspiration. Observation is such an underrated quality in this world where we are busy making noise, wanting to be heard.

 

4. HARDWORK + SMARTWORK

We hear varying opinions about what’s more important – hard work or smart work. Management skills combining arts and science are key for a successful fashion designer. The fashion industry will require you to combine and integrate both hard work and smart work.

 

5. JACK OF ALL TRADES, MASTER OF SOME

Being a fashion designer is to learn trend forecasting, marketing, merchandising, management, illustrations, design software, textiles, arts and crafts… and tailoring of course. Young fashion professionals need to acquire as many skills as possible and continue to develop new skills with time – never stop learning!

 

6. CONNECT

Networking is an absolute necessity to work and survive in the world of fashion. Start building a professional network right from your fashion college days. Work and build upon those relationships for both personal and professional growth.

 

7. THINK GLOCAL

Have a global vision without forgetting your roots.

 

8. DESIGN FOR DIFFERENT MARKET SEGMENTS, & IDENTIFY YOUR STRENGTH

There are various market segments like RTW, couture, mass fashion, bridal, etc. Experiment with different styles, clients, and target markets and figure out what suits you the best.

 

9. LEARN TO ACCEPT CRITICISM

Constructive criticism is instrumental to our growth. Learning to accept criticism is a vital part for any individual regardless of profession – given the criticism is honest & sincere, and not aimed at bringing down your spirit. You will face negative feedback, but don’t take it to heart.

 

10. EMBRACE CHANGE

Because the only constant thing is change.