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Scope for Diploma in Fashion, Make-up, allied functions- 30-May-2011
DESIGN provides the backbone to a range of industries from textiles to furniture, and fashion is its most visible manifestation. However, in the recent days footwear design, make-up, textile design and other allied functions across sectors have opened more doors of opportunity.
The role of a fashion merchandiser is to ensure that the most enticing clothes, shoes and accessories make it to the store racks, keeping both pricing, quality and consumer tastes in mind.
Merchandising jobs are spread across domestic or international fashion companies, ready-to-wear production companies, large retailers and export houses that coordinates between the foreign retail stores and the production houses.
A merchandiser can even work closely with a fashion designer to come up with a new product.
Typically, fresh recruits can start with a salary of Rs. 10,000 upwards. With experience and creativity the salary package can rise to Rs. 30,000-40,000 per month and beyond.
Fashion retail management involves managing stores, departmental stores, boutiques, clothing wholesalers, importers, designers and manufacturers, so as to meet company targets.
A diploma in fashion merchandising/retail management prepares you for entry-level positions in both these areas, as well as profiles such as Buyer, Shop Floor Executive, Retail Sales Executive, Retail Representative, Fashion Forecaster etc.
Speaking to Shraddha Tanwar, a Fashion Designer, Virender Textiles, Gurgaon who had completed Advance Diploma in Fashion Design & Merchandising from Polytechnic for Women, New Delhi told that the diploma course gives exposure in areas such as industrial pattern, design techniques, sketching to name few. We had to visit fairs and markets in the city to understand the kind of fabrics available, that were trendy. The exposure has helped me understand the market trends and the industry better in my present job, she says.
About the job: Working as a fashion designer at an export-oriented unit means constantly offering creative solutions as per the need; it keeps you on your toes, she says. It is necessary to understand the buyers need in terms of fabrics, which is then arranged and designed.
A photoshoot is organised, and images of these designs are sent to buyers for approval. Once approved, the order is placed, executed and then shipped off to countries like Italy, Germany, the UK and US.
Future growth: Later on, it possible to assist a designer, work as a fashion designer, a fashion forecaster, merchandiser, and instructor at an institute or manage a own boutique. As designer, a fresher can earn between Rs. 10,000-15,000 per month. This figure increases after more experience.
In footwear design, rapidly growing domestic and international companies need professionals with creativity, specific design skills and an understanding of the industry. FDDIs diploma in footwear design and technology prepares students for a career in footwear production, design and merchandising. Freshers can start with a salary of Rs. 15,000 upwards. Job areas include Planning, Quality, Merchandising, and Range Building.
Leather and accessory design is yet another growing area and needs creative, trained professionals in functions such as Manufacturing and Production Technology, fashion & trend forecasting and analysis and marketing. FDDIs diploma in leather and accessory design trains students in crucial areas. Freshers start with a salary of Rs. 15,000 upwards, and job functions include design, merchandising and production.
In a brief conversation with Rajeev Lakhara, MD, Footwear Design and Development Institute told the programme aims to create manpower in the field of footwear production, design and merchandising to fulfill the demand of the rapidly growing international and domestic business.
The course deals with all aspects of the business from production to servicing. After completing the programme, students join as executives in product planning, quality control, product development, as merchandisers, footwear designers, range builders and category heads etc.
Further, if they wish, according to their interest, students can do a PG Diploma in Creative Design and CAD/CAM, or a PG Diploma in Management-Footwear Technology. Apart from all these, there are lots of certificate programmes run by corporate houses in footwear technology.
Students are placed in firms like Adidas, Tata International, Bata, Bazaar Connection, Franco Leone, Good Earth, Gupta Overseas, HiDesign, ITC, JPC shoes, JUMBO Electronics, Kabir Leathers, Lakhani Arman, Leela Trends Pvt. Ltd, Levis, Mirza International, Mochiko, PUMA, Reebok, Shrubs Online, Virola International, Familiarity with the fashion industry, illustration skills, and broad knowledge of textiles, leather and materials and an understanding of shoe engineering are some of the baseline skills for becoming a shoe technologist.
Proficiency with computer-assisted design (CAD) programmes and modeling software is also useful. In addition, strong marketing skills, an ability for trend analysis and basic business acumen are important, especially for entrepreneurial shoe designers interested in starting their own footwear lines.
Make-up artistry shows great potential if you have what it takes: a keen interest, a creative streak, the ability to pay attention to detail and swearing by the highest standards of hygiene. PAF's make-up diploma programme currently accepts only 23 students, as they have only 23 make-up stations. But the demand for good make-up artists will only go up.
Scope for make-up artists is only going to go up day by day. Besides setting up your business, it also possible to work as freelancer with fashion magazines such as Elle and Vogue.
A fresher can start off with a salary of Rs. 10,000 with a TV channel such as NDTV, Aaj Tak or Zee Sports, and cosmetic companies such as Lancome and MAC have hired our students with starting salaries between Rs. 25,000 up to Rs. 45,000.
For a freelance assignment, a fresher can earn anything between Rs. 1,000 to 30,000, and a make-up artist who has managed to make a client base can easily make between Rs. 100,00 and 200,000 a month..
On speaking to Heemangshu Bakshi, Make-up artist, Make-up Art Cosmetics (MAC), who had finished Diploma in Fashion and Media Make-up at the Pearl Academy of Fashion (PAF), Delhi revealed the deep desire to own a beauty salon although he was working at a bank. But, today, Heemangshu gives makeovers, suggests beauty looks, and products that helps his customers achieve their beauty goals at the MAC store in Noida.
Heemangshus schedule at PAF trained him in all aspects of make-up: creative (for film, television, theatre), fashion make-up (for fashion shows/ photo shoots in magazines/ other print media) and beauty make-up (for the salon and bridal requirements).
The 11-month programme comprising three semesters, packs in the basics of skin care, theory of make-up, and of course, practicals, which demand research, visualisation and execution of various make-up looks on a live model.
According to the institute, cosmetic companies such as Lancome and MAC come for campus recruitments. Heemangshu was short-listed by MAC after a personal interview. This was followed by a make-up demo, and final interview.
