This article has been written by Mr. RC Dalal who is the Executive Director of JD Institute of Fashion Technology. The institute offers courses in Fashion and Jewellery Design.
What is fashion?
Fashion is about who you are and what you think. It’s about challenging norms and making your own.
What kind of students should apply for this course?
Students with a creative flair and someone who wants to work all round the clock in a highly intense, creative and competitive market should opt for this course.
This industry is not as glamorous as it looks, it demands a lot of hard work as in Medical, engineering etc. Those who are ready to invest so much are best suited for the course.
What are the career prospects after completion of this course in the domestic and international market?
In the domestic market, the student can work as an assistant to a designer, can be associated with a brand or can enter the huge retail sector.
In the International market, there are opportunities to join various export and buying houses. Both these open up career prospects of becoming a visual merchandiser, fashion photographer, fashion journalist etc. There is a lot of requirement at both Indian and International level for fashion professionals who are trained from fashion institutes like JD, Pearl etc.
Is fashion an Art or Science?
Fashion is an artistic science and a scientific art. While making of the garment and textile fabric is scientific, the actual planning and designing is an art. As it also covers subjects like textile science, quality control and garment manufacturing technology, the Bachelors degree happens to be science and therefore it is known as B.Sc in Fashion and Apparel Design.
How much should the students expect to be paid?
Students can be paid at two levels i.e. internship and job. While they are at internship, they can expect minimum Rs. 10,000 and beyond and when employed, anywhere between Rs. 25,000 to Rs 2 Lakh depending on the volume, requirement or the profit to the company.
Why are JD courses unique?
JD courses deal in three major aspect of fashion industry; mainly the artistic, technical and commercial. As these three areas make the whole industry, it is not enough for designers to know only the creative and technical side but also should be well aware of the commercial side of the industry which includes marketing and sales, promotions etc. The jediiians, as they are popularly known get a chance to be a part of the JD Annual Design Awards all three years of their degree courses which not only exposes them to a platform but an evaluation platform to gage their standing in the commercial market.
