The Indian fashion industry is diverse and has rich cultural roots. From textile heritage to expert karigar communities, it is known for its finesse, intricacy, and complex designs.
There is abundant scope for fashion design in India at the moment – As of 2024, it is a multi-billion dollar industry, with the digital market alone accounting for over $100 billion. With geopolitical, economic, and climate crises looming over us, the industry is likely to witness a shift toward sustainable and homegrown fashion items. Designers and fashion enthusiasts have pointed out the concerns around overconsumption, environmental pollution, and exploitation in the industry, striving for positive changes and paving the way for newer areas.
If you are passionate about design, it is a good time to tap into emerging niches to future-proof your fashion career. Start by mastering the technical, drawing, concept development, and software skills. Plus, a clear idea about color theory, forecasting, design process, and fashion basics could kickstart your career and let you get into a good design school.
Formal courses are designed to help you through your professional journey and land high-paying jobs across sectors. From working with a luxury brand, and venturing into couture, to specialized roles like forecaster, pattern master, and costume designer, the design world has intriguing opportunities for young aspiring creatives like you.
This article will cover everything you need to know about the Indian Fashion Industry and the scope of fashion design in India to navigate the changing landscape.
Overview of the Fashion Industry in India
The evolving tastes of consumers, innovations, and global influences have made the fashion scene dynamic, diverse, and rich. Let’s understand the current trends and changing consumer behavior to grasp the vastness of the industry and highlight the career opportunities it offers
Current Market Trends
Market trends are formed by innovations, celebrity & social media influence, pop culture, changing socio-economic climates, purchasing patterns, and consumer preferences. These trends highly influence design & production and determine what would dominate the market. Here are 5 market trends that are currently driving the Indian fashion industry
- Sustainability & Circular Fashion
Sustainability is not just a buzzword anymore; it’s a way that millions of people have adapted to make better and more conscious purchases. The Ministry of Textiles, FDCI, and fashion brands are promoting green fashion and recyclable and multi-purpose designs.
The growing demand for vegan, eco-friendly clothing and the push to a cleaner fashion landscape through the Circular Design Challenge and other similar efforts is estimated to have a lasting impact on the industry while contributing to increasing sales revenue.
- Automation and Generative AI
AI-driven design and manufacture are the next big things in the industry. Automation can streamline the production process and take over tasks like cutting, sewing, and finishing. This increases efficiency and productivity and reduces labor costs. Generative AI can assist designers and production managers in mundane, repetitive tasks, leaving more room for creative exploration & innovative design
With the integration of artificial intelligence and automation into the industry, there is a rising need to balance human creativity and skill with technological assistance. A harmonious approach and emphasis on upskilling to accommodate the changing technology is the way forward for the industry.
- Growth of Value Retails and Mid-value Brands
Value retailers and mid-value brands offer quality products at affordable prices. These are especially targeted toward people with lower-middle and mid-high income groups. Brands catering to the needs of these populations are elevating the in-store and digital shopping experience
The growth of mid-value brands and value retailers has made fashion widely accessible, incorporating more region and culture-specific tastes and blending the global & the local to create a novel aesthetic
- Customization
Today’s consumers, especially younger millennials and Gen-Z prefer a personal touch to their fashion items. They look for uniqueness and tailored elements that would make their outfit stand out and align with their taste and aesthetic
Innovative customization can potentially transform the design and production of fashion products, with more attention towards fit, style, and added elements. It could mean a shift from the traditional mass-production models toward a more customized & sustainable approach.
- Transparency & Conscious Fashion
Modern consumers are environmentally conscious and want transparency from the brands they are purchasing from. They want to know how their clothes were made and who made them. These consumers make informed choices, emphasize on ethical values of a brand, and want the people involved in the production process and supply chain to have access to safe working conditions, fair wages, and workers’ benefits.
Transparency and traceability have been proven to enhance brand loyalty amongst consumers, attract more younger and aware customers, and bring long-term gains for the brand.
Consumer Behavior
Depending on societal, economic, & geopolitical factors, technological & scientific advancements, and the overall mood of the time, consumer preferences can change dynamically. The key to a successful career in fashion is to understand these shifts and produce designs that cater to consumer needs
Currently, there’s a rapid change in tastes and fashion choices. You need to keep a few things in mind as a designer working in the industry
- As consumers are shifting to increased online purchases, they also expect faster deliveries, virtual try-ons, and easy replacement and refund options.
- It is crucial to guide your consumers through the purchasing process – handy chat options on websites, chatbots, and efficient customer care and post-purchase services are key to fostering brand loyalty.
- Transparency, ethical fashion, eco-consciousness, and traceability have great influences on purchase decisions, especially for younger consumers.
Skills and Qualifications to Excel in Your Fashion Design Career
If you have been wondering how to become a fashion designer in India, here’s a brief guide that will tell you about all the skills and education you need to pursue your dream career.
Knowledge and Skills Needed to be a Fashion Designer
Design is a highly skill-focused discipline. We have shortlisted some of the key skills that will help you excel in your fashion career –
- Creativity – Creative drive is essential to turn your ideas into feasible designs and express your thoughts through them. As designers, you will need to come up with creative solutions, align with trends, and experiment with colors, textures, and materials to bring innovative designs to life.
- Drawing Skills – Drawing or sketching is an important skill for aspiring fashion designers. It helps visualize and showcase your creative ideas on paper, illustrate designs to preview before finalizing, and plan and proceed with your designs.
While you don’t have to be a trained artist, knowing the basics of proportion, perspective, and light & shadow can help present and convey your thoughts in a cohesive and comprehensible way. It can act as a medium of communication between designers and other in-house teams working in a fashion brand. - Pattern Making & Draping – Two of the most important skills, Pattern Making and Draping abilities determine how you transform complex designs into workable life-size outfits. These are the backbone of your design skills and ensure the garments fit perfectly, have accurate proportions, are workable, and reflect the intended visual aesthetics.
Specialization in pattern making can open up intriguing career opportunities and land you high-paying jobs in the industry. - Software Skills – Digitization in creative fields has led professionals to adapt to the latest technology and get acquainted with newer software. Digital proficiency and familiarity with 2D & 3D software will allow you to get ahead of the curve.
Mastering Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, CLO 3D, and other similar Pattern Making, editing, and Illustration tools will help you get a headstart in your career and make it big with increasing scopes of fashion design in India today. - Knowledge of Fabric, Trends, and Color Theory – Designers are creative individuals who experiment with colors, fabrics, and textures to design pieces that their target consumers resonate with.
Trend Forecasting is a crucial aspect of designing. It helps gauge the market and the buyer preferences, decide what would sell, and allow designers and brands to plan and predict accurately.
Knowledge of color theory, types of fabric, fabric manipulation, and surface details can help design garments that are functional and visually appealing.
Educational Requirements
If you want a career in fashion design, enrolling in a formal course is a good place to start. Depending on your qualifications and interests, you can prepare for the entrance exams and interviews to grab the opportunity to study in some of the most reputed fashion design colleges in the country. Start researching and weighing your options, so you can enroll in the course of your choice.
If you want to apply for Bachelor’s Degree Programs, all you need is a minimum of 50% aggregate score in your 10+2 exams. For postgraduate courses, you will need at least a 50% aggregate score in a minimum 3-year graduation.
Government and private institutes – NID, NIFT, AAFT, and the like – conduct their independent DAT (Design Aptitude Test) and Interviews as a part of their selection process. Make sure you apply to all the colleges that you have shortlisted so you don’t miss a chance.
- Bachelor’s Degree – Undergraduate degrees usually span 3-4 years and focus on a holistic understanding of the field. It provides theoretical knowledge about the fundamental aspects of fashion design and trains you in practical skills that are integral to the discipline.
These courses introduce you to how the industry functions and prepare you for the professional world ahead by refining your technical and digital skills. There are some excellent courses in the field that you can check out –
- Bachelor of Design (Fashion Design)
- B.Sc. in Fashion Design
- B.Sc. in Fashion and Apparel Design
- Bachelor of Fashion Technology (Apparel Production)
- Master’s Degree – Postgraduate courses offer a deeper insight into the industry. These are 2-year programs that focus on design research and advanced skill development. You can explore the business of fashion, understand R&D, and get acquainted with high-end techniques and software. Here are some popular courses that reputed design schools offer in India –
- Master’s of Design in Fashion Design
- MFA in Fashion Design
- M.Sc. in Fashion & Apparel Design
- Diploma Courses – Skill-focused and practical-oriented, these courses are perfect for someone who wants to learn the necessary skills to venture into the fashion industry but doesn’t have as much time. Diplomas span around 1-2 years and are typically shorter than their UG and PG degree counterparts. They focus on refining the necessary skills and acquainting students with the industry functions. Here are some useful courses for a well-rounded portfolio and a mid to high-paying job –
- Diploma in Fashion Design
- PG Diploma in Fashion Design
- Design in Boutique Apparel and Accessory
- Designing and Styling for Indian Fashion
- Fashion Fit and Style
- Specialized Courses – These are short-term certification programs for specializing in a niche. They last from a few weeks to six months and are great for upskilling, learning new skills, and aiming for better opportunities.
Available in offline and online modes, certificate courses can be completed alongside another course or a job, making it accessible. You can find short-term courses based on your area of interest and make your way forward in the constantly evolving fashion industry.
Career Opportunities in Fashion Designing
The apparel industry is growing with new opportunities rising and scopes of fashion designing expanding. If you are planning a career in fashion, venture into the emerging areas and upskill to keep up with the changing industry requirements for a rewarding journey ahead
Once you complete your professional course, you can set out to work in different sectors, explore various job roles, collaborate with other creative professionals, or work on your passion projects
Sectors You Can Work in As A Fashion Designer
There is a creative and multidirectional approach to fashion, meaning, you can work across sectors based on your talent and interest right after graduating. While the salary of fashion designers in India varies depending on the sector, job profile, company, and location, with the right career planning, you can land well-paid jobs in the area you’re passionate about.
- Luxury Sector – If you want to work in luxury, developing a portfolio accordingly, and approaching brands for internship opportunities is a great way to start. As a designer in the luxury sector, you will be studying trends, selecting materials, and designing collections that reflect your brand value.
The jobs in this sector are limited, require extensive knowledge, skills, & experience, and are often high-paid and high-reward. - Styling and Image Creation – You can choose fashion styling as your specialization in college and work your way toward building a strong portfolio to land good opportunities. Stylists study trends and curate outfits, work closely with PR teams and Designers and add to the brand image, aesthetics, and personal styles of brands and individuals.
- Fast Fashion – It is an expanding area that employs hundreds of fresh graduates every year. It is a quick-moving, dynamic sector and requires designers to be alert and aware of anything new at all times. Designers in fast fashion focus more on creating innovative designs at affordable prices that appeal to a large section of the population.
- Film and Entertainment – Films, Series, and TV shows need costumes based on the concept, storyline, timeline, and aesthetics. Working as a costume designer in the movie and entertainment industry will let you explore different aspects of fashion, incorporate lots of research, understand historical and social contexts, and work with diverse teams of creative professionals.
Popular and Specialized Job Roles
If you are still in school or have just started your design journey, you might wonder – is fashion designing a good career in India? Or What are the job roles available to fresh design graduates?
The Indian fashion industry is diverse, rich, and filled with emerging opportunities. Working on your skills, creating an impactful portfolio, and some networking could get you well-paid, unique, and rewarding jobs.
Here are some popular and specialized jobs that you can aim for as a young aspiring designer –
Fashion Designer
Fashion Stylist
Costume Designer
Pattern Master
Fashion Buyer
Forecaster
Print Designer
Visual Merchandiser
Apparel Production Manager
Scope of Fashion Design in India – Opportunities & Growth Prospects
A growing middle class, urbanization, and increasing demand for premium-quality fashion products are leading the industry to grow at a steady pace. Despite the challenges, the textile and apparel industry is expected to remain lucrative until the end of this decade. Rapid adaptation, innovative technology, and a shift in mindset among specific populations have led to the popularity of eco-friendly & conscious choices, driving the sector toward a greener, fairer, and better future.
The improved prospects in the industry have been largely influenced by –
- High Growth Rate – The Fashion and Apparel industry is estimated to have a 12.6% CAGR by 2030, with the size of the fast fashion market being over $28 billion. The apparel and textile industry is the 2nd highest employment generator. It provides direct employment to millions of people around the country. This high growth rate is reflected in newer niches emerging and small businesses, value retailers, and mid-value brands growing rapidly.
- Emerging Niches – Trend-driven emerging areas provide lots of opportunities for new professionals. Niches like sustainable fashion, vegan & cruelty-free alternatives, plus size & diverse clothing options, print-on-demand garments, and pet fashion are attracting young consumers and adding to the growth of the Indian fashion industry.
- Government Initiatives and Home-Grown Brands – The Ministry of Textiles has been promoting Indian textile and home-grown designs with an emphasis on circular fashion and sustainability. This creates an opportunity for small businesses and innovative start-ups that focus on uplifting Indian designs and reviving craft traditions.
- Entrepreneurial Opportunities – A high growth rate and emerging niches have opened up new horizons for aspiring entrepreneurs. Many newer brands have understood the gap in the current fashion scene and worked with innovative business ideas. With social media marketing, digital advertising, and e-commerce dominating the market, small businesses and start-ups also have a fair chance to reach a wider audience and make an impact in the industry.
Challenges and Considerations
Despite the ample scope of fashion design in India, the industry is not devoid of challenges and obstacles. From counterfeit products affecting a brand’s reputation and compromising buyer’s safety to the exploitation of workers in fast fashion, and environmental degradation – the industry still has a long way to go –
- Geopolitical and Climate Crises affect the supply chain and lead to fluctuating costs, hindering seamless production processes. These, along with the impact of global events on dynamic shifts in consumer preferences can pose challenges for retailers and fashion brands.
- Waste Generation is a serious concern for the fashion industry in India and worldwide. Being the second most polluting industry with a 20% contribution to global wastewater, the rising concerns around environmental crises have questioned the methods of sourcing, raw materials used, and production. Major luxury and retail brands have come under scrutiny for waste generation, environmental degradation, and unsustainable modes of operation.
- Workers’ Exploitation including low wages, sweatshops in the global south, poor working conditions, wage gap, and use of child labor has been highlighted by human rights organizations and NGOs. While movements like “Who Made Your Clothes” have taken the right step forward in ethical fashion, the industry still has a lot to work on.
- High Competition makes it difficult for smaller brands to sustain themselves. It results in dynamically shifting buyer preferences, newer trends, and more dependence on fast fashion to keep the ball rolling.
Tips on Navigating the Evolving Fashion Realm
As someone new to the fashion industry, understanding the complex tasks and designing for different target consumers might seem a little daunting. But, with some tips from designers and other industry experts, you could navigate the fast-paced world of fashion effortlessly –
- Understand the industry and the nuances of its functioning by reading related articles, following professionals and major brands on social media, and connecting with fellow designers.
- Keep up with the changing fashion world through upskilling, learning new technology, and mastering the latest software.
- Deep dive into trend forecasting so you not only keep up with them but be a trendsetter in your niche.
- Start networking early in your career through events, internships, volunteering, and social media forums.
- Leverage social media to develop a personal brand. Platforms like Instagram and X can be super helpful in reaching more people. Utilize blogging platforms like Substack to create info-rich content and establish a significant online presence.
Conclusion
The Indian fashion and apparel industry is booming with new opportunities and innovations. With sustainable approaches, integration of AI & Automation, and personalization options, the market is witnessing a high growth rate, new niches making their way, and great business opportunities.
With the emerging scopes of fashion design in India, you can get a chance to work in luxury, fast fashion, film, TV, or styling right after you complete your design course. From a fashion designer, visual merchandiser, or fashion buyer to a costume designer, forecaster, and fashion blogger – the sky is the limit!
Start working on your sketching, color theory, trendspotting, and software skills to get a seat in some of India’s best fashion design institutes. You can choose the UG or PG program and leap into a rewarding fashion career.
Check out the AAFT University website for information on relevant courses with industry-standard curricula, exclusive industry experience, and top-of-the-line infrastructure.