Tips to get ahead in Fashion industry

Sumit Saurabh

With fame and glamour associated with it, fashion management is a course that a lot of youngsters want to pursue nowadays. A blend of creativity, glamour, and originality with a mix of style and sensibility is what the fashion industry always demands. From Ritu Kumar to Manish Malhotra and Sabyasachi Mukherjee, India has a lot of talent in the fashion industry. However, fashion industry is not all about glamour and spotlight, it involves rigorous training and extreme hard work. Some career tips to keep in mind while pursuing fashion management as a career are:

1.     Think about the niche that you want to pursue

Whether you want to start your own business or work for a big fashion company, you have to stand out as a professional in your work. You have to know your niche well and identify it properly. If you focus on a niche, you will succeed in your field as focus is the key when it comes to good work. If your niche is bridal wear, stick only to that and do not deviate to anything else e.g. swimsuits. If you are planning to choose women's bags as your niche, do not change in between for something else. Plan your niche first and proceed with your work.

2.     A degree within budget

A career in fashion management means you have to have the right skills and knowledge to be able to move ahead. Employers do look forward to your associate's or bachelor's degree in fashion before hiring you. That is why having a good degree is important to enter any big fashion company. The cost of getting into fashion degree schools, however, is different and varies according to the city where the institute is and the affiliations it has. So, you have to keep your budget in mind while choosing to pursue a fashion course. Choose a fashion school that can handle student loans after graduation.

3.     Understanding of trends

Students who are crazy about their passion try to improve in the industry by understanding the new trends coming in the markets often. Following your favorite designers, reading fashion magazines, looking up influencers on social media are some of the ways to stay updated on what is new in this field. The formula for successful fashion is the mixing of trends with your unique taste while presenting it to the audience. Do know the core values of the company before knowing their trends. The core values may be elegance, comfort or simply style and you have to understand these before going into trends.

4.     Networking

Networking has become easy in the present world with the advancement of technology. The newbies can come in contact with famous fashion designers, suppliers and companies in the digital space. This can be done by creating your fashion blog or website. It is important to attend exhibitions and shows to come in contact with many people and create the channel. Be confident and keep your spirits high when you connect with any big name in the fashion industry. These partnerships can be of great help in forwarding your career in the future.

5.     Be confident 

Always try to set your trends and create your own unique identity in the industry. While serving your clients, allow your creativity to shine at its utmost best. Find out what inspires you and draws you towards fashion. The inspiration may be anything from nature to people's art, try to find something which attracts you and be confident in your work.

The writer is Director Design Circle

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