Fashion a small word in itself contains a plethora of career options in itself all because of its versatility and variability. The primary areas of work in the fashion industry are market research, designing and manufacturing of garments and textiles. Now the fashion industry has become so specialized that it encompasses a vast field of studies in design, concept management, design production management, quality control, planning, fabric design, printing, design, fashion merchandising, textile science, color mixing, marketing and so on. Fashion design has become the most important area of work in fashion industry as Designing involves creating original designs after studying the changing trends of the market. Thus Fashion designers need to be artistic, creative and must possess ability to translate ideas in sketches, must have keen sense of color i.e. combination of shades and tones, visual imagination & knowledge of market trends. Those who have any of these qualities can adopt this field and can find employment with professional designers as apprentices, with manufacturing units, export houses, boutiques, media as costume designers, freelancing for fashion houses and boutiques and can opt for their own enterprise or boutique.
Another option in this field is to be Fashion coordinators they are the professional who arrange and supervise the marketing of fashion clothing for manufacturing houses, textile firms and retail stores. They also advice on latest fashion trends, organise fashion shows, assist in advertising i.e. promoting sales and liaison with fabric dealers to ensure that the fabric, buttons and colors are of the correct shade, quality and design. Thus to do all these jobs the aspirants must have high level of artistic and creative talents, a natural flair for fashion, sound judgment, excellent communication and organizational skills. Besides these a person in this career can work as Illustrator - a much sought-after person by big garment houses and organizations- who draws free hand sketches of designers ideas, Fashion Consultant who are expected to offer ideas regularly on how to further develop a product to be readily absorbed in a market, as they are supposed to be aware of the trends in the fashion market, Cutting Assistants-the professionals who cut samples according to specifications of the designer, Sketching Assistants responsible for making the technical sketches and drawings of the garments for presentation and above all the very important, Fashion Stylists who have to coordinate the entire wardrobe for a fashion show or programme to promote the sales of the products. Besides this the fashion stylists are even involved in fabric selection. For doing his work in effective manner He/ she has to be well versed in the trends and happenings in the industry and also have a keen sense of current fashion trends. Besides these all important professional there are so many co related career option in this every green field of fashion. Those young aspirants who have the flare of fashion and can work according to the market conditions and mould themselves according to changing trends in the fashion world every now and then can find rewarding place for them and establish themselves in this field by mastering in any of the above given career options. There are various institutions and universities that are offering short term and long term courses that can help one learn the basic required to enter this field and make their fortune in this glamorous world.
Modeling is as associated to fashion as soul is to the body. These two careers supplement each other. In a sense both are required for the survival of each other especially in today’s context when the fashion are changing at fast pace and these changes need to be recognized by the masses very quickly. And it depends upon models to a large extent. On the other side the career of Models is dependent on the changing fashions as it keeps them busy all the time by giving them opportunities to display new trends in the fashion world. This is the reason that Modeling today has become one of the most sought after career options for youngsters in India and abroad. There was a time when modeling as a career was considered as a female bastion. But now this has become one of the most thrilling as well as lucrative profession not only for female but also for male candidates and this has been proved by my successful male face like Jass Arora, Ronit Rao etc. Expansion of consumerism and media has played a great role to boost in the ad industry. This along with upsurge in fashion industry has made modeling an attractive career option. It has generated a large and continuing demand for new faces and personalities to launch and promote a variety of branded products.
Modeling offers tremendous opportunities to travel and meet various classes of people. Moreover once established it is a highly paid job. Although full of ups it involves lot of hard work, dedication and perseverance to be successful in this field. It is a highly competitive and to a large extent short- lived career. The job also requires a lot of stamina and patience. Thus the cat walk should not be taken as calk walk. Although educational qualifications are more or less insignificant but physical attributes and personal qualities assume a great importance and needs to be toned up with professionalism and hard work.
Various types of modeling can be broadly classified into
Television modeling:
This involves modeling for Television commercials, cinema, video, internet etc. Modeling for video or films often includes some acting or dance and is mostly conducted on location.
To make a successful television model you need a flair for acting.
Print modeling:
Models generally pose for still photographs, to be utilized in the press advertisements, brochures, magazines, catalogues, calendars etc. Models for print media have to work along with ad agencies and photographers.
Show room modeling:
In this type of modeling Models generally work for the exporters, garment manufacturers and the big garment retailers to display the latest trends of fashion to the consumers.
Ramp or catwalk modeling:
Also known as live modeling it requires models to display the garments and accessories in front of a live audience usually in an exhibition or a fashion show, or at a showroom or point of purchase. Being live show before an audience it can be very stressful and requires tremendous confidence and poise and require a lot of hard work and practice. Good posture, walking style and body language are must trait for a Ramp model
Advertising modeling:
This is the one area where both print & electronic media has equal importance. This kind of modeling is required in order to promote or popularise a product. Advertising models appear in press advertisements, on posters, in TV commercials and advertising films. Advertising modeling is open to models of all age groups. Basic acting skills and a photogenic face are must. Talented models can make their career in one or more than one type.
New aspirants can enter this filed first by preparing a portfolio consisting of a series of photographs taken by a professional photographer. The portfolio can then be shown to an advertising agency, a model co-coordinating agency providing suitable models according to requirements, or fashion designers. Another very effective way to enter this glamorous field is by applying for the contests sponsored by magazines, cloth manufactures, cosmetic companies etc and participating in beauty pageants.
Although good and healthy complexion, lustrous hair, good height i.e 5'7" to 6' or 6' plus and muscular physique are some of the attributes sought in a to be model. But being photogenic is the single most important quality to have for a good model. Apart from this good knowledge of acting, camera friendly attitude and a great amount of self confidence along with open minded ness to criticism will prove handy for success in this profession.
