Project Report on Fashion And Design Evolution India is a country with an ancient clothing design tradition, yet an emerging fashion industry. Though a handful of designers existed prior to the 1980s, the late 80s and the 1990s saw a spurt of growth. This was the result of increasing exposure to global fashion and the economic boom after the economic liberalization of the Indian economy in 1990. The following decades firmly established fashion as an the industry, across India.
Fashion design is the art of the application of design and aesthetics or natural beauty to clothing and accessories. Fashion design is influenced by cultural and social latitudes, and has varied over time and place. Fashion designers work in a number of ways in designing clothing and accessories such as bracelets and necklace, because of the time required to bring a garment onto the market, must at times anticipate changing consumer tastes.
Fashion designers attempt to design clothes which are functional as well as aesthetically pleasing. They must consider who is likely to wear a garment and the situations in which it will be worn. They have a wide range and combinations of materials to work with and a wide range of colors, patterns and styles to choose from. Though most clothing worn for everyday wear falls within a narrow range of conventional styles, unusual garments are usually sought for special occasions such as evening wear or partydresses.
Some clothes are made specifically for an individual, as in the case of haute couture or bespoke tailoring. Today, most clothing is designed for the mass market, especially casual and every-day wear.
It was during this period that many design houses began to hire artists to sketch or paint designs for garments. The images were shown to clients, which was much cheaper than producing an actual sample garment in the workroom. If the client liked their design, they ordered it and the resulting garment made money for the house. Thus, the tradition of designers sketching out garment designs instead of presenting completed garments on models to customers began as an economy.
The garments produced by clothing manufacturers fall into three main categories, although these may be split up into additional, more specific categories
Haute couture Until the 1950s, fashion clothing was predominately designed and manufactured on a made-to-measure or haute couturebasis (French for high-sewing), with each garment being created for a specific client. A couture garment is made to order for an individual customer, and is usually made from high-quality, expensive fabric, sewn with extreme attention to detail and finish, often using time-consuming, hand-executed techniques. Look and fit take priority over the cost of materials and the time it takes to make.[3][4] Due to the high cost of each garment, haute couture makes little direct profit for the fashion houses, but is important for prestige and publicity.
Ready-to-wear (pret-a-porter)
Ready-to-wear
Ready-to-wear clothes are a cross between haute couture and mass market. They are not made for individual customers, but great care is taken in the choice and cut of the fabric. Clothes are made in small quantities to guarantee exclusivity, so they are rather expensive.[6][7] Ready-to-wear collections are usually presented by fashion houses each season during a period known as Fashion Week. This takes place on a city-wide basis and
occurs twice a year. The main seasons of Fashion Weekinclude, spring/summer, fall/winter, resort, swim, and bridal.
Mass market
Currently the fashion industry relies more on mass market sales. The mass market caters for a wide range of customers, producing ready-to-wear garments using trends set by the famous names in fashion. They often wait around a season to make sure a style is going to catch on before producing their own versions of the original look. In order to save money and time, they use cheaper fabrics and simpler production techniques which can easily be done by machine. The end product can therefore be sold much more cheaply. There is a type of design called "kutch" design originated from the German word "kitschig" meaning "ugly" or "not aesthetically pleasing." Kitsch can also refer to "wearing or displaying something that is therefore no longer in fashion."[11] Often, high-waisted trousers, associated with the 1980s, are considered a "kitsch" fashion statement
Income Median annual wages for salaried fashion designers were $61,160 in May 2008. The middle 50 percent earned between $42,150 and $87,120.[13] The
lowest 10 percent earned less than $32,150, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $124,780. Median annual earnings were $52,860 (£28,340) in apparel, piece goods, and notions - the industry employing the largest numbers of fashion designers.
Types of Fashion Design
There are a number of well known specialized art schools and design schools worldwide that offer degrees in fashion design and fashion design technology.[15] Some colleges also offer Masters of Fashion courses. Though it is not a requirement to have a Masters level degree, it is recommended by those already working in the industry to study at this level. The most notable design schools in the world include:
Argentina
School of Architecture, Design and Urbanism, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires
University of Palermo, Buenos Aires
Bangladesh
National Institute of Fashion Technology, Dhaka
Shanto-Mariam University of Creative Technology, Dhaka
BGMEA Institute of Fashion & Technology, Dhaka
Belgium
France
IFA Paris
Georgia
Royal Academy of Fine Arts (Antwerp)
Tbilisi State Academy of Arts
Germany
AMD Academy of Fashion and Design
Berlin University of the Arts
HTW Berlin
University of the Arts Bremen
Kunstakademie Düsseldorf
Giebichenstein Castle Academy of Arts in Halle
Academy of Fine Arts, Karlsruhe
Academy of Fine Arts, Munich
Academy of Fine Arts, Nuremberg
Design Hochschule Schwerin
Italy
Istituto Marangoni
Politecnico of Milan
Istituto Europeo di Design
University Iuav of Venice
Great Britain
England
London
Istituto Marangoni
London College of Fashion
Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design
University of Westminster
Kingston University
University of Brighton
De Montfort University
Richmond University
Bradford College
Scotland
The Glasgow School of Art
Edinburgh College of Art
Ireland
Limerick School of Art and Design
National College of Art and Design
India
National Institute of Fashion Technology
Pearl Academy of Fashion
Apeejay Institute of Design
Pakistan
Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design
Romania
Art and Design University of Cluj-Napoca
U.S.
Academy of Art University in San Francisco, California
Kent State University in Kent, Ohio
Columbia College Chicago in Chicago, Illinois
Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, New York
Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles, California
O'More College of Design in Franklin, Tennessee
Otis College of Art & Design in Los Angeles, California
Parsons The New School for Design in New York City, New York
Philadelphia University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pratt Institute in New York City, New York
Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia
School of the Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois
Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia
Woodbury University in Burbank, California
Elsewhere in the world, the National Institute of Fashion Technology in India, Shih Chien University in Taiwan, RMIT University in Melbourne, Fu Jen Catholic University in Taiwan and the Asian University chain, Raffles College of Design and Commerce, all have reputable fashion design courses. There are many universities that offer fashion design throughout the United States, usually within the context of a general liberal arts degree. The major
concentration incorporating fashion design may have alternative names like Apparel and Textiles or Apparel and Textile Design, and may be housed in departments such as Art and Art History, or Family and Consumer Studies. Some schools, such as Parsons, offer a major in Fashion Management, combining fashion education with business courses. The only Ivy League University having a Fashion Design undergraduate program is Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, a program offered by the department of Fiber Science & Apparel Design. Cornell also offers a PhD program in apparel design. An updated list of fashion design masters and PhD programs can be found at ITAA.org. The programs are intended to address the needs of academia, industry, and research by considering apparel design as an applied science that embraces design, technology, physical sciences, the humanities, and social sciences in order to meet the human needs for clothing.
Fashion Industry The fashion industry is a product of the modern age. Prior to the mid-19th century, most clothing was custom-made. It was handmade for individuals, either as home production or on order from dressmakers and tailors. By the beginning of the 20th century—with the rise of new technologies such as the sewing machine, the rise of global capitalism and the development of the factory system of production, and the proliferation of retail outlets such as department stores—clothing had increasingly come to bemassproduced in standard sizes and sold at fixed prices.
Although the fashion industry developed first in Europe and America, as of 2014 it is an international and highly globalized industry, with clothing often designed in one country, manufactured in another, and sold world-wide. For example, an American fashion company might source fabric in China and have the clothes manufactured in Vietnam, finished in Italy, and shipped to a warehouse in the United States for distribution to retail outlets internationally. The fashion industry has long been one of the largest employers in the United States,[citation needed] and it remains so in the 21st century. However, U.S. employment declined considerably as production increasingly moved overseas, especially to China. Because data on the fashion industry typically are reported for national economies and expressed in terms of the industry's many separate sectors, aggregate figures for world production of textiles and clothing are difficult to obtain. However, by any measure, the clothing industry accounts for a significant share of world economic output. The fashion industry consists of four levels: 1. the production of raw materials, principally fibers and textiles but also leather and fur 2. the production of fashion goods by designers, manufacturers, contractors, and others 3. retail sales 4. various forms of advertising and promotion These levels consist of many separate but interdependent sectors, each devoted to the goal of satisfying consumer demand for apparel under conditions that enable participants in the industry to operate at a profit.
The fashion and design industry covers everything from the supply of raw materials through to the finished end product and includes designing, trading and wholesaling. Opportunities at management level are growing while many manufacturing roles are moving overseas.
The fashion and design industry is made up of well-established companies and high-levels of self-employment (Creative Skillset, 2011).
Graduates need to be skilled, self-motivated, hard-working, resilient and flexible to succeed in the industry. The sector is very competitive with a rise in the importance and speed of design, marketing and distribution.
All companies have unique expectations and working cultures. However, you are expected to have a strong interest in fashion, read relevant industry press and be up to date with future trends. Working conditions vary depending on the nature of work. For example, working as a designer differs significantly from working as a production manager or as a fashion journalist. Salaries may be low within the first stages of your career. You may have to work long hours, especially if you are freelance. If you have an office role, working hours are generally 9am to 5pm. Some roles, e.g. buyer, involve time away from home on business trips. Part-time work in the industry is slightly below the UK average, although certain parts of the industry, such as manufacturing, lends itself better to part-time work.
As awareness about environmental conservation, cruelty to animals and ethical issues in business is rising, fashion brands are increasingly adopting ethical and sustainable production values. Customers are also becoming more aware of ethical fashion, with demand on the rise.
According to Creative Skillset: The Sector Skills Council for the Creative Industries there is a fairly even balance of men and women in the apparel, footwear and textiles sector (48% and 52% respectively). Those from an ethnic minority background are quite well represented with 38,000 black, Asian and minority ethnic employees being present in the servicing and manufacturing sections of the industry.
Creative Skillset also reports that the sector is aging with around 73% of the workforce being aged 35 or over. This will create a need for young talent to be recruited into the industry as skilled employees retire.
There are approximately 79,000 firms in the fashion and textiles industry in the UK, with over 340,000 employees. London, the South East.
Small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
There are many opportunities to work in SMEs in fashion and design as the sector is dominated by them, with around 80% of establishments employing 10 people or fewer.
SMEs can be found across the sector in areas including:
-weaving;
Working in an SME can be rewarding as it is likely that you will take on greater responsibility from an early stage and may be able to progress quicker. Opportunities for formal training may not be as readily available as
in the larger companies and the work is likely to involve a lot of on-the-job learning.
SMEs typically advertise their vacancies through the local press, university careers service bulletins, local graduate vacancy listings and by word of mouth.
Future Trend The UK fashion design industry is recognised and respected across the world allowing British designers to take their work overseas. London holds a position as a major contributor to the international fashion arena and London Fashion Week is one of the ‘big four’ along with New York, Milan and Paris.
If you wish to work abroad in fashion and design it is useful if you can speak a foreign language. While a lot of the business will possibly be carried out in English it is helpful if you are able to speak with suppliers, traders and other colleagues in the country’s official language. Having additional skills in areas such as photography, graphics, writing, or delivering presentations can also help to set you apart from the strong competition.
Given the increasingly international nature of the industry, it is not unusual for new designers to sell their work abroad or to overseas companies. This may create opportunities to travel to other countries to make deals, etc. and there are many examples of graduates working overseas, at least for some of their careers. The countries of particular interest to graduates wishing to work abroad are those with the biggest international reputations - Italy, France and Spain.
It can be difficult to work in countries outside of the EU due to work permit restrictions but it does depend on the nature of your work and level of expertise. If your aim is to work in New York for example, you need to make sure you research the requirements for entering and working in the country fully. It may be easier to find employment in a UK-based company which has connections with companies overseas along with the possibility of sending its employees on assignments there.
The UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT) has an exports division which aims to help British-based fashion and clothing companies to sell worldwide and contains valuable information on the key export markets overseas for British businesses. The UKFT can also help international buyers or agents to get in touch with British companies and it supports companies and members with overseas export shows and exhibitions.
