DESIGN provides the backbone to a whole range of industries from textiles to furniture, and fashion is its most visible manifestation. Yet, footwear design, make-up,  textile design and other allied functions across sectors have opened more doors of opportunity.

A fashion merchandiser’s job is to make sure that the most enticing clothes, shoes and accessories hit the store racks, keeping both pricing, quality and consumer tastes in mind. Visual merchandising involves everything from dressing up mannequins and using creative lighting in shop windows to preparing for promotional events.

Merchandising jobs are spread across domestic or international lifestyle/ fashion companies, ready-to-wear production companies, large retailers/chain stores and export houses/export fabrication companies (coordinating between the foreign retail stores and the production houses).

A merchandiser can even work closely with a fashion designer to come up with a new product, and eventually progress into fashion retail management or set up his/her own export house.

Typically, fresh recruits can start with a salary of Rs. 10,000 upwards. With experience and if you are creative, this figure can rise to Rs. 30,000-40,000 per month and beyond.Fashion retail management involves managing stores, departmental stores, boutiques, clothing wholesalers, importers, designers and manufacturers, so as to meet company targets.

A diploma in fashion merchandising/retail management prepares you for entry-level positions in both these areas, as well as profiles such as Buyer, Shop Floor Executive, Retail Sales Executive, Retail Representative, Fashion Forecaster etc.

In footwear design, rapidly growing domestic and international companies need professionals with creativity, specific design skills and an understanding of the industry. FDDI’s diploma in footwear design and technology prepares students for a career in footwear production, design and merchandising. Freshers can start with a salary of Rs. 15,000 upwards. Job areas include Planning, Quality, Merchandising, and Range Building.

Leather and accessory design is yet another growing area and needs creative,  trained professionals in functions such as Manufacturing and Production Technology, fashion & trend forecasting and analysis and marketing. FDDI’s diploma in leather and accessory design trains students in crucial areas. Freshers start with a salary of Rs. 15,000 upwards, and job functions include design, merchandising and production. According to FDDI, companies such Da Milano, Diesel,  Levis,  PUMA, Reebok and Woodland have hired their students.

Make-up artistry shows great potential if you have what it takes: a keen interest, a creative streak, the ability to pay attention to detail and swearing by the highest standards of hygiene!  PAF's make-up diploma programme currently accepts only 23 students, as they have only 23 make-up stations. But the demand for good make-up artists will only go up.

We speak to some young design professionals and faculty at instutes which offer these programmes.
 
By Merril Diniz

Shraddha Tanwar, Fashion Designer, Virender Textiles, Gurgaon Shraddha Tanwar Course: Advance Diploma in Fashion Design & Merchandising from Polytechnic for Women, New Delhi About the course: The diploma gives exposure in areas such as industrial pattern, design techniques, sketching to name few. “We had to visit fairs and markets in the city to understand the kind of fabrics available, that were trendy,” says Shraddha, who worked with Adigear International as an intern. “The exposure has helped me understand the market trends and the industry better in my present job,’’ she says. About the job: “Working as a fashion designer at an export-oriented unit means constantly offering creative solutions as per the need; it keeps you on your toes,” she says. You need to understand the buyer’s need in terms of fabrics, which is then arranged and designed. A photoshoot is organised, and images of these designs are sent to buyers for approval. Once approved, the order is placed, executed and then shipped off to countries like Italy, Germany, the UK and US. Future growth: You can assist a designer, work as a fashion designer, a fashion forecaster, merchandiser, and instructor at an institute or manage your own boutique. A fresher can earn between Rs. 10,000-15,000 per month as a designer. This figure increase as you gain more experience. Carve out your own niche training. By Pooja Mishra

Heemangshu Bakshi, Make-up artist, Make-up,  Art Cosmetics (MAC)   Heemangshu Bakshi Course: Diploma in Fashion and Media Make-up at the Pearl Academy of Fashion (PAF), Delhi He once worked in a customer service at a bank but secretly harboured a desire to open his own beauty salon. Today, Heemangshu gives makeovers, suggests beauty looks, and products that will help his customers achieve their beauty goals at the MAC store in Noida. Heemangshu’s schedule at PAF trained him in all aspects of make-up: creative (for film, television, theatre), fashion make-up (for fashion shows/ photo shoots in magazines/ other print media) and beauty make-up (for the salon and bridal requirements). As a make-up artist you could be working across media. Heemangshu recounts a special 15-day module by guest faculty K Mohan of FTII which covered scars, cuts, bruising and character make-up, for film and theatre make-up. The 11-month programme comprising three semesters, packs in the basics of skin care, theory of make-up, and of course, practicals, which demand research, visualisation and execution of various make-up looks on a live model.  Placements: According to the institute, cosmetic companies such as Lancome and MAC come to campus for recruitments. Heemangshu was short-listed by MAC after a personal interview. This was followed by a make-up demo, and final interview. Though Heemangshu currently works on the shop floor,  the avenues open to him from here are store management, working on MAC events, fashion shows and photo shoots and finally, training.

Ashima Kapoor Teaches make-up at PAF & is a freelance make-up artist & stylist in her own right Scope for make-up artists The demand for good make-up artists is only going to go up! Besides setting up your own make-up and hair studio, bridal make-up is big. You can also freelance with fashion magazines such as Elle and Vogue. A fresher can start off with a salary of Rs. 10,000 with a TV channel such as NDTV, Aaj Tak or Zee Sports, and cosmetic companies such as Lancome and MAC have hired our students with starting salaries between Rs. 25,000 up to Rs. 45,000. For a freelance assignment, a fresher can earn anything between Rs. 1,000 to 30,000, and a make-up artist who has managed to make a client base can easily make between Rs. 100,00 and 200,000 a month..

Expert Speak: Diploma in Footwear Technology MR Rajeev Lakhara (IRS) MD, Footwear Design and Development Institute The programme aims to create manpower in the field of footwear production, design and merchandising to fulfill the demand of the rapidly growing international and domestic business. The course deals with all aspects of the business from production to servicing. After completing the programme, students join as executives in product planning, quality control, product development, as merchandisers, footwear designers, range builders and category heads etc. Further, if they so wish, according to their interest, students can do a PG Diploma in Creative Design and CAD/CAM, or a PG Diploma in Management-Footwear Technology. Other than that, there are lots of certificate programmes run by corporate houses in footwear technology. Students are placed in firms like Adidas, Tata International, Bata, Bazaar Connection, Franco Leone, Good Earth, Gupta Overseas, HiDesign, ITC, JPC shoes, JUMBO Electronics, Kabir Leathers,  Lakhani Arman, Leela Trends Pvt. Ltd, Levis, Mirza International, Mochiko, PUMA, Reebok, Shrubs Online, Virola International,  Familiarity with the fashion industry, illustration skills, and broad knowledge of textiles, leather and materials and an understanding of shoe engineering are some of the baseline skills for becoming a shoe technologist. Proficiency with computer-assisted design (CAD) programmes and modeling software is also useful. In addition, strong marketing skills, an ability for trend analysis and basic business acumen are important,  especially for entrepreneurial shoe designers interested in starting their own footwear lines. Deepti Chandani, Coordinator, Development & commercialisation, Adidas, Gurgaon Deepti Chandani Course: Diploma in Footware Design & Technology Deepti was always certain about two things. One, she was not interested in engineering. Two, she wanted a seat in the leading fashion institute of the country. After completing Class 12 at the Seth Anand Ram Jaipuria School, Kanpur, the creatively-inclined Deepti took a break for one year. “I dedicatedly prepared for the institute’s all-India entrance test’. But despite her effots she did not make it. But today, sitting in her current office, Adidas, in Gurgaon, the 22-year old harbours no regrets. “I joined the Footwear Design and Development Institute in Noida,” says Deepti. She topped each year of her class and bagged the most coveted company as an employer. “ DFDT - Cost and prospects Total cost of programme:Rs. 360,00 plus hostel charges at Rs. 18,000 per semester Current Designation ofDeepti: Coordinator, Development and Commercialisation, Adidas, Gurgaon office Entry level salary range: Rs. 20,000-25,000   Further career growth : Asstt. Manager/Manager, Head   Future salary range for mid-level position: Rs. 35,000 and above Programme highlights: The three-year diploma course at FDDI taught her that footwear is not merely a pair of shoes or stilettos but a perfect blend of art and science. The first year covers shoes, leather and foot comfort, the second year upgrades the student in areas of leather cutting, animal body, knives, machines, stitching and assembling of components, and the final year is about specialisation, either in merchandising, design or production. “Research, technology, the material and the machine all goes into creating a single pair of shoes,” she explains. No wonder footwear design is a highly-specalised skill and practical classes hold more significance over theory. Besides the fee, we also have to shell out extra for materials such as leather and other items,” Deepti informs us. Job profile: “Practice as much as possible, do not pass off your classmates’ work as your own or take help from them all the time,” advises Deepti. Currently working as Coordinator, Development and Commercialisation, Deepti will eventually move on to designing, having specialised in that area. Progression to Head, Development takes place with in five to seven years, depending on one’s calibre and output. The next level of growth for entry-level candidates such as Deepti would be Assistant Manager, Development. “Here one gets to handle categories such as running shoes, training or outdoor shoes,” she explains. Placements: “Students are snapped up during campus placements by companies like Louis Vuitton, Puma, Bata, Lakhani, Lotto among others. Tanneries and export houses, too, line up for candidates. For a burgeoning footwear market, entry-level salaries range from  Rs. 20,000-25,000. The internship period is usually sans pay but provides ample ground for gaining rich industry experience. By Urmila Rao

Institutions offering Fashion, Design programmes