Lifestyle and Accessory Designers are in great demand these days. Industry is gearing up and in coming five to ten years, more than 25 percent growth is expected in the industry. With this growth, more opportunities will emerge. So, wise youngsters are opting for lifestyle & Accessory Design as a career.
We all know that to complete the perfect outfits, many people will often rely on the addition of accessories. These can include items such as jewelry, belts, shoes, scarves, hats, and handbags etc. Accessories not only help complete and ensemble, but they can also add a splash of color, personality, and style to the wearer. In Gujarat, Ahmedabad is the best place to study design. NID and UID are the best options for creative students here.
In the fashion industry, accessory design refers to the act of designing and creating these accessories. Some lifestyle & accessory designers will stick with classic timeless designs, such as black leather handbags, while others may create wilder, trendier accessories.
Functions of a professional Accessory Designer:
An accessory designer is a type of fashion designer that plans the aesthetics and functionality of different accessories. Like other individuals in the fashion industry, an accessory designer must be very knowledgeable about past, current, and future fashion trends. They must be able to predict what types of accessories consumers will find fashionable at the beginning of future fashion seasons.
Once an accessory designer forms an idea, she or he will then usually try to bring their ideas to life. Many accessory designers choose to draw their accessories with pencils and paper. Computer software can also be used for this step, however, and it is becoming much more popular.
After a design has been drawn, an accessory designer will also often create a prototype. For instance, if the accessory in question is a traditional leather purse, an accessory designer will create a pattern and sew pieces of leather together to make the purse.
Some accessory designers may only specialize in a certain type of accessory. Others, however, may design and create several different types of accessories, as well as garments.
Salary of a Lifestyle & Accessory Designer:
As with most type of careers in the fashion industry, the average salary for an accessory designer varies greatly, depending on a number of different factors. Some accessory designers, for instance, only work part-time from home, and they may not make as much as a full-time accessory designer. The area where an accessory designer lives might also affect her or his salary as well. Generally speaking, accessory designers that live in larger, more densely populated areas will also usually make more money.
An accessory designer’s salary will also depend on how successful he or she is. Accessory designers that are able to sell more designs and accessories will also usually be able to bring in more money. In India, salaries range from Rs. 35 to 55,000 per month. Fashion houses pay according to the talent and the business network they have. Fashion Industry works like that.
Educational Requirements for a Career in Accessory Design:
While there are no stringent education requirements to become an accessory designer, most aspiring designers will usually benefit from a fashion design degree. After schooling, students can go for this course. At UID, students are trained professionally and they get a chance to work as an intern with the famous fashion houses.
To earn a degree in fashion design or accessory design, most students will usually complete courses in fashion history, drawing, and CAD. They will also learn about the different textiles and materials that can be used to make accessories.
What can I do With a Degree in lifestyle & Accessory Design?
An accessory design degree can help you get started with a career in accessory design. Many accessory designers choose to work in a freelance capacity. This means that they work to design and create their own accessories. Typically, freelance accessory designers start out small. They usually only design and sell a handful of accessories at a time. With hard work and dedication, however, some freelance designers may be able to become very successful. Design firms and established fashion designers may also hire accessory designers as well.
Strong trend: Although accessories are a popular shopping choice for women, men are not lagging far behind as they use sunglasses, wallets, shoes and more. Due to its versatility, accessory designing is here to stay. Accessory Designers have the freedom to work with a variety of materials: from metals to leather and beads to satin while still using their creativity.
Fashion Skills required for this course:
Creativity and originality
Artistic Skills
An eye for detail
Fashion knowledge
Knowledge of raw materials
Patience
Good communication
Visualization skills
Precision
Course and Eligibility
Accessory Designing courses are available at Certificate, Diploma, Graduate and Post-Graduate levels. But it’s always better to get a Degree.
Eligibility for Under Graduate courses is 12th pass with any stream and eligibility for Post Graduate courses requires a BA degree in any subject.
Is this course costly?
Entire course fee is around 10 to 12 lakhs in good design institutes with modern infrastructure. Education loan is also available through banks. Students should always select the institute with the best infrastructure where there are fashion and design labs and other facilities are available.
Entrance Exams:
Annual entrance exams for Accessory Designing courses are held by various Institutes which test general knowledge, creativity and basic artistic skills. After clearing the written test, an interview is conducted. Having previous knowledge of Computer Aided Design (CAD) is an added benefit.
Hostel Facilities:
Hostel facilities are provided by the reputed institutes. UID also provides good hostel facilities at its huge, green and modern campus at Ahmedabad.
Where to study?
Students should always go for the institute with best fashion infrastructure and environment.
Job Profile
The work of a Lifestyle & Accessory Designer is a lot like that of any other designer. The current trends and styles are researched, materials, processes, and market are all studied and a design is made. When working under an employer his/her requirement is the basis of the design. After the approval of the design, sample pieces are produced and finally the end product is made. The resulting accessories are then sold.
Employment opportunities in the fashion industry :
As an Accessory Designer there is a wide variety in employment opportunities as mentioned below,
Freelancing – designing and manufacturing accessories for independent sales
Working with an export house for its designing requirements
Retail Chains
Fashion designers, for collaboration with their apparel
Fashion show organizers to design accessories required by various fashion designers
Jewellery houses
Leather companies
Future scope:
The scope of designing accessories is endless due to the versatility of the options in accessories and the increase in popularity of accessories. The increasing spending power of the general population also aids the accessories market. A person can design anything from jewellery to shoes and is not limited to the use of only one medium. Indian ethnic accessories have a strong market both in India and internationally.