Silk, cotton, nylon or polyester – as long as you get an apparel that complements you and your body you don’t mind what you are wearing, do you? Or, maybe you are one of those people who have a set and clear preference for cotton. But whatever the case, you know that it is not always simplicity that gets you the look of your desire. And flashiness isn’t always about heavy beadwork or other forms of shiny and lacy embroidery. The simplicity of a flashy fabric is as appealing if not more. And who are the people who add that classy look to your apparels? The textile designers, of course! So when you thought that the classic Indian designs from Jaipur are gorgeous, you were actually thinking that people who sit behind the scenes and master the art of tie-and-dye are the greatest artists this world has ever known. But that is not all. Textile designers do a lot more and if you intend to join their league, then this course is what you are looking for.
Courses In Textile Designing
Course Details
Eligibility
The eligibility criteria in this regard are very flexible. For a Bachelor’s degree in textile designing, one needs a 10+2 in any stream. Some colleges also have a criterion of 10+2 from Fine Arts, but that is a very rare phenomenon. For a Master’s in textile designing, the candidate has to have a graduate degree in designing. There are various diploma courses at all levels which do not require any such criteria and can be undertaken by anyone who understands the nuances of color combinations and is creative by nature. Creativity is the key in the textile designing courses.
Details Of Course Curriculum
The course curriculum has all the aspects of dealing with textile that can be thought of. Apart from basic courses like weaving, printing, embroidery, tie-&-dye etc, there are other very important but less assumed elements in this syllabus that seem unrelated, but are equally important for a textile designer.
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Technical marketing
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Quality Analysis & Assurance
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Print Design and Marketing
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Merchandising
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Surface Development Techniques
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Design Methods, Sociology, Psychology & Ethics in Fashion, Language of Design & Fashion,
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Fashion & Law – IPR and Principles & Methods of Design Research.
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Trends & Forecasting
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Innovation in Fashion and Professional Communication.
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History of fashion and traditional textile
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Fabric structure and design
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Textile chemical processing
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Design development
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Computer science
Specialisations
The specialisations in this field can be based both on the kind of fabric being used and also the process that various fabrics go through. Based on this, a textile designer can be a cotton or silk specialist and someone else can be a weaving or tie & dye specialist. But mostly the kind of specialisation revolves around the process. Hence the most common specialisations in textile designing are:
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Weaving
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Printing
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Embroidery
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Dyeing
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Innovation in Fashion
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Professional Communication.
Skills Required
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Creativity - It is a must and defines the basis on which a candidate applies to a designing course
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Technical Skills - This is because most of the work being done on textiles is now done on advanced softwares and other applications.
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Practical Skills - This is required so that the designer can come up with designs that are saleable and can pick up demand in the market by striking the right chord with the target customers.
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Analytical skills - It is to help the candidate understand the various trends in the market and make forecasts and designs accordingly.
Career Prospects
Most of the textile designers are hired by famous apparel houses where there is a separate department dedicated to creating newer and better textiles and designer fabrics. A lot of these designers are also hired by famous dress designers who dress everybody from political celebrities to celebrities from the movie arena. Finally, another aspect of a designer’s career is freelancing. Although initial investments are said to be high in large scale textile designing, the amounts and investments required in small scale work are almost negligible. Such freelancers then can graduate into entrepreneurs and have tie-ups with dress and fashion designers for supply of raw materials.
Best Schools
Some of the well-known western institutes offering courses in textile designing are:
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University of Southampton, UK
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University of Rhode Island, US
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Sotheby's Institute of Art - London, UK
Some of the best Indian institutes offering courses in textile designing are:
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National Institute of Fashion Technology
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National Institute of Design
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National Institute of Fashion Design
