Fashion education in India has been subject to misconception for a long time. The fashion industry is considered to be a glamorous industry and a life of pomp. Some people with interest find this attractive, whereas few of them consider this a bad influence and have a suspicious eye. Receiving fashion education in a fashion college is a dream for many, because of the restrictions made regarding this career. Few of the students have a hard time convincing their family and a harder time to make this a reality. Studies prove that Indian parents are very restrictive regarding their kids career of either becoming an Engineer or a Doctor and do not really make their child study for what they are really interested in. There are many myths regarding fashion education. Some of them are : easy learning, no scope for growth, wasteful practices, less job opportunities, short-lived career etc.
Many consider fashion education to be very easy, unlike Math or Biology. But this is a field of education, which needs creativity and great technical skills, which enables one to create magic. This creative thinking in fashion education and career, comes from understanding the fundamentals of colours, trends, textiles and even artificial Intelligence. Unlike writing an exam, in fashion education students create by observing and giving something back in return to the world through different garment making process or even bringing sustainability concept.
Few people also think fashion as a myopic Industry, whereas fashion education is about understanding and creating for the better tomorrow. The design thinking process and fashion forecasting trends helps the industry to come together and build a desired future. Few designers are trying to infuse technology in fashion, 3D modelling or new methods like sustainability, genderless garments, using social norms and using these to create awareness and change.
Fashion education misconception differ from person-to-person and continue to prevail unfortunately. Fashion and style has always been a powerful way to communicate oneself, and fashion education enables one to express themselves effectively. The designers and stylist have the potential to influence a large group of people into creating or re-inventing a trend. The career options are endless from becoming a designer, fashion curators, stylists, creative directors, bloggers etc. Through fashion education and the fashion industry, one gets to set creative targets, meet creative people, learn art and ideate new things. The fashion industry has grown massively and everyone wants a career that they love. So if one is committed to fashion and has the passion, this surely is a right career.