February 8: Do you know who makes those stunning sketches draped in designer wear, seen so often in fashion publications? Or who draws the stylish garments which appear in design catalogues? Well, it is the imaginative approach and the creative skill of the fashion illustrator, that add the Midas touch to the impact of fashion designing. Having realised the importance of these professionals, the fashion industry is providing them with a host of job pportunities. From in-house illustrators to design developers and texture experts to sketch designers -- there is a growing demand for fashion illustrators.Anyone with a good hand in sketching and drawing can think of becoming a fashion illustrator. But to become a professional in this field, a course in fashion illustration or fashion designing is must, feels Meera Menon, course director, JD Institute of Fashion Technology. She says, `` A course not only teaches figure proportions and fashion model drawing, but also design ideas and elements of fashion.Aspiring fashion illustrators should have an in-depth knowledge of all these.''
Very few institutes conduct specialised courses in fashion illustration. But the fashion designing courses offered by the polytechnics and other training institutes, have a period allotted to fashion drawing. These courses, strongly emphasise on fashion illustration at all levels besides covering fashion subjects like draping and pattern making. According to Deepali Aggarwal, director, IEC School of Art and Fasion(IEC,SAF),``Students need fashion drawing and presentation skills when developing design ideas. So, they are taught different ways of presenting ideas when sketching and producing working drawings suitable for illustration.''
The 10+2 standard examination is the minimum qualification for these courses. However, in most of the institutes, the admission is strictly on merit as assessed at the entrance examination where the creative and the general ability of the candidates are judged. Some of the leading institutesconducting diploma programme in Fashion Designing are National Institute of Fashion Technology(NIFT), Pearl Academy of Fashion, JD Institute of Fashion Technology, SNDT Women's University in Mumbai and IEC,SAF. One can also train at Academy of Fashion Studies, New Delhi Polytechnic for Women, International Institute of Fashion Technology (IIFT), Apeejay Institute of Design and Sophia BK Somani Polytechnic in Mumbai.
The duration of these courses range from 1 to 3 years and a 3-year course may have a fee ranging between Rs 25,000 to Rs 40,000. The 2-year programme as offered by IIFT costs Rs 19,800. The fees of a year-long course in fashion designing in various institutes and polytechnics vary from Rs 8,400 to Rs 12,000. The advantage of doing these courses is that, besides having the option to work as a fashion illustrator, one can also find work in other areas of design.
But, those who exclusively want to learn fashion illustration can join a course at the IEC, School of Art and Fashion. This trainingalso conducts a 2 month course in fashion sketching and illustration, besides offering diploma programmes in fashion designing. The fee for the course is Rs 4,000.
NIFT also conducts short-term courses in fashion illustration under its Continuing Education Programme. The 5-week long course in Fashion Sketching and Art Appreciation costs Rs 4,000.
Then there are computer courses which aim to provide the professional edge over manual designing for achieving better results in the field of fashion illustration. Priyadarshini Institute for Fashion Technology conducts a 3 month course in Computer Aided Fashion Designing costing Rs 5,900. NIFT also conducts a short-term course in Computer Aided Fashion Illustration. Those who have cleared 10+2 and have drawing skills are eligible for this 2-month course costing Rs 5,000. Another institute which conducts computer courses in fashion illustration is IEC,SAF. Their 3-month programme called 'Computerised Fashion Art And Illustration' costs Rs 6,400.
The optionsopen to a fashion illustrator are many. According to Niket Mishra, a fashion designer, ``A fashion illustrator can specialise in the field of men's wear, children's wear or ladies garment. But then there are illustrators who can work on any item of design. So, one can choose a job accordingly.'' Aggarwal adds, ``Export houses, boutiques, textile manufacturing and printing units and design studios, employ fashion illustrators. Moreover, these days the publication industry is providing lots of opportunities to full-time as well as freelance illustrators.''
To get employment in the export houses is the easiest and the simplest. Here the illustrator has to develop sketches according to the specifications of the buyer, though at times they have to sketch their own designs. A trainee in an export house is paid between Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000. Experienced and deserving candidates can earn anything between Rs 7,000 to Rs 12,000. Established export houses are heard of paying even more to the right candidate.
Fashionillustrators also get good openings in boutiques and other design houses. Here one can work with the forecasting team of the concerned unit. This job requires the illustrator to work in close association with the designer to come out with the silhouettes and the colour schemes for the coming season. Boutiques and design houses also require illustrators for sketching their designs and suggesting colours and textures. The whole idea is that you get to know the impact of the garment without actually making it. According to Mishra, this is the reason why certain fashion designers hire in-house illustrators.
Firms manufacturing furnishing , upholstery and other textile items need designers to illustrate their products. So the professionals who specialise in rendering fabric textures and sketching design patterns can find lucrative jobs in the textile industry. Fashion magazines like Society, Fashion, Images and Clothesline employ full-time illustrators. Here, one not only has to illustrate fashionfigures and sketch designs, but also has to work closely with the fashion photographer in suggesting the mood and the light effect of the shoot. One can also find similar work in other publications carrying fashion items like newspapers, magazines like Femina and Women's Era.
Advertising agencies also employ fashion illustrators for illustrating as well as designing fashion catalogues and brochures. In this line, the initial remuneration varies from organisation to organisation. Big organisations generally pay more than the newly established ones. In this case, the background of the candidate too decides the pay packet. An experienced candidate from a good institute can expect a monthly salary of around Rs 20,000.
Working as a freelancer is a lucrative option in this line. But one should gain considerable work experience before considering freelancing. This way a person not only develops contacts for future assignments, but also comes to know about the job requirements. Moreover, one canonly get work in renowned export houses and other design units on the basis of the work done in the past. ``With freelancers getting Rs 3,000 to Rs 20,000 per design sketch, fashion illustration has become a rewarding career for the creative who can play with forms and figures, styles and colour,'' concludes Aggarwal.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
