What is Fashion Communication Design

What is Fashion Communication Design

The relationship between fashion and fashion promotion appears very fluid. Contemporary stylistic departures and creative directions are blurring the boundaries between the two, placing communication strategies at the core. With a close eye on newer practices in lifestyle media, this program situates emphasis on developing an analytical understanding of the commercial fashion space as well as the rigour of practical communication. This specialism maps out a field for productive challenges in the communication of progressive peripheries of fashion. Students engage with practical methods and theoretical discourse in Graphic Design, Fashion Journalism, Visual Merchandising, Styling and Photography, Advertising, Public Relations and Space Design. The program finds its relevance in recognition and exploration of the increasingly inclusive nature of communication projects.

About Fashion Communication Design Programs

Year 1: Common design foundation program (Basic design skills and processes leading to conceptual skills and ideation for creative mobilization of processes and strategies for innovation).

Year 2: The Program is characterized by integrative theoretical perspectives and contextual references. Self-reflective critical practice encourages students to explore interdisciplinary approach to the fundamentals of Fashion Communication. Spread over two semesters, the process of introduction and orientation to communication design is addressed through closely linked units like Fashion Studies, History & Philosophy of Design, Communication Concepts & Processes, Writing Skills, Consumer Behavior in Fashion, Publication Design, Graphic Design, Visual Merchandising, Photography, Design Methodology. The course structure is delineated by lectures, seminars and workshops by fashion specialists and practitioners.

Year 3: The third year delves deeper into the core discipline areas with greater emphasis on creatives. In this stage of learning, the approach evolves from cognition to problem solving. Subjects like Visual Merchandising, Graphic Design, Styling and Photography, and Fashion Journalism are studied in greater detail, with emphasis on investigation, experimentation and collaboration. After the fifth semester, students explore craft clusters in varied craft pockets of the country to understand and appreciate the craft lineage of India with a view to provide communication solutions to the craft sector. At the end of sixth semester, the course curricula allow the students to take up internship projects in the industry situating their work in contemporary practice.

Year 4: The fourth year of study integrates theoretical inputs with practice based work. The structure of the course leads to a final project which not only reflects students' interest but also researched understanding of the applications of communication tools and strategies. This stage enables students to define and review the development of the research project proposal, supported by visual theory, research methodologies, practical projects and workshops. The units are closely linked and provide an opportunity for the students to arrive at a deeper understanding of the core areas of the program.

Top Schoolsoffering Fashion Communication Design Programs

Several schools like NIFT, Pearl Academy of Fashion and SID offer under graduate programs in Fashion Communication Design. A summary is given below:

Careers in Fashion Communication Design

Careers

Supporting student endeavors through an open teaching environment, the program enables students to acquire communication skills pertinent to the Fashion and Lifestyle Industry. At the exit level, career opportunities exist in Graphic Design, Fashion Journalism, Visual Merchandising & Retail Space Design, Styling & Photography, Events and Fashion Advertising.

Internships & Placements

Most schools have made summer internships / projects with Companies for their students. The companies upon completion of the students’ programs employ them full time. Moreover, almost all design schools have placement cells, which arrange for on campus placement. Most of the students in top design schools get placement on campus. Companies which generally recruit aspiring fashion communication designers are: Pantaloon, Shopper’s Stop, marks & Spencers, Christian Dior, Lifetsyle, Benetton, Liberty, Freelook, Lopez Designs, Marie Claire, Images, Times of India, Asian Age, Couture Asia, Femina , FDCI, MTV, NDTV, Times Now, Headlines Today, Perfect Relations, Wizcraft, Ogilvy & Mather, Lintas, Madura Garments, Encompass Events, Vogue , Creative Crest, JWT, IC, Tanishq , etc.