Career as an Accessory Designer

Fashion and styling have been an important part of our lifestyle since the beginning of time. Whether we’re indoors or heading out, we always want to be dressed for the occasion–whether it is with pyjamas or a cocktail dress. But, as various industries across the world keep progressing with time, the fashion industry has been no exception. It has given rise to the expansion of several small-scale businesses such as footwear, beauty, cosmetics and jewelry. These industries feature several other low-scale categories that are now gaining popularity. One such category that has taken us by a storm is the accessory designing business. What started out as a small venture has not turned into a huge part of the fashion industry. Read on to know all about accessory designing and how to become a successful accessory designer.

Source: Laura Chouette on Unsplash What is Accessory Designing?

To complete your look, sometimes putting the best outfits together isn't enough. You need a finishing touch. Enter, accessories. Accessories such as shoes, scarfs, jewelry, and bags add a hint of drama to your outfit and accentuate your overall look. Back in the golden era, just wearing a hairband on a slicked back hairdo was enough to create a look. But with the changing times, we have more options than we can count. Today we have the luxury to walk into massive stores only meant for designer accessories, try on everything that suits our outfit best and swiping our cards.

Fashion bloggers and influencers have also played a huge role in making accessory designing a huge business. With new trends hitting the fashion industry every day, it has become important for the accessory business to keep up with the same. And let's admit it, the accessory designing business hasn't let us down. Every time we scroll through our Instagram, we always end up crushing over a new Indie startup that has amazing designs to blow your mind.

The pandemic gave many creative artists the opportunity to take up accessory designing as a hobby. With plenty of time, resources and online tutorials at our disposal, most people have started to find accessory designing as a successful career pathway. While it's not easy to find your footing in this industry, talent and networking can prove to be your reliable pillars through this journey. After building your base, we assure you, there's no looking back.

Source: Juan Burgos on Unsplash What is the Exact Role of an Accessory Designer?

If there's one thing that attracts us all to the fashion and styling industry, it's glamour. The fashion industry isn't just known for its endless events filled with celebs but also regal parties, shows and get-togethers. As an accessory designer, you also get the chance to be a part of this all-new world filled with glitz and glam. Sounds fantastic, doesn't it? We can tell.

An accessory designer is someone who is always up to date with the fast-evolving fashion industry. They know all about the past and the present trends and can easily predict what new seasons have to offer. They craft their designs on the basis of the latest trends, and their understanding of how they can be enhanced. The process of accessory design is similar to any other creative process.

The designer will initially conduct research on the latest trends, then seek inspiration for their designs and once the idea strikes, they will either sketch their designs out on a piece of paper or through computer software. The next step is to bring these ideas to life. Compared to the ideation process, this is a simpler task. Accessory designing involves various categories such as bags, scarfs, jewelry, etc. While some designers specialize only in one specific field, others are all-rounders who can do it all.

What Does it Take?

To create a career in accessory designing, you don't need any specific qualifications to kick start your career. However, a degree in fashion designing can prove to be useful in the long run. There are also various accessory design courses offered by reputed universities. An accessory designer must also possess good knowledge of CAD and the latest design software. Additionally, having great visualization and drawing skills can help you step up the success ladder with ease.

On successful completion of your education, finding work as an accessory designer can be a challenging task due to the cutthroat competition present in this field. But if you're talented and extremely creative, you won't find it as difficult. Make sure you utilize every networking opportunity that comes your way. Not only to find your way into this industry but also to learn from those who've been there who know exactly how to stay ahead of the competition.

Source: Rachel Sweeney on Unsplash How to Get Started?

To get started with a career in accessory designing, the first thing you must do is showcase your designs to your target audience. Wondering how to do that? It's simple! All you need to do is create social media accounts for designs and actively post them. While most accessory designers work as freelancers, some of them also consider working for famous fashion studios, designers and production houses. No matter which way you're headed, a digital portfolio is the best way to get started. In your new glamorous career pathway, you will come across various travel opportunities, collaborative projects and interesting personalities.

The best part about this field is that there's no limit to what one can earn, once they have carved their name in the list of top accessory designers. You can either earn a hefty income by starting your own brand or by collaborating with famous designers. While sometimes the job can be quite demanding, with longer working hours, it's always going to be exciting. If you're someone who has an inclination towards fashion and styling, a career in the accessory designing field would be an interesting option to explore. While your journey towards becoming a designer won't be an easy one, once you make it to the goal post, every effort is going to be worth it. This new business is here to stay, and you can grow and conquer it as a career. Here is your cue to start.