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Knitwear and textile designing is a hot field in which you can weave a colourful future There are many kinds of textiles produced in India, from the home-spun khadi to the more elaborate woven textures, as well as printed and knitted fabrics produced by machines. They are made from the wide variety of yarns produced in the country, ranging from the traditional khadi and simple cotton, to wool, jute, silk, linens and synthetic fibres. Work wise This is an enormous field with openings for people from varied disciplines, ranging from technologist and stylists to sales and marketing professionals. The work in textiles includes the processing and weaving of all fabrics – cotton, silk, wool or synthetics as well as machine embroidery, knitwear and lace-making. So, a textile designer needs to know about the processes of yarn making, weaving, knitting and dyeing as well as designing and printing methods, and information regarding quality and availability of yarns, the different types of looms and knitting machines, printing processes, product range and fashion trends. Textile and knitwear designers need to have knowledge about the qualities of various fibres, the operation of looms and how yarns of different types can be blended, so as to create designs using the appropriate dyes and printing methods. The designer takes into consideration the use of the fabric, its texture, durability, weight before creating a design. An understanding of the customer’s needs and fashion trends is also important and enables a designer to forecast patterns and colours that are likely to sell in the forthcoming seasons. Rough sketches are first made to outline basic ideas. With the help of design developers, the sketches are transferred through detailed technical specifications on to machines, looms or printing tables. Colour and printing specialists add the colour details before samples of the cloth are produced. Textile and printing technologists work along with the designer to finalise the design. Select samples are put into the market by the sales and marketing team and feedback taken before the fabric is mass produced. A large part of the textiles produced in India include saris, which have so far been the preserve of traditional handloom weavers and a few textile mills; and khadi and handlooms developed essentially by promotional bodies of the central and state governments. Knitwear knowhow With winter conditions covering most of north India, requiring woollen items of clothing, knitwear has assumed growing importance in the apparel industry. Specialists in knitwear work on sophisticated machinery to produce a variety of garments for various uses made from different fibres, including wool and synthetic weaves. Course clues Textile designing is a specialised field which requires training. While candidates with a degree/diploma in fashion design can get into textile designing, a specialised qualification in this field is always preferred. A working knowledge of computers and design specific applications is also important for all areas of design as today much of the designing is done through Computer-Aided Design (CAD). Although the minimum eligibility is plus two, a written-cum-drawing test and brief interview is carried out before selection to most programmes. In this creative field, intrinsic talent is a major pre-requisite. Premier design institutions like the NID and NIFT conduct highly competitive entrance tests. Training talk The National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, offers an intensive 4-year diploma course in textile design. NID also offers a 3-year advanced diploma in Textile and Apparel Design for graduates of Fine Arts, humanities or Home Science (specialising in clothing & textiles), or diploma holders in related subjects. With at least 2 years’ professional experience in textiles. Among the most sought-after fashion design schools is: the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in New Delhi and its branches in Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Gandhinagar and Hyderabad. NIFT offers professional programmes at the graduate and undergraduate level in textile design and knitwear design. NIFT at Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai also offer PG diploma courses in textile design, as well as certificate courses in knitwear design and production. Textile design and management is also offered as a bachelor’s degree programme at the Pearl Academy of Fashion, New Delhi, the Apeejay Institute of Design, New Delhi and Jalandhar, and SNDT University, Mumbai. Some polytechnics such as the South Delhi Polytechnic for women and National Institute of Fashion Design, New Delhi and Chandigarh also offer diploma courses in textile designing. Placement prospects With so many big names in the apparel and textile field, job prospects are good for trained professionals. Opportunities exist in design studios, textile mills, export houses, in textile dyeing and printing units, knitwear manufacturing units as well as in fashion houses. There are also growing opportunities with government sponsored and private silk, handloom, khadi, jute and craft development organisations, and with hundreds of hosiery and home furnishing export units largely centered around Panipat in the North and Tirupur and Coimbatore in the South. With some experience textile designers can work as freelancers offering their designs to different organisations. However, to succeed in this field you need intrinsic artistic talent, creative ability and imagination coupled with a logical and analytical mind and an interest in the social environment and the community’s tastes, needs and customs. A sound sense of colour and an eye for detail is important while an interest in computers and design-related computer applications can prove useful. Design is definitely one of the most sought after professions of the new millennium. Consumerism has led to the rising demand for designers in every field and there is no dearth of work for them. The apparel and textile industry has witnessed the fastest growth in the last couple of years, and is predicted take in the second highest number of new recruits — 2 lakh in 2005-2006. So, if you have a good sense of colour and style, enjoy sketching and look forward to a career in the fashion industry, think of textiles and knitwear — these are the growth areas of the future. —
The writer is a noted
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INDIA is known the world over for its variety of fabrics, colours, weaves and textures. Textiles have always been India’s most popular product abroad, which in the recent past have also won the country accolades in the fashion world. At present, both mill-made and handloom textiles constitute a quarter of all exports from our country.
Designer dreams
