Dwijendra Kumar
Innumerable job opportunities are available for fashion designing professionals interested to work with Garment Export Houses, and more coming up. While exports of garments is labour intensive sector, Government of India too is giving this industry lots of benefits to make its products globally competitive and to increase the exports in both value and volume terms. Recent announcement of tax rebates through the scheme of RoSCTL is in fact aimed at achieving the target of 100 billion worth garment exports by 2024.
No wonder then, more and more openings await for aspiring fashion designing professionals in the garment export houses. These include jobs in the following categories:
1. Fashion Designing
2. Fashion Merchandising
3. Fashion Technology
4. Sample Coordinating
5. Pattern Making
6. Accessory Designing
7. Quality Controlling
8. Production Coordinating
A Fashion Designer possesses in-depth information about designs, fabrics and other technicalities associated with the production of a designer garment. While working with an export house, it is his/her job to follow the instructions of overseas clients and to design the clothes as per samples provided by them.
To meet the expectations of their clients, a Fashion Designer needs to have excellent command over design and production related aspects of a designer creation. Many a times, clients ask for a set of designs from export houses so as to select their choice from them. So, a fashion designer needs to be good at drawing and also at using various colours so as to communicate his or her design ideas emphatically.
Role of Merchandising in the apparel industry is complex and multifold with the main objective being to have the right product; at the right place, at the right time.
A Fashion Merchandiser working with an Export House deals with the Clients directly, make them understand high and unique points of designer creations and help them place an order with them. H/she then interacts with the Design and Production team to ensure timely delivery of the consignment.
A Fashion Technologist keep themselves abreast with latest technologies in the garment and textile industry in use across the globe and keep using the best suited in garment manufacturing units of export houses. Idea is not only to churn out garments as per specifications provided by the clients, but also ensure timely delivery and cutting the cost. They need to be well versed in the use of IT also as most of the clients used IT related tools to design and place their orders. They need to keep updating their knowledge about latest technologies in use also.
In manufacture of radymade garments a number of accessories are used to give it a designer and unique look. These include Chains, flaps, buttons, mettalic items etc. The job of an Accessory Designer working at an export house is to source such accessories as per the order received.
Sometimes, they have to get it manufactured also to meet the expectations of the clients. They have also to ensure that the accessories used in the garment remain within budget.
The job of a Pattern Maker working at an Export House is to develop and create pattern for the clothing items. Their role is crucial in the production of the final product as per the design specifications provided by the clients.
They are the people who translate sketch ideas into corresponding clothing patterns, grading the pattern as per the required garment sizes, conduct proper clothing fittings and provide inputs on appropriate machinery to be used. They need to be good at drafting and maths skills.
As a Sample Coordinator they are responsible for sourcing of fabrics/accessories as per the sample provided and to coordinate with design and production team to ensure that ultimate product meets the requirement.
They need to have basic knowledge of various process involved in making of a garment. They would also need to develop sample creations for buyers to choose from.
A Quality Controller has to ensure documentation of specifications required in the production of quality garments. In an Export House where whole consignment gets rejected by the buyers in case product fails to meet the expectations, roles and responsibilities of a Quality Controller is crucial. They ensure the quality is maintained at every stage of design and production.
A Production Coordinator keeps a strong vigil on the production team so as to ensure the production of garments as per specifications provided in the order and also timely delivery of the same. S/he needs to have in-depth knowledge of various processes involved in the production of garments.