Fashion & Apparel Engineering

Looking to pursue a course in fashion design but want to stand apart from the crowd? Do not fret because now you have institutes that have come up with a course wherein you can become a – Fashion Engineer.

Yes, that’s right, it is an Engineering + Fashion Designing course which has been formulated because it is felt that the fashion industry has truly transformed into a global industry. Today, fashion designers, clothing manufacturers, fashion merchandisers and retailers from all corners of the globe work together to come up with new styles and designs of clothing, shoes and accessories which would appeal to all age-groups and market demand. Because of this, fashion engineering is considered as a great field to work in. Just do not confuse it to be a replica of fashion designing.

Fashion Designing v/s Fashion Engineering:

•Although the two streams are similar but they have a clear distinction in the way they operate. While fashion designers are known to possess creative and artistic approach towards their work, fashion engineers are professionals who attempt to design clothes that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

•The job of a fashion designer is restricted to designing new clothes, shoes and so on, whereas, fashion engineers are more exposed to technical aspects of the job. A fashion engineer applies engineering principles in design and manufacturing of textiles and fibre products as well as designing machinery, equipments and tools used in the fashion & textile industry.

•The job profile of a fashion engineer is not restricted to a particular aspect in fashion. They deal with diverse applications of science in design, production and maintenance of textile products. They research and analyse the changes in lifestyle of individuals around the world to develop new trends in fashion designing.

Fashion & Apparel Engineering: USPs

•           It is a degree course not a diploma course (B. Tech degree)

•           Practical learning exposure and industrial visits

•           One can apply for any government job after pursuing it

Broad Areas Covered

The mainstream of Fashion & Apparel Engineering covers the following areas of study-

Fibre Specialization- Textile Raw materials for fabrics & Garments, like Cotton, Wool, Linen, Synthetic fibres and filaments, Polyester, Nylon, Lycra, Hi-tech fibres, like Aramid, Nomex, Carbon, etc.

Yarn Specialization-Yarn formation processes(Conventional and modern), Yarn Numbering Systems, Fancy Yarns, Yarn Quality, Texturising, Ring Spun Yarn, Rotor, Air-Jet, DREF, Friction, Compact Spinning, Filament production, Short-staple, Long-Staple spinning, worsted spinning, Sewing threads, etc.  

Fabric Specialization– Woven fabrics like Plain, Twill, Satin, Towelling, Velvet, etc., Knitted fabrics- Single Jersey, Double Jersey, Pique, Fleece, Velour, etc. Nonwoven, Braided, Crtotchet Fabrics, narrow fabrics, lining & Interlinings production, Fabric structure analysis, Use of Traditional & Modern techniques for

Textile manufacturing

Textile Chemical Processing Specialization–Dyeing, Printing, Finishing, Preparatory Wet Processing like Scouring, Bleaching, Mercerising, Singeing, etc. Garment Dyeing and Finishing, etc.  

Fashion& Designing-Traditional and Heritage embroideries, Fashion hand

Sketching, Color concepts& Design, Design Ideas & Illustration, Apparel Designing, Home Fashion

Garments & Accessories- Garment production Techniques & Garment production Machines, Pattern making and grading, Apparel Construction, Fashion accessories designing and technical know-how. Automatic garment production processes.

Export House Management-Planning & Scheduling, Merchandising, Finance &

Computerized designing- Fashion designing (with Corel Draw, Photoshop, Adobe illustrator, Garment designing (with commercial software as Lectra, Optitex, Tukatech, Richpiece)

Textile & Garment surface designing-Hand Painting, Printing (Block, Screen, Stencil etc.), Dyeing (Batik & Tie-Dye)

Textile & Garment Quality Assurance- Textile and Garment Testing, Quality evaluation of textile material and garments, Textile and Garment Costing, etc.

Professional Opportunities:

Employment: After pursuing fashion and apparel engineering one can easily pursue a career in the below mentioned job profiles:

•           Fashion designers

•           Fashion consultants

•           Fashion choreographer

•           Garments export house workers/managers

•           Accessories designers

•           Media & Fashion journalism

•           Modeling

•           Fashion Illustrators

•           Masters in pattern making

•           Quality control managers

•           Supply chain management

•           Sketching Assistants

•           Apparel Production workers

•           Visual merchandiser

•           Portfolio designer

•           Academics/ lecturer

Entrepreneur/ Self Employment: After pursuing fashion and apparel engineering one can start his own business in any small or big city.

Major Recruiters:

•           Adidas

•           Armani

•           Arvind Mills

•           Biba

•           Calvin Klein

•           Creative Dyeing & Printing

•           Dior

•           Lilliput

•           Zara

•           Puma

•           Raymond

•           Shahi exports

•           Pepe jeans

•           Mufti

•           Madhura garments

•           Beebay and many more.