Difference Between Fashion Designer and Fashion Stylist: With the upscaling of the fashion industry in current years, fashion designer fields are growing at a roaring pace. The two main fields that stand out are fashion designers and fashion stylists. Fashion designers are responsible for creating clothing, accessories, and footwear, focusing on aesthetics and functionality. On the other hand, a fashion stylist selects and assembles outfits for clients, using existing garments to convey specific styles or themes.
While a fashion designer sets the trends and crafts garments from concept to production, a fashion stylist studies the trends and assembles them as per the likeness of his/her clients. Both roles require a deep understanding of fashion trends and aesthetics, but they differ significantly in their responsibilities and creative focus.
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What is Fashion Designing?
A fashion designer follows and researches the trends in the fashion industry and combines aesthetic clothing, accessories, and footwear. Fashion designers translate creative concepts into tangible designs using sketching, pattern making, and garment construction. They gain a deep understanding of the materials by studying and infuse them into clothing or accessories that reflect personal style and cultural context.
What is Fashion Styling?
A fashion stylist combines clothing, accessories, and makeup to create visually appealing and harmonious styles. Fashion stylists select and assemble garments to reflect a theme or image, often for brands or individuals. They study the latest trends around color, texture, and proportion for creating cohesive looks.
Fashion Designer vs Fashion Stylist Skills Required
The difference between a fashion designer and fashion stylist lies in their skills. Some of the differentiating skills are tabulated below that make their fields unique and distinctive.
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Fashion Designer vs Fashion Stylist Skills Required
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Fashion Designer
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Fashion Stylist
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Imaginative and Artistic
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Aware of the latest trends
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Ability to work under tight deadlines
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Creative Art Skills
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Goal-Oriented
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Good Communication Skills
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Reliance
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Excellent Interpersonal Skills
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Developed business acumen
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Fashion-conscious
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Innovative and original
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Good understanding of colours, textures, and shades
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Meticulous in details
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Understanding clients’ requirements and needs
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Persuasive
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Good problem-solving skills
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Adaptability
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Friendly
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Fashion Understanding
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Good time-management skills
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Have sound market analysis
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Product Knowledge and Aesthetics
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Ability to deliver what is desired
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Understanding of new merchandise techniques
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How to Become a Fashion Designer or Fashion Stylist?
Despite being different professions, fashion designing and styling have the same fundamentals. To put a foot in the door, both of them have to graduate in design courses from design institutes or colleges. The eligibility or admission requirements can differ depending on the design course that you choose. To become a fashion designer or fashion stylist, some common steps are as follows.
- Enroll in a Design Course: To step into any design careers, candidates first need to enroll themselves in a design course as per their inkling.
- Get Experience: Participate in internships and workshops held in the colleges to gain experience and knowledge of the design industry.
- Recognized University: Pursuing UG and PG design courses from reputed design colleges such as NIFt Delhi or Mumbai can land up immense opportunities.
- Create a Portfolio: Create a portfolio showcasing your styling work and skills to attract job opportunities after graduation.
Fashion Designer vs Fashion Stylist Courses
Fashion design courses focus on creating garments, covering topics like sketching, pattern making, and textile knowledge. In contrast, fashion styling courses emphasize assembling outfits, understanding trends, and visualizing styles. The courses that candidates can follow to become a fashion designer and fashion stylist.
Courses for Fashion Designer
The following table mentions the courses for becoming a Fashion Designer.
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Courses for Fashion Designer
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Course Name
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Course Duration
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B.Des in Fashion Design
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4 years
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B.Des in Textile Design
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4 years
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B.A. in Fashion Design
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3 years
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B.A. in Textile Design
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3 years
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Certificate in Textile for Fashion
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8-12 months
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Certificate in Pattern Making & Garment Construction
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6-12 months
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Certificate in Fashion Designing
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12-18 months
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Certificate in Pattern Design
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6-12 months
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M.Des in Fashion Design
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2 years
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M.Des in Textile Design
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2 years
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Diploma in Fashion Design
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1 year
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Master of Fashion Management (M.F.M.)
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2 years
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Master of Fashion Technology (M.F.Tech)
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2 years
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Courses for Fashion Stylist
Candidates can follow any one the given courses as per their preference to become a Fashion Stylist.
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Courses for Fashion Stylist
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Course Name
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Course Duration
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B.Des in Fashion Design
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4 years
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B.Des in Textile Design
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4 years
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B.A. in Fashion Design
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3 years
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B.A. in Textile Design
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3 years
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Certificate in Textile for Fashion
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8-12 months
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Certificate in Pattern Making & Garment Construction
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6-12 months
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Certificate in Fashion Designing
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12-18 months
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Certificate in Pattern Design
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6-12 months
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M.Des in Fashion Design
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2 years
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M.Des in Textile Design
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2 years
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Diploma in Fashion Design
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1 year
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Advanced Diploma in Apparel and Textile Design
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1 - 2 years
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Colleges to Become a Fashion Designer or Fashion Stylist
India has a vibrant and growing fashion industry, and aspiring fashion designers and stylists can pursue various specialized courses to build their careers. Numerous renowned colleges across the country offer undergraduate, postgraduate, and diploma programs in fashion design, styling, and related fields. Some of these colleges are as follows.
- International Institute of Fashion Design (NIFT), Bangalore
- Amity School of Fashion Technology (ASFT), Noida
- J D Institute of Fashion Technology (JDIFT), Delhi
- Lovely Professional University (LPU), Punjab
- NIFT Campuses including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, etc
- NID Ahmedabad
