How to become an Accessory Designer

Accessory designer creates the aesthetics and work on the functionality of the accessories such as jewelry, belts, shoes, scarves, hats, handbags etc. Accessories are highly utilized to complete and enhance the outfits. With increasing preferences and customization demands for outfits to match the occasion and personality, accessory designers are on demand. Research is the first step in accessory design. Designers analyse current trends and forecast what will be popular in the coming seasons. They choose colours, fabrics, and shapes for their accessories based on trend reports.

Accessory designers may create patterns, sew samples, and participate in all stages of design, depending on their specialisation and place of employment. Candidates may pursue a career in fashion design, fashion merchandising, or accessory design. To showcase their best work, aspiring accessory designers must create a portfolio. Many programmes require or recommend an internship, and interning at a fashion house or design studio can be beneficial. Accessory designers must be well-versed in design concepts, as well as be able to sketch effectively, understand textiles, and read market trends.

Types of a Accessory Designer:

Accessory designers can be categorized into different types based on their specialization and area of focus. Here are some examples:

• Jewellery Designers: They specialize in creating various types of jewellery, such as necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings, and more.
• Handbag Designers: Their focus lies in designing different styles of handbags, including clutches, totes, backpacks, and messenger bags.
• Footwear Designers: These designers craft fashionable and functional shoes, ranging from sandals and heels to boots and sneakers.
• Hat Designers: They specialize in creating hats of various types, such as fedoras, berets, sun hats, beanies, and other headwear accessories.
• Eyewear Designers: Their expertise lies in designing sunglasses, prescription glasses, and other eyewear styles, considering fashion and functionality.
• Hair Accessory Designers: They create various hair accessories, including headbands, hair clips, barrettes, and hairpins.

These are just a few examples, as accessory designers can have diverse specializations based on their creative interests and market demands.

The roles and responsibilities of Accessroy designer includes:

• To have a strong awareness of the brand history, ERDEM aesthetic and seasonal direction
• To do research into the creative brief with or without team
• To understand and work within the assigned product range plan 
• To create and present sketches on various category ranges to Creative Director
• To work  with Development team.
• To resolving design specifications and queries inclusive of fabric development for footwear
• To provide general assistance for indept required projects

Designing lifestyle accessories is not an easy task. If a person wishes to become a successful accessory designer, he or she must possess a number of skills. Aside from design skills, the individual must have a good eye for detail, knowledge of current trends, tailoring skills, and an exceptional understanding of colours. The first thing they should know about how to become an accessory designer is the skills required to become an accessory designer.

Some of the necessary skills are listed below:

Eye for Detail: The job of an accessory designer necessitates that the individual be detail-oriented, as their creations should ideally have extremely fine details. These particulars will help the accessory stand out from the crowd. A keen observation skill is required to have an eye for detail. As a result, an accessory designer must also be a keen observer.

Excellent Designing Skills: It goes without saying that an accessory designer should be able to create beautiful designs. The ability to create something tangible from a sketch necessitates excellent design skills. Individuals who pursue a career as accessory designers may have an idea and an understanding of the market and human behaviour, but if that idea is not translated into something tangible, it is useless and defeats the purpose entirely. To put it another way, in order to be successful in product popularity, one must have excellent designing skills.

Knowledge of Accessory Trends: No matter how beautiful the creation or accessory is, it will not benefit the accessory designer if it is not popular or liked by the target audience. Individuals interested in pursuing a career as an accessory designer must be well-versed in the latest accessory trends. It is critical for the designer to tap into these trends and create something that customers will like and purchase. It is the responsibility of accessory designers to keep up with the latest fashion trends in order to satisfy customers.

Sewing, Cutting, and Stitching: Because accessory designers frequently work with fabric and textiles that require sewing, cutting, and stitching, it is critical for them to master these skills. A bad cut here and a sloppy stitch there can make a huge difference in the overall design and make it stand out like a sore thumb. The technical skills of an accessory designer, such as sewing, cutting, and stitching, complement the designer's creative abilities and will help the designer reach new heights.

Understanding Color Theory: Fashion is all about being colourful. The right colour combination will either help to make the dress and accessory look vibrant or will make them stand out like a sore thumb. Knowing colour theory allows accessory designers to use the right colours on their creations, which enhances the look of the dress.

Business Sense: Many accessory designers work as freelancers or own their own studios. As a result, it is critical that they have a keen business sense. To make a name in the fashion industry, it is necessary to have a thorough understanding of important business aspects such as finance, sales, and marketing. Although creativity is important in the fashion industry, if individuals who choose a career as accessory designers do not have good business sense, he or she will eventually close the shop. It may come as a surprise (or not), but the majority of talented designers go bankrupt or have to close their practise due to a lack of business sense.

Competitive Spirit: It is critical for a fashion designer to constantly create innovative designs that will become trends. It is necessary to be fiercely competitive in order to instil this. A competitive spirit will encourage the designer to create unique, inventive, and trendy designs. It is critical for a designer to stay motivated at all times. An accessory designer will never be able to create something unique if they lack motivation.

Salary of an Accessory Designer depends largely upon their institute or university from which the degree is attained, academic qualification and the level of work experience they have achieved. The annual start salary of Accessory designer from prestigious institutes is in between 3 to 5 lacs. With some good experience Accessory designer can earn between 5 to 8 lacs.

To enroll into an Accessory Designing course, it is essential for the aspiring candidate to clear entrance exams conducted by various educational institutes. Most widely conducted entrance exams are NIFT Entrance/AIEED/FDDI-AIST/UCEED.

• Fashion Houses
• Designer Stores
• Freelancers
• TV & Production Houses
• Studios
• Jewellery Houses
• High-End Fashion Labels