Accessories are personal objects that relate functionally, conceptually, and aesthetically to people and their environment. To complete the perfect outfit, many people will often rely on the addition of accessories. These can include items such as jewelry, belts, shoes, scarves, hats, and handbags. In the fashion industry, ‘Accessory Design’ refers to the act of designing and creating these accessories.
Accessory Design at a Glance
The discipline has evolved in the following manner in the past decade :
- Accessories, once known as the stepchild of the fashion industry, are now widely acknowledged as the engine that drives sales. And their designers, who toiled anonymously in fashion’s back rooms, are claiming the spotlight — and the high-profile jobs that come with it.
- This trend originated with Ms. Giannini, who was appointed creative director of Gucci in 2006 after a stint designing Gucci accessories.
Accessory Designers perform the following tasks on a regular basis :
- Plan the aesthetics and functionality of different accessories
- After a design has been drawn, an accessory designer will often create a prototype.
- For instance, if the accessory in question is a traditional leather purse, they would create a pattern and sew pieces of leather together to make the purse.
The following skills are required to be successful as an Accessory Designer :
- Creativity
- Originality
- Artistic skills
- An eye for detail
- Knowledge of raw materials
- Visualisation skills
- Precision
- Knowledge about past, current, and future fashion trends
- Ability to predict what type of accessories consumers will find fashionable at the beginning of future fashion seasons
Accessory Design graduates have been able to carve a niche for themselves in traditional as well as emerging sectors of global fashion industry like :
- Jewellery
- Body gears
- Home Accessories
- Crafts & Furniture
- Footwear
Graduates have also been able to tap the potential of emerging markets such as :
- User Interface and Experience design
- Smart wearables
- Consumer Interface Design
Many Accessory Design graduates are successful entrepreneurs today. Specific Job roles for Accessory Designers include :
- Giftware Maker
- Visual Merchandiser
- Gemologist
- Designer Brand Manager
- Leather Goods Maker
- Footwear Designer
- Handicrafts & Lifestyle Products Maker
Personalities to Follow :
- Amrita Singh
- Jennifer Meyer
- Elsa Peretti
- Todd Reed
- Farah Khan Ali
- Charlotte Chesnais
- Chloe Gosselin
Associations to Follow :
- Chanel
- Dior
- Gucci
- Hush Puppies
- Nautica
- XOXO
- Ellen Tracy
Links to Follow :
- https://gemgossip.com/
- https://diamondsinthelibrary.com/
- http://www.wendybrandes.com/blog/
- http://www.thecarrotbox.com/store/index.asp
- http://thejewelryloupe.com/
- https://www.gemobsessed.com/
- http://friendinfashion.com.au/
Following are the best Companies/Studios for Accessory Designing in India :
- Gitanjali Jewelry
- VIP Luggage
- Tanishq
- Pantaloons
- Titan
- ITC Wills Lifestyle
- Frazer & Haws
- Adidas
- Snapdeal
- Caratlane
- Jabong
- Flipkart
- Amazon, etc
