Accessory designers design a range of products that compliment the fashion image such as costume and precious jewelry, leather accessories, footwear, gift products, watches, crafts and lifestyle items, hair accessories etc.
Job Profile
- Accessory designers work very much like fashion designers. Before creating a design for an accessory they carry out detailed research of the accessory they are required to work upon.
- They use their creativity to design accessories and make sample pieces. Contemporary accessory designers draw upon traditional craft for creating new and attractive designs for fashion conscious clients.
- They present their design pieces for marketing.
- Jewellery designers create new designs for gold, silver and precious metal jewellery.
- Gemmologists are experts in assessing the quality, value and use of gems for jewellery making. They are experts in grading, sorting and setting of gems in various metals.
- The job involves everything from casting and moulding to identifying and experimenting on different gemstones and jewellery.
- Accessories are of many kinds. The work environment, hence, may be influenced by the nature of raw materials being used.
- Shoe and leather accessory designers work with leather or other tough materials, while jewellery designers work with precious metals.
- Studio or workshop layout is planned to suit the nature of work.
- While researching considerable travel is involved.
Skills required
- Creativity
- Good observation
- Meticulous and precise approach
- Precision
- Eye for detail
- Fashion awareness
- Ability to visualise and project designs on paper
Employment Opportunities
As with most creative fields, new entrants begin as apprentices. Later on they may work with jewellery houses or freelance. Large exporters employ designers or select designs from eminent freelancers. Branded and designer jewellery offers openings for dealership. Leather designers work with leather based industries such as shoe manufacturers etc. In the traditional studio-based design sector, crafts people have been working to prepare each article individually. Their work is sold through local outlets, at tourist destinations, emporias and through craft melas.
Recruiting Companies
- Bholasons Jewellers
- Carbon
- D Damas
- Frazer
- Gitanjali Jewellery Pvt Ltd
- Haws
- Hidesign
- ITC Wills Lifestyle
- Li & Fung
- Liberty Shoes Ltd
- Magpie
- Michael Aram
- Pantaloon
- Ravisaant
- Swarovski
- Tanishq
- Tiffany
- Titan
- VIP Luggage
How do I get there?
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Std XII
Stream: Any
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Diploma/Degree
Accessory Designing (3-4 yrs)
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Goal
Accessory Designer
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Std XII
Stream:Any
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Diploma
Jewellery Design
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Goal
JewelleryAccessory
Designer
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Std XII
Stream: Any
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Diploma
Leather Design
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Goal
Leather Accessory
Designer
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Std XII
Stream:Any
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Diploma
Gemmology
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Goal
Gemmologist&
jewellery desi…
Courses in jewellery designing are both short and long duration. The accessory design course at NIFT focuses on designing of precious and costume jewellery and other accessories in a 4-year full time course for school leavers. Admission is done through a written test, group discussion and situational test.
Where to study?
Prestigious Institutes in India
Offering Gemology Courses
- Gemmological Institute of India (GII Mumbai)
- Indian Diamond Institute
- St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai
- Jhaveri Centre for Diamond Technology, Mumbai
- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Centre of Jewellery Design & Manufacturing (SVJDM), Surat
- Shri Bhagubhai Mafatlal Polytechnic, Mumbai
- Sindhar Institute of Gemology, Kolkata
- Small Industries Service Institute, Ranchi
Offering Jewellery/ Accessory Design Courses
- JD Institute of Fashion Technology (Pitampura)
- National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT Delhi)
- Aalisha Polytechnic, Delhi
- Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council, Mumbai
- Lisa Institute of Fashion Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi
- Srimati Nathibai Damodar Training (SNDT) Women’s University, Mumbai
- University of Kolkata, Kolkata
