Tips on How to Survive Cutthroat Competition: The fashion industry in India is booming to a phenomenal extent as there is a strong demand for fashion-forward clothing. The fashion industry is expanding at an exponential rate every day. Consumer behavior has undoubtedly changed significantly in the last year, as people sought refuge from the virus in their own houses and apartments, travel was restricted, and stores were closed around the world. The dominance of digital consumption, on the other hand, continued to grow in 2021.

To encourage customers to connect with the desired product line, businesses must create more engaging and intriguing social experiences. If you are the one who is about to start your career in the fashion industry or planning to pursue a fashion design course, read this life changing article on 5 Proven Tips on How to Survive Cutthroat Competition and Make your Mark in the Fashion Industry to keep you ahead in today’s game!

Due to changes in consumer spending patterns, technological transformation, and rising global economic integration, the fashion industry has already been catapulted into the midst of seismic shifts. In today’s technology-driven world, consumers are accustomed to getting what they want, when and where they want it, through the use of various apps. In fact, India saw the greatest absolute surge in the number of internet users over the last year. Social media use is growing at an annual rate of around 25%, with nearly 70% of users active on Instagram.

Social media is critical in introducing consumers to new fashion brands that are outside of the dominant grey market. Slowly, the fashion industry is coming to the realization that customer preferences have shifted over time, and they now prefer more environmentally sustainable goods.

The Fashion Industry is fluid and evolving, with trend lines changing and returning continually. This is the toughest challenge for Fashion Students. It is essential for students to stay ahead of the competition because surviving in an advanced industry is not for everyone, and so, in order to achieve success in the career, one must adopt all of the traits required to stand out.

Students who are currently pursuing and looking forward to pursuing a degree in fashion designing must always remember to cope with the stresses of the extreme conditions of the fashion industry’s challenges. If anyone is up for such challenges and has made up their mind to thrive for the best, then one can be stay assured of an extremely successful career ahead in this field.

Students must know how to use CAD (computer-aided design) software and also be familiar with any editing graphic design software, as well as expertise in 3D softwares like SketchUp and Autodesk that can help them enhance their design concepts, because today’s industry demands a talent who specializes in working with a 360-degree approach. Today’s technological solutions focus on providing opportunities for brands and businesses to conduct authentic, long-term business, engage audiences, and remain relevant.

When you are passionate about something, you can see mental images that come directly to your imagination. Ascertain your long-term and short-term viewpoints so that you really can maintain focus on where you need to go, how you want to operate, what strategy you need to accomplish your goal, and how you want to make an impact on your buyers and stand out from the competition.

It’s indeed pivotal to solicit customer feedback when expanding your brand and introducing a new collection to the world. Many fashion brands conduct surveys on a regular basis to learn about the preferences of their target consumers and to foresee the rise and fall of trends. They investigate everything from climate to colour preferences, social media trends, and so on, and the information gathered is used in predictive analytics. The data-driven strategy allows brands to run more efficiently by allowing them to innovate and balance supply and demand. Taking feedback and communicating with consumers encourages entrepreneurs to fine-tune their designs and customize their products.

The fashion industry is quite well known for its ability to create trends, and the industry is currently working on its most important trend “sustainability”. As the demand for a consumer-centric approach grows, many people throughout the world are becoming more and more conscious of what they consume. As per research findings, 88 percent of users would like to have brands to aid them and become much more ecologically responsible because they want to impose a positive impact on the environment.

The trend is something that flips easily because the fashion industry is extremely dynamic and it changes in the blink of an eye. Currently, fashion trends have become more simplified due to the global pandemic of COVID 19. Most fashion brands have toned down their styling even after the pandemic; clothing is likely to stay simple and comfortable. Students need to adapt to the changes and creatively make way for new trends to remain afloat where competition is cut-throat or nosebleed.

Pro Tip: Always keep track of potential trends and keep some ideas handy to bring them into reality as soon as the trend goes viral to prevent losing valuable time in ideation!

Fashion Designing at KR Mangalam University