Accessory design incorporates mainly designing of all leather goods, jewellery and embellishments including handbags, shoes, belts, hosiery, hair accessories etc to accompany garments that complete the fashion image.
Std XII Stream: Science, Commerce, Humanities/Arts
Academic Difficulty : Low
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.
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. Gemologists work as diamond and gem exporters, dealers, graders, assorters, home jewellery store owners, brokers & distributors, gem consultants, appraisers, valuers, jewellery designers, bench jewellers, jewellery photographers, and also with police and customs, mining firms etc. Many gemologists work in gem therapy. There are jobs with grading and certification laboratories and in gem testing. Gem sorting and marketing, gem shaping, inlay work, engraving are other options. With a boom in jewellery exports, the opportunities in trading have increased. Branded and designer jewellery offers openings for dealership and have given good options to designers. 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.