Fashion. A Gateway to Every Person’s Personality. From the outfit you wear to the type of shoes you put on; everything acts as a factor that is out in the open left to be analyzed. With time the significance of fashion and the role it has played in the world as a whole has massively increased. A few decades ago, there was a particular set of clothes that people from different backgrounds would wear, but now, that scenario has completely gone out of the picture.  

Fashion has become a medium of expressing yourself, a medium to introspect and a medium to impact and impress.  

While all of this applies to consumers in the fashion design industry, the other side is a completely different scenario. It is an industry where lakhs of artists are constantly creating, competing and curating their identity and their art to find their audience and build a brand for themselves.  

What makes the fashion design industry stand out is that it needs the perfect balance of everything. Industry demands innovation, a cut-throat nature, and a knack for business which is why only a few people succeed in this industry, and a very small fraction of this population become a sign household name.  

One such story is that of Gabrielle Chanel. An inspiration to many. A name that is a sign of luxury and stature not just in this industry but all over the globe. What’s surprising is that Gabrielle’s story never started with luxury or stature.   

Coco Chanel moved to the town of Moulins at the age of 18. She was a talented seamstress and an even better singer. So, whenever she didn’t find herself sewing, she used to sing at cafes and the whole town grew to love her. She went on to build relationships with many influential people who ended up playing a great role in building her legacy. 

The first Chanel store opened up in 1909, and not even 4 years later she opened 2 more stores in Parisian streets that she had wandered so many years looking for a breakthrough. 2 became 4, 4 became 8 and the rest is history.  

Coco Chanel’s story is iconic and overwhelming, which begs the question, why did this one person stand out? How did she build a brand that outlived her and will probably outlive us? 

Comfort. Sure, Paris is and always will be known for its fashion sense, but where was the comfort? Coco saw this opportunity and she seized it. She started sewing clothes that were not only fashionable but were comfortable. She kept on innovating and making products that not just satisfied but overwhelmed her target audience. And that is how she built a brand that revolutionized the fashion industry for centuries to come. 

What do we take away from the story of Coco Chanel? What were the skills that made her a successful fashion designer? Here are a few skills, apart from the art of fashion designing that we picked up from this story.  

• Networking: Networking is a necessity when it comes to this profession. Chanel broke into the world of fashion because of her job as a singer in cafes. 
• Creativity: Chanel crossed the constraints of society and the stereotypes that were set in by the industry. She always thought out of the box and kept on innovating throughout her whole career.  
• Interpersonal skills: Communication is key. It is essential not only for networking but also to present your art and your personality to potential clients. 

Your Gateway to entering the fashion design industry is via getting into a fashion designing college.  

Why? Networking.  

The importance of a good fashion design college is that it helps you like-minded people who are equally dedicated to building a successful career. Apart from this, a good college guarantees that you get the necessary resources and teachers that will help you build a sharp skillset for your future.  

Some of the most reputed Fashion Designing Colleges in India are: 

1. National Institute of Fashion and Technology, Mumbai  

1. National Institute of Fashion and Technology, Delhi 

1. VIDM Institute of Design and Management, New Delhi 

1. School of Fashion Technology, Pune  

1. National Institute of Fashion and Technology, Kangra