What is fashion communication ? Fashion communication is a domain which involves itself with the communication of fashion and lifestyle. This can take various forms such as communication design, branding for a fashion label, public relations, fashion journalism, advertisement, styling or visual merchandising and art direction. Fashion is not only about the design and making of clothing and accessories, it supports an ecosystem of other collaborative areas of working which make the practice of fashion design possible. A field that is relatively new in India and finding its footing, fashion communication in India supports the working of the fashion and lifestyle business.

Fashion advertisement involves photography, styling, graphic design and art direction

As the world is witnessing the emergence of new fashion brands and businesses everyday, it is fashion communication that makes them stand apart and enhance their individuality. By bringing the identity of the brand to life, fashion communication supports the fashion business by means of fashion advertisement, fashion styling, graphic design of any visual representation as well as packaging, press release and visual and verbal communication. In order to work in fashion communication, one needs to have skills in creative, technical fields relating to their area of interest, although proficiency in digital tools and writing is an advantage. Fashion communication has evolved itself over the years due to digital as well as technical advancement and its practice has been recognised more than ever in a consumerist world that is saturated with products, images and communication.

With the current situation imposed by the pandemic, consumers have been able to identify and differentiate essential products from wants. This has seen a decline in their spending pattern and fashion and lifestyle products have not been experiencing the same levels of demand and supply as they had been witnessing earlier. This has accelerated the importance of fashion communication in promoting the need in consumers to buy their products, to advertise in such a way that it creates desire in them and come up with strategies to publicise their products. The adaptation of the world to the new reality has augmented the importance of fashion communication and more people are familiar with what is fashion communication. It has enabled people to appreciate its role and presence as an agent of capturing the cognitive mechanisms of the consumers.

What is fashion communication is a question that many who are entering into fashion ask. Fashion communication is witnessing a transformation in its practice. With the conditions imposed by the pandemic, it is continuing to adapt to new ways of working, and has provided it an opportunity to explore new ways of practising its field. An individual aspiring to working within the fashion communication industry can find work as a fashion journalist or writer, visual merchandiser, stylist, photographer, public relations, marketing, brand strategies, graphic designer or a freelancer, although these fields overlap among themselves. The transformation of the world to a more digitally-equipped reality is opening up new career opportunities in fashion communication such as fashion artificial intelligence and virtual reality, contributing to its progression. Fashion communication in India is gaining momentum as it is witnessing more buying and spending power in its population. JD Institute of Fashion Technology, Bengaluru’s M.A. in Fashion Communication as well as its P.G. Diploma in Fashion Communication is a two year program that aims to develop students with the capability and the capacity to innovate, and expand the scope and potential of the field of fashion communication through various industry exposure programs as well as through the development of relevant skills to be pioneers of tomorrow.