Career in Leather Designing can open the doors of amazing world for you to be a part of glamorous fashion industry and the beautiful leather world.

In my previous articles, when I wrote about the career of Pastry Chef and the career in Web Designing, I got some e-mails to give the details about career in Leather Designing.

On the request of my beloved readers, today I decided to write about the leather world and the emerging career in leather designing.

What is Leather Designing ?

Leather designing and leather technology is a rapidly growing career sector. Many times, leather designing is considered as a part of fashion industry as well as leather designing is absolutely an independent career sector.

Few years ago, people worked in leather industry on the basis of their experience but now proper education, i.e. certificate course, degree and diploma courses are available in leather designing and leather technology.

Operations performed in a leather industry can be categorized in mainly two areas:-

1. Processing of raw leather to finished leather so that it can use for manufacturing goods and apparels.
2. Designing, manufacturing and marketing of leather products.

Presenting new designs and new range of leather wear (both leather goods and leather apparels) is leather designing.

It includes a wide range of leather wears, i.e. jackets, gloves, hats, belts, footwear etc. and other leather goods i.e. wallet, purses, bags, musical instruments, gift items, upholstery, leather covers for many households and electronic equipment etc.

Now a days, customer have huge choice because of wide range offered in leather market by multinational companies due to globalization. This leads the market more demanding and fast changing in taste.

To meet the market demand and satisfy the customers, every manufacturing organization of leather industry trying best to present new designs in leather wear regularly.

This is the reason that the high tech professionals and good designers are required in the field of leather designing.

Duties and Responsibilities of Leather Designing Professionals

As the leather designing career option is newly emerging career option, so people are not well versed with the duties and responsibilities in leather designing profession.

In order to understand the nature of work, duties and responsibilities of a leather designing professional; we can compare it with garment designing. Basic designing of any leather good or apparel on paper or computer is the first step of leather designing work.

Then after, pattern making, leather cutting, coloring and dyeing, padding, stitching, pasting, buffing, ironing, polishing are the main tasks to be done by a leather designing professional to shape a final product on the basis of his design.

Visiting fashion shows, leather exhibitions, collecting samples are also the activities come under the duties and responsibilities of a leather designer and it helps a leather designer to be up-date.

Skills Required for Leather Designing

Technical skills required for a successful career in leather designing are:

1. Designing skills.
2. Good numerical skills.
3. Sound knowledge of computer aided designing software.
4. Knowledge of environmental standards govern by domestic and international laws.

General skills required for a successful career in leather designing are:

1. Strong planning ability
2. Team work skills
3. Communication skills
4. Commitment
5. Dedication
6. Good health and stamina, because lot of physical work always involved in leather industry.

Salary Package in Leather Designing

As per general survey of BLS, average salary in Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing in year 2012 was between $22,000 and $1,81,000 depends on the education, skills, experience, position and geographical location.

Educational Courses for Leather Designing

Different courses are available for leather designing across the world. These courses are of different levels and different time duration.

1. Certificate program in leather designing, eligibility for which is 10th class.
2. Diploma in leather designing, eligibility for which is class 10 or equivalent.
3. B.Sc. in leather designing, eligibility for which is class 10+2 or equivalent.
4. PG Diploma in footwear science, eligibility for which is B.Sc. in leather designing.

Career Prospects in Leather Designing

Leather designing is a lucrative career option in today’s world. Both domestic and international companies are seeking for high tech and well trained leather designers due to leather products become a part of fashion industry.

Frequent and rapid progression is there on the basis of experience and performance. A leather designer can also work as a freelancer as well as can start the own business.

Following are the examples of jobs in leather designing:

1. LF USA
2. Job at Fossil

Author: Sameer Goyal

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