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Fashion Designer

Design clothing and collections, from sketches and fabric choices to running your own label or brand.

Stream
FA / Humanities
First salary
PKR 43,000 – 82,000 a month
Field
Design
Facts checked
26 Sept 2026

About

Fashion designers create clothing, accessories and collections. They sketch ideas, select fabrics, follow trends, work with tailors and manufacturers, and may design for brands, export houses, TV and bridal wear, or run their own boutique label. In Pakistan the industry spans lawn and pret brands, bridal couture, and textile exports.

A day in the life

  1. 1Sketch new designs and build mood boards for the season
  2. 2Choose fabrics and colours with the sourcing team
  3. 3Meet tailors or the production unit to check samples and fits
  4. 4Review sales data and customer feedback on current designs
  5. 5Coordinate photoshoots, lookbooks or runway preparations
  6. 6Handle client fittings if you run your own label

Is this for you

You'll likely enjoy it if

  • You love drawing, colours and fabrics
  • You notice cuts, styles and trends everywhere you go
  • You can handle criticism of your creative work
  • You enjoy managing people and deadlines
  • You want to eventually run your own brand

The hard parts, honestly

  • Starting salaries are modest and the first years mean long hours on samples
  • Income is uneven if you freelance or run a boutique
  • Deadlines before Eid and wedding seasons are intense
  • Success depends heavily on networking and visibility

Stream to choose

FA / HumanitiesFSc Pre-Medical also worksFSc Pre-Engineering also worksICS also worksI.Com also works

Subjects that matter most: Art and Design, Home Economics, English, Urdu, Mathematics

FA/Humanities with Art is the classic route, but any Matric stream works — design schools accept FSc Pre-Medical, Pre-Engineering and ICS students too. A portfolio and the institute's own aptitude test or interview matter more than your stream.

Salary in Pakistan

  1. Fresh designer (0–2 years)

    PKR 43,000 – 82,000/ month

    Salary Fashion Designer, Pattern Cutter - Pakistan · checked 26 Sept 2026

All figures in PKR per month, from the sources shown.

Where to study

Public universities3

  • National College of Arts (NCA)

    Lahore · BFA / Textile and Fashion-related programmes

    nca.edu.pk

  • University of Home Economics

    Lahore · BS Fashion Design / Textile and Clothing

    uhe.edu.pk

  • University of Karachi

    Karachi · BS Textile / Home Economics related programmes

    uok.edu.pk

Private universities2

  • Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture

    Karachi · BS Textile and Fashion Design

    indusvalley.edu.pk

  • Beaconhouse National University (BNU)

    Lahore · BFA Fashion Design, School of Visual Art and Design

    bnu.edu.pk

Abroad1

  • Istituto Marangoni / Central Saint Martins and similar

    London / Milan / Paris · BA Fashion Design

    istitutomarangoni.com

Future outlook

Pakistan's fashion and textile sector is one of the country's largest industries, and local brands keep expanding into e-commerce and exports, so design roles keep opening. Competition is stiff at the top, but designers who build a distinct style and a social media following can grow fast. Many designers eventually freelance or launch their own label, where income depends on the brand rather than a salary.

Growing fast

  • E-commerce and D2C clothing brands
  • Lawn and pret seasonal collections
  • Modest fashion and abaya lines
  • Bridal and occasion wear
  • Textile export design (knitwear, home textiles)
  • Fashion content creation and styling

Working abroad

Pakistani designers work in Dubai, the Gulf, UK and North America, especially in South Asian bridal and occasion wear. A strong portfolio and internships abroad open doors, but most start by building experience at home first.

Your roadmap

Class 9–10 for future fashion designers: build drawing, fabric sense and a portfolio habit now — your Matric marks and sketchbook matter more than your stream.

Milestones

  1. Class 9, first term

    Set up a daily sketchbook habit

    One page a day: figures, clothing, fabric studies, or copies of designs you admire. Date every page — this becomes the backbone of your portfolio.

  2. Class 9, by year end

    Enter at least one art competition or exhibition

    Any school, local or national art competition. The goal is a portfolio entry and experience showing work, not winning.

  3. Class 9–10

    Learn basic sewing or embroidery from a real source

    Complete one small finished item — a tote bag, cushion cover or simple kurta — with help from a tailor, teacher or free tutorials.

  4. Class 10, spring lawn season

    Visit a fabric market and a lawn exhibition

    See fabric grades, prices and prints first-hand during the spring lawn launch season. Note what you observe in your sketchbook.

  5. Spring, Class 10

    Sit the Matric/O Level board exams with 75%+ target

    These marks feed design school eligibility, scholarships and college admission. Prepare steadily from the start of Class 10, not in the last months.

  6. Class 10, after board exams

    Choose your Intermediate stream

    Decide between FA (Humanities) with Art, FSc Pre-Medical, Pre-Engineering, ICS, I.Com or A Level subjects. All routes reach design school — pick where you'll score highest and which college suits your family. Submit college applications before deadlines.

What to focus on

  • Keep your overall Matric/O Level marks strongClass 9 and 10, throughout

    Design schools like NCA, Indus Valley and BNU look at your Matric and Intermediate marks as part of admission, and some employers and scholarships ask for them later. Aim for 75%+ so doors stay open. English matters especially: design school interviews, portfolio write-ups and the industry all run in English.

  • Make art a daily subject, not a hobbyStart in Class 9

    Your admission will be decided by a portfolio and the institute's own aptitude test or interview — not by your stream. So FA/Humanities with Art is the classic route, but Pre-Medical, Pre-Engineering, ICS or I.Com students get in too. What separates candidates is a sketchbook full of practice: figure drawing, clothing sketches, colour work.

  • Start learning fabric and the local industryClass 9–10

    Pakistani fashion runs on lawn, pret, bridal couture and textile exports. Visit fabric markets (like Azam Cloth Market in Lahore or Bolton Market in Karachi), study lawn collection launches each spring, and notice stitching, prints and embroidery. This vocabulary will feed your portfolio and interviews later.

  • Decide your Intermediate stream by Class 10Class 10, before board results

    The big decision ahead: FA (Humanities) with Art and Home Economics is the classic designer route, but FSc Pre-Medical, Pre-Engineering, ICS, I.Com or A Level subjects all work — design schools accept every stream. Choose based on your marks, your family's comfort, and which subjects you can score well in, because those Intermediate marks will count in admission.

Tests and deadlines

  • Matric or O Level board examsSpring, Class 10

    Your board exams (FBISE, Punjab, Sindh, KPK, Balochistan, AKU-EB boards, or Cambridge O Level) come in spring of Class 10. These marks count for design school admission eligibility, scholarships, and your Intermediate college application. There is no MDCAT, ECAT or entry test for you yet — design institutes test you at admission time after Intermediate.

Skills to build

  • Fashion sketching and figure drawingDaily from Class 9

    The single most important skill for your portfolio. Practice the fashion figure (croquis), clothing details, and daily-object sketching. Free learning: YouTube channels like 'Zoey's Fashion World' and 'Fashion Angel' for croquis tutorials, plus 'Draw with Jazza' for general drawing fundamentals.

  • Colour theory and renderingClass 9–10

    Learn how colours work together and how to render fabric — flat cotton lawn vs silk vs denim — with pencils and watercolours. Free learning: YouTube 'colour theory for beginners' playlists and Proko's free drawing basics videos.

  • Basic sewing and hand embroideryClass 9–10

    Understanding how a kurta or shirt is actually cut and stitched makes your designs realistic. Learn from a family tailor, a home economics teacher, or free YouTube channels like 'Made to Sew' and 'With Wendy' for beginners.

  • Digital drawing basicsClass 10

    Free tools like Krita or Ibis Paint on a phone/tablet let you digitise sketches — useful for a modern portfolio. Free learning: Krita's official YouTube tutorials and 'Digital Art for Beginners' playlists on YouTube.

  • English communicationClass 9–10

    Design school interviews, portfolio statements and the industry run in English. Read fashion content in English, write one-line descriptions of your sketches. Free learning: BBC Learning English website and YouTube.

Competitions

  • Poster and art competitionsClass 9–10

    School-level and national poster/art competitions (Lions Club poster contests, Pakistan Day and Independence Day art competitions, school art exhibitions) build your portfolio and confidence. Ask your art teacher what's open in your city each year.

  • Young artists' exhibitions and craft bazaarsClass 9–10

    Local art councils, Alhamra Arts Council (Lahore), Arts Council Karachi, and school/college craft exhibitions sometimes hold young artists' categories. Even one displayed piece is a portfolio line and a first taste of showing work publicly.

People to know

Most first jobs and internships come through people. Start early, and keep it simple.

  • Follow Pakistani designers and brands closely

    Follow designers like Hassan Sheheryar Yasin (HSY), Maria B, Nida Azwer and brands like Khaadi, Gul Ahmed and Sapphire on Instagram. Study their collection launches — especially the spring/summer lawn drops — and note silhouettes, prints and styling. This builds the industry vocabulary you'll use in interviews.

  • Join your school's art club or society

    If your school has an art society, literary society or drama club (costume work counts!), join and take responsibility for posters, sets or displays. If none exists, ask an art teacher to start one — being a founder is a strong portfolio and CV line.

  • Find a mentor in art or fashion

    Ask a school art teacher, a family friend who sews or designs, or a local boutique owner if you can watch, ask questions or help occasionally. One real conversation with someone in the trade teaches more than months of guessing.

  • Start a simple portfolio habit

    Keep every good sketch, competition entry and craft piece in one folder or Instagram account. Photograph work properly in daylight. By Intermediate you'll have a ready portfolio for NCA, Indus Valley and BNU applications — and a visible record mentors can see.

What it costs

Government school Matric is nearly free (a few thousand PKR a year); private schools charge roughly PKR 2,000–15,000 per month. O Level schools cost more, roughly PKR 10,000–40,000 per month. Art supplies (sketchbooks, pencils, watercolours) add PKR 500–2,000 per month.

Scholarships

  • PEEF (Punjab Educational Endowment Fund)After Matric results

    For Punjab students with strong Matric marks and family income below the set limit — covers Intermediate fees. Apply after Class 10 results.

  • Sindh Endowment Fund (SEEF)After Matric results

    Similar need-cum-merit support for Sindh students moving from Matric to Intermediate. Check the Sindh Endowment Fund website after results.

  • Board and school merit scholarshipsAfter Class 10 results

    Many boards and private colleges (Punjab Group of Colleges, Punjab College, etc.) offer fee waivers for high Matric percentages — ask at admission time.

  • Ehsaas / BISP-linked stipendsClass 9–10

    Families already registered with BISP may qualify for education stipends for school-age children through the Ehsaas programme — check via the 8177 SMS or BISP office.

Learn more

People to follow

Books

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