Differences Between Fashion Designing and Textile Designing

Published by Shikha Kumari on May 26, 2025

Fashion is about the style and presentation of garments and accessories, while textiles are about the materials, processes, and designs that make up fabrics. However, in general, people tend to overlap them since they are closely related. In this blog, we are going to discuss how they are different subjects, the salary difference, and we will try to evaluate: Which is better, fashion designing or textile designing?

Textile and Fashion Designing Subjects

Though one might not be able to understand it at first glance if textile and fashion designers are working in the same room, textile design deals with fabrics, weaving, knitting processes, patterns, and designs that are applied to the fabric itself. On the other hand, fashion design is concerned with shapes, silhouettes, colours, and how the garment fits within current trends.

Textile Designing Course

In textile designing, candidates can learn subjects such as elements of design, textile art, personal distribution, fashion studies, and more, as given below.

Fashion Designing Course

Fashion design teaches students about fashion theory, the history of fashion, illustration, how to merchandise fashion, as well as how to construct, style, and present a garment. Some of the subjects in fashion design are mentioned below:

Textile and Fashion Design courses

Candidates can pursue multiple courses based on their academic availability and their eagerness to learn the practical applicability of their knowledge. For example, a candidate who wishes to enter the fashion career field early can opt for a diploma in fashion, while someone who wants to research and deeply understand the design process can go for undergraduate and eventually postgraduate courses. The courses for each subject, ’textile and fashion designing’, are given in the following two columns:

Fashion Textile Designer Salary

Full-time textile design roles offer a base pay that can range from Rs 25,000 to Rs 46,000 per month, with an average base salary of Rs 32,000. Additional monthly pay usually falls between Rs 958 and Rs 4,000, averaging around Rs 2,000. In comparison, fashion design positions in New Delhi provide a slightly narrower base pay range of Rs 25,000 to Rs 44,000 per month, with an average base pay of Rs 30,000. Their additional pay ranges from Rs 292 to Rs 6,000 per month, also averaging Rs 2,000.

Both fields have competitive pay packages, with textile design roles generally providing a bit higher base salary. Graduates from top design institutes have average salaries between Rs 5.5 to Rs 6.7 lakh per annum, where portfolio quality significantly influences earnings. 

Fashion and Textile Designing: Comparison

While in fashion design, you focus on designing and constructing garments, in textile design, you focus on making fabric. Fashion design teaches you to draft patterns, sew, practice couture techniques like hand embroidery and beading, study fashion history, do fashion illustrations, create digital flats, track trends for upcoming seasons, and understand the fashion industry.

The textile industry teaches how to use the loom, understand fabric grains and threads, dye techniques, screen printing, create digital prints, and print on fabric. You can create fun, handmade textiles with full creative freedom and no rules except to make fabric.