Greater acceptance of the field in ‘conservative’ circles, and newer subjects like fashion management are making the stream more appealing, say experts.

'Not everybody interested in fashion needs to excel at designing clothes or accessories,' says Ms Rashmi Vasu, student counsellor, Pearl Academy of Fashion.

Subjects like retail, merchandising, textile design and fashion management, where students learn to handle the business aspects, including managing the budget and supply chain, are becoming popular among those who are not creative, she explains.

While girls are mainly crowding these classrooms, the number of boys opting for the course is also on the rise. 'Ever since my schooldays, I wanted to become a designer. Though my father is a garment exporter, I had to convince him that I wanted to pursue fashion and not engineering,'

Praveen Kumar, a fashion technology student who dropped out of an engineering course and now designs clothes for Tamil film actresses like Sneha and Namitha as part of his projects.Youngsters are also lured by the entrepreneurial opportunities the stream offers.

'For most of the students, owning their own label is the ultimate aim. As the industry is growing every year, it is not very hard to find jobs, despite the slowdown,' says Dr B.V. Bevadoss, director, National Institute of Fashion Technology.