Costume Designer vs Fashion Designer

Costume Designer vs Fashion Designer

3 mins readComment
Sayeba
Sayeba Naushad
Assistant Manager
Updated on Dec 10, 2025 16:20 IST
Do you often get confused between Costume Designer and fashion Designer? Yes, they sound the same. But they are different; their task and roles are different in the industry. Though most of them are from Design Colleges, their journey is different. Read on to know the difference.

Costume Designer and fashion Designer sound the same. But they are different; their task and roles are different in the industry. Though most of them are from Design Colleges, their journey is different. Read on to know the difference.

Costume designer Vs Fashion Designer

Costume Designer Vs Fashion Designer

Both Costume Designer and Fashion Designer work around clothes, but they have different roles. A costume designer works to create costumes for TV actors, film actors, live concerts, plays, etc, whereas a fashion designer creates clothes which people can wear in their daily lives. Their target audience and the work environment are different. 

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Table of contents
  • Who is a Costume Designer?
  • Where do they work?
  • Who is a Fashion Designer?
  • Where do they work?
  • Costume Designer Vs Fashion Designer

Who is a Costume Designer?

A costume designer is a person who designs outfits for a character in the film and television industry, theatre, dance companies, etc. A costume designer designs clothes according to the characteristics of a character that suit him/her. The audience for a costume designer is actors, directors, the production team, etc. The skills needed to become a Costume Designer are Script analysis, research, problem-solving abilities, etc.

Where do they work?

  • Films and TV Production
  • OTT Platforms
  • Theartre
  • Fashion events
  • Live concerts and performances

Who is a Fashion Designer?

A fashion designer is a person who creates designs for clothing, accessories and footwear. To be a fashion designer, you must not only have a proper understanding of different fabrics, their properties, and colours, but also possess a creative and artistic mind. They target and work for the general public. The skills required to become a fashion designer are trend forecasting, creativity, technical design, and business sense.

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Where do they work?

  • Fashion brands and houses
  • Boutique
  • Retail brands

Costume Designer Vs Fashion Designer

The difference between Costume Designer and Fashion Designer is given below.

Basis Costume Designer Fashion Designer
Aim A costume designer designs clothing for characters in films, TV, theatre, and performances.

A Fashion Designer designs clothing for real-life consumers and markets.
Focus Area The main focus of a costume designer is on storytelling, character development, historical/cultural accuracy, etc.
The main focus of a fashion Designer is on trends, aesthetics, wearability, and brand identity.
Direct Basis The basis of direct is script, character analysis, and director’s vision. The basis of direct here is fashion trends, seasons, and market research.
Daily Task The daily task of a costume designer involves script reading, research, fittings, and collaborating with directors/actors. The daily task of a fashion designer involves sketching, fabric selection, pattern-making, and collection development.
Work Area/ Environment Their work area are film sets, theatres, and production studios.

Their work area are Fashion houses, design studios, and retail brands.
Output/Result The output for a Costume designer is Character-specific costumes (may not be sold to the public). The output for a fashion designer is Fashion collections for retail and consumers.
Schedule The schedule of a costume designer is decided by shooting schedules. The schedule of a fashion designer is decided by fashion designs and retail cycles.

Also read:

Salary of a Costume Designer 

The salary of a costume designer is given below.

Experience Average Salary Range
Fresher ₹1.5 Lakhs to ₹7.0 Lakhs per year
1 year ₹1.1 Lakhs to ₹4.8 Lakhs per year
2 years ₹1.9 Lakhs to ₹6.0 Lakhs per year
3 years ₹1.6 Lakhs to ₹5.0 Lakhs per year

Salary of a Fashion Designer 

The salary of a Fashion designer depends on the year of experience. The table below shows the salary according to experience.

Experience Level Experience Year Average Salary (INR/per month)
Entry Level 0-2 years 25,000 to 40,000
Mid-Level 3-6 years 50,000 to 1,00,000
Senior Designer 7+ years 1,00,000 to 2,50,000
Celebrity/Luxury Designer 7+ years 5,00,000 to 10,00,000

These salaries have been taken from various sources.

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About the Author
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Sayeba Naushad
Assistant Manager

Sayeba Naushad is a commerce postgraduate from Banaras Hindu University. She has over five years of experience in content writing and editing. She has a nose for current events in design field. At Shiksha.com, she s

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