What is Leather Design? Courses, Fees, Top Institutes, Careers & Salary 2025

Conceptualising, organising, and producing leather goods are all part of the creative process of leather designing. This profession blends artistic and technical abilities to create a wide range of products, including furniture, bags, shoes, clothing, and accessories for the fashion industry. Working with the special qualities of leather, leather designers produce goods that are visually beautiful, useful, and frequently long-lasting.

Leather Designers are trained experts who design and produce leather goods and accessories. They keep themselves well aware with the changing trends of the consumers and market and design various range of shoes and bags which are exquisite and have a fashionable appeal. They are hired across top shoe and bag producing companies and other leather-based industries which produce large number of leather goods. Many leather designers also work in managerial roles after gaining 6-10 years of experience.

Leather goods always remain relevant in the market and the demand for these goods is always on the rise. From footwear to bags and purses, people are always keen on buying either Indian leather goods or importing them from abroad. Many people who work in this industry either carry on their family's business or pick up skills over time.

But just like Fashion Designing, Leather Designing and Leather Technology are also becoming a technical subject and people with professional certifications and degrees are hired by the companies. This course therefore provides the technical expertise as well as the technological requirements to design and produce leather goods at a large scale. 

After completing Leather Design course from top institutes,  candidates can choose to work in various segments ranging from Leather technology, Leather processing, Research and Development, Manufacturing and Production. Therefore, the job profiles vary as per the segment chosen by the professional. One of the most popular segments is the leather designing and quality testing of various leather products to ensure that they are unadulterated and purely original leather products.

Designers are able to produce a wide variety of leather apparel pieces, from dresses and accessories to jackets and trousers. One of the most important careers in the fashion business is designing leather footwear, such as shoes and boots. Designing leather goods is the process of turning leather into accessories like belts, wallets, gloves, and handbags. Read Design Career Scope.

Here are some important documents you must carry during BDes Leather Design course admission process:

• Class 10 and 12 marksheets
• Valid ID Proof (Adhaar, PAN Card, Passport, etc.)
• Passport-sized photographs
• Migration Certificate
• Portfolio

The eligibility criteria for an MDes in Leather Design may vary depending on the institution; however, the general eligibility requirements are a degree in BDes or any relevant course in an appropriate discipline from a recognised university. Many top Design colleges also require candidates to have a portfolio to showcase during the interview or discussion rounds.

Leather Design programs are offered by both government and private institutes, and their fee structure varies depending on the college rating, faculty rating, placement records, infrastructure, etc. However, the average Leather Design course fee for government colleges ranges from INR 4,620 to INR 12.34 Lakh. Similarly, for private colleges, the fee ranges from INR 34,730 to INR 15.85 Lakh.

Of course, many top Leather Design colleges like AAFT, GLS University, YMCA, Madras Institute of Fashion Technology, and JD Institute of Fashion Technology offer admission on the merit system. However, it also depends on the course level and type you choose. For instance, if you choose to pursue an MDes in Leather Design, you would probably have to go through the entrance exam and Group Discussion or Personal Interview (GDPI) rounds.

Whether the NIFT entrance exam is easy or tough depends on your knowledge, skills, and preparation. The NIFT entrance primarily contains two sections: the Creative Ability Test (CAT) and the General Ability Test (GAT). It tests your general awareness, verbal ability, and creativity. 
Candidates generally consider this exam moderately difficult; however, with good preparation, you can easily pass the exam.

Many entrance exams are conducted for Leather Design course admission, and their mode depends on the conducting body, however, the NIFT entrance exam among them, is one of the most sought-after exam which is conducted on both online and offline modes. The General Aptitude Test (GAT) is conducted in an online, computer-based (CBT) mode. The Creativity Aptitude Test (CAT) is conducted offline, typically in a pen-and-paper format. 

Leather Design programs generally cover subjects allied to leather materials, processing, and Design principles, also covering a wider field of the luxury goods industry. Some important areas among them include leather technology, product development, design techniques, and industry trends. 

Well, it's not possible to completely customize the syllabus according to your interests, but you can choose electives based on your interests. Elective subjects are usually offered in a programme to let students independently customize their programme to some extent.  

Some of the most important subjects you should study as a Leather Design student are:

• Leather Craftsmanship: It will teach you about the types of leathers, their properties, and how they can be molded to craft different products.
• Product Design: It will teach you about the creative and innovative designs, aesthetics, functionality, and the latest trends.
• Manufacturing Techniques: It will teach you about different manufacturing techniques for the products.

Here are some top NIFT options for Leather Design courses:

Note: The information is sourced from the official/counselling body of the institute/exam.

Here are some of the top Leather Design college options in India for Diploma programs:

Note: The information is sourced from the official/counselling body of the institute/exam.

Here are some of the top Leather Design college options in India for certificate programs:

Note: The information is sourced from the official/counselling body of the institute/exam.

Definitely, Leather Designing is an excellent course in the field of Designing. After Fashion Designing and Fashion Technology,  Leather Designing is a very popular course amongst fashion enthusiasts. Leather industries are not only popular in India but the scope of this course is wide in foreign countries and candidates can explore the options such as multinational fashion brands. Candidates can not only work in the field of leather apparel designing but also sign up for research and development activities.

Here are some common job profiles you can opt for, after BDes Leather Design course:

Note: The information is sourced from external sources, hence, it may vary.

Design is a constantly changing field, with new trends, technology, and methods appearing regularly. Individuals who study design can engage in continual learning and stay current with industry advances.

• Design skills can be a great advantage for those interested in creating their enterprises or freelancing. Being able to design your own logo, marketing materials, and internet presence might provide you with a competitive advantage.
• The highly developed field of design always needs qualified professionals. It is further subdivided into numerous specialisations and several subfields. There is always a demand for creative people who are also conversant with cutting-edge design techniques because design occupations are so broad.
• Due to its growing popularity and the emergence of fresh aesthetic ideas, the design business now has a larger yearly turnover than any other sector of the economy. Also, design as a career offers varied job prospects and helps new entrants ensure a good pay scale.
• The professionals also get a chance to change jobs with experience, owing to the great scope of the courses and the availability of multiple career choices. Also, they can think of commencing their fashion brand or outlet and becoming entrepreneurs. 

Leather Design students should gain some of the following skills and qualities to make a successful career in India or abroad:

• Designing skills
• Good numerical skills
• Sound knowledge of computer-aided design software
• Strong planning ability
• Problem-solving ability

The Design is a growing field and it is finding new corners and platforms outside the already established ones in the trade. Leather design is one such field that is coming up in a big way. In order to make a good career in this industry as such no professional qualification or formal education is required.

But having a formal education in this field will be always useful because the high paying jobs will be available only for the qualified people. There are various job roles available like Marketing, Leather Engineer etc. Good Package jobs would be available only for 15% people. Top colleges offering this course include NIFT, NID and FDDI.

Design careers are aptitude and interest based and hence it is difficult to say 'which is better'. At would we understand that for many students it is difficult to make a choice at the time of entrance and most of them do so because of peer pressure or a perceived 'good career option'.

If you are good at your work then each design specialisation offers a very satisfying and lucrative career. That's why at would we allow you to change your choice of specialisation after your foundation year.