Career Paths in Fashion
Whether you are the artistic fashionista, the person who always seems to set the trends, or have a way with a pencil, fashion is an industry with many exciting roads to take. From the more creative side of design to the more business end of marketing, there’s a place you can fit in.
Fashion Design
Fashion designers are the people behind the vision. With inspiration and an eye toward industry trends, they create pieces sold at stores. Designers usually specialize in a line of clothing such as women, men, or children, and may even work in very specific areas such as denim, accessories, and footwear. While some fashion designers work on one-of-a-kind items (haute couture), others work in large teams to produce mass market fashion. To be a fashion designer you need to have creativity, personal style, know fashion history, business acumen, and the ability to work well in a fast-paced, pressure-cooker environment.
Fashion Merchandising
Ever walk through a store and wonder who it is that decides what to fill the shelves with? That would be the fashion merchandising teams of any given retailer. They are the ones deciding the futures of many a designer when they choose whether or not to stock designer denim duds, empire waist tops, or gladiator sandals. If you’re interested in fashion merchandising, you need to have all the traits of a designer with added business expertise. Strategy and marketing savvy are mandatory.
Fashion Marketing
You might think we’re being redundant here but there is a difference between fashion merchandising and fashion marketing. While they are closely related and in some places of business they are interchangeable, you might do one or both of these functions. Fashion marketers have the responsibility of promoting a brand, designer, apparel retailer, or manufacturer to the desired target audience. It is their job to generate interest in new styles and items. While marketing involves a partnership with advertising, marketing is more about the strategy behind the ads you see and making connections between fashion and the people.
Fashion Buying
No, fashion buying is not about the same as being a personal shopper. Buyers have to have a sixth sense with regards to where fashion is heading. It’s more than defining a trend; it’s about identifying what is really going to connect with a consumer and take off in the marketplace. While designers create collections full of items waiting to be sold, it is the buyer’s job to determine which of those pieces will sell.
Fashion Photography
If the thought of being a drone at a desk, owned by a company, designer or boutique makes your skin crawl, photography might be your calling. Fashion photography is a field filled with creativity. As a fashion photographer, you are the capturing the spirit of a designer’s collection for the season. And while many think of photography as solely an art, technical know-how is key. You must be comfortable with everything from traditional film photography to natural and artificial light to the digital age. Being familiar with different platforms is very important to the photographer’s business.
Fashion Stylist
While some of us struggle every morning to put the right “look” together, there are those of us blessed with the talent of just knowing what works. These people are called fashion stylists. They are able to work with a person’s body type and personality to accentuate the best features and assets while downplaying the bad. Stylists can work with models on photo shoots or celebrities, designers, and even public relations experts. Knowledge of the fashion industry, designers, innate style, and the ability to communicate are essential.
Fashion Journalism
Most people would think fashion journalism is all about writing. And while much of the job does entail writing, this is an umbrella term used to encompass all aspects of fashion media. From magazines and books to television commentary, fashion journalism has come to be a broad term including more new media like blogs (web-logs) and online magazines as well as the more traditional meaning. A fashion journalist spends a lot of his/her time conducting interviews, performing research, writing and editing articles, and may even help formulate and/or style a photo shoot. Good contacts in the industry are essential.
Fashion Public Relations or Publicity
Fashion publicists help a designer, boutique, or manufacturer gain notoriety and build an image for their target audience. They are able to find the right avenues of media events to bring the client the success they desire. While having connections might help you in this career, a competence in marketing and advertising, and the proficiency to put a well-thought out public relations plan together is crucial.
