Millions of people around the world are passionate about fashion, but very few pursue their dreams of working in the industry. Fashion is a hard line to get in to, job opportunities are scarce and not a lot of people know how to go about getting into the industry. But what if I told you that you could do it? Here are the top jobs in fashion and how you can get them.
- Stylist
Being a stylist is so much more than just picking a cute outfit, it’s a fast paced and forever changing role and is definitely not for the faint hearted. As a stylist it is your responsibility to find and cast models, create mood boards to fit the theme and requirements of a shoot, direct hair and make up artists, get the clothes and products needed for a shoot – this may mean working directly with a brand or buying products from stores, merchandising products, providing expert knowledge, taking care of sample stock and props, keeping up to date with designers, brands and trends and providing assistance during a shoot.
If that long list hasn’t put you off then here’s how you can become a stylist. Some employers prefer their stylists to have a degree in a fashion related subject such as:
- Fashion Communicating and Styling
- Fashion Image Making and Styling
- Fashion Product and Promotion
- Fashion Styling and Creative Direction
- Fashion Styling and Production
- Interior Styling and Design
An Internship is also a great way into the industry, being a stylist is a hands on job and there is no better way to learn the ins and outs of the fashion world than first hand experience.
2. Fashion Designer
As a Fashion Designer you will more than likely specialise in one area e.g. sportswear or children’s wear. There are also 3 categories of fashion you can work in as a designer:
- High Street – Producing items in mass quantities that fit with the current trend of the general population.
- Ready-to-wear – Producing a small amount of an item, often used for events or photo shoots.
- Haute Coutour – A one of a kind piece that takes a long time to produce often for catwalks and red carpet events.
Your responsibilities as a Fashion Designer are to create a hand drawn or computerised visualisation of your ideas, keeping up to date with trends, planning and developing a product or range, working closely with design and production teams to ensure the product fits with requirements, buying the materials needed to produce the designs, creating samples and negotiating with customers and suppliers.
To become a designer you will need to obtain a degree in either:
- Art and Design
- Clothing Technology
- Fashion Marketing and Buying
- Fashion
- Graphic Design
- Knitwear
- Textiles
Although being a fashion designer requires a lot of hard work that salary does soften the blow with most Senior Designers earning £42-85k a year or more!
3. Fashion Merchandiser
A Fashion Merchandiser is essential in the retail industry. These are the people who keep shops stocked and up to date with trends. As a fashion merchandiser your job is to plan, prepare and stock ranges, to work closely with everyone in the chain from suppliers to buyers, collect data, create visual displays, budgeting, produce sales forecasts, analyse sales trends, study competitors, negotiate costs and make financial presentations.
For this role you will need qualifications in either:
- Accountancy and Finance
- Business and Management
- Economics
- IT
- Marketing
- Mathematics and Statistics
- Retail Management
The salary for a senior merchandiser is up to £85,000 per year with most companies also offering benefits packages.
I hope you found this post useful, what is your dream job in the fashion industry? Tell me in the comments section below!
Bambi In Louboutins 