Profile: Fashion Industry

The most important thing to realize about the fashion industry is that it changes constantly. Trends and styles come and go with the seasons, so it is necessary for those working in the industry to be adaptable and ready adjust to the latest market demand. Although fashion can be hard to break into, the opportunities are plentiful once you have your foot in the door. Becoming a designer is not the only option; you can make your career in: Marketing, Merchandising, Retail, Buying, Finance, Planning, etc. The one thing these careers all have in common, apart from being based in the fashion industry, is that they require an education. Quite often it is not raw talent, but a detailed understanding of the industry that gets you the job.

If it's design that you're interested in there are a few things to consider. Most fashion experts say that you need both technical training and formal art training to compliment the personal qualities that a designer must also have: integrity, leadership skills, aesthetic and practical ideas, dedication, and ingenuity to name a few. A designer must also have the ability to predict and understand what consumers want even if that differs from what he or she thinks is fashionable. The creativity required to become a designer makes it the most difficult job to land within the industry. However, hard work, a solid background, and determination can get you there. According to most fashion designers, the glories of the career make up for all the difficulties endured obtaining it.

On the other hand, if you are looking into marketing, merchandising, or any of the other, more administrative careers, you have some different things to think about. Marketing requires decisions about what styles, designs, and articles of clothing should be targeted at what audience (Men or women? Old or young?). You connect the designer to his or her public, get the public interested in the clothing, and convince the public that what you are promoting is indeed that latest trend. A merchandiser has a similar job, but instead of working to gain the interest of the public, a merchandiser is purchasing the designer's clothing line and presenting it in stores. On top of that, the merchandiser is often responsible for creating the "mood" of a store or runway by utilizing different display and lighting techniques.

As you can see by these short descriptions, there are many opportunities within the fashion industry, and many potential careers might not be ones you have considered in the past, such as: trim buyer, pattern maker, sample maker, quality control expert, fashion consultant, personal shopper, etc. Each of these careers, however, require the knowledge and expertise that can only be provided by studying at an accredited school or earning a degree through an accredited program.