What is the right career stream for you? – Fashion & Design edition
The innovative and exciting industry of fashion has numerous career progressions for creative, talented, and curious professionals. While fashion programs often solely focus on the process of garment construction and mastering the development of various designs, students can get confused on the career path they must choose, given the variety of professions the fashion industry entails. While most of them are similar or codependent in many ways, it is still necessary to understand the differences and take a calculated decision before you launch your career in the fashion industry. We at London College of Arts offer the popular Professional Diploma in Fashion Design that will certainly give students a fresh perspective, enabling them to make smart career decisions based on their strengths and weaknesses. In this blog, we will enlighten you with a few most popular and highly paid professions which you must consider if you are looking to expedite your career in the line of fashion!
Fashion designer
This is one of the sought-after professions in the fashion league. If you are someone who is constantly in the search of fashion ideas, love to produce garments, accessories and are looking for any avenue to showcase your ideas and designs, this could be the ideal profession for you. However, this can be quite a challenging profession considering the fierce competition the industry has. Apart from having great design skills, you should also indulge in regular networking. This could be in the form of events, virtual webinars, exhibitions and fairs where you get the opportunity to meet with fellow designers and even potential investors. So, always be the lookout, you never know, your next big break
Fashion Merchandising
This is one of the few paths where professionals will see the right balance of design and business. With designers eager to get their apparels and products in the stores, a fashion merchandiser will track, monitor and analyze consumer trends. For such a career path, a good analyst and a ton of creativity is a must! Under fashion merchandising, there are many options. One of them is retail management which is quite an under-appreciated path, however, quite a stable and high-paying profession. In retail management, you will be able to get firsthand knowledge of numerous brands, develop marketing strategies and also get experience in managing people. The second option is buying. While this requires significant experience, however, definitely worth trying if you are passionate about the business side of the fashion industry.
Stylist
This is quite an overlapping profession of a designer and a visual presenter. If you have an eye for colours, patterns, fabrics and can turn around gorgeous pieces of apparels in less period, then you have found your profession. With more of the showbiz industry requiring fashion experts, the status of a stylist is definitely on the rise. While some claim that prior experience is required, many replace this with a strong academic qualification that has abundant practical work. Along with this, it is important to have great communication and comprehending skills as your client may not be very specific about their requirements, yet will not be easy-going and like every outfit you create. Also remember, such a career requires a lot of networking and being a proactive social face in the fashion industry.
Public relations
PR is often considered the middle-man between creating and selling a product. As a PR manager for a designer, brand or corporation, you will be looking after the overall image of the brand. You will have to make sure the media is in awe of the product and produces news that will create brand awareness and enable consumers to buy these apparels. For someone who is wishing to work in the public relations industry, you must have a charming and friendly personality. Enthusiasm about your brand is a must as you are the face of marketing for your brand and every fashion reporter, editor, columnist and publicist should regard you as an individual who is easy to approach and communicate. Along with having fantastic communication skills, you must understand your brand’s designs and incorporate new ideas that will further strengthen the presence both locally and internationally.
Median Annual Salary for Fashion Careers | ||||
JOB TITLE | ENTRY-LEVEL
(0-12 MONTHS) |
EARLY CAREER
(1-4 YEARS) |
MID CAREER
(5-9 YEARS) |
MID CAREER
(5-9 YEARS) |
Fashion Designer | $45,680 | $54,460 | $68,140 | $82,250 |
Fashion Stylist | N/A | $45,550 | $56,530 | $77,670 |
Retail Buyer | N/A | $45,710 | $59,930 | $74,420 |
Source – Payscale
At our ace fashion institute, London College of Arts, we offer the international program – Professional Diploma in Fashion Design that can kickstart your career in the fashion industry. This is a 6-month rigorous program that will transform you to think and act like a fashion expert. With the right balance of academic knowledge and practical experience, we are a leading fashion institution in the region. To enrol or to find more program information contact us at +9714 397 0095 or drop an email at hello@londoncollegeofarts.com