Career in Fashion

Have you always wanted to be a part of the fashion industry but worry that it is too competitive? If there’s one thing you can count on, people will always be wearing clothing. The impact of the recent economy is one that can be felt in most industries and that includes fashion. However, opportunities still abound. What is most important for students seeking careers in fashion is to enter the field equipped with an education that combines creativity with business knowledge. Having a broad base of skills gives an industry professional flexibility within their career and leads to long-term opportunities.

When we think of fashion in the United States, many students feel that they must start in New York or Los Angeles. However, there are other important fashion cities in our country that allow a student to get a strong background of experience with less competition. Dallas is home to the Dallas Market Center, listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest wholesale complex of its kind. Buyers from around the world visit the Dallas Market Center during markets to purchase merchandise from a variety of represented manufacturers. Resources such as the Dallas Market Center give up-and-coming professionals in Dallas the chance to gain invaluable industry experience while completing their education.

Many students considering fashion as a career are usually most familiar with the fashion design career. Fashion designers are the industry construction experts and those who choose to pursue this avenue must have a passion for learning sewing, patternmaking and construction skills. Fashion design graduates can find work as pattern drafters, theatre or television costume designers, or production managers as they continue to work toward the more competitive positions as head designer or fashion illustrator. But what about the student who loves fashion, loves business, but is not interested in learning to sew or draft patterns?

Merchandise Marketing is a career path that offers some of the greatest opportunities in fashion. It is important to remember too that merchandise marketing graduates have the merchandising, marketing, and management skills to work in many industries other than fashion which means even more employment potential. Merchandise Marketing typically involves the marketing and distribution of hard goods such as home furnishings, toys, or consumer products as well as soft goods such as clothing and accessories. Professionals are trained to understand production, buying, and the retail and wholesale selling of goods and services. This includes the selection, purchase, and distribution of products to various market channels, and the coordination and planning of sales and promotions. Merchandise marketers analyze and interpret business, economic, and consumer trends.

As you might have reasoned by now, the merchandise marketing career covers a vast array of different types of jobs. In the manufacturing or wholesale side of business, merchandise marketers can work in wholesale sales, product development, trend analysis and forecasting. On the retail side, graduates can get into retail management or store ownership, buying, visual merchandising, or promotions. Which direction a merchandise marketing graduate will take often depends on the individual, location, personal motivation, interest in travel, and work environment preferences.

Regardless of the area of interest, there is one thing all working professionals will agree upon. Networking is the key to promoting your career. Valda Macready, Director of Alumni Relations and Placement at Wade College in Dallas, Texas, describes it in this way, “Dallas is a place where options for education and networking are ever-present! You just have to open your eyes to make the connections. To me, networking simply means getting to know the person next to you. You never know where your two worlds may converge and where this could take both of you! In this industry it is very much about the ‘who you know,’ but you have to be able to back it up with the ‘what you know.’ This is where education gives those serious enough to be in this industry an advantage over their competition.”

So those students who have the drive, commitment, and desire to pursue a career in fashion and merchandise marketing can enjoy a variety of opportunities. While it is a competitive industry, those who are willing to devote themselves to hard work and dedication can realize their dream of working in this ever-changing field. Finding a college program that is located within a fashion center gives students hands-on experience that can lead to career advancement. In addition, specialized programs that offer instruction from industry professionals and industry-focused classes can give a strong advantage to the graduate who is ready to make their way in an industry that focuses on both “what you know” and “who you know.”

Editorial is provided by Renee Martin Doyal, Director of Admissions, Wade College.