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What careers are best for people interested in the fashion and business industry?
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4 answers
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Laney’s Answer, CareerVillage.org Team
Hi Isabelle! There are many different career paths in the business side of fashion, so I am confident you will be able to find something that fits your strengths and interests.
If you like math and working with numbers but also have an interest in fashion trends and product, sales planning could be a really great place to start. In many large fashion companies, individuals who start in sales planning (often with titles of allocation analyst) will go on into buying careers which can be a bit more creative. On the sales planning side, you are working with data and numbers to determine how much or how little of a product to send to a store (or group of stores). This analysis is based on many things; current trends, seasons/holidays, inventory positions, projected sales, and much more! If you like problem-solving and working with large amounts of data, this could be a great fit for you. Further, as you become more senior in sales planning, a great next step is often in the Buying career path. In this role, you work with different vendors and artists (depending on your company) to determine which product the store should put on its shelves and sell. It is a more creative role but still data focused as before and after you buy you will likely collect selling data and information and use that to plan for the future and dictate what product to buy next (or what product to stop buying).
The above is just one possible career path in the fashion and business world and its not one size fits all! There are many routes to becoming a Buyer for a fashion house or routes to stay in the sales and allocation planning side if you like that best!
Excited to see where you end up and hope this was helpful!
If you like math and working with numbers but also have an interest in fashion trends and product, sales planning could be a really great place to start. In many large fashion companies, individuals who start in sales planning (often with titles of allocation analyst) will go on into buying careers which can be a bit more creative. On the sales planning side, you are working with data and numbers to determine how much or how little of a product to send to a store (or group of stores). This analysis is based on many things; current trends, seasons/holidays, inventory positions, projected sales, and much more! If you like problem-solving and working with large amounts of data, this could be a great fit for you. Further, as you become more senior in sales planning, a great next step is often in the Buying career path. In this role, you work with different vendors and artists (depending on your company) to determine which product the store should put on its shelves and sell. It is a more creative role but still data focused as before and after you buy you will likely collect selling data and information and use that to plan for the future and dictate what product to buy next (or what product to stop buying).
The above is just one possible career path in the fashion and business world and its not one size fits all! There are many routes to becoming a Buyer for a fashion house or routes to stay in the sales and allocation planning side if you like that best!
Excited to see where you end up and hope this was helpful!
Updated
Traci’s Answer
Hi Isabelle,
What a great future you have ahead! Definitely first thing about what you like to do regardless of industry or functions. For example, I've always love meeting new people, communicating and talking. People and diversity really interest me. I was a sociology and marketing major in college. With my degree, I was able to join BMW and help design clothes for our drivers and enthusiasts. It's something I NEVER imagined, but brought me so much joy! I got to experience fashion from a different perspective and partner and work with some leading fashion brands and retailers around the world.
I also led fashion photoshoots, commercials and worked to train employees in our retail stores at dealerships.
Best Wishes,
Traci
What a great future you have ahead! Definitely first thing about what you like to do regardless of industry or functions. For example, I've always love meeting new people, communicating and talking. People and diversity really interest me. I was a sociology and marketing major in college. With my degree, I was able to join BMW and help design clothes for our drivers and enthusiasts. It's something I NEVER imagined, but brought me so much joy! I got to experience fashion from a different perspective and partner and work with some leading fashion brands and retailers around the world.
I also led fashion photoshoots, commercials and worked to train employees in our retail stores at dealerships.
Best Wishes,
Traci
Updated
Lauren’s Answer
Hi Isabelle!
Such an exciting industry. You could go into so many different areas, there are opportunities in core business areas that will be in any business such as: Marketing, Sales, Finance, Accounting, Human Resources, IT, Facilities/Operations.
There may be options to focus in Retail if it is a consumer-facing brand: Buyer, Allocator, Demand Planner, Store Manager, District Manager/Regional Manager.
If they have a focus in E-commerce, that is a huge growing industry with many positions involved as many brands are shifting away from physical brick-and-mortar stores to e-commerce websites.
On the Product side, there are many positions in: Merchandising & Design, Product Development, Production, Compliance, Distribution, Supply-Chain, Raw Materials, Fit Technicians. In areas like Merchandising & Design, Product Development, and Production you can also specialize in particular categories such as Denim, Tees, Women's, Men's, Swimwear, Activewear, and lots of other categories depending on the brand.
Such an exciting industry. You could go into so many different areas, there are opportunities in core business areas that will be in any business such as: Marketing, Sales, Finance, Accounting, Human Resources, IT, Facilities/Operations.
There may be options to focus in Retail if it is a consumer-facing brand: Buyer, Allocator, Demand Planner, Store Manager, District Manager/Regional Manager.
If they have a focus in E-commerce, that is a huge growing industry with many positions involved as many brands are shifting away from physical brick-and-mortar stores to e-commerce websites.
On the Product side, there are many positions in: Merchandising & Design, Product Development, Production, Compliance, Distribution, Supply-Chain, Raw Materials, Fit Technicians. In areas like Merchandising & Design, Product Development, and Production you can also specialize in particular categories such as Denim, Tees, Women's, Men's, Swimwear, Activewear, and lots of other categories depending on the brand.
Updated
Judi’s Answer
Fashion and business is such an exciting and interesting combination! Your career choices are vast!
If you like working with people directly and you don’t mind retail hours you could be a store manager and if you like big business you could work your way up to district and general manager. If you like numbers and finance you could go into purchasing or if it is hands-on fashion that you really love and you are good at it you could be a buyer! The industry also has upstream fields like fabric, and downstream like sales and logistics.
The recent challenges with the pandemic might suggest you lean away from customer-facing retail careers, at least in the near term while traffic into stores is still recovering. Good luck!
If you like working with people directly and you don’t mind retail hours you could be a store manager and if you like big business you could work your way up to district and general manager. If you like numbers and finance you could go into purchasing or if it is hands-on fashion that you really love and you are good at it you could be a buyer! The industry also has upstream fields like fabric, and downstream like sales and logistics.
The recent challenges with the pandemic might suggest you lean away from customer-facing retail careers, at least in the near term while traffic into stores is still recovering. Good luck!