What could you do with a fashion marketing degree?

With a fashion marketing degree, there is so much one can do. You can branch out to different fashion brands and build with their company in different ways. There is magazine editing. There is marketing and digital media. There is also social media. There is a way you can market a brand in billboards and television. Fashion marketing has a wide variety of ways to get yourself out there without building from scratch.

There are so many opportunities with this degree. It will be difficult to list them all! I have provided a few options that are a good start into researching your potential fashion future.

Fashion marketing is a rewarding degree if you love apparel and marketing. The education provides a lot of opportunities both within and without the apparel field because it provides the foundations of marketing, product development, project management and building brands and brand strategy for apparel and beyond.

• Brand Management: this can include helping to help guide and shape the vision of a company's marketing goals and strategies. It's important to be plugged into the trends of the moment, culturally, technologically, politically and socially. A lot of brand strategy is built around being able to take the core mission of the brand and it's foundation and use the consumer trends in buying and such, from the categories above, and turn them into a compelling and marketable plan to execute and increase sales and expand the reach of the brand.
• Apparel Production Management: This can involve both domestic and international management of apparel factories, for example, managing customer production orders, forecasting volume of product and cost of production. You may also be involved in the apparel development side which includes sourcing materials for the garments, like fabric, trims such as buttons and zippers, and anything else that goes into the creation of a garment.
• Merchandising Coordinator/Manager: If you aren't a designer but want to be involved in shaping the apparel side, merchandising is a great option. Merchandising has a lot of meanings in fashion and apparel but generally, merchandising is the assortment or type of pieces and garments that go into a product line. This can include forecasting the styles that should be included in future seasonal releases or it could mean that you are helping a team choose from garments already designed to be released to retail locations. For example, if you work for Columbia Sportswear as merchandising coordinator for Women's Sportswear, your job would be to assist the Product Line Manager to choose which pieces would be best selling globally and put them up for retail merchandisers to select for their region.

These and many other positions are exciting and fulfilling career options that can lead to other incredible creative and apparel related paths.

Marketing is a broad field with a lot of range. You can qualify for many types of jobs with a fashion marketing degree. You could go into the business side of fashion and work in management or coordination. Or you could go to the more creative side and start entry level as an assistant in the fashion industry and work your way up to being a fashion buyer or top merchandiser. My advice is unless you want to sell fashion, skip retail! Its a dead end! Go straight for the fashion industry and start entry level. Even the right internship could catapult you into an amazing career!

Hi Melanie! There are sooooooo many career opportunities within the fashion industry. In fact, fashion is in everyone's day to day tasks, whether we realize it or not. Let's start from waking up in the morning and heading to the bathroom to brush our teeth. Most of us have the cool purple, red or whatever color toothbrush we use, while others can be a bit more classic. But what we never think about is that someone had to actually create the design for those toothbrushes. In this case, the job would be product design. This is just one of many opportunities available to you. The most important part about the fashion industry is that there are so many avenues you can take; which is great for your career because you will continuously be developing and growing; being multifaceted within one industry alone. Before graduating from The Art Institute of Charlotte with a BA degree in Fashion Marketing and Management, I had already been in the fashion industry without even knowing it. I had already worked for Victoria's Secret as a sales associate. YES, this too is apart of the fashion industry. A designer creates the garment that ends up on the runway which is later massed produced for consumers to buy and be sold within stores across the world. That's where my position as a sales associate came into play. I had to learn what the brand was about so I can represent them well and assist its consumers with purchases. Not to mentioned online purchases and what it takes to set up for your consumer that doesn't particularly like to go into the store. This job is called Ecommerce.

When we shop online, we see model's wearing fashionable items that help us in decision making when it comes to our purchases. Well, there is a team of people from Stylists, to photographers, to makeup artists, set production, etc., that work together to give online consumers the final product. After graduating from college, my first entry level position was with Belk Inc. doing just this as a Assistant Stylist for Ecomm. When clothing was shipped from the stores into the corporate office, my team and I had to check them in, pick out clothing and accessories, such as jewelry, shoes, belts, hats, etc., boxed them up and send to our photography studio so the models could be shot in them. Pretty cool for straight out of college, huh?

Last but not least, I was also a visual merchandising associate and progressed all the way up to an assistant visual merchandising manager for Macy's. I later on went on to be a sales supervisior because I wanted and needed to learn more of the business of why we did what we did. Which brings me to this point and why the marketing and management part of my degree is so important:

Everything we do is business. Fashion is most definitely fun, however, it is not all glitz and glamour as it has been perceived for many years. You have to be dedicated and work hard just as any other industry in the world. My advice to you is to start with something you are or a brand you are passionate about and research all the possible positions within the job or company. Your opportunities are endless! You got this girl! Many blessings and successes to you!

-Londyn

Hi Melanie,

Fashion industry is giant and offers numerous career opportunities due to several factors, such as; consumer's tastes and preferences are frequently changing, implementation of new technologies are allowing consumers to personalize their fashion merchandises, overall human's well-being has increased, etc..,

Nowadays, fashion is present everywhere, it is a lifestyle, as through fashion people are able to satisfy their needs, express their style easier and the way that they want to be recognized by others. Fashion is like a pyramid , composed by different brands, which structure different levels; starting from the bottom with mass market fashion, going up to premium fashion brands, affordable luxury brands, aspiration luxury brands and on the top with absolute luxury brands; luxury brands represent the most sustainable fashion.

Generally speaking I would say that each fashion brand's human resources is build from 3 categories; (1) Retail, (2) Manufacturing & Supply Chain and (3) Corporate. No matter for what company are you going to work for, it is essential to have an excellent knowledge on products of the brand and your target audience, this experience is usually gained through retailing, which is the base of every fashion company.

The last but not the least, you need to be passionate about it, creativity and innovation remain in the core of this industry. You need to have problem solving skills, marvelous communication skills, visual communication design skills and if it is possible to obtain some internship experience during your studies, so you can apply the marketing principles that you learn during your courses onto real life. Your question is very broad but I will leave you with a couple of self-reflection points:

Hi Melanie,

I had similar questions when deciding what career path to follow. I had always been interested in a fashion degree but did not know where it could take me or what kind of jobs I could get with one. A fashion marketing degree can take you sooo many places.

A basic fashion degree or a (bachelor of arts in fashion), will teach you the basic fundamentals of fashion for example designers that shaped the fashion industry, sewing, textiles (fabrics), fashion advertisements & marketing, fashion designers and much more. During your time getting this degree you will learn about all different jobs within the fashion industry any where from designing, to fashion marketing, fashion writing, retail, sales, fashion buying, visual merchandising, and many many more. You will even participate in one or even multiple internship opportunities where you gain experience in the fashion industry designed to give you insight into what career you want to pursue after graduation! School is meant to help you figure out what you want to do for the rest of your life. All you need to know is that you have a love and passion for fashion.

With this degree you can then chose to pursue a career as stated above in visual merchandising, retail, buying, sales, fashion writing or blogging, marketing & advertisement, pattern making, CAD, etc. If you get this degree and decide fashion isn't for you, you can purse any job opportunity in Marketing as well. The best advice I could give is pick what you are passionate about and then take it day by day you will find your calling.

Hi Melanie,

Funny enough, my name is also Melanie and I feel like I'm writing my younger self to give me advice I never received. It's true that there are SO many career options available in the fashion industry but I will honestly say that a fashion marketing degree only covers half of the jobs within the industry. There are two sided of the Fashion Industry- the business side and the design side. They work together, however, knowing which side you want a career in will save you time, MONEY, and energy. I received a BFA in Fashion Merchandising but, unfortunately, I did not study in depth what I set out to study. I wanted (and still want) to be a fashion designer- which does not fall under this type of degree. Some of my classmates are doing very well with the Fashion Merchandising degrees, especially when combined with journalism or business degrees as a double major. They were able to snag great positions as editors or buyers soon after college. A Fashion Marketing or Merchandising degree deals more with the business/retail side of fashion or can be used to enter other creative careers with a focus on fashion when combined with another degree such as Marketing.

If you are looking to be on the design side of fashion, however, you would need to get a BFA in Fashion Design from a design school like Parsons, FIT, or FITM. This will train you on technical skills necessary for a career in that area of the industry. Sometimes, these schools are even a little less expensive than some universities and they are feeders to major fashion companies and publications.

At the end of the day, being ambitious, perfecting your craft, being laser-focused on your aim, and executing your goals will get you into whatever position you want to be in. I truly hope this helps you in some way and best of luck to you!

I think what you can achieve with a fashion marketing degree can really go hand in hand and theres loads of different routes you can take with this . It can be great step to take especially if your not sure specifically what kind of fashion you want to focus on . Doing this can actually open doors for you and meet people along the way . You would have experience with the fashion side as well knowing how to sell your products or what not basically the business side which is great .

Hi Melanie,

I found your question to hit close to home. When I was in high school I had a hard time trying to figure out what I wanted to do post graduation. My peers often asked what I liked to do or what my hobbies were and honestly being a girl inspired by self expression and looking "trendy" I always answered with "shopping". I never thought you could make that into a career but I did my research and looked into fashion schools. I ended up studying at The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising and got a degree in Merchandise Product Development. I like to describe this major as a perfect mix between fashion marketing/ buying and design. To answer your question there are MANY jobs you can do with a fashion degree. For starters, you could be a buyer, a buyer studies current and past trends, color palettes, and even fabrics to decide what gets sold in stores. Another job you can get is Visual Merchandising, this is when you go to stores and basically decorate and create store layouts that best suit that locations demographic. You can design fashion websites and billboards and determine what trends will sell best in different regions of the world. In the fashion industry you are taught the analytical side of business but how to make it creative and appeal to the eye. Your possibilities are endless and you can really go anywhere in the creative workforce with a fashion degree. I suggest going to FIDM.edu and checking out there majors because they give a good description on what your desired major includes but also what type of jobs are out there. There are many schools nation wide with wonderful fashion programs!

Great question! And a great way to begin planning for your future.

Fashion marketing and merchandising is all about knowing, predicting, and guiding consumer behaviors and trends. You'll help plan and guide the development of advertising and marketing strategies, visual displays for photo shoots and retail, research and analyze fashion trends, consumer analytics, and target markets. Fashion merchandisers also help with establishing supply and manufacturing chains, wholesale distribution, management of retail stores, and help set garment pricing strategies.

A fashion merchandising and marketing degree will help you get the knowledge and experience necessary to be successful in a highly competitive, highly volatile industry, where things move quickly. A fashion degree is similar as well, to that of marketing, or advertising and public relations, except instead of looking at a broad of industries, the focus is set on one, allowing you to master its specificities.

Basic math, good communication, and a diligent work ethic will be most helpful in a fashion career. Finding a good mentor and hands on experience early in your education and career are the keys to success. And always remember to never stop learning.

Hi Melanie. You can do a great deal with a degree in Fashion Marketing. There are various types of jobs you could obtain. These jobs include buyer, fashion stylist, patternmaker, fashion editor,fashion director, retail store management and store owner. There are more options than the ones I listed. What career are you interested in? If you have an interest in Fashion Marketing I recommend you research what career you are interested in. Fashion Marketing or Merhandising is about business as it relates to fashion.I have a degree in Fashion Design and Merchandising

I want to own my own store one day, and I would like to teach young children art. I currently work in retail

I would definitely recommend you research schools and if you decide to major in Fashion Marketing and I suggest you take businesses courses or minor in business. It is a great field .It can be fun and exciting but it is hard work .I wish you luck and I will be happy to answer any more questions you may have.

.

Hi Melanie! I majored in Business Administration: Marketing and minored in Fashion Design. Additionally, I took many fashion merchandising classes. Those who major in fashion marketing or fashion merchandising often go into styling, retail management, personal shopping, or an entrepreneurial career path. Those who pursue this degree will get to be super creative and express much through fashion. You'll learn much about small business development and looking for small yet key details in business planning classes. You'll get to create and brainstorm a lot of cool ideas regarding fashion (and sometimes other areas of design). I hope that this helps answer your question. :)

Fashion design

retail buyer

retail management

retail merchandise

stylist

visual merchandise

Hi there!

First of all how awesome I think it is that you are seeking information about Fashion Marketing and Merchandising. I think what might be super helpful is setting up a time with someone at the local Art Institute in your area, this where I went to school for Fashion Marketing and Merchandising. I will say this, you do not need a degree to seek this type of work, you can get a retail job and apply for visual merchandising positions, they are typically entry level and you can really start to understand the scope of the work while getting paid!

Feel free to contact me with any other questions and I am happy to help.

I don’t really know I’m trying to find out

For starters, if your unsure what you will like to major in then fashion merchandising/ marketer will be a great start and its broad within the fashion industry. With this degree you will how to market yourself or sell your products to other customers, designers, etc. As well you will understand the business aspect of the fashion industry which is a big plus. Because what if you know how to design something but dont have the skills on how you should market it but with this degree your already ahead of the game because your going to experience different aspects of the fashion as well as the business side which is great and would help you earn more money.

I'm actually still studying Fashion Marketing & Management and it has amazing benefits because not only are you setting a basis for understanding the insights of the fashion industry but you also learn the in's and out's and behind the scenes of what goes into a company and or brand. This knowledge is good because if you're more business oriented then this is a degree for you opposed to a design degree. Also, take into account that with this degree you learn business principles as it helps with starting or maintaining a business. As I said before I am still studying in this field but even without my degree I was able to get a job position as a Visual Merchandiser at Zara because I still have the credentials of being a Visual Merchandiser because its apart of the degree. My take is read up on the degree, research it through a library database opposed to google, and know whether its design or marketing networking at a school with like minded individuals is always good because you don't know if they might need someone like you in the future or vice versa. Hope that helped some.

Hello! I’m Christina and I’m an apparel buyer. I work for a retail chain of stores that provide apparel for the entire family. As a buyer I travel to NYC every month to meet with vendors. They show me their latest designs and I buy styles that I think are best for my customers. It’s like shopping as a career! BUT, what you buy has to sell at a profit. You have some winners and some losers, but in the end, you need more of the first than the latter! I need to keep up on the latest fashion trends but know how they will translate to my customers. My customers are not the latest trend setters. There’s also a large amount of math involved in my job. I have to calculate profit and selling projections. It’s all pretty simple math. I work with Fashion Merchandiesers and Fashion Designers when I am in NYC. They are the ones who design, research and put together the clothing lines for the vendors. There are many other careers as well like fashion bloggers, influencers, sewers, pattern makers, trim buyers, planners, and textile experts. I hope I could offer you some insight! Good luck!

Hi! You could do a lot with a fashion marketing degree. Fashion marketing degree is used to help to promote different companies with their fashion sense. By doing this it would allow you to become comfortable with different companies styles, trends,and what they offer. You would be helping to promote different brands that each company offers.

Hi, Melanie!

The overall landscape of fashion is changing, and due to social media, quite rapidly. Malls are being closed or transformed into experiential destinations, fast fashion brands are closing by the day, and millennials by-and-large are investing in sustainable, ethical, and humanely sourced fashion items. If you would like to learn more about the Fashion Revolution, you can email me:) If fashion is your passion, go for it! Look at how the industry is changing for the better, and enter into the scene boldly and with clear purpose.

Best of luck,

Megan