Find here a brief explanation written by a fashion design student, who will tell you the reality of what enrolling in this career means, and what you can study to be part of the fashion world.
Being inside the Fashion Industry doesn’t mean you have to own a sewing machine and stitch your own clothes, it doesn’t mean having a natural creative soul, it means knowing how to get your way in. What do I mean by that? Fashion is a simple word, constructed by thousands and thousands of collaborators that join with one another to make it work. From designers, illustrators, creative directors, to communicators, publishers, and so many other professionals are part of this world that, liked or not, serves every single person on planet earth, from fast fashion to exclusive maisons.
I will speak from my personal opinion, and what I didn’t know at the beginning when I had to choose a career, without someone to guide me in the path I wanted to take in this field.
So there I was, on my first day of university, a world apart from what I used to know, and specially from what I learned in high school. Eager to learn, but was it what I was expecting? Let’s be real, at 19 years old, how can you be so sure about what you want to do for the rest of your life.
Standing in front of an industrial sewing machine, without even knowing how to turn it on, taking measurements to create patterns, thinking of a collection, knitting, textile painting, sleepless nights, digital pattern making, and so much more things no one tells you about studying fashion. I will tell you the truth, it is as rewarding and as tricky as it can get. It’s not easy, but it pays off. After all this, you will look at that finished garment you just thought about at a random moment of your day, and you will think it was all worth it.
Realizing at an early stage of your studying path where you want to take your studies at, is the best thing, but if you don’t, do not worry. There are a million branches you can decide to carry on with. You don’t have to create your own brand, you don’t have to design for a big fashion house, you can do whatever you feel is your thing.
As my semesters passed by, I understood what I really wanted to do. Write about fashion. Having this backup of studies gives me the possibility of knowing what I’m talking about, understanding the processes and the backstage work no one sees on the runway.
To be part of this world, you can choose a million paths. I will name and explain some of the ones you probably are not aware of.
Buyer
A buyer chooses items and accessories that will appeal to the customers of their clients, which typically retail stores, department stores and e-commerce entities. They work directly with brand manufacturers, and stay on top of the trend forecasting, for them to purchase the IT product of the upcoming season.
Public Relations
Who said being socially active wouldn’t work?
These are the people responsible for creating and promoting marketing and a positive image for the public through press releases, events campaigns, and other promoting opportunities. They work very closely with marketing specialists.
Trend forecaster
They will identify new and developing looks and creators in all aspects of the fashion industry, from street to corporate levels. Forecasters must also be aware of consumer purchasing trends and how specific trends appeal to various social and economic demographics.
Graphic Designer
Graphic designers are responsible for creating the look of strong, memorable, aesthetically and commercially pleasing images, including corporate logos, for a fashion company's products.
Fashion Stylist
A stylist uses their knowledge of fashion brands and new products to provide insight and direction on the best look for clothing brands and fashion shoots for fashion magazines and fashion merchandising.
Fashion Journalist
You could work for a newspaper, print magazine or website, writing articles on absolutely anything fashion-related, from live coverage of fashion weeks to a top ten list of Lady D’s biggest fashion moments.
Ecommerce manager
Responsible for managing a brand’s online sales. Their focus will be on converting visitors to the website to sales and you may oversee the design and development of the website, online marketing, website security, traffic analytics and search engine optimisation.
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