So you think you want to work in fashion? Well, the industry is not cut out for the faint of hearts. It’s not all glitz and glamour, but long hours and full days of work. It’s about detail and attention, noticing small things and bringing it out for others to notice and appreciate too. It’s not free clothes and parties with designers. If it’s what you love, great. It’s most certainly not about the money. You pursue a career in fashion because you love it, not because you think it will make you rich and famous. Now, with that out of the way, if you’re still interested in breaking into the fashion industry- you have a lot of different areas to which you can explore as a potential career that cater to your interests.
Fashion Journalism– If you like writing, great. The best way to combine your two loves is to pursue a career in fashion journalism. Fashion journalists report on the latest trends and upcoming designers. Sometimes you will be responsible for covering the opening of new stores or the latest fashion show during fashion week. Competition for any area of journalism is extremely competitive, so you want to be sure to start interning early and gather as much experience under your belt that you can. Start a portfolio or a blog to get started. The good thing about the internet, and widespread use of blogs, is that anyone can start getting experience on their own before actually starting work. Research some popular fashion blogs and see what works and what doesn’t for them. You never want to copy what has already been done, but you can maybe find some inspiration. Fashion journalists can expect to make a median salary of $35,600. Sometimes less, sometimes more. It all depends on your level of experience and where you are employed.
Photography – Photographers display clothing and other fashion items. Much of fashion photography is geared towards editorial shots. The pictures tell a story through the location, clothes and expressions of the models. Still, life fashion is a type of photography used to showcase the clothing without the use of models. You can also take the route that Bill Cunningham did and photograph street fashion. Many photographers are also hired by newspapers and magazines to capture fashion on the runway during the various fashion week events. Average salary for a fashion photographer is $40,000.
Stylist- A stylists’ prime responsibility is to select clothing for editorials, print or TV ad campaigns, music videos, or any other public appearance made by celebrities or public figures. Ever wonder how celebrities always manage to look so chic at the airport? They have their stylist’ to thank for that. The pay varies for this position. Some stylists are paid hourly and some are paid by the day. You can also be paid a flat fee for a long project. For good practice, start a blog, dress up your friends and set up an Instagram account. Test what works and what doesn’t and see how people react to your pairings.
Sale- Good experience while you’re still in school is to become a sales associate at one of your favorite stores. On average, sales associates make about $9.50 an hour, but it is great experience to get an idea of how business works inside stores if you think it’s something you may want to pursue. You’ll be working with customers, stocking new inventory and get a first-hand look at what customers like and don’t like.
Designing– Designing is perhaps the most difficult field to break into within the fashion industry. You are responsible for keeping up on the latest trends: knowing what cuts work and what doesn’t, what colors your customers want to buy, what styles are in, and more. After you design an awesome collection, you need to have it out in the public eye. You either need to have a show, or get it sold in stores. If designing is something you really want to do, start small! Create a small collection and set up an Ebay or Etsy shop. Selling your clothes on online outlets gives you the small audience you’re looking to test on. It also gives you an outlet to connect with your customers. Average salary is $55,000
Brand Representation– A brand ambassador is another popular job students take on while they are still studying. It’s a good way to learn the ins and outs of the industry, network and decide if this is the right field for you. What a brand rep does is promote products or services within a company. The key element in a good brand rep is networking. You use social media and promotional strategies to develop relationships with customers and get them excited about a brand and their new products. You bring brand awareness and help raise sales. It’s a fun job to take on to get people interested and excited about an up and coming brand, and it’s a good way to get you out of your comfort zone and network. Average salary is $30,000.
Visual Merchandise– You would contribute to advertising, marketing and sales effort by designing the visual aesthetic of a store. You will design floor plans and window displays. Inventory management is a key component into visual merchandising, because you need to pay attention to merchandise flow and product placement. All of the mannequins and store setups you admire when walking through your favorite store? Those were pre-planned by visual merchandisers to get you to walk into the store and over to a certain section. Average salary is between $34,000 and $55,000.
Editorial Assistant– Provide assistance in publication of books, magazines and articles. Typical work may include: phone and e-mail queries, correcting manuscripts, organizing and researching projects, obtaining rights to use material from other publications and supporting editorial staff in all aspects of publication. Average salary is $31,000.
Marketing/Social Media Assistant- Connect with fans of a brand on various platforms of social media. Analyze stats to figure out which platform reaches the most people. Get people connected to the brand and excited about their products. Respond to fans questions and comments on social media. Helps to build consumer-brand relationship. Average salary: $30,000.
Assistant Buyer– Buyers make purchases of clothing and accessories to be sold in major department stores and boutiques based on what they think would be popular with their customers. They are to attend showrooms, trade shows, and fashion shows to observe trends and find out what is in style at that time. Typical salary is $30,000.
The fashion industry is a fast and exciting industry to be a part of. If you think it’s the route you want to take with your career, intern first! Interning is a great way to gain experience for your resume and decide if your chosen path is really the one you wish to take.
