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> Careers in fashion: the different job roles

Careers in fashion: the

different job roles
The fashion industry is huge – and fashion
design is just the tip of the iceberg. Here are 28
jobs to consider if you want a career in fashion.

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It’s safe to say that not everybody can be the

next Jimmy Choo or Donatella Versace – and
not everybody wants to be. While some fashion
careers are more famous than others, thanks in
part to their glamorous portrayal in the media,
the fashion industry covers a huge range of a
jobs. There may even be some roles you
haven’t considered before.

It would be impossible to list every job available

in the fashion industry, but here are some of the
most common career paths.

Fashion designer
You could specialise in an area such as
childrenswear, footwear, handbags, lingerie,
menswear, sportswear or womenswear. You’ll
usually start off as a fashion design assistant
and progress to fashion designer and design
director. You could even start your own fashion
line.

You could work for high street stores,

independent labels or a design studio – which
might be in-house (eg for a retailer) or
specialist.

A related degree, HND or foundation degree is

typically needed to get started in fashion
design. You could study, for instance, fashion
business, art and design, graphic design or
fashion and fashion design.

To improve your chances of securing your

first role as a fashion designer discover tips
from a John Lewis fashion designer.

Garment technologist
You’ll be responsible for choosing and testing
fabrics, ensuring the design can be made
within budget, overseeing garment
construction methods and carrying out the
quality control of products to check for faults.
You may also make production processes
more efficient and/or sustainable.

You’re likely to work for manufacturing and

retail employers in the fashion industry as a
garment technologist. However, you could also
work for companies that produce technical
textiles – such as spacesuits or clothes for
firefighters.

A related degree (eg in garment technology

and production) is the typical route into this job
role, although you might be able to gain the
required skills and knowledge through another
type of qualification – such as an advanced
apprenticeship.

Textile designer
Often employed by fashion designers, you will
create the 2D patterns for their designs. Textile
designers are highly technical and possess in-
depth knowledge about the production of
textiles, including types of fabric and yarns,
colour, dyeing, weaving, embroidery and
printing methods.

Textile designers can be self-employed or work

as part of a design team – such as for a
clothing brand or retailer.

Related degrees, such as art and design,

fashion and textiles, should enable you to enter
this industry. You could also take a textiles-
specific degree (eg printed textiles) –
particularly if you’re certain about the kind of
work you want to do. A HND in fashion design
and/or textile design is an alternative route.

Fashion illustrator
You will work closely with fashion designers to
discuss their requirements and create
conceptual sketches and illustrations of their
products. This could involve using computer-
aided design (CAD) software, painting and/or
free-hand sketching.

Many fashion illustrators work on a self-

employed basis. You could also work for a
design studio or retailer.

Certain degrees, such as graphic design and

illustration, can help you to build up your skills
and portfolio for this role. However, this is not
required: evidence of your aptitude for
illustration and creativity (such as through a
portfolio) is typically regarded by employers as
more important than degrees/degree subject.

Pattern cutter/grader
You will work with designers and garment
technologists to create pattern templates
based on the drawings given to you. Your job
will involve using dummies to create and refine
patterns, working with machinists to create
samples and using computer-aided design
(CAD) programs.

You could work for a clothing brand or

manufacturer.

You do not need a specific degree to become a

pattern cutter, although a fashion-related
qualification could stand you in good stead.
You could work your way up – eg from an
entry-level pattern cutting assistant role.

Stylist
You will put together visually appealing outfits
(think clothes, accessories and props) that
match the artistic vision set out for you,
whether it’s for a catwalk show, photo shoot,
advertisement, TV show, movie, concert or
music video.

You could work for many typed of employers,

including image production teams, large
retailers, magazines and musicians.

As practical and creative skills are typically

viewed as more important than academic
qualifications by recruiters in this industry, you
do not need a specific qualification. If you’d like
to, however, you could gain expertise through a
degree such as fashion communication and
styling or fashion styling and production.

Personal stylist/personal
shopper
One for a fashionista who wants to advise
individuals on their personal style. You could
work for a retailer, helping the general public, or
you could work for the stars, helping celebrities
look their best on and off the red carpet.

You won’t typically need a qualification to enter

these careers, although there are relevant ones
available (eg personal styling diplomas) that
could help you to stand out to recruiters.
Customer service skills are crucial for personal
styling and shopping, so any work experience
demonstrating these will be valuable.

Fashion buyer
Combining fashion with business, you’ll be the
brains behind which products a retailer sells.
You’ll need to anticipate which trends are going
to blow up months in advance, while also
considering factors such as the brand
aesthetic, customer buying habits, quality and
budget.

Fashion buyers typically work for retailers –

such as clothing retailers (both online and high
street) and supermarkets.

This is a career open to graduates of all degree

disciplines (and potentially other qualifications
– such as HNDs – for those with sufficient
relevant experience). A degree in retail or
business could be a strong starting point,
however.

Find out what a position as a retail buyer

(including, but not limited to, fashion retail)
entails.

Fashion merchandiser
You’ll work closely with buyers to ensure the
right amount of stock is sent to the right stores
at the right time. You may also be involved in
coordinating sales and promotional offers. A
head for numbers will help with the essential
forecasting and monitoring of sales.

As with fashion buyers, fashion merchandisers

are most likely to be employed by retailers.

Although graduates of all degree qualifications

(and potentially other qualifications – for those
with sufficient relevant experience) could get
started in this career, subjects that might give
you a head-start include business, marketing
and retail management.

Discover the role of a retail merchandiser.

Visual merchandiser
Working for a retailer, you'll be guilty of
tempting people to walk into stores and part
ways with their money – simply by designing
store layouts that are as irresistible as possible,
from eye-catching window displays to envy-
inducing mannequins.

A degree is not a requirement for this career –

you could enter it by starting on the shop floor
(eg as a sales assistant). However, creative
degrees are likely to be looked upon favourably
by some employers.

Find out more about visual merchandising.

Fashion writer
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
Kate Middleton’s biggest fashion moments.
You’ll usually start off in an entry-level role,
such as editorial assistant.

Experience and evidence of your work (eg

through a portfolio) are more important than
specific qualifications for this career. However,
gaining a related qualification (eg a diploma
from the National Council for the Training of
Journalists or a degree related to fashion)
could improve your knowledge and writing
skills.

Graphic designer
You’ll spend your time creating look books,
magazine spreads, marketing materials,
bespoke packaging, websites and social media
content. You may also design graphics to
feature on clothing or accessories (sometimes
called a print designer).

You could work for agencies specialising in

advertising design, magazines, publishers, local
government, educational institutions and
games companies – to name a few.

While you may be able to start out in this

career without a related qualification, career
progression will be difficult without formal
training. So, gaining a related degree or HND
(eg in graphic design, visual art or 3D design) is
advisable.

Find out more about the role of graphic

designer.

Fashion
photographer/filmmaker
You’ll probably work as a freelancer (although
you could work for a fashion retailer or brand),
meeting designers, coming up with concepts
for shoots, setting up equipment and lighting
on set, directing models and choosing/editing
the best images or videos. Depending on each
job, you could find yourself in a studio or on
location anywhere in the world.

A specific qualification is not required to

become a fashion photographer/filmmaker,
although a degree closely related to
photography could help you to gain skills and
up-to-date knowledge that will help you to
establish your career.

Fashion blogger/vlogger
You can make fashion blogging your job. You’ll
cover a lot of areas: writing,
photography/filming, website design,
modelling/styling, social media, ad sales and
public relations. As well as planning and
creating your content, you’ll need to find ways
to gain followers and make your blog/vlog
profitable.

You’ll probably work as a freelancer and won’t

need a specific qualification for this role,
although any course/qualification that
provides you with knowledge of the fashion
industry, the opportunity to hone your writing
skills or blogging advice might be useful.

Model
If you have the right look, you could make a
career out of it. There are different types of
models, including: fashion (editorial) models,
runway models, commercial models (who
feature in catalogues, adverts, billboards,
websites and social media), fitness models or
swimsuit and lingerie models.

You could work for an agency or on a freelance

basis.

A specific qualification is not required to begin

your career in modelling. Strong portfolios of
photographs/videos and networks of contacts
are more important.

Fashion marketing and PR

Your job will be to engage more customers and
improve brand awareness, for example by
planning marketing campaigns, writing press
releases, managing social media accounts and
putting on events/shows. You could work for
one brand or for an agency that works for
multiple clients.

You won’t need a specific qualification to be in

with a chance of gaining a role in fashion
marketing and PR, although this could help to
set you apart from the competition. It’s likely
that degrees or qualifications related to
marketing, communication or fashion will be
regarded highly.

Discover part-time jobs and activities that

will give you marketing and PR skills.

Trend forecaster
You will identify new trends and predict which
trends are going out of fashion. For example,
you might investigate what’s hot and what’s
not in terms of colours, patterns, silhouettes
and fabrics – and then report these findings to
retailers to help them move in the right
direction.

You could work for a trend forecasting agency,

or another company specialising in gaining
and providing other companies with data and
information.

You don’t need a specific qualification to

become a trend forecaster, but one that builds
up skills in data analysis and research could
improve your appeal to recruiters.

Our article on the trends in the fashion

industry is a great place to begin your
research towards a position as a trend
forecaster.

Ecommerce manager
You’ll responsible for managing a brand’s
online sales. Your 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 (SEO).

It’s likely that you’ll work for a retailer, either one

that trades online and in store or an online-only
company.

You won’t need a degree to get started in

ecommerce (eg as an ecommerce assistant),
allowing you to progress to the position of
ecommerce manager. However, some
employers would prefer candidates with a
degree, and subjects related to IT, business or
retail could be particularly relevant.

Discover more about working in retail

ecommerce, including the difference
between specialising in this and
technology, by reading this article.

Boutique owner
One for budding entrepreneurs, you’ll be
responsible for all aspects of your shop, from
buying (or designing!) your stock, creating a
website and social media accounts and
deciding on the store layout, to assisting
customers, training new staff and handling the
admin and finances.

You’ll be self-employed and won’t need any

specific qualifications, although any related to
business or fashion could improve your
understanding – making it more likely that you
create a successful business.

If this is the career for you, discover how to

be an entrepreneur when you graduate.

Wardrobe assistant
You’ll specialise in either theatre, film or TV and
you’ll help to make, find and look after the
clothes needed for the production. Day-to-day,
you might be sourcing clothes and accessories
for different characters, fitting costumes for
performers, and cleaning, mending and
altering the clothes.

You could work for a variety of employers, such

as entertainment companies, theatres and
production companies. You could also work on
a freelance basis.

Although you don’t need any particular

qualifications to be eligible for this position, a
degree such as fashion, textiles and costume
design could help you demonstrate your talent
and enthusiasm.

Costume designer
You may take on some of the same practical
tasks as a wardrobe assistant (see above), but
you will be the one who creates the outfits the
audience will see. You’ll need to study the
script, sketch costume designs and research
styles and fabrics before discussing your ideas
and instructing others.

Just like wardrobe assistants, you might be

employed by an entertainment or production
company, or a theatre.

A degree in costume design or a related

subject may be preferred or required by
employers, but this isn’t the case across the
board. You can enter this career without
specific qualifications.

Makeup artist/hair stylist

A perfect outfit isn’t complete without the hair
and makeup to match. You’ll be working hard
behind the scenes to create a look that
matches the vision of the brand – and to
ensure that the models look exactly as planned
(often at the very last minute).

You could work for many different employers,

and your choice could be guided by the kind of
makeup you specialise in. For instance, you
might work for production companies, theatres
or TV channels.

While qualifications haven’t traditionally been

as important in this industry as evidence of
practical skills, more makeup artists and
hairstylists are studying for qualifications such
as degrees or HNDs in – as one example –
media and theatrical makeup.

Studio manager
You’ll work for a fashion house and oversee its
studio, coordinating the pattern cutters,
machinists and garment technologists. You will
ensure that the work is progressing as planned,
the deadlines are met, the budget is stuck to
and patterns are made to the right standard.

You could start out in a position such as studio

assistant and work your way up. Any
qualification related to fashion is likely to stand
you in good stead for this career, too.

Retail manager
Every fashion retailer with physical stores needs
managers. You may well start off as a sales
assistant and work your way up to
management. Working on the shop floor, you’ll
ensure the store is run successfully – both in
terms of excellent customer service and
financial performance.

You could work your way up to this role, or join a

graduate scheme with any degree