Fashion Careers

The exciting world of fashion features many different career paths for talented and knowledgeable professionals. Fashion programs generally focus on design and clothing production or business and marketing. This page explores the many fashion careers available in both of these broad areas.

To succeed in the fashion world, aspiring professionals need to lean on many different abilities and personality traits, and the fashidon job market remains highly competitive. You will need to make a strong commitment to your personal and professional development to establish yourself and advance in the field.

Prevailing wisdom suggests that several specific characteristics can help lead to success in this challenging industry. A dedication to fashion comes first and foremost, followed by creativity, strong business sense and networking skills, and a willingness to start at the bottom and work your way up.

Striking it rich as a fashion designer or entrepreneur is well within the realm of possibility for uniquely talented and highly motivated individuals, but most careers in fashion reflect everyday economic realities. Most fashion professionals earn salaries that align with typical averages for retail-driven industries.

This field attracts many aspiring professionals, which leads to heavy competition for a limited number of available jobs. For example, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that fashion designer employment will only increase by 1% between 2018 and 2028.

The following table details common careers in fashion and the typical salaries attached to specific roles:

Students hone the following skills while enrolled in fashion degree programs. Graduates who develop these abilities can succeed in many fashion-related jobs and beyond.

Design is inherent to the fashion industry, as many graduates strive to create clothing. Students must become accustomed to creating ideas from scratch and executing them in tangible ways.

Most fashion programs teach students how to use Adobe Illustrator and other relevant applications. Enrollees must also master basic computer skills, such as using email and Google Suite programs.

Professionals in the field generally create new products from scratch, and the industry requires professionals to constantly think up new ideas. As a result, fashion programs focus on stimulating creativity in students through group work and individual projects.

Not all fashion program graduates become designers. Some decide to work on the purchasing side. For these professionals, most fashion programs include foundational business courses in accounting, marketing, and finance.

All fashion professionals must communicate to work with teams of purchasers, managers, and designers. Fashion programs typically include frequent presentations and group work, requiring enrollees to hone their communication and teamwork skills.

Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.

Many fashion programs allow students to personalize their education by offering electives or concentrations related to specific career paths. Offerings differ among schools, but most fashion programs provide students with industry-standard options. These may include courses related to the merchandising/purchasing and design sides of the industry.

This path focuses on the marketing and negotiation aspects of the industry, preparing graduates to work as marketing managers for fashion companies or as agents for models. The curriculum generally teaches foundational business skills delivered within a fashion industry context.

A fashion technology track helps students prepare for the future of fashion by mastering the latest technological trends. Enrollees often participate in design labs to collaboratively design garments in three-dimensional spaces.

This pathway typically includes many lab courses that help students design clothing and begin to create their professional portfolios. Learners master tools like Adobe Illustrator and often take foundational courses, such as textiles and color theory.

Students pursuing this career path prepare to work as purchases or buyers within the industry. Coursework provides students with a thorough knowledge of marketing and consumer trends, along with general business skills.

The industry supports many appealing careers for fashion majors. On the design and production side, you can become a lead designer, garment technologist, fashion illustrator, or fashion stylist. The business and marketing side also offers a variety of career paths, including merchandisers, retail buyers, inventory planners, marketing specialists, and public relations specialists, among many other management and support-level positions.

In most cases, you will need at least a bachelor’s degree and strong networking skills to land an entry-level position with advancement potential. Given the competitive nature of the fashion industry’s employment landscape, a master’s degree may open more doors — particularly in fashion business and marketing.

The following table highlights careers in the fashion industry for professionals who hold associate degrees in the field. A professional with a two-year degree can often find jobs in the fashion retail space or entry-level positions in fashion design and merchandising. Professionals who succeed in these roles can sometimes work their way up to higher positions.

For more information about the best associate programs in fashion and the benefits of the degree, please visit this rankings page and this overview page.

Sources: BLS and PayScale

The following table provides annual wages and job descriptions for different fashion careers for professionals with bachelor’s degrees in the field, including fashion design careers and fashion merchandising careers. While the minimum educational requirement for these positions is a bachelor’s degree, most also require significant fashion industry experience and expertise; professionals in the field generally work their way up from entry-level positions.

For more information about the top bachelor’s programs in fashion design and merchandising, please consult this rankings page and this overview page.

Sources: BLS and PayScale

Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.

The following table details fashion careers for students who earn master’s degrees in the field. Though industry experience and skills play a significant role in promotion, an advanced degree can help you earn consideration for promotions earlier in your career.

Sources: BLS and PayScale

Though you can qualify for many different careers with a fashion degree, your education represents only part of what you need to become a successful professional. Networking is critically important to your advancement potential at all stages of your career. You should also stay abreast of current and emerging fashion trends; this can help you anticipate the future direction of the fashion industry and position yourself accordingly.

Committing to continuing education offers an excellent way to stay on top of industry trends and shifts in buyer behavior that could influence your career prospects. The following section also offers guidance on additional steps you can take to further your professional journey in the fashion industry.

In competitive industries like fashion, even well-established professionals pursue continuing education to accelerate their career growth and increase their knowledge. Some individuals earn additional fashion degrees, but most people opt to supplement their existing education with professional programs that lead to certificates.

These programs may feature online and classroom-based delivery methods. Their content generally focuses on niche aspects of the fashion industry, such as fashion design technologies and best practices for inventory managers and fashion buyers. They can also boost your resume and signal a commitment to ongoing personal and professional improvement.

Formal education can take you a long way in the fashion world, but so can soft skills and networking; you can draw on many different strategies to leverage these for your career development.

For instance, building a strong personal brand through your online presence can help. Many professional contacts and prospective employers will investigate your social media accounts, and a carefully cultivated internet presence can pay major dividends. Many industry insiders also recommend that you follow the social media feeds of the fashion brands and labels you like and aspire to work for.

When you attend industry events and workshops, make sure to participate in associated social activities. Bring plenty of personal business cards, stay in touch with people you meet, and cultivate relationships that can lead to career growth. Also, membership in professional organizations like the Fashion Group International and the Fashion Industry Association can provide many networking and professional development opportunities.

The term “fashion industry” refers to many different fields that fashion degree-holders can pursue. Options include apparel wholesaling, the entertainment industry, sewing apparel manufacturing, design services, and management. The types of jobs that graduates can find in each industry depend on their level of education and experience.

Source: BLS

Employment data shows that fashion industry jobs in the United States are heavily concentrated in New York and California. These two jurisdictions account for a large majority of all fashion jobs in the U.S.; unsurprisingly, they also feature the industry’s highest average annual salaries.

For context, the next largest U.S. fashion job centers employ less than 10% the number of professionals currently working in New York or California. Examples include Florida, Georgia, Oregon, and Massachusetts.

Professional and educational resources offer great value to students planning to launch their fashion careers. These include major national and international professional organizations, along with open courseware and industry publications. The following sections detail some of the most popular examples of resources you can draw on to build and advance your career.

Professional organizations provide aspiring fashion designers with opportunities to identify and develop their skill sets. They can also help workers network and find jobs.

American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences: Members of AAFCS enjoy access to networking and continuing education opportunities, an online career center, and a subscription to the Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences. AAFCS also offers certifications related to fashion, textiles, and apparel.

American Sewing Guild: Members receive discounts on materials and supplies from participating retailers, including Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores, Hancock Fabrics, and other retailers. At its annual meeting, members attend two days of seminars, lectures, and workshops.

Association of Sewing and Design Professionals: This association’s members work as tailors, dressmakers, and seamstresses — many of whom create and craft custom designs and patterns for clothing, jewelry, and accessories. Members enjoy networking, training, and mentorship opportunities; client referrals; and discounted rates for the master sewing and design professional and master alteration specialist certification programs.

Costume Society of America: Dedicated to advancing the “understanding of all aspects of dress and appearance,” CSA encourages academic scholarship in the field. Members can apply for many grants, including the CSA Travel Research Grant and the Adele Filene Student Presenter Grant. Members can also access special resources through the organization’s website and a subscription to its journal.

The Fashion Group International: Founded in 1930 by Elizabeth Arden, Edna Woolman Chase, and Eleanor Roosevelt, this organization strives to be the “preeminent authority on the business of fashion and design.” Members are included in the annual FGI membership directory, and they can also access the exclusive Fashion Access Network

Fashion Industry Association: FIA offers free membership with registration. Members enjoy networking and collaboration opportunities through organized in-person gatherings and online forums. Members can also post profiles and events.

World Model Association: WMA, founded in 2001, connects models with agencies, photographers, and talent scouts. Models receive access to an online job board and special events. Each model can create a profile page to receive discounts on rental cars, cosmetics, and other beauty products. Agencies, scouts, and photographers can receive calls for offers and access networking opportunities through the association’s site.

Students who want to develop their skills and keep up with the latest practices in fashion design may not have the time or resources for full-time programs. Fortunately, a growing number of schools are offering massive open online courses for free.

The Craft of Costume Design – MIT: This course, offered through MIT’s Music and Theater Arts department, explores costume design through making wigs, masks, jewelry, corsets, and armor. Participants can also learn about techniques related to dyeing, painting, and distressing fabric.

Fashion Design Webcasts – UC Berkeley: UC Berkeley’s site offers dozens of short videos on fashion design. Presented on YouTube, topics include fashion design for beginners, designing and drawing fashion sketches, and ways to maximize clothing boutique space.

Special Topics: New Textiles – MIT: This hands-on, graduate-level course focuses on applying new technologies to traditional craftwork. Topics include using composites, textile-based electronics, algorithms in pattern design, and fabricating textiles. Students explore a variety of fibers and fabrics, including some made with resins, plastics, and metal. Laser cutting, digital printing, and CNC knitting and embroidery are also covered.

International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education: This official publication of the Textile Institute offers subscription-only content and free articles online. Readers can explore peer-reviewed research on apparel production, fashion education and design, pattern cutting, and manufacturing. Some of this journal’s most popular open-access articles include Significance of Body Image Among UK Female Fashion Consumers: The Cult of Size Zero, the Skinny Trend, and Global Communication Part I: The Use of Apparel CAD Technology.

Journal of Aesthetics & Culture: This open-access, peer-reviewed journal explores many human science topics, including fashion studies, history, gender studies, aesthetics, and cultural studies. Representative articles include Veils and Sunglasses and Fashioning the Fashion Princess: Mediation – Transformation – Stardom.

Journal of Global Fashion Marketing: With subscription-only content and open-access articles, this journal publishes empirical papers and case studies that help advance the understanding of fashion marketing and practice. Some of the most popular free articles available through this publication include Can Fashion Blogs Function as a Marketing Tool to Influence Consumer Behavior? Evidence from Norway and A Study of a Social Content Model for Sustainable Development in the Fast Fashion Industry.

“Design is a constant challenge to balance comfort with luxe, the practical with the desirable,” Donna Karan famously noted. To better develop this sense of balance, aspiring designers should consider reading one or more of these top publications from the world of fashion.

The Beautiful Fall: Fashion, Genius, and Glorious Excess in 1970s Paris: This 2007 work by Alicia Drake tells the story of a fashion rivalry between Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent. After conducting more than 100 interviews with the colleagues and friends of these two designers, Drake portrays the decadent, cosmopolitan, and dangerous world where these titans of the industry lived and worked.

Chanel: Couture and Industry: Written by fashion historian Amy de la Haye, this book offers a biography of Coco Chanel — the woman who “made striped jerseys and loose trousers chic, costume jewelry desirable, [and] the little black dress the height of fashion.”

D.V.: Diana Vreeland’s autobiography spans her life, from a childhood in Paris to her time as a fashion editor at Harper’s Bazaar and editor-in-chief at Vogue. Vreeland’s memoir covers her rise in the fashion world and her friendships with luminaries like the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Coco Chanel, and Clark Gable.

Fashion A to Z: An Illustrated Dictionary: This comprehensive guide covers terms and keywords that fashion design students need to know. Over 2,000 entries and beautiful illustrations make this 2009 compilation by Alex Newman and Zakee Shariff a useful guide for aspiring fashion professionals.

The Fashion Designer Survival Guide: Mary Gehlhar’s 2008 book contains advice for young designers from a business perspective. Topics covered include writing a business plan; raising capital; identifying supply sources; and marketing, branding, and creating a runway show. With a foreword by famous designer Diane von Furstenberg and advice from Tommy Hilfiger and Donna Karan, this work can help keep entrepreneurial fashion designers on the right track.

If You Have to Cry, Go Outside: And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You: Written by PR professional Kelly Cutrone, this memoir takes the reader inside the competitive world of fashion.

The Vogue Factor: In this behind-the-scenes tale, former Vogue Australia editor-in-chief Kirstie Clements recounts 25 years of working at one of the world’s most influential fashion magazines. Clements’ memoir reveals the risks involved with working in the highly competitive fashion world.

For instant access to the fashion trends and news, aspiring professiona ls can start by perusing the industry’s top magazines. With photos, illustrations, in-depth interviews, and profiles, fashion design professionals can learn about the current state of fashion.

Elle: Elle presents the latest in fashion to help its readers develop their personal style. This magazine features articles, trend reports, and many photographs.

GQ: Aspiring to be the premier magazine for men’s fashion, culture, and style, GQ “speaks to all sides of the male equation.” Fashion professionals can keep current with the magazine’s Week in Style and Fashion Shows sections. Readers can also learn about the fundamentals of men’s fashion.

Glamour: This magazine focuses on what to wear and how to wear it. As a part of the Condé Nast publishing empire, Glamour boasts a print circulation of over 2,000,000. The magazine highlights trends with recurring features on celebrity style, outfit ideas, bags, and shoes.

Harper’s Bazaar: With a focus on elegance, Harper’s Bazaar has devoted itself to women’s fashion and design for over 140 years. The magazine includes sections on street style, trends, shopping guides, and recent fashion shows. Aspiring professionals may also enjoy the magazine’s profiles of successful designers.

InStyle: This online magazine provides full fashion coverage with features like What’s Right Now and Shop Like an Editor.

Marie Claire: This magazine devotes over half of its content strictly to fashion. With its unique Behind the Cover feature, Marie Claire takes a step-by-step approach to create the hottest looks of the day.

Vogue: From high fashion to daily wear, Vogue provides full coverage on what’s happening in the fashion industry. Readers can learn about brands, designers, editors, photographers, and models with Voguepedia. Visitors can also access Vogue’s 400,000-plus images with a subscription.

Fashion degrees generally focus on either creativity or business. In most cases, students customize their learning by choosing a concentration within a generalized fashion design or fashion marketing program.

Examples include specializations like fashion merchandising, fashion design, fashion photography, fashion manufacturing, and business administration with focuses on design, fashion, and luxury.

Established professionals stress the competitiveness of the fashion industry. Developing specialized knowledge and honing your creative talents in the context of a fashion program can be vitally important. Education also serves as a crucial first step in building a professional network that can help advance your career.

Careers for fashion majors include fashion design, fashion illustration, and fashion photography jobs, as well as retail, inventory, and merchandising positions. Specifically, individuals can pursue roles as fashion buyers, fashion merchandisers, and retail managers.

Fashion design offers rewarding career opportunities for highly motivated and creative individuals. The field also tends to come with above-average pay. However, the world of fashion design is extremely competitive; even the most innately talented people may need to work very hard for many years to begin establishing themselves.

The fashion industry tends to reward creative, outside-the-box thinkers who possess a genuine passion for design, creativity, and style. Networking also functions as a critical avenue to career success. For many, this journey begins in school. If a career in fashion interests you, enrolling in an accredited degree program can provide a proven, practical path to entry.