Fashion Design Courses

Accessory Designer:



Accessory designers conceptualize and create designs for jewelry, handbags, shoes, ties, belts, hats, gloves, etc. to go with clothing. Accessory designers usually specialize in a specific line of accessories, as well as the customers for whom they design these accessories, be it men, women, kids, moms, brides, and so on. Accessory designers must always stay in touch not only with trends in their own specialties, but also within apparel and fabric markets, in order to react to create pieces that complement the new hot styles in the market.



pay levels vary depending upon the type and volume of accessories they produce. Beginning freelance accessory designers may be paid as little as $100 for a set number of pieces, while well-known designers like Manolo Blahnik can charge a high premium for their products (retail of $400-$800 per pair of shoes!).



is a highly competitive field that requires a lot of self-motivation. Few staff positions are available, so most accessory designers work independently. Those who succeed in creating industry buzz around their products can parlay this into creating larger and more lucrative operations.



Qualifications: Education - a bachelor's degree in Art, Fashion Design, Fashion Merchandising or a related field is recommended but not always required
Experience - a portfolio of original self-designed and manufactured products is vital; a record for successfully marketing and selling these products is also helpful.
Personal Characteristics/Skills - above average ability for creative expression; technical skill in working with materials required for the chosen specialty (such as metal and semi-precious stones for jewelry designers, etc); persistence and determination; ability to work independently, drawing and sketching skills; knowledge of and ability to react to current fashion trends; knowledge of manufacturing and production process; ability to keep production within a tight budget; handle stress due to deadlines.

Fashion Merchandiser:

merchandisers on the apparel production side track and analyze market trends, production costs, and previous sales numbers to determine the product direction that the manufacturers will take each season. If high rise jeans are going to become the next big thing, a fashion merchandiser needs to be one of the first in the industry to spot the trend. Fashion merchandising professionals on the retail side are responsible for tracking consumer trends and the latest styles to determine store inventory and to price clothes. In addition to arranging the receiving and storage of apparel, retail merchandisers supervise the creation of visual displays and the overall appearance of the store. They may also be responsible for tracking profits and losses. Merchandisers are some of the most powerful employees within an apparel company, and they have large bottom-line and personnel management responsibilities.



salary may range from $50,000 to over $80,000
Top level salary can easily go over $100,000+

apparel maker needs at least one fashion merchandiser. As a result, there are a number of merchandiser positions open, but the qualifications required to excel in this position cast a narrow net among prospective applicants. Those who have the business acumen and good fashion judgment to achieve and maintain profitability in their sector could advance high up the executive ladder.



Qualifications:
Education - Many technical and trade schools offer 2-year associate's degrees in fashion merchandising with courses in consumer research, fashion CAD (computer aided design),fashion history and culture, and business skills. An associate's degree can often lead to an entry-level assistant merchandising position. For a more advanced position, a 4-year bachelor's degree in Fashion Merchandising, Fashion Design, Apparel Production, or Marketing is preferable. An MBA (Masters in Business Administration) is a plus, as is participation in some executive training programs.

Experience - between 5-10 years of apparel industry experience is required along with some retail or sales experience. Fashion merchandisers may start out as retail management trainees and work their way up to fashion buyer or merchandising assistant positions. Merchandising job opportunities exist in fashion salons, fashion consulting firms, department stores, specialty shops and boutiques, fashion magazines, and import/export firms, among others.

Personal Characteristics and Skills - extensive knowledge of the apparel industry and trends; highly analytical with strong math skills; ability to predict and create fashion trends; ability to combine information from market sales and production data with fashion forecasts and translate into smart product-line decisions; decisive; ability to work with other executives;well-organized; detail oriented; calm under pressure.

Fashion Sales Representative:

Do you have an eye for fashion? Do you enjoy working with people? Consider a career in fashion and sales. Fashion Sales Representatives sell a manufacturer's garments and accessories to Fashion Buyers from wholesale and retail stores. Sales representatives usually solicit orders from new and prospective customers within a designated geographical area. They show samples, illustrations, and catalogs of their manufacturer's product line, and must be able to answer any questions regarding the products. They listen to their customers concerns about the product, assist in solving problems the customer may have with the product, and even help the customer sell more of the product by arranging special events like trunk shows and in-store fashion shows featuring their products. This is a position that requires a good deal of travel, sometimes internationally.

pay may range from $15,000 to $30,000
Experienced pay may range from $40,000 to over $75,000
Top level pay may range from $80,000 to over $100,000+
* Sales representatives often have the opportunity for increasing their pay through commissions on sales and bonuses based on their performance.



Higher than average growth within the US is projected in this sector, with additional positions available overseas. Often the key to getting a job is the willingness and flexibility to travel to remote locations.

Qualifications: Education - a bachelor's degree in Fashion Merchandising, Business, or Marketing is preferred, but not always required. Coursework in sales, business mathematics, and retailing is a plus.
Experience - Previous sales experience is helpful.
Personal Characteristics/Skills - highly competitive; belief in the product and ability to maintain enthusiasm for it; excellent communication skills - both written and oral; establish good relationships with customers; self-motivated with good follow-through skills; ability to deal with rejection and remain upbeat; knowledge of fashion industry trends and manufacturer's competitors.

Showroom Sales Representative:

Showroom Sales Representatives work at manufacturers and/or designers offices, where they meet with visiting Fashion Buyers and show off the latest product line. Once they convince the Fashion Buyer to purchase the manufacturer's products, the Showroom Sales Representative is responsible for accurately taking the Fashion Buyers order. They must then make sure that the right quantity of the right product reaches their customers' stores at the right time and in saleable condition. Showroom sales reps should expect to work additional long hours during the four to six market weeks or fashion weeks each year.

level pay may range from $20,000 to $30,000
Experienced pay is around $60,000
Top level pay is around $100,000
* Sales representatives often have the opportunity for increasing their pay through commissions on sales and bonuses based on their performance.

Qualifications: Education - a bachelor's degree in Fashion Merchandising, Business, or Marketing is preferred, but not always required.
Experience - Previous retail sales experience is helpful.
Personal Characteristics/Skills - enthusiastic; friendly; outgoing; good listener; excellent communication and presentation skills; knowledge of manufacturing and retail sectors of the fashion industry; good organizational and computer skills.