A Fashion Education Extends Beyond Design

Each year a new crop of aspiring designers enroll into college fashion programs to learn the skills of the trade. Not all fashion design graduates will land a position in fashion design. Some find themselves working in other areas within the fashion that utilizes their fashion design education. Discover three career paths within the fashion industry where you put your fashion design degree to good use.

Fashion Trend Analyst/ Fashion Forecasters

Fashion forecasters or fashion trend analysts analyze current events that are making a global, national, and/or regional impact. Socio-economic changes, natural weather disasters or phenomena and political occurrences are the big triggers for fashion change. The fashion forecaster analyzes these changes and makes predictions about what colors, styles and expectations consumers will have as a result.

In 2009, the world was recovering from the global economic crisis that shook up many nations in 2008. The dominant color pallet was muted and toned-down with shades of grey most prevalent. Fashion forecasters analyzing the economic turmoil of 2008, determined that fashion should mimic the somber mood the world possessed. With hope in sight, fashions are once again brighter for spring 2010 and more intricate for fall.

The fashion world may not have responded in such a manner if fashion forecasting and trend analysis did not occur. A fashion education delves into trend analysis. Add this to the design skills learned, a career in fashion forecasting is an easy transition for a fashion design graduate.

Fashion Merchandising

Fashion merchandisers work primarily with the retail sector of the fashion industry. Merchandisers perform customer and trend analysis for the retailer they work for. The fashion merchandiser reviews the sales data from the store to gain an idea about which designers and styles of clothing sold the most. This data influences which collections the retailer will sell.

Fashion merchandisers also direct the look of the retail establish. They create store floor plans, in-store displays, along with window displays. A fashion design education works well for this career path because fashion graduates possess an eye for color, style and analysis of trends, which are required skills for a fashion merchandiser.

Fashion Journalism

An education in fashion design also lends itself to establish a career in fashion journalism. A fashion journalist writes style reviews, runway reviews, industry news and industry profiles for newspapers and magazines. Writing skills are required for this career path, however knowledge of fashion and the nature of the fashion are also desired. In addition, as one move up towards fashion editor more influence within the fashion industry is gained depending on the publication.

Case in point, Anna Wintour, Editor-in-Chief of Vogue, is so influential that Milan's Fall 2010 Ready-to-Wear Fashion Week runway schedule was shortened based upon her personal schedule. Designers know that a good fashion review in a high profile publication such as Vogue carries a lot of weight in the industry. Retailers and consumers pay attention to the designers that such magazines promote.

A fashion education can lead to many possibilities outside of design. Fashion forecasters influence what designers create, merchandisers and fashion journalists/editors influence what people buy. So if you are unsure if pursuing fashion design is right for you, then consider another career path in fashion. Your degree does not have to go to waste.

Resources

http://www.fashion-schools.org/fashion-merchandiser.htm

http://www.careerthreads.com/CareersProductDev.html

http://www.stylecareer.com/fashion_editor.shtml