So you want to get into Fashion Merchandising? Here’s how

In the fashion industry there are plenty of opportunities. However, competition for fashion jobs, or fashion merchandising is pretty high. With the right attitude and discipline, making the career move for top jobs in fashion can land you with an incredible high paying job.

But, where do you start?

Preparation and researching the right channels is the key to getting ahead with fashion. For most, the best options available would be finding the right courses, or schools that offer fashion merchandising diplomas/degrees. If your passion is fashion, considering stepping onto a campus isn’t such a bad idea either.

How about experience?

Whether you are in school or not, other areas may offer opportunities provided you have the necessary skills to excel in the industry. For example, any connections in fashion can serve up some juicy opportunities. Or, another area of consideration could be an Internship. Internships in the right organizations can advance your career much more quickly. This little tip works in each area, no matter fashion retail, fashion design, or over all merchandising. There are plenty of high profile individuals in the industry ready to share experiences and offer you insider secrets.

What area or courses do you choose?

As you are probably already aware, fashions merchandising branches off in several directions. As in any career you would choose, the more you know, the more opportunities arise. Education is never wasted, especially if your passion for fashion has been a lifelong dream.

However, there are several skills associated with Fashion Merchandising that are in higher demand –
here are just a few for your information:

- Principles of retailing
- Fashion Textiles
- Fashion Design
- Consumer Behaviour
- Brand Management
- Fashion History

Top Fashion Merchandising Schools

There is no shortage of online courses and training when it comes to the world of fashion. Making the right move for you, just takes a simple list of where you think your top priorities, or for a much broader term, where your passion may lie.

Here is an overview of the TOP FIVE SCHOOLS with Fashion Merchandising Degree Programs. Have a look, do some research then plan for your bright future in fashion. Your talents and business skills are definitely needed!

#1 - CUNY New York City College of Technology (Brooklyn)
Offers job placement opportunities

#2 - Fashion Institute of Technology (New York, NY)
Proud home of the ‘Style Shop Boutique’

#3 - Harding University (Searcy, AR)
Provides labs for textiles, clothing and fashion

#2 - Howard University (Washington, DC)
Accredited University for the Association of Schools: Art and Design (NASAD)

#1 - University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ)
Offers a fashion merchandising scholarship

Getting Celebrities to Wear Your Products

The secret to getting celebrities to wear your products is quite frankly cut and dry – you need a great product! Innovation, creativity and determination are all you really need to get ahead in the Fashion Industry. This industry is highly competitive, which adds to its allure. Nobody can ever say hard work and commitment doesn’t pay off. 

Before diving into some great tips and advice, a reminder is needed about the work involved. Don’t forget that high profile people are drowning in gifts from ‘up and coming’ fashion designers or merchandisers. They get sent new line clothing, accessories, shoes and much more; but if you play your cards right, you may just land the big break you are looking for. 

Tips

#1 – Where to Start

The first thing you need to do is write an effective press release. You will find many PR firms on the Internet who specifically target the fashion industry. You may want to pay a small fee to have the PR written for you and distributed to the right channels.

#2 – Who to Target

This next tip comes with a few choices on how to go about finding the right channels to get a celebrity’s attention.

Of course we would all love to see Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman or Matt Damon wearing one of our products and perhaps one day they just might. But for now the best advice given by those who have amounted major success within the industry will tell you to target the ‘B’, ‘C’ and even ‘D’ lister’s in Hollywood. 

By far, the easiest products to get into Television or movies are usually clothing, shoes and accessories. One major success story would be ‘Sarah Shaw’ and the movie Legally Blonde. If you saw the movie and its promotional poster, you might have noticed a particular ‘purse’ – that purse was designed by Sarah Shaw. 

Breaking down Hollywood’s door when it comes to placing your products isn’t impossible. However, it does take stamina, dedication, business smarts and the right research or contact list. A make or break product comes down to the choices you make.

#3 – Contacting and Getting a Celebrity to Take Notice

With this tip we will start with the ‘Don’ts’.  Do not buy a celebrity address list and send your product to their home. There are two specific reasons for this: One, the addresses may be wrong and two, most celebrities find it un-nerving to receive packages at their house. This of course is completely understandable. 

Start by making a small list of celebrities who might actually like your product. For example, a list of 50 to 100 celebrities, News Anchors, Talk Show Hosts and the like. Properly market, or target your list to those you are confident will like your product. 

Send gifts to the celebrity via their publicist or agent.  You may want to try websites like ‘Represents’ or ‘Imdb’. The point is this contact list is much easier to come by. You may even want to try sending your products to the production company of a particular show – this of course depends on who you are trying to reach. 

Be sure to send just a sample of your product – letting expenses get out of hand this early in the game is not advised.

On some occasions you may actually get a ‘Thank you’ note; or a wonderful message that your product did in fact impress. This can result in your product going public, or they may even order more of your product. At this point please feel free to dance around like an excited school girl!

There is nothing with aiming high – if you have a product you truly believe in – a product that is original and unique.  Fashion comes with predictions, or the knack for noticing a particular style. Fashion merchandisers and designers who watch celebrities and pay attention to what makes them truly comfortable have the advantage. If you have a product that will knock their socks off then by all means aim high. 

#4 - Social Media

We don’t need to remind you of the power you have located directly at your finger tips. Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms has many thousands success stories. Facebook alone hosts millions of Business pages and even allows you to choose the category ‘Branding’ – so use it. 

#5 – Your Story

People love a great story, especially when it’s about the road to success. This includes celebrities, so be sure to include a note with your gift. Ideas may include, a little bit about your ups and downs – don’t go overboard with the drama. Make it simple, make yourself look simple. Words have power and so do a few sentences.

Fashion Merchandising: Where Fashion and Business Meet

If you have a passion for fashion and a talent for business, than the exciting world of Fashion Merchandising may be just what you are looking for. The term Fashion Merchandising can sometimes be confusing because it involves certain processes or steps. It’s not just about the creation and design of clothing; it also includes thinking outside the box and creating a fashion empire of your very own. 

What is Fashion Merchandising? 

It goes without saying that the fashion industry has evolved over the years to become a highly competitive market. For most people, the way we dress and stay on top of growing trends has become more popular in the 21st century.  Fashion truly defines us and we have talented fashion designers and merchandiser to thank for it.

Fashion Merchandising extends into several different career options. Depending on what aspects of business and fashion appeals to you, you can choose many options to express your talents. You can focus on the manufacturing, selling or even buying fashion merchandise. 

Fashion merchandising usually involves at least to some degree, the creation of the item and when the item is bought and brought home by the consumer. It is a well balanced blend of creativity and acute business principles. By choosing a specific career path in fashion merchandising, you may find yourself responsible for getting the right fabrics from other marketplaces or suppliers. In other instances you may find yourself working with major designers; making sure the fashions they create will actually sell through marketing and targeting. 

Business Principles 

In general, fashion merchandising involves selling clothing to people who love fashion. Like stated above, fashion truly defines people and it is up to you to convince them of how and why they should dress to impress. To truly be successful in the industry you have to find the perfect balance in creation. This means that you must have the creativity, or ability to think beyond the conventional, while not travelling too far beyond the norm. 

Understanding the business principles involved also becomes very important. Budgeting is actually a huge factor. Spending just the right amount of money on particular items, then getting that money back takes knowledge and appropriate research. Avoiding an excess of unsold items is the key to great success. 

Deciding

If your passion for fashion comes with a knack for business then the next step is simply deciding what courses or fashion school is right for you. Courses in fashion merchandising will help you excel and perform the job accordingly. Breaking down the right sector is also an important decision.

A true passion for fashion gets right down to the ‘nitty gritty’ – shoes, undergarments, clothing and even accessories. Your talents must cover an ability to easily choose fabrics, then mixing materials, having an eye for color and even the talent to predict the next big thing to hit the fashion world.

This is why it is important to think outside the box; creative minds do incredibly well in this profession and help define clothing for everyday people. 

Here are some good resources to learn more about Fashion Merchandising
Get More Information From BLS: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos291.htm

Read About a Major in Fashion Merchandising : http://www.collegeboard.com/csearch/majors_careers/profiles/majors/52.1902.html