Six careers in fashion business you should consider

Six careers in fashion business you should consider

1. Fashion business manager

If your love of fashion is underpinned by a healthy dose of business savvy, why not combine both in a single career? According to the Milano Fashion Institute, fashion business managers organise, coordinate and supervise ‘all activities related to the production, distribution and promotion of the company.’ Like anyone working in fashion and textiles, business managers have a keen sense of current and future trends, but their focus is more on the day-to-day operations of the fashion business they represent: supervising the development of new products, collaborating on strategic planning initiatives, or building new buyer relationships that support business growth. 
 
Similar roles include: business strategist, supply chain manager, brand manager. 

2. Fashion sustainability officer/manager 

It’s no secret that the fashion sector is a significant polluter: according to estimates from the UN Environment Programme, the global textile value chain is responsible for up to 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. It’s a figure that has the industry racing to find solutions, which is why fashion sustainability managers are in high demand. These professionals are responsible for shaping how fashion brands approach their social and environmental responsibilities. This can include developing zero-waste initiatives, pursuing partnerships that are built on environmental and human rights commitments, and investigating new opportunities to embed sustainable practices in supply chain operations.  
 
Similar roles include: sustainable fashion designer, sustainable textiles consultant, sustainable sourcing manager.

3. Fashion brand manager

Fashion branding is about creating a unique identity for a designer or businesses that helps them stand out. Good branding encapsulates an organisation’s mission and values, its look and feel, how it speaks to its target market and how it positions itself among its competitors. Brand managers are responsible for establishing, managing and maintaining these brand attributes to create a seamless experience for customers, as well as for developing and executing strategies and campaigns that keep their brand in the public eye. It’s a great career choice for anyone with an interest in human behaviour and a knack for marketing that can influence and inspire. 
 
Similar roles include: fashion marketer, product manager, creative director.

4. Fashion entrepreneur

If working for someone else isn’t your bag, carve your own path as a fashion entrepreneur. If you’ve got a disruptive idea, a partnership with potential or a product that could take the fashion world by storm, building a fashion start-up that’s all your own can be deeply satisfying work. This career path combines fundamental fashion business skills (such as management, marketing and finance) with the vision, creativity and resilience that are essential to entrepreneurial success.  
 
Similar roles: business manager, business development specialist, business strategist. 

5. Fashion retail manager

If fashion retailers are the interface between a brand’s products and its customers, then fashion retail managers are the professionals responsible for getting fashion goods into customers’ hands. Whether they work in a department store like Myer, a luxury retail outlet like Miu Miu®, Prada or an independent designer or fashion outlet, these professionals are focused on managing the customer experience in order to drive sales. This includes everything from managing and motivating employees, overseeing customer engagement strategies, monitoring purchasing trends and taking charge of visual merchandising, both online and in person.  
 
Similar roles include: fashion merchandiser, visual merchandiser, business manager. 

6. Fashion buyer 

Fashion buyers are in charge of sourcing clothes and accessories direct from designers and manufacturers to stock in their stores (think The Iconic, Myer, David Jones, Kmart and more). Not only do they curate the look and feel of each season’s offerings in line with their company brand, but they also play an important role in developing and maintaining relationships with designers and manufacturers. This role can include attending local and international fashion shows to check out upcoming designs; considering the alignment of available items with current and emerging trends; negotiating with designers on the details of items they want to stock; and deciding when, where and how the final pieces will be displayed. 
 
Similar roles include: fashion merchandiser, trend forecaster or sourcing specialist. 
 
Find your place in the global fashion sector with the UTS Bachelor of Fashion Business.