All across the fashion industry, there are many fashion support roles throughout retail, management, and the creative sectors. Like all businesses, fashion relies on the foundations of leadership, HR, and admin. But of course, there are many roles in artistic design.
Buyer and Assistant Buyer Roles
Shopping for a living sounds like a dream come true for some people. But it isn’t what you might think. Being a buyer for a company is a massive responsibility since you are using business funds to make decisions that could affect the future outcome. However, if you have an eye for fashion, you could find yourself making purchasing decisions for the store you work for. This includes garments to fill a retail space or several. However, it isn’t uncommon for high-end fashion outlets to buy wholesale jewelry and accessories like those from Wholesale Sparkle.
High-End Custom Jewelry Designer
Further to jewelry, making it is an art and a craft from which you can make a really good living. Like watchmaking, making jewelry can be an intricate job where you can forge your skills over a lifetime. As such, it is a rewarding experience. When making original pieces of jewelry, you need a mix of creative skills and business sense if you want to support yourself. The design process is complicated and has many steps, each of which requires a different set of skills from the designer. These include mounting, working with materials, and keeping up with trends.
Human Resources is Part of Fashion Support Roles
Human Resources (HR) is a core part of any company. From management and logistics to administration and company culture, you will be at the forefront of a business. From company to company, an HR Manager’s duties will be different. You could be the HR manager of a small company and be in charge of all HR tasks. Or you could work for a larger company where your main focus would probably be on hiring and getting along with employees. As an HR assistant will be in charge of basic tasks like data entry, filing, answering the phone, and payroll.
Graphic Designers are Desirable
Fashion relies heavily on graphic design as a visual medium and art form. Like most arts, it’s uncommon to work as a hired graphics designer under contract. Instead, you will usually be a freelancer working with a designated medium and style to meet the goals of the client. Most of the work is flat and used in advertising campaigns, book covers, and fashion magazines. But your work could also include posters, corporate communications, and company websites. You also need to understand industry-standard software such as Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator.
Custom Pattern Makers
Another well-paid freelance job is that of a pattern maker. If you have an artistic flair like a graphic designer, this might be for you. You will be tasked with making sure that patterns and grading are made to the business’s standards according to a brief. You will need experience with CAD software like Lectra and need to think outside the box and come up with new ideas to make the patterns work. You will also need to be highly motivated and enjoy working as part of a team. This role requires a lot of trial and error, so patience when working with clients is vital.
Be a Stylist or Assistant Stylist
Of course, style is a major part of the fashion industry. If you have a creative flair for fashion, love what you do, and understand trends, you might just be a great fit. However, you will also need to work with directors, photographers, lighting technicians, and models. However, a typical week of work might include messaging PR companies, manufacturers, and retailers. This means finding the best range of products to use in a shoot by hiring, borrowing, or buying clothes and props. You will then use a professional studio or location to find the best ones.
Extra: How to Get into the Fashion Industry
Landing your dream job isn’t always easy. In fact, data suggests that it takes around ten years of previous related roles and experience to end up where you plan to be. Sadly, many people also give up just before they make it. But you need to stay motivated and take this advice:
- Check all outlets that offer a good fashion internship.
- Study hard for related qualifications you can use to your advantage.
- Be realistic about working for a smaller company to gain experience.
- Use social media and online sources to stay up with the latest fashion trends.
- Develop a personal planner and keep track of your skills, goals, and experience.
- Identify a role (like those listed here) and work towards a specific one.
- Learn as much as you can when interning and ask questions about other roles.
- Develop as many skills as you can related to various roles in fashion.
- Share your thoughts, ideas, and expressions on your own internet space.
- Be willing to work long and hard hours as part of a team.
As with most professions, you will likely start at the bottom, even if you hold a prestigious degree. But this isn’t a bad thing. In an entry-level role, you get all the experience you need while learning on the job. This will stop you from becoming overwhelmed with work you can’t do.
Work Towards a Production Assistant
As a production assistant, you will control the critical path from inception to completion and help ensure the smooth running of the manufacturing cycle. Administrative tasks, such as coordinating shipping and freight schedules, will fall under your duties. Further duties as a production assistant will include sorting and checking on samples. You will work closely with factories to place production orders. You will also communicate sales and deadlines and troubleshoot issues that may emerge. Often, this requires a lot of experience in the industry.
Consider the Various Management Roles
Depending on your perspective, there are many management roles within the fashion industry. These include fashion houses, retail, studio production, quality assurance (QA), and sales. A quality assurance manager’s goal is to ensure that a company’s product or service is valuable and meets customer expectations. In sales, you will be expected to build up your own key accounts and sales team to help the business grow and keep its good name. Finally, an area manager’s job is to get the best out of store managers and keep stores to high standards.
Keep Up Looks as a Visual Merchandiser
A key role in fashion retail is that of merchandising. Merchandising is the process of planning and making a plan to help a company sell a variety of products in a way that meets sales and profit goals. You will work closely with the buyers and buyer managers as a merchandiser. You will make sure the product they purchase will help them reach their internal goals. This is a typically high-pressure job that moves very quickly. Therefore, experience in a similar role is often required. However, it’s an excellent career if you love a challenge with strong motivation.
Fashion Support Roles Include Knitwear Designers
If you are passionate about working with materials, you could be well suited as a knitwear designer. A knitwear designer plans and makes clothes, accessories, and soft furnishings out of a variety of yarns and wools. You will be responsible for how products and garments are actually made and might even oversee industry and commercial scale operations. Many knitwear designers go on to start their own labels and sell their products directly to customers through a store or online. Yet you need a strong awareness of clothing and current trends in fashion.
Support the Team with Administration
Administration as a support role in business works hand in hand with HR. Often you will need a strong understanding of a company’s internal procedures. However, once you have shown that you have a basic knowledge of a company’s procedures and way of working while improving your administrative skills, you may be given more important tasks. For example, you may be trusted with handling employee complaints, customer communication, or scheduling important meetings for senior staff. This is a challenging yet highly rewarding role if you stick with it.
Modern Digital Marketing Roles
You will work closely with the marketing team to make printed marketing materials for all seasons, manage all product-facing materials and make sure they communicate corporate identity. Also, you may handle and lead all publicity actions, such as for trade shows. Therefore, you will need to demonstrate successful promotional experience in a wide range of media, such as digital, online, offline, and guerrilla marketing. Social media campaign experience is also beneficial. And you will need experience with your project’s time and budget management.
Summary
There are many opportunities and fashion support roles you can join after college or at an entry-level position. If you have the required motivation, dedication, and a willingness to learn, some of the best positions include assistant buying, stylist jobs, and digital/traditional marketing.
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