Beyond fashion designers' stylish and glamorous lifestyle, there are always fierce competitions and challenges around every corner. However, no two days are alike, and there is no chance of getting bored in the world of fashion.
If you've always been passionate about fashion and experimented with bold clothing styles, you're likely made for a career in Fashion Design.
The best fashion design schools in the world
Before looking at popular jobs for Fashion Design graduates, let's quickly go through the best Fashion Design universities out there. This list is based on rankings created by CEOWORLD Magazine and Business of Fashion (BoF):
- Fashion Institute of Technology, the US
- London College of Fashion, the UK
- ESMOD International, France
- Aalto University: School of Arts, Design & Architecture, Finland
- Istituto Marangoni International, Italy
- Bunka Fashion College, Japan
- Donghua University, China
Check out other fashion design schools we recommend:
- Istituto Europeo di Design (IED), Spain & Italy
- University of Portsmouth, the UK
- Coventry University, the UK
Now, let's take a look at some of the diverse careers you can choose after completing a Bachelor's degree in Fashion Design. We've also included the average annual salary in the US based on data from PayScale:
Find Bachelors in Fashion Design
1. Fashion Designer
- Average salary in the United States: 65,550 USD/year
I know this is stating the obvious and the reason why you would want to pursue a Bachelor's degree in Fashion Design: to become a fashion designer. You were so inspired by the work of Marc Jacobs, Stella McCartney or even the legendary Coco Chanel that you just want to follow in their footsteps and build a memorable name in the fashion industry.
However, it's time you know more details about the typical work of a fashion designer. Usually, you specialise in one area of Fashion Design; here are a few examples:
- Women clothing
- Sportswear
- Accessories
- Knitwear Design
In the beginning — that is before you own a fashion house with your name, label, logo, and everything — you will work for a fashion brand and will be asked to:
- Design sketches and make textile patterns based on a given theme
- Create prototypes and present design concepts to the management
- Work with manufacturers and select suitable fabrics and colours for each clothing piece and accessory
Apart from working for a big fashion name, you can also find jobs in costume design for theatre, film, or television.
After years of experience, you can become a true fashion designer and bring your ideas and designs to life. You won't have to do sketches and patterns any longer (unless you want to). Instead, you'll oversee and manage the design, production and manufacturing of fashion items.
2. Fashion Buyer
- Average salary in the United States: 65,000 USD/year
Just as the title sounds, you need to be a fashion shopping expert and also have the skills of a medium — that is, predicting fashion trends before they actually hit the streets. What you'll have to do as a fashion buyer:
- Decide what type of fashion items (clothes, accessories, jewellery) to buy based on your knowledge of customer preferences
- Manage the inventory and ensure items aren't out of stock
- Work with top fashion brands and keep your eyes on emerging brands, promising new designers, and fashion trends
- Work with fashion merchandisers and find ways to increase profits and customer satisfaction
In addition to having an eye for details, the fashion buyer position also implies a business sense and a knack for numbers. That's right! You'll have to do a little math, work on Excel sheets, and stay within budgets — all while considering how much a customer is willing to spend on a specific fashion item.
3. Fashion Marketing Specialist
- Average salary in the United States: 51,700 USD/year
Whether working for a famous fashion brand or a new one just waiting to come out on the fashion scene, handling the marketing activities will be quite challenging. The image of the brand you're representing rest on your shoulders, so you'll have to make sure it is very well represented.
The main responsibilities of a fashion marketer include:
- Create, implement, and evaluate the impact of fashion marketing campaigns
- Promote press releases, product launches, or other events
- Ensure the branding, vision, and mission of your fashion company is communicated in a clear and easy-to-understand way
- Inform people about design choices, trends, and decisions related to the manufacturing process
Check out Bachelors in Fashion Marketing.
4. Fashion Journalist or Blogger
- Average salary in the United States: 41,950 USD/year
If you're a fashion addict, your house is likely filled with glossy fashion magazines. Remember those fantastic articles about fashion trends and designers you've been reading in Vogue, Elle, and InStyle?
Well, if you enjoy writing as much as you love dresses, shoes, and handbags, you can combine the two and write about these every day. Some of your main responsibilities as a fashion journalist or blogger include:
- Attend fashion events and create blog posts, vlogs, stories, or other relevant materials
- Interview fashion designers, representatives of fashion houses, models, and other people with experience in this field
- Evaluate fashion items, compare styles, materials, and prices
- Stay up to date with the latest fashion trends and inform people about major news
If you're really good, in a few years, you can become the editor in chief of a well-known magazine.
As for fashion blogging and fashion blogs, well... they are such a trend these days! Creating a blog is very easy, and you just have to keep on posting interesting news, opinions, and personal reviews to attract thousands of readers.
Remember to take lots of pictures of anything you see related to fashion and post them on your blog. To reach as many readers or viewers as possible, use social media platforms like Instagram, Tik Tok, Snapchat, Facebook, etc.
View Bachelors in Journalism.
5. Fashion Product Manager
- Average salary in the United States: 87,300 USD/year
Suppose you want to stay as close as possible to the fashion industry and can easily prove you're a responsible and trustworthy person. In that case, the fashion product manager job could be ideal for you.
Your responsibilities will include:
- Manage the entire cycle of a clothing item, from design to prototype, to the first batch of products, and manufacturing challenges
- Oversee the production of fashion items and ensure factories meet safety and quality standards
- Take care of expenses and create regular performance reports
Find Bachelors in Management.
Find Bachelors in Fashion Design
Choose your matching career in the fashion industry
Whatever you choose or end up doing in the amazing world of fashion, you may encounter a few obstacles, but the reward will be worth it. Fashion is an exciting field where you'll always have to prove you're the best and put your creativity at work.
Your thriving career can start with the proper training, so find your ideal Bachelor's degree in Fashion Design!
