adminChipo Mapondera Fashion
The fashion industry may seem like an endless ramp of photo shoots, parties, and fetishistic footwear but behind the glitz and glamour, the reality is a multi-billion-dollar machine, employing thousands of people.
Fashion means business. Serious business. Breaking into the industry is tough. Not only is it extremely competitive but also many people have no idea where to start and what their options are. Exactly what does a job in fashion entail? Here are a few suggestions on the careers that make this industry tick from one season to the next.
Most people identify fashion by the names they know. But what if your last name is not Armani, Prada or Versace? Well, no great designer works alone and in the role of a design assistant, you won’t be sketching the brand’s next collection, but you will help make it come together. The smaller the brand the more hands-on experience you get, so get involved with a fledgling designer and learn how fabrics are sourced, how to work out a production schedule, and refine your technical skills at the same time. If you give it a few years, you might develop the network necessary to branch out and start your own line.
Zimbabwe has a strong history in manufacturing. The industry may not be thriving, but the skills are still here! I learnt this when I created a locally made line of t-shirts, all manufactured in “Town”. I hopped from shop to shop, from a guy who made the t-shirts, to one who could appliquer custom motifs, to another who finally over-locked the final garment. Technical terms aside, manufacturing and production management has the potential to be exciting and challenging, not only because it empowers designers and retailers who create in-house lines, but also because it is investing in locally-made products and making sure very important crafts and skills, like dying and printing, leather tannery, knitting and crochet do not become redundant.
Fashion merchandising and sales is where design and business intersect. Retail management is a career path where you can get first hand knowledge of a multitude of brands, and come to understand what consumers really want. An understanding of numbers is non-negotiable as you are responsible for tracking sales and handling money.
If you are coming from the sales floor, buying is another route to take to develop your career.
Experience on the retail floor, can be enhanced by assisting a buyer, and finding a niche that you love such as children’s wear, footwear or jewellery, and becoming an expert.
As a buyer you must be able to think months ahead with regards to trends, and have a great mind for business and the kinds of product that will sell out.
Get experience in a corporate chain or department store to provide a good foundation for when you decide to open your own chain of boutiques.
Fashion is visual so understanding how a “look” comes together is important. Styling is one of the most visible fashion careers with celebrity stylists becoming as ubiquitous as the stars they dress or the magazines for which they create imagery. Creativity is essential, as well as communication skills. If you are styling an individual you have to be able to understand how to express their identity. If you are creating fashion images, what story are you telling withthe pieces you choose? Gain experience by working on your own shoots with photographers, models and designers that are trying to get their names out there. Approach magazines and celebrities and present your vision for them. Relationships with brands and stores are essential so you know the next trends and can create relationships between brands and individuals, another key role of a stylist.
Are you theatrical? Good with props? Creative, with technical skills like carpentry, painting or papier mâché? Visual merchandisers or window designers are described as“storytellers in three dimensions, creating environments that inspire, inform, and persuade.” You must have a good eye for how to present products and put them together to create something that transports the consumer into another world, and into your store, like the fanciful Barbour’s Christmas windows did, when I was growing up.
Brand management and public relations is the most dynamic, fast-paced and exciting part of the industry (okay, as a Fashion PR, I am biased) but it really is a lot of fun and requires you to have your finger on the pulse and know everything and everyone in the industry. You are the liaison between a brand and the media, stylists, celebrities,
retailers and consumers, in charge of keeping a brand’s image squeaky clean and making sure people are talking about it. A degree in communications, marketing and branding is key to master the art of a concise, to-the-point email pitch, that is made all the more appealing by your charming and friendly personality. A healthy addiction to popular culture, news, magazines, music, films, sport, and everything in between, is important so that you know what is considered cool before its cool, and who is hot, or soooo last month. You are in charge of creating associations for your brands and you must understand how it all fits into the brand’s identity.
I think Zimbabwe is on the brink of a social media marketing explosion, which is perfect for local brands as the new voice of the fashion industry is digital. Check out your favorite fashion brands on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest to see what I mean. There are courses in Digital Marketing that are appropriately internet-based, which just proves there is a concrete skill involved in mastering the art of “talking about a brand” without “talking about abrand” so that you keep other people talking about it. Love to write and love fashion? There have never been more opportunities to report on what’s happening in the fashion world as there are right now. Print titles, online magazines, and blogs all await your musings and locally we need as many opinions as possible to drive a meaningful conversation around fashion. First and foremost you need to be a good write, sotake some writing courses and continuously read and research. It helps to develop your style and viewpoint. Above all, do what you love most- write, and try to get published or publish yourself online, to prove that you know the industry and have something to say.
The best way to kick-start your career in fashion is to get out there and get experience.
Most of these roles exist locally, or can be further developed, but fashion is about adapting to society, and finding one’s niche, and we must do just that to create a thriving industry of our own.
So go ahead, go get (or create) a career in fashion!
Online Reporter