Written by Menswear Style in Business on the 12th May 2023

Many of us have long dreamed of having a career in fashion. The world holds a certain allure - the glamour, stylish people, and the ability to travel around the world, what’s not to love? If that sounds like a life you’d like to live, luckily for us, the fashion industry has a wide variety of potential career opportunities, each one requiring a specific skill set. Let’s take a look at what you should look for.

Designer 

One of the most popular roles that creative people go for is that of a fashion designer. As a designer, you’d be the one to create clothes and other fashion accessories, making items that are both beautiful and comfortable to wear. It’s a competitive role to go for, and you need to have the qualifications and skills to back yourself up. You’ll generally need a degree in the field, in addition to a hefty portfolio of prior designs and, you guessed it, some top industry connections to get the ball rolling.

Fashion buyer 

If you’re less creative, but love keeping up with the latest trends and networking with other people in the fashion world, then a career as a fashion buyer might be suitable for you. As a buyer, you’d be responsible for buying fashion items for both physical and online shops. You’ll need to be a people person, as most of your day-to-day tasks will be to do with maintaining professional relationships with retailers and sellers. You likely won’t need a degree for this kind of role - just plenty of hands-on experience and the right attitude. 

Fashion writer 

If you have a bit of a flair for writing, then you might want to consider trying to become a fashion journalist. You’d get to write about the latest events, designs, and trends, for journals online and in print. Journalism in general is an exceptionally competitive field, and in most cases, you’ll want to have a degree in communication or journalism. However, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible without these qualifications - if you’re a blogger or have other pieces of writing to show to editors, you can also get your foot in the door.

Barber 

Barbers also play an essential role in the fashion world, styling hair in any manner of creative ways for shoots. It’s a great skill to have, one that you can develop and hone to perfection at institutions like a recognised barbering academy. You can then cut hair in a wide range of different settings, from salons to photo shoots, depending on the kind of environment that you enjoy working in. The sky’s the limit, you just need to think creatively! 

Hopefully, these few ideas will have helped you think of a way you can get a career in the fashion industry. There are heaps of opportunities out there, from positions at Vogue all the way to cutting and styling hair for photoshoots. There are hundreds of other roles besides these - to find the one that best suits you, think of your best skill set and the things that you enjoy, and find a career that best matches both of those qualities.

We put the spotlight on Fashion-Focused Careers such as Designer, Fashion buyer, Fashion writer, and Barber.