Fashion Degree

A career in fashion can be competitive, fast-paced and exciting. When you complete your fashion degree UK or your fashion masters degree, there are lots of different fashion jobs you could enter; we’re here to lead you through some of the potential routes into the exciting and beautiful world of fashion and see what other types of careers in fashion with a business degree are available.

What to do with a fashion degree

If you’ve been dressing dolls and sketching stylish sunglasses since childhood, then you’re probably dreaming of a career in fashion design. A fashion design degree or a fashion business degree or even a fashion foundation degree can both help you get into the job, and you can boost your chances by taking part in internships, competitions, and some effective networking (both on social media and in person at fashion events), especially if you have a master degree in fashion or any online fashion degree programs.

With your hand on the pulse of current and future trends, you’ll use your creativity and eye for design to create new garments, selecting the colour, fabric, style and price points for high street or couture labels.

Fashion lovers who want to work in the minutiae of design could consider a role as a textiles designer or clothing technologist, formulating and combining new fabrics for clothes and homewares so that they are functional (cool, breathable, fireproof, water resistant or otherwise), aesthetically pleasing, perfectly textured, and within budget.

Perhaps the most appealing aspect of fashion to you is assembling an outfit? You don’t need to personally design the dress, but you’re excellent at pairing it with the right shoes and a killer jacket. Maybe you have a fashion marketing degree? You could become a stylist, dressing others to look their best.

Whether it’s styling for the catwalk, styling for product photography and marketing, online styling, social media or personal styling, the skills and job description is the same: interpret and follow the client’s brief, and liaise with hair and make up professionals to ensure their designs complement your own.

A graduate with a fashion buyer degree (usually referred to as a fashion buying degree) might hope to become a retail buyer, monitoring trends to predict future demand and choosing lines from designers to satisfy the market. Shopaholics can make a career out of their careful curation, buying for both independent and international retailers. But that’s not all. There are plenty of other brilliant fashion degree jobs.

What can you do with a fashion degree?

There are plenty of career opportunities after graduation, although it will be tough to go in as the head of a fashion house straight away, so you’ll have to work your way up the ladder.

A lot of students start out at an entry-level job, which is usually alongside the retail buyer, the retail merchandiser makes logistical decisions about the selected lines. They decide on how many of the lines should be purchased, in what numbers, and how much money to spend.

They also monitor and manage the stocking of the products. This role is not to be confused with the visual merchandiser, another well-placed career for graduates with a fashion design degree. Visual merchandisers select props for displaying products, assemble outfits from the stocked lines, create company wide marketing materials and design window displays.

The job of retail manager could be a great fit for someone with a fashion management degree or a fashion communication degree, combining the knowledge of fashion with the business and leadership skills required to head a retail store. Other fashion degree jobs include jewellery designer, fashion journalist and personal shopper.

Studying a fashion degree is the study of clothing and the different aspects of fashion with feminine, masculine, or androgynous styles, as does a fashion buying and merchandising degree.

The fashion and textiles industry is one of the largest industry sectors in the country, whether you are a fan of Prada or Primark, it is an important and successful industry both nationally and internationally.

What A Levels do I need?

Each institution will differ on what they want their applicants to have, although the more practical based degree courses will place more emphasis on a student’s portfolio as grades, and prefer students to have studied something relevant to textiles, art or fashion at A-level. Universities vary on UCAS entry requirements, where some may ask for BBB and others only a BC and a humanities subject.

Students are advised to research their universities and degree courses to understand what they need to apply for that course. You can search fashion degree courses here.

What are my study options?

There are many degree courses available within these areas, and fashion is a great course to pair up with another subject and study a joint degree, from fashion and technology, fashion history degree, fashion merchandising degree, fashion and business degree, fashion styling degree, fashion with journalism and fashion marketing degree, the choices are impressive - you can even do a fashion degree online or a foundation degree in fashion, despite all of these, the best fashion degree is the one that suits you!

There are many Fashion and Textile courses available throughout the UK varying regarding their focus; some courses will centre on different design skills and techniques while others take a more theoretical approach to studying.

The majority of courses will be three years in length, and others offer a sandwich year, increasing the total time studying to four years, where students spend a year working in the industry and gaining experience.

Fashion is a competitive industry to enter, and students with experience or a strong portfolio may benefit more, and gain better internship and job opportunities, especially if you have a combined degree like a fashion journalism degree or a fashion degree online UK.

What should I expect from studying Fashion?

Placement years within a course can offer students valuable experience where they can implement their theory they have learnt for the last two years into practice, and see how they would conduct themselves in a working environment once they graduate.

Studying fashion may also include more group work projects than other degrees, as they don’t expect you to create outfits and collections by yourself in such short spaces of time.

How will I be assessed?

The degree will be assessed in a variety of ways from studio work, group tutorials, lectures, workshop skills, store visits, portfolio reviews, essays, company presentations and projects. Students who choose the theoretical courses will expect a mixture of assessment, although it will heavily rely on written coursework and examinations.

What skills will I learn from studying Fashion?

Obtaining a job in fashion without training or a degree is tough; therefore this type of degree prepares you for that and all aspects of the work you would be doing in the graduate job.

Students who attend university will gain transferable skills such as organisation and time-management, which is vital for working within the fashion industry.

It will also teach individuals how to collaborate with others on group work and presentations, which is important as fashion is not a solitary career.

Why study Fashion?

Fashion is a great area of study for those who love to design, create, who are driven and prepared to work through long days and nights to create that something special.

Simply enjoying buying clothes won’t cut it as there is a lot more to this degree that meets the eye. A natural talent with a pair of scissors and a sewing machine will take a student a long way, especially through group work and individual projects.

What happens after I graduate?

Fashion designer jobs are notoriously difficult to achieve and competitive, there will always be someone behind you fighting for the job that you want. Passion, determination and perseverance establish who is successful and who isn’t within the fashion industry.

There are jobs out there, from retail, distribution and designing and students may want to work their way up the ladder or to learn the ropes in a number of roles as they progress.

However, if a student wishes to have a career in fashion, and in the creation and design aspect, experience and portfolio will be the best chance of making this happen.

Will it help me get a job?

Individuals may find themselves working unpaid for a short time after graduation and students should be prepared for this as well as determined and passionate. A strong creative vision and the skills in design will interest the right employers.

What types of jobs can I get from studying Fashion?

A degree in fashion gives individuals skills in research, presentation, communication and how to be creative from raw materials and the best way to succeed in a competitive industry.

Particular jobs include; Retail Buying, Management, Merchandising, Fashion Designer, Textile Technology, PR, Fashion Journalism and Event Management.

What can I study after Fashion?

There is a masters degree in fashion available for those candidates who wish to continue their studies after graduating, from an MA in Creative Pattern; Textiles, Knitwear, Menswear, Fashion to Creative Entrepreneurship, Fashion Media Production and Fashion Management and Marketing.