Many different forms of fashion jobs have arisen as a result of retailers shifting their budgets from print ads to influencers and shifting their marketing strategies to direct e-commerce from brick and mortar or wholesale, as well as new market online resale and personal digital styling are examples of such models.
Trying to get into the fashion industry at a time when so many aspects of it are in turmoil is not an ideal situation. However, while some previously considered ideal occupations are becoming increasingly scarce, there are still opportunities. You may not be familiar with them, and they may need new expertise or an unusual internship experience. JD Institute has outlined a couple of them below in the hopes of leading those who are understandably lost in this ever-changing, layoff- and store-closure-plagued industry:
Since influencers, from small to big, seem to be here to stay for a long time, marketers are investing in experts who specialise in working with them. (Previously, this may have been only one aspect of a publicist’s or brand manager’s job description.) Such a position may be more strategic and big-picture, entailing creating or evolving a company’s influencer policy and planning the year’s influencer campaigns. It may also include more on the company’s day-to-day affairs working with influencers, such as forming agreements with them/their representatives, project management, and/or product seeding. Audrey Okulick, founder of The Workshop LA, a fashion hiring company located in Los Angeles, says, “A relationship advisor must come up with who to partner with or sign all arrangements, and follow the partnership along from start to finish.” She claims that in recent years, there has been a substantial increase in these types of employment.
Stitch Fix has been one of the most significant market disruptors in recent years. Apart from the finely balanced algorithms, Stitch Fix’s stylists are the company’s backbone, which is also a billion-dollar public corporation. For style “changes,” or the contents of the boxes clients get, the organization employs over is known for its 3,900 stylists who are algorithmically suited to. “They are instrumental in delivering the chic, tailored experience Stitch Fix is known for by developing intimate clients’ relationships, resolving closet issues, and shocking and delighting clients with each patch,” according to a spokesperson for the brand. Stitch Fix isn’t the only business that’s made online personal grooming a feasible career opportunity. The firm has paved the way for a slew of other startups to follow in its footsteps.
Okulick is of the opinion, “Go into e-commerce if you want a guaranteed career”. Jobs in this field can be seen anywhere, from conventional retailers beefing up their e-commerce activities to brands getting out of wholesale and engaging in direct e-commerce to profitable e-tailers looking to optimize partnerships with their multiple customers and consumers. Of course, there are a variety of logistical and organisational positions, but the roles that include customer engagement are exciting — and increasingly frequent.
There were a few sustainability heads five to six years ago, but not many. Few brands have been compelled to engage in sustainability, but they are beginning to change their minds. As the issue of apparel waste is becoming more widely recognized, brands are realising that they must participate, at least in some way. A brand could employ someone, or a few people, to fully redesign its supply chain and create a more environmentally sustainable distribution structure on the more detailed end of the continuum. On a more limited scale, the task could include developing smaller projects targeted at environmentally conscious customers, such as recycling programs.
Data scientists are in high demand from apparel companies right now, from Farfetch to J.Crew to stitch fix, despite not being a traditional career choice for those interested in fashion. They will assist brands and suppliers with anything from product management to pricing and fitting. Stitch Fix hires over 100 data scientists critical to the company’s business model by using software to forecast what types consumers would want (with a little help from the human stylists mentioned above). Startups that produce custom-fit clothes are also on the rise and will be difficult to scale without data science.
Yes, “fashion specialist” sounds a little hazy, like a fictitious job title a promoter might offer a “Bachelor” contestant or an E! red-carpet correspondent. But, whether it’s a designer handbag specialist, a retro design expert, a sneaker expert, a gemologist, or an expert in pricing, we’re talking about someone with deep knowledge of a certain field of fashion products. They’re in high demand from resale companies like The Real Real, which are quickly expanding.
Fashion firms are constantly searching for candidates who can be nimble to take on many types of positions, which is unfortunate (or lucky, whether you have a diverse set of skills and interests).
“Today’s world looks very different: instead of a few big companies producing a wide range of products, we see a lot of small brands focused on a few,” Winter says. “As a result, the technology doesn’t have to be as solid. We seek generalists who can work in a variety of positions and platforms. It’s ideal if it’s someone with expertise in both conventional and modern shopping, so we can support our clients as naturally as possible.”
If you are interested in fashion designing, the JD Institute Of Fashion Technology is the right place for you to get started as it reflects a legacy of over 32 years in the field of art and creativity, offering various fashion designing courses (with minimal fashion designing course fee), etc. With each course being industry-based so that the students are ready for the real world. The candidates are selected through a GAT or general aptitude test created carefully by the department to assist the institute in assessing the artistic abilities of the candidates. Enroll now!