Fashion Merchandising

[LegsXI]

Hey guys.

I've read through the thread and there wasn't any comments from anybody who actually works as a merchandiser.

If anybody could help me out. I have just graduated with a degree in Economics & I have decided that becoming a merchandiser is my career path.

I'm wondering if anybody has any experiences on how they actually became a merchandiser.
I'm wondering would I have to do any further study or courses?

Also I'm wondering about which companies take on graduates. I know Arcadia do and I am going to apply to be a MAA(Merchandise Administration Assistant). But I am not even sure if I am qualified enough yet to be considered. I also do not live in London. I am living in Ireland and I'm thinking I would have to move to the UK to get an entry level position as there are only a very small amount of Head Offices in Dublin.

I should also point out that I have no work experience in this kind of role. I am wondering do any companies offer internships in this kind of role? Or what other kind of work experience I could do that would be relevant.

Any advice would be very much appreciated.

 

[Susie658]

Hey LegsXI...maybe I can help you out? I graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology with a BS Degree in Fashion Merchandising Management over 6 years ago. I walked in through those doors thinking I was going to be a Buyer, then it turned into wanting to be a Merchandiser then I walked out convinced I wanted to be a Product Developer. I've worked for small start-up companies to big established companies (Gap Inc) to mid-size companies (Burton Snowboards).

I have seen people rise through the ranks and eventually find their niche in the Merchandising department but in most companies, they are looking for a degree. I think you need to understand that there are people coming out of High School with this goal in mind. So you are competing against people who have been only focused on this career goal. You also need to figure out what area you want to specialize in. The fashion industry loves specialists, jack of all trades tend to become lost in this business (unless you can sell it together in a nice clean package).

I do highly suggest enrolling in a few courses if you have a Fashion college by you. I know here in the States, there are only two or three colleges that have respected Fashion programs (FIT, FIDM and Parsons...though I hear Kent State is slowly developing one but still it's not a highlight on a resume). Don't waste your time with colleges that do not focus on Fashion but sprinkle in a program here & there. The beauty of colleges like FIT, Parsons, etc is that they require a 10 year career in the fashion industry before you can teach there. So these professors have real life experience and it's not a "if you can't do it, teach it" situation.

I'm not sure what MAA is but any "administration assistant" sounds a bit strange to me.

I can also say companies in the States such as Macy's do have internship and career path programs but again, they are pulling people from fashion colleges. And it's very competitive.

I hope some of this helps? If you ever have questions let me know. Happy to help!

 

[LegsXI]

^ Thanks so much for your reply.

I guess I would have to leave the country if I wanted to attend a 'good' fashion school. I don't think I can really afford to do that. Courses in fashion that are not in design in Ireland are very few, I believe there is only 1 postgrad course in the whole country. I'm not sure how good it even is.

I guess I am sort of hoping to get my foot in the door without doing any further education because I cannot afford it. Obviously if I can't get in I will have to save up for a long time before I can go back to college. I guess any tips on getting my foot in the door would be helpful, hopefully I am not trying to achieve the impossible. I do realise I will have to move to London for more opportunities.

 

[crossthat]

In a similar position to LegsXI. I did a Commerce degree at Uni (alas in IS Management and Biz Law...) and am now working in data analytics in a professional services firm. I'm just trying to explore my options as I really am not feeling it for my current job and fashion has always been a passion for me.

I only just found out the existence of fashion merchandising as a role today and feels like it the closest step into fashion that I have. I am really curious as to whether or not experience / education in fashion/retail is necessary and for something who already has a business degree how much of this is necessary?

e.g. Do I have to do a bachelor in fashion something or are some extra courses enough? Or is a business degree enough and the fashion side is just a nice plus to have?

 

[BetteT]

Merchandising is mainly working with numbers ... determining how much inventory you need based on what your company did last year and how much you should mark it up, and when to mark it down, etc. The skills are the same, no matter what the retail business is. So my guess (a guess, because I'm not in retail) is that it doesn't matter too much if you have any fashion background. If you are a great merchandiser .... you can take this anywhere.

Of course ... it's competitive, so anything that you learn might help you get the job ... so some fashion courses and retail experience can help you build your resume with a fashion slant, if that is your goal.