Get those oversized sunnies out and get ready to strike a pose – Australian Fashion Week is here!
Jokes aside, the fashion industry does have a hefty amount of glamour attached to it, and rightly so! It’s a multi-million global industry with career opportunities from sales assistants to fashion designers and photographers to creative directors – and pretty much everything in-between.
But what else is this industry all about? Let’s find out.
What is Australian Fashion Week?
While places like London, Paris, and Milan are likely to spring to mind first and foremost when you hear ‘fashion week’, Australia also has a thriving fashion scene.
Formerly the Mercedes Benz Australian Fashion Week and now the Afterpay Australian Fashion Week, the event runs from the 9th to the 13th of May this year.
Afterpay Australian Fashion Week (AAFW) is Australia’s only international fashion event. The week engages the industry alongside fashion’s most passionate consumers in one dynamic program, offering a range of in-person and digital events that celebrate Australia’s emerging and established designers and fashion’s cultural influence.
6 Exciting Roles in Fashion to Know About
Knowing where to start and where to aim can be two daunting points in deciding any career – but especially in fashion! It’s a competitive field, but it can be a fulfilling career path if you’ve got the right flair and determination.
To help you get a better idea, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most coveted jobs in the sector. These are only a few of the careers that make up the fashion industry, so use them as a guide to help you find others that might interest you:
1. Creative Director
Creative directors are responsible for the overall creative vision, branding and direction of a fashion brand. From the brand values and mission to their campaigns, all the creative concepts are in their hands. As one of the highest creative positions in fashion, creative directors work closely with design teams to achieve an overarching concept for new collections.
2. Fashion Buyer
Buyers select clothing, shoes or accessories from clothing manufacturers and wholesalers to sell in retail stores. They work for retail fashion and department stores, selecting items they think will be attractive to customers. Before making their decisions, a buyer must consider customer demand, price points and market trends. You might also see this role referred to as Account executives, and they work closely with trend forecasters and market research professionals to help make their decisions.
3. Fashion Designer
A fashion designer designs and assists with producing clothing, shoes and accessories, identifying trends, and selecting styles, fabrics, colours, prints, and trims for a collection. Fashion designers might design for haute couture (high-end fashion and fashion shows) or ready-to-wear clothing. They work in various industries that include manufacturing, clothing companies, theatres and design firms.
4. Fashion Trend Forecaster
Also known as market researchers, trend forecasters study the fashion market to get a sense of what types of clothing, shoes and accessories people want. They need strong analytical skills as they tend to read and understand large amounts of data and convey their findings to retailers, manufacturers and designers. The work can have a significant influence on how designers and buyers work on their next clothing ranges and offerings to consumers.
5. Fashion Photographer
Fashion photographers might work at fashion shows and on runways, magazines and digital websites, individual designers, retailers, or brand chains. Photographers will also be expected to edit and deliver a set of high-quality images that successfully and effectively showcase the designs and clothing collections they photograph. They could work photographing for catalogues, fashion shows, designers, social media and digital platforms, or magazines.
6. Stylist
Fashion stylists help clients improve their image, produce ideas for photoshoots, select clothing and accessories for events, film and photoshoots, work for fashion magazines and more. Fashion stylists generally work freelance, although they could be employed by modelling agencies, advertising agencies, events management companies, fashion labels, shopping centres or retail stores – to name just a few! Stylists tend to pick an area to work in, so they might work as personal stylists helping individuals with their looks or for magazines helping prep models for photography shoots.
Getting Started in Fashion
There are so many different pathways in the fashion industry. Which section you want to move into will largely influence the qualifications you need to attain and the types of work experience you should seek to build.
Getting a degree is a great starting point for some design and high-end roles within the sector. It can help you develop strong background knowledge of the industry and build your skills and experience in an educational setting.
Potential subjects to study include:
- Art Theory and Art History
- Art and Design
- Fashion and Fashion Design
- Fashion and Textile Merchandising
You can also work your way up through experience in many areas of the industry. If you know a career in fashion is what you want, even starting with a Saturday job at a retailer you admire can be the foot in the door you need to begin learning more and climbing the career ladder.
Get Exploring
Australian Fashion Week is an excellent opportunity to explore what’s happening and up and coming on the Australian Fashion scene. It can be fun to observe what’s on the runaway and see how it becomes part of fashion trends on the high street.
We recommend you check out some of their digital offerings and see what inspires you!
