Fashion.Style.Love: September 2011

Believe me, having so many people in the Nigerian Fashion industry is not exactly a problem to me, for me its an influx of a vast variety of talents, cultures and dispositions, its something i have absolutely no problem with, i love it, but the fact that all these different strengths are being powered towards only one sector of the industry or in some areas only two, is what gets to me, cause there is so much more to fashion than DESIGN AND STYLING.

If you think i'm wrong, then you need this article alot more than you know. Here are options of fashion careers;

(as taught by Cheryl Wischhover and some additives by yours truly :-) );

Fashion Merchandising/Sales and Marketing: This is where design and business intersect. Designers ultimately need to get their product to the market. Merchandisers track and monitor fashion trends and consumer trends. A head for numbers and a ton of creativity are non-negotiable.

There are many options that fall under the “Merchandising” umbrella. Retail management is one. You can make really decent money and get firsthand knowledge of a multitude of brands, marketing strategies, and how to manage people.

Buying is another route. This will require some years of experience on a retail floor and as a buyer’s assistant. I have a friend who started out selling shoes at Nordstorm in college and is now a jewelry buyer for them. Find a niche you love and learn everything about it.

Have an artsy, creative mind? Advertising, either on the corporate or retail side, might be for you. Advertising, in this age of quick media consumption, is the juggernaut that never stops. You can work at a corporate level (think of all the different brands that Gap and Limited Inc. own) or the retail level. (How does Macy’s move all those cosmetics?)

There are several fashion schools that offer Fashion Merchandising degrees–FIT in NYC is one–but a general business degree, retail experience, and carefully chosen internships can set you on the right path.

Production Management: This is front line of fashion. Production managers are responsible for getting textiles and clothing made at the manufacturing level. They work with suppliers and retailers to make sure quality production occurs.

This field has the potential to be an exciting and challenging. This weekend the New York Times reported about a growing movement towards “zero waste” production, where very little material goes unused. It’s a design as well as manufacturing challenge.

Everyone is interested in the magic formula of getting clothes produced cheaply but with a certain level of quality. The green movement is showing no signs of stopping, which adds another layer of challenge..

Some fashion schools offer Production Management as a degree option. The job requires some business training and you should have a fascination with how things are made.

Visual Presentation/Styling: These are two separate though potentially overlapping professions. As far as styling, I don’t think I can articulate it any better than Sally Lyndley has just done. With the celebrity status of stylists like Rachel Zoe, it’s definitely a profession that is on the rise in terms of visibility. A degree isn’t totally necessary, but again, having some understanding of numbers, business, and communications is essential. And internships and networking are probably more important in styling than in the other professions.

Simon Doonan is, of course, the godfather (or fairy godmother) of visual presentation. Are you theatrical? Good with props? Creative? Welcome to your new career. Store windows are only one of many options for visual presentation. Museum exhibits, fashion shows, and showrooms all use this technique. The FIT degree description characterizes the profession perfectly: “They are storytellers in three dimensions, creating environments that inspire, inform, and persuade.” There are specialty degrees at art and fashion schools specifically for visual presentation.

Public Relations: PR is the middle man between a product and a retailer or consumer. PR reps are in charge of keeping a brand’s image squeaky clean and making sure people are talking about it. Their job is to make a brand seem appealing. A charming and friendly personality is an absolute must in this field. I adore most PR reps I’ve met because they seem absolutely and genuinely enthusiastic about their clients. It’s infectious, which is exactly the reaction you want to elicit. A degree in communications, marketing, or business–along with the all-important internships–will get you there.

Fashion Journalist: Love to write and love fashion? The opportunities to report and weigh in on what’s happening in the world of fashion have never been greater. Magazines are expanding their online presence and hiring bloggers to report up-to-the minute news. You can also write for e-commerce sites, PR firms, or trade publications.

But first and foremost you need to be a good writer. Consider a journalism or creative writing program, but at the very least take writing courses. I can tell you firsthand that the feedback you get from instructors is invaluable and can really up your game.

Write constantly. Blog for EVERYONE. Get clips however you can. Prove that you know the industry. You’ll need research and interviewing skills and you’ll need to network. Another thing I’ve learned is that the more “experts” you know in the industry, the easier your job of reporting will be.

Still unsure of which direction to take? Here are some easy things to do: Work in retail. Read industry publications–spring for a WWD subscription. Know the players in the industry. Read all the magazines and blogs. Shop! See what’s in the stores. Notice how online retailers market and sell things. Maybe something will inspire you

Fashion photography is a genre of photography devoted to displaying clothing and other fashion items. Fashion photography is most often conducted for advertisements or fashion magazines such as Vogue, Vanity Fair, or Elle. Over time, fashion photography has developed its own aesthetic in which the clothes and fashions are enhanced by the presence of exotic locations or accessories. Fashion photography is definitely an intriguing part of fashion and more so very pivotal, thus why alot of schools offer courses in fashion photography. To do this, a passion for photography is of utmost importance, and a love for creative inspiring journeys.

Fashion show production is one of the most intense and intimidating aspects of fashion, it covers a vast variety of what makes fashion such an intriguing industry; the fashion shows. Fashion show production handles all aspects of production; securing designers,venue, model castings, make up, hair , photography, logistics, etc. its quite an amazing thing to be a part of. An interest in events planning, logistics and set up is MUST, it is a lot of hard work but definitely rewarding. leadership ability is required as it entails putting the whole team together, from backstage managers, to stylists et al. An understanding of fashion and technology is definitely required to handle a task as huge as this.

So these are a few options of fashion careers we all can get into,hopefully as time passes by, we'll find some more opportunities for fashion enthusiasts who do not find pleasure in any of the above options. I wish you all the best of luck, go find yourself a fulfilling fashion career.

We love you all.

Soko Stingo (Swahili for style market) is a lifestyle market. It is set to feature brands from Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone and the rest of Africa. This will be an avenue to showcase as well as purchase original items at affordable prices and at the same time serve as a platform for networking and trade exchange. Our mission is to foster a direct relationship between the brands and buyers from across Africa, thereby ensuring creative exchange and improvement in fashion trade between these countries trades and consumers. All the proceeds from Soko Stingo go to a selected charity as part of an initiative to promote African creativity at no cost. The inaugural edition of the show is to hold on the 9^th of October 2011 at Twist Headlines, Labone, Accra. We intend for it to hold quarterly and interchangeably between Accra, Lagos, Dakar, Freetown and across Africa.

We aim to achieve maximal media exposure, which is why we have partnered with best and foremost media outlets. They are; Complete Fashion, Wow and Y! Magazine. Together they pull an audience of over 400,000 readers monthly and an impressive followership in the Diaspora.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS OPPORTUNITY TO EXPOSE YOUR LABEL/BRAND TO A NEW MARKET

For more information please call: +2347037559787 , +2348032113349 , +2348120135422 , +233246553835