The fashion industry in the UK employs over 500,000 people and is projected to be worth around £79 billion by 2029. There are a huge number of jobs available in an increasingly diverse range of departments and specialisations, from buying and management to marketing and visual merchandising. Many roles at a fashion brand incorporate both creative and business skills.
94%
OF FE STUDENTS ARE EMPLOYED OR IN FURTHER EDUCATION WITHIN 12 MONTHS OF COMPLETING THEIR COURSE.
At the FRA, all our courses are designed to meet specific industry needs and match employer expectations, helping our graduates to secure the best jobs. Our fantastic Careers & Progression service supports you throughout your studies and after you've graduated.
Fashion Production
Fashion Designer
Fashion Designers usually specialise in a specific area like womenswear, menswear, childrenswear, footwear or lingerie. They are employed everywhere from high street stores to luxury designer labels, and design the ranges that brands sell.
Garment Technologist
Responsible for choosing fabrics and testing designs, Garment Technologists transform clothing designs into practical, saleable garments. There is currently a high demand for Garment Technologists in the industry.
Fashion Management
Fashion Buyer
A Fashion Buyer is responsible for planning a clothing range and selects the products that will be part of the collection. Learn how to predict trends and source garments globally and sustainably.
Level 4 Fast Track Buying & Merchandising
Fashion Merchandiser
Fashion Merchandisers work closely with Buyers, using data to inform decisions on range lines, colours, price points and stock distribution. Merchandisers are at the heart of a fashion business.
Retail Management
Retail managers can be responsible for operations in-store, online and across a wider range of functions such as visual display, customer service and stock management.
Fashion Marketing
Fashion Marketer
Marketers oversee product promotion and work to raise brand awareness. They design marketing and advertising strategies to drive sales and boost revenue, using the marketing mix to successfully meet their customers needs.
PR & Communications Officer
Public Relations specialists help brands and businesses build and maintain a favourable public image. They don’t typically pay for publicity or coverage; instead, they use creative methods to keep their company in the public eye.
Social Media Manager
A Social Media Manager manages a brand’s strategy online to drive awareness, traffic, engagement and conversion rates throughout platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. It’s an offshoot of the marketing department that has hugely increased in importance over the last few years.
Event Manager
Fashion Event Managers plan and organise events including fashion shows, fashion week parties, store openings, product launches, trade shows and influencer trips. They’re often responsible for managing logistics, delivering events on time and within budget.
Visual Merchandiser
Visual Merchandisers are responsible for designing and building in-store and online displays, layouts and designs, using their creative skills to communicate a brand visually to maximise product sales.
Wider Industry Roles
Fashion Journalist
Writing for major magazines, small publications or bloggers, Fashion Journalists research the latest fashion trends, brands and styles to create interesting news content. They work alongside stylists and creative directors, interviewing celebrities and fashion designers, and attend fashion shows, photo shoots and other events to report on them.
Level 4 Fashion Business (with Marketing)
Trend Forecaster
Trend forecasters analyse data and follow patterns of trends, providing designers and brands with a ‘vision’ of the future. They follow social, cultural and ethical shifts and predict how these will affect consumer behaviour and demand.
Level 4 Fashion Business (with Marketing)
Stylist
Fashion stylists work for individuals or clothing brands. They create looks that fit an artistic vision; choosing and coordinating outfits for models in photo shoots or catwalk shows, actors in television and film or celebrities on the red carpet. They can also work in-store or freelance as fashion advisers.
Data Analyst
Data analysts provide and analyse data across all departments of a business, from design and development to marketing and operations, helping businesses to make positive changes.
User Experience Designer
User experience design (UX design) focuses on user experience and how people interact with a platform, thinking about usability and function, while user interface design (UI design) focuses on the aesthetics and construction of the interfaces, turning concepts into the final, customer-facing product.
