Direct Marketing - What Are the Requirements to Become a Fashion Creative Director?
Saturday, November 23, 2013
A fashion creative director wears many hats while overseeing a fashion department. This position requires a combination of creative and organizational skills that involve fashion design, photography, marketing and management. The director must work with a variety of people, including designers, sales people and fashion buyers, to keep the fashion department up to date on the latest fashion trends and styles the department will sell and promote.
Education
For fashion director aspirants, it’s a wise investment to obtain formal training in fashion design, fashion merchandising or marketing or other textile-related field. Since a director is a management-level position, formal education is usually a prerequisite for the job. A two-year associate's degree provides basic knowledge on textiles, fashion concepts and design; it prepares you for more advanced learning obtained in a bachelor's program. A four-year bachelor’s degree offers a more comprehensive curriculum, covering fashion design, merchandising and marketing techniques that can prove to be useful as you gain experience in the field. A degree can open the door to a wider variety of jobs and enhances your earning power.
Job Description
One of the principle activities of a fashion director is managing photo shoots of fashion merchandise. The creative director uses input from others to determine what items to photograph and the best way to promote the merchandise. Good management skills are needed to bring together all the parties involved -- fashion models, photographers, designers, and marketers. A director must also coordinate advertising and marketing campaigns, stay current on fashion trends by reviewing media sources and attending fashion shows, determine the success of particular clothing lines and assist fashion buyers in buying decisions.
Professional Experience
Retail and fashion experience is important in this position, as well as, creativity, marketing savvy and people skills. With experience, creative directors develop intangible skills such as having the confidence to use prior knowledge to determine what merchandise will sell, what fashion concepts to use in a photo shoot and how to relate to other creative individuals in the fashion department to bring out the best in them. Directors must be able to work long hours and under tight deadlines when creating fashion productions.
Career Advancement
Aspiring fashion creative directors should pursue opportunities in fashion retail, merchandising or buying. This type of experience can expose you to a fashion department from the ground up and, as you progress through the field, you will have greater understanding of consumers and what fashion means to them. Look for fashion boutiques and fashion design schools that provide internships and apprenticeship positions that can provide valuable on the job training and enhance your resume when seeking better opportunities. Before becoming a creative director, you may need to work a few years at the retail level, progressing to fashion buying or coordinating to obtain sufficient credentials to become director.
Tags:
Direct Marketing, Marketing
Education
For fashion director aspirants, it’s a wise investment to obtain formal training in fashion design, fashion merchandising or marketing or other textile-related field. Since a director is a management-level position, formal education is usually a prerequisite for the job. A two-year associate's degree provides basic knowledge on textiles, fashion concepts and design; it prepares you for more advanced learning obtained in a bachelor's program. A four-year bachelor’s degree offers a more comprehensive curriculum, covering fashion design, merchandising and marketing techniques that can prove to be useful as you gain experience in the field. A degree can open the door to a wider variety of jobs and enhances your earning power.
Job Description
One of the principle activities of a fashion director is managing photo shoots of fashion merchandise. The creative director uses input from others to determine what items to photograph and the best way to promote the merchandise. Good management skills are needed to bring together all the parties involved -- fashion models, photographers, designers, and marketers. A director must also coordinate advertising and marketing campaigns, stay current on fashion trends by reviewing media sources and attending fashion shows, determine the success of particular clothing lines and assist fashion buyers in buying decisions.
Professional Experience
Retail and fashion experience is important in this position, as well as, creativity, marketing savvy and people skills. With experience, creative directors develop intangible skills such as having the confidence to use prior knowledge to determine what merchandise will sell, what fashion concepts to use in a photo shoot and how to relate to other creative individuals in the fashion department to bring out the best in them. Directors must be able to work long hours and under tight deadlines when creating fashion productions.
Career Advancement
Aspiring fashion creative directors should pursue opportunities in fashion retail, merchandising or buying. This type of experience can expose you to a fashion department from the ground up and, as you progress through the field, you will have greater understanding of consumers and what fashion means to them. Look for fashion boutiques and fashion design schools that provide internships and apprenticeship positions that can provide valuable on the job training and enhance your resume when seeking better opportunities. Before becoming a creative director, you may need to work a few years at the retail level, progressing to fashion buying or coordinating to obtain sufficient credentials to become director.
