Having a great sense of style and a love of clothing, shoes, and accessories does not necessarily mean you’re cut out for a career in fashion – although it’s a good start! The modern fashion industry requires more than just passion, it requires a dedicated set of skills that will give you an edge and ensure success in your future career.
Don’t be alarmed if you don’t have all the necessary skills right now – that’s what a good fashion design school is for. However, it’s best to start preparing for your future as soon as you can by gaining relevant experience and learning what you can now.
Here’s a look at the key skills you will need….
1. Communication Skills
This is a soft skill that will get you far in the fashion industry. Remember this doesn’t mean that you need to be outspoken or the type of person who can stand on a podium and speak to crowds, it simply means you need to be able to communicate effectively and listen well. Internally, good communication skills will help you manage a team, create a good workflow, and ensure no misunderstandings and frustration in the workplace. Externally, good communication skills will help you build relationships with fashion professionals, those in the media, public relations, and marketing. Communication isn’t restricted to talking, but writing as well which means honing your email and messaging communications skills.
Read More: What Are The Key Skills For Success In The Fashion Industry?
2. Industry Knowledge
Understanding what’s happening in your industry is vital to your success, and fashion is an ever-changing space with many influences. If you’re passionate about fashion, you’re probably already keeping up with the latest trends and key players, but you need to take it further by researching what the global trends are as well. Geopolitical tensions can impact trade, cultural preferences, and pricing so staying informed about current affairs is a really good start.
3. Computer Skills
Almost every industry in the world will require you to have some form of computer literacy, but fashion will require you to have some understanding of graphic design and related software. You should start familiarising yourself with programmes such as Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator as well as CAD (computer-aided design) software. You will learn more skills within this sphere when studying fashion but it’s good to have the basics sorted before you start at a tertiary institute.
4. Social Media Skills
You’re probably on a number of social media platforms where you follow fashion influencers and share posts of your own great looks, but the fashion industry will require business savvy when it comes to social media platforms. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and TikTok are great places to start, but you will need to know what audiences are looking for and how best to engage via these platforms. That’s where social media management and marketing are helpful, supporting you in developing your social media strategy.
Read More: Choosing The Right Fashion Design School
5. Organisational Skills
This is another soft skill that cuts across industries, but it’s a must-have in the fashion industry. You’ll likely start out as a fashion intern or assistant which means organising closets, and samples, and scheduling stylists and photoshoots. You will need to hone your organisational skills for entry-level work and create a solid basis for your career, and your personal life. Fortunately, there are so many scheduling apps and programmes today that it makes getting organised that much easier.
6. Sewing and Design Skills
Even if you’re pursuing a career in fashion photography, you have to start with the basic fashion skill set of sewing and design. When studying fashion, you will have to design a garment idea, sketch it, and sew it as well. Understandably you won’t be sewing every outfit you ever design, but you will need to sew some of the initial ones. For the design element of fashion, you will need the aforementioned computer skills in CAD and other software.
Read More: Why Pursue A Fashion Degree: Exploring The Benefits And Career Opportunities
7. Business Skills
You might know fashion, but if you don’t know how to monetise fashion, you can’t make a career out of it. To succeed in the fashion industry, you will need some entrepreneurial skills as well – all of which you will learn at a good tertiary institute. This includes budgeting, accounts, marketing, sales, administrative duties, and more.
8. Web Design and SEO Skills
The fashion media world has shifted from print to online publications for which you will need skills in digital writing and uploads. This will require knowledge of CMS platforms such as WordPress or Wix so that you can publish articles online. You’ll also need a solid founding SEO (search engine optimisation) to ensure your articles or posts are gaining maximum traction and ranking high on Google.
Read More: What Are The Requirements To Study Fashion Design?
9. Confidence and Passion
Finally, you need to have confidence in your own ability, and a passion for the industry, even when things get tough. Without these, all the skills you learn will go to waste as you’re not happy in the profession. If you start with confidence and passion, everything else will fit into place!
If you’re looking to hone your skills for success in the fashion, enrol at Villioti Fashion Institute for one of their internationally recognised qualifications. No matter which avenue of fashion you’re interested in, Villioti Fashion Institute offers fashion qualifications and skills that align perfectly with the needs and trends of the industry.