The fashion design process offers endless job opportunities. This post will provide great insight into niche roles we don’t often hear about.

Garment Technologist

Garment technologists assist designers and buyers. They are in charge of selecting fabrics and ensuring their quality and correct size. Knowledge of budgets will be a great asset as choosing the correct materials requires financial know-how to ensure you are on budget with all you select.

You will likely be employed by a manufacturer or retailer. You can expect to be based in an office or studio, with regular travel to meet suppliers.

As part of this job, you will be required to:

  • Be organised within different departments
  • Have high attention to detail
  • Work alone often
  • Collaborate in wider teams
  • Work to rapid deadlines

A fashion and textiles degree is ideal for this role as it will provide you with refined technical skills, ready to join the world of work. A creative fashion design course will also be suitable.

 

Pattern Maker

Pattern makers incorporate technology to bring to life ideas by designers. This means communication and understanding skills must be good.

Although new designs will have to be dealt with, often, a pattern maker will be asked to copy existing apparel.

There are many short courses in pattern making. This, coupled with some good work experience, can result in great creations that sell well.

To be successful you will need:

  • Excellent communication skills for collaborations
  • Attention to detail
  • Precision with stitching

 

Fashion Illustrator

This job revolves around your portfolio. You could find yourself employed by a magazine, fashion house or manufacturers. Many illustrators are employed on a freelance basis, so competition is high.

Whether you’re drawing footwear, lingerie or apparel - computer and software skills are essential. Your work could be displayed through a number of mediums such as adverts, print and digital publications.

Communication skills must be excellent as you will have to capture the complex details of a designer’s eye.

There is much variety involved in all aspects of this role. To stand out from the budding artistic crowd, it’s recommended you have your own personal style.

A fashion illustrator needs:

  • Good communication
  • Knowledge on what attracts buyers
  • Ability to use variety of design methods
  • A unique personal style

To get you going academically, you can opt for either a short course in fashion illustration or a bachelor’s degree. However, a wider scope degree like fashion design is likely to include an illustration module too.

 

Trend Forecaster

Trend forecasting is fashion’s hot new career.  A forecaster will predict which trends will be popular next season, based on analysis of consumer behaviour. Reporting your findings will form a big part of this job. You will need to engage your analytical as well as creative side.

Trend prediction can be insightful and fun work as plenty of travel is involved in order to predict global trends.

However, trends appear and disappear in the blink of an eye, so you’ll have to be able to work in a fast-paced and high-pressured environment.

You will need:

  • Ability to multitask on a variety of tasks
  • Happy to travel often
  • Good writing ability
  • Competent at data analysis

 Various universities offer a BA in trend forecasting. However, short courses are available too.

 

Fashion Stylist

Stylists are the glamour behind the scenes. They are the wardrobe people behind the glitzy photo-shoots and ad campaigns we all adore.

To be a successful stylist, you need to liaise effectively with PR professionals, hair and make-up teams, and designers.

Stylists often work for themselves so you’ll have to brand yourself well in order to attract a good flow of work. Your networking game must be good!

Working hours will typically be long and much travel will be required.

You will need to:

  • Be on top of the latest trends
  • Brand yourself effectively
  • Work with a variety of professionals from the industry
  • Willing to work irregular hours
  • Willing to travel abroad

Many fashion colleges offer short courses in styling.

 

We hope this has given you plenty of inspiration! Check out this post on unique fashion courses you may never have heard of!