"So you want a job in Fashion?"

Visual Merchandiser
A visual merchandiser creates window and interior displays in shops and department stores, their chief aim is to maximise sales. Responsible for the look of the store.

Day to day activities include:

• Conducting research based on lifestyle, concepts and trends as well as store and/or regional attributes.
• Sketching designs
• Developing floor plans
• Sourcing materials
• Maximising the space and layout of the store
• Dressing mannequins.

They work within a visual merchandising team.

You can be creative, and get to meet lots of people as you are constantly travelling however weekend and late evenings work is likely as displays frequently need to be put up when store is closed to minimise disruption from staff.

Starting salary, £14,00 -£16,000 rising to £20,000 with experience.

Career Path - Visual Merchandiser - Visual Merchandiser Coordinator - Visual Merchandiser Director.

Fashion Illustrators

Fashion Illustrators create accurate images out of ideas representing products as diverse as hairstyles and spectacle frames. They work in a competitive market and most of the work is on a freelance basis.

They work alongside advertising agents and design consultants.

• Activities on a day to day basis
• producing drawings and paintings that are clear and workable.
• working with designers or editors
• working with fashion predictors to represent market trends.

Skills - Creative Eye and experience with CAD.

Freelance.

Fashion Stylists

Fashion stylists create visual images such as photographs used in magazine articles or videos used in the music industry. Working from a design brief, stylists work with a team of people such as photographers, designers, lighting technicians and set builders.

Activities on a day to day basis

• Selecting suitable accessories
• contacting PR companies, manufacturers and retailers
• finding the best range of merchandise to be used in a shoot
• Hiring, borrowing or purchasing garments props.
• dressing people.

Some stylists are self employed

To be successful you need a good network of contacts

Personal Skills - Eye for style, creativity and resourcefulness, good interpersonal and networking skills and self-motivation.