Change the Status Quo of Style With a Career in Fashion Design and Merchandising

Fashion design and retail is an exciting field for anyone to join: it exists at the intersection of art, design, history, culture, and technical prowess. Successful designers have an array of skills, including a keen eye for color, texture, construction, tailoring, convention, and social commentary. Merchandisers, on the other hand, know how to make designers’ creations fly off the shelves.

Clark Atlanta University Fashion Lookbook

Understanding Fashion Design vs. Fashion Merchandising

Fashion design and fashion merchandising are two complementary yet distinct fields within the fashion industry. Fashion design focuses on the creative and technical aspects of creating clothing and accessories. Designers use their artistic skills to sketch, construct patterns, choose fabrics, and produce garments that reflect trends or set new ones. This major requires a deep understanding of design principles, textiles, and garment construction techniques, along with the ability to predict and influence fashion trends.

On the other hand, fashion merchandising is centered around the business side of the fashion industry. Merchandisers focus on how to bring fashion products to market, combining their knowledge of consumer behavior, market trends, and retail strategies to ensure that the right products are available to the right audience at the right time. This field requires skills in marketing, sales, and inventory management, making it ideal for students who are interested in the strategic and organizational aspects of fashion.

The Need for More Fashion Designers and Retailers of Color

African American and cultures, styles, and designs have long had profound influences on the fashion industry, particularly in the luxury and contemporary markets. This is impactful not just in terms of representation, but because of the power Black fashion has to embrace and reinvent (multi)cultural heritages, reject racist stereotypes, and challenge Eurocentric style and beauty norms.

Black retailers, too, can have a formidable platform for creating wealth and social change. Entrepreneurs can choose to support Black designers by selling their fashion lines, channeling profits in ways that benefit themselves and the larger African American fashion community. They can also influence the trends and styles consumers on the street are exposed to, creating awareness of and demand for fashion influenced by diverse cultures and histories.

Racial Inequities in Fashion Design and Merchandising

Sartorial pioneers of color have historically not been given their due in terms of recognition, pay, artistic freedom, or influence. Appropriation has also long been an issue in the fashion industry, as countless Black designers have seen their work minimized and influences mimicked, whitewashed, and capitalized upon by white designers.

Decolonizing Fashion

However, all this is just the tip of the iceberg. In recent years, there has been a growing conversation around decolonizing fashion. This involves challenging and dismantling the colonial influences that have shaped the global fashion industry, particularly its Eurocentric standards and practices.

Fashion decolonization focuses on reclaiming cultural identities, promoting inclusivity, and recognizing the diverse contributions of marginalized communities to fashion. This movement encourages the celebration of indigenous craftsmanship, the rejection of cultural appropriation, and the creation of spaces where all cultures can express their own styles without exploitation or erasure.

Fashion and merchandising can and must be revolutionized with greater representation of designers and retailers of color in the US and around the world. The first step is providing accessible, high-quality education, not just in fashion or business, but in history and culture.

You can be part of this growing movement by enrolling in a college or university with a degree program in fashion design and merchandising. Other majors are common in fashion careers as well, including fashion management, brand management, art history, graphic design, business, and more.

HBCUs Can Help You Start a Career in Fashion and Retail

Given the recent Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action in college admissions, more Black students are likely to turn to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) for their education. In response, these institutions will do everything they can to meet increased student demand. HBCUs help more students earn college degrees, compete successfully for well-paying jobs in competitive career fields, improve workforce diversity, and move from poverty into the middle class.

People of all ages, races, and life paths can help to improve diversity in American fashion disciplines by supporting scholarships and other forms of funding for HBCUs with related programs. You can make a difference in the lives of fashion and merchandising students — and the future of the industry as a whole — in one easy step by making a donation today.

Careers in Fashion Design and Merchandising

Here are just a few examples of the kinds of roles you can pursue in fashion design and merchandising:

Fashion Designer: Designers are at the creative forefront of the industry, designing and defining the fashion trends of the day. Designers use their knowledge to create clothes, shoes, and accessories for shows and sale. Note that this is a highly competitive career, though well paid at a median income of $79,290 per year.
Purchasing Manager: These professionals work on behalf of fashion design firms, ensuring that the firm has the materials necessary to succeed. With training in fashion design and merchandising, purchasing managers can make important decisions about what materials are most valuable to the firm.
Retail Buyer: Located further down the fashion supply chain, retail buyers procure fashion items for retail stores. Where the items are procured depends on the store, but buyers must be able to network with suppliers and find the best value for their store.

Regardless of which concentration you’re interested in, you’ll need to enroll in a bachelor’s degree program. Fashion and retail students take a wide range of related course subjects, including:

Textile and apparel manufacturing
Fashion merchandising
Retailing
Consumer action
Marketing
Administration
Accounting
Economics
Fashion illustration
Costume and interior design

Want to learn more about this possible career path and college major? Have questions about which UNCF colleges and universities offer degrees in fashion design and merchandising? Looking for help with financing this degree?

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How to Prepare for Success

Successful fashion design and merchandising majors should have strong skills in tailoring, aesthetics, and business. This major requires a wide variety of seemingly disparate skills balanced with a keen eye. It also promises a robust education and promising career in the world of fashion.

UNCF Schools to Consider

Clark Atlanta University, one of the nation’s top-ranked colleges and a UNCF-member school, offers a program for students wishing to work in the field of fashion design and merchandising. If you’re interested in this degree or similar programs at UNCF colleges, fill out our major interest form today!

Professional Organizations

There are thousands of organizations in various enterprises of fashion design and merchandising that offer more insight into working in those fields. A sample list includes:

Scholarships

There’s no better way to start on your path to a successful career in fashion design and merchandising than with a solid financial foundation. Fortunately, many scholarships are available through UNCF, including some specifically for fashion design and merchandising majors. Keep an eye on the UNCF website for current scholarship opportunities and announcements.

Search for specific scholarships and view those that are currently accepting applications here! Students should also check with each college or university they’re interested in to see if there are additional scholarships available to study fashion design and merchandising.

As you explore your options, be sure to use our guide to applying for scholarships and grants. You can also receive guidance by submitting a major interest form if you are interested in a career in fashion design and merchandising. Submit the form on our website to get started. And follow us on UNCF social media channels to receive notifications about our scholarships and member HBCUs. Reach out today!

You can also show your support for students pursuing careers and furthering equity in fashion design and merchandising by making a contribution to UNCF member schools. Education is the greatest tool we have in creating a just and equitable society in which economic mobility is available to all. Help us achieve this future by donating today!