Career Opportunities

The Diploma in Fashion prepares graduates for the same diverse and exciting career pathways as the Bachelor of Arts in Fashion does. 

Step into any shopping mall and you are stepping straight into an incredible world of career options in the fashion industry. From the professionals who decide what colours and shapes we will be wearing this season (and next, and the next) to those that design and manufacture the clothing, what you see on the hanger is just the beginning of the story.

Behind every item of clothing is a team of merchandisers, buyers, retailers and many more. Every brand you know (and love) has a team of fashion professionals driving the design, manufacture and delivery of the clothing to the retail floor. From brand managers and fashion marketers to publicists and visual merchandisers.

Stand in the queue of any major retail store, and you will be mesmerized by the proliferation of magazines on the shelves. Every publication – whether a fashion mag or not – has a team of writers, journalists, photographers, make-up artists, hair stylists and editors bringing their readers the latest fashion and lifestyle content. Take your magazine home, flop onto the couch and switch on the telly and then remind yourself that every programme or movie you watch has a wardrobe department deciding what each character will wear … sometimes designing and making it, sometimes sourcing it - the opportunities are endless.

Oh, and just in case … don’t forget the careers in fashion research and teaching and the many crossover careers in other lifestyle categories like interiors. Don’t forget the advertising industry … someone has to style up the models and extras for the shoot including hair and make-up and overall creative direction.

Okay, one more … fashion week and the hundreds of fashion shows staged around the country each year. Someone’s got to put the fashion show together … so why not you! When we hear people lamenting the lack of jobs and a solid career and salary in the fashion industry we, well … try not to laugh.

Okay, yes, we forgot to mention that you might want to work for yourself … so are you the next Galliano, Stella McCartney, David Tlale, Marianne Fassler?

Let’s break it down again:

Fashion Design:

• Design commercial ready-to-wear collections for wholesalers/retailers.
• Design couture garments to individual specifications.
• Design corporate clothing.

Clothing Production:

• Construct fitted patterns and sized ratios for clothing production.
• Quality control of manufacturing in clothing production environments.

Commercial/Merchandising Fields:

• Fashion Buying
• Fashion Marketing
• Business & Brand Management
• Product Development
• Trend Forecasting
• Trend Analysis

Photography, Media, Beauty & Make-Up:

• Fashion Photography
• Make-Up & Beauty (including Hair Styling)
• Fashion & Beauty Journalism, Editing and Publishing
• Fashion Styling (for Media and Advertising)

General:

• Fashion illustrations for magazines, retail patterns, newspapers and fashion shows
• Co-ordinate textiles within the design context. 
• Fabric buying or sourcing.
• Costume design for theatre or film. 
• Costume co-ordination for advertising, events & brands.