Hey guys, been a minute. Hope y'all are having a great week. As usual, i'm here to educate my readers on a topic not many people know much about.The fashion industry in Africa is really growing, In the past decade, there has been an influx of fashion labels into the industry. Unless you've been living on a deserted island, you've been exposed to the fashion industry at some point, whether it’s seeing the covers of magazines plastered with the faces of celebrities or designers who have just started the next fashion craze, watching TV shows where a parade of models show off the latest fashions on the runway or red carpet, or just walking down the street. Fashion can be found virtually everywhere, and many fashion designers are now just as famous as the models and actors who wear their designs. However, there is a lot more to the fashion industry and fashion careers than the designers and models we see in the media.
The fashion industry is a huge industry and there are a multitude of jobs available; you can find one to suit your temperament and talents. Here are some careers you can pursue:
Fashion Design: Fashion design is the art of the application of design and aesthetics or natural beauty to clothing and accessories. Fashion design is influenced by cultural and social latitudes, and has varied over time and place. Fashion designers work in a number of ways in designing clothing and accessories; and, because of the time required to bring a garment onto the market, must at times anticipate changing consumer tastes. The sophisticated and often over-the-top styles found on the runways of Paris and New York do not represent the full spectrum of fashion designers' work. In reality, there are a multitude of opportunities in fashion design, from sportswear, to children's clothes, to haute to menswear. If you can wear it, someone has designed it. Designers may be responsible for the following kinds of things: Researching fashion trends and staying current on contemporary styles, Creating sketches and samples, Choosing materials, Attending fashion shows, Performing business administration tasks, Marketing products, Supervising or working with design team members. Some fashion designers in Nigeria include: Frank Oshodi, Mai Atafo, Deola Sagoe, iamISIGO, Orange Culture, J Reason,April by Kunbi. TT Dalk, DEJ, David Bowler to say the least.
Fashion Merchandising: Fashion merchandising jobs require a blend of fashion sense and business expertise. Staying ahead of the fashion curve is a feat involving both art and science. Strategy and marketing know-how are an integral part of fashion merchandising. This is where design and business intersect. Designers ultimately need to get their product to the market. Merchandisers track and monitor fashion trends and consumer trends.There are many options that fall under the “Merchandising” umbrella. Retail management is one, Buying is also another. In a fashion merchandising job, your task is to make fashion relatable to your customers. In order to do this, you may perform a variety of tasks, including the following: Going to fashion shows, Fashion buying, Negotiating with suppliers and manufacturers, Managing retail outlets, Creating store displays, Advertising and marketing. Some stores in Nigeria include Grey Velvet, L'Espace, Jumia.com (Online Store) amongst others.
Production Management: According to Cheryl Wischhover, This is front line of fashion. Production managers are responsible for getting textiles and clothing made at the manufacturing level. They work with suppliers and retailers to make sure a quality production. This field has potential to be an exciting and challenging. This weekend the New York Times reported about a growing movement towards “zero waste” production, where very little material goes unused. It’s a design as well as manufacturing challenge. The product manager is a professional figure that looks to the future. Challenged by the growing demand of new profiles in the sector of new digital media. The fashion product manager usually manages a specific product or line of products. In the course of their career within an company they specialize in a specific area of the industry foreseeing forthcoming scenarios in which to work. Some fashion schools offer Production Management as a degree option. The job requires some business training and you should have a fascination with how things are made.
Visual Presentation/Styling: From working with celebrity clients to styling models for photo shoots, a fashion stylist career provides exciting opportunities to share your passion for style with a variety of interesting people. As far as styling, A degree isn't totally necessary, but again, having some understanding of numbers, business, and communications is essential. And internships and networking are probably more important in styling than in the other professions. There are many different arenas in which fashion stylists use their talents, from music videos to advertisements to TV shows and movies. They may also work with designers or public relations experts. Good fashion stylists know how to accentuate the positive attributes of the people they dress. Some known stylists in Nigeria include Toyin Lawani (TiannahStyling), Bayo Oke-Lawal, Bolaji Animashaun, Dimeji Alara, Veronica Ebie, Kelu Ogunleye, Sharon Ojong and many more.
Public Relations (PR): PR is the middle man between a product and a retailer or consumer. PR reps are in charge of keeping a brand’s image squeaky clean and making sure people are talking about it. One common, yet often forgotten career path for bloggers is that of a Fashion PR. In fashion, this often means working with the media and stylists for press coverage or celebrity placement. However, it now also requires an ability to determine right message, right audience, and right platform – taking into account not just traditional media but social media and a brand’s “owned media,” When you stick around long enough, you’ll notice the PR companies that tend to hire people with strong blogging backgrounds, which if you’re looking for a new career and you have a an established blog and network of blog friends, this might be your calling. Fashion brands these days are increasingly looking emulate editorial content on their brand channels, and even bringing on former fashion editors to spearhead these efforts. Styljunki.com, D.E.E.V.A.S, The fashionportal, Venussbay and many more are into fashion PR.
Fashion Journalism: I can totally relate to this :-). Fashion journalism involves all aspects of published fashion media, including fashion writers, fashion critics, and fashion reporters. The most obvious examples of fashion journalism are the fashion features in magazines and newspapers, may also includes books about fashion, fashion related reports on television and online fashion magazines, websites and blogs. t first and foremost you need to be a good writer. Consider a journalism or creative writing program, but at the very least take writing courses. I can tell you firsthand that the feedback you get from instructors is invaluable and can really up your game. Write constantly. Blog for EVERYONE. Get clips however you can. Prove that you know the industry. You’ll need research and interviewing skills and you’ll need to network. Fashion journalists are either employed full time by a publication or are employed on a freelance basis. Terrence Sambo (onenigerianboy), Titilayo Belo (imperfectverbalista) and Sayedero Enytan (thefashionengineer) are examples of fashion bloggers. Some fashion magazines in Nigeria are Complete Fashion, Thisday Style, FAB Magazine, WOW magazine and many more.
Fashion photography: Fashion photography is known as a style or photo taking that captures men and women in either fashionable poses or the newest clothing styles. is a genre of photography devoted to displaying clothing and other fashion items. Fashion photography is most often conducted for advertisements or fashion magazines such as Vogue, Vanity Fair, or Elle. Traveling to exotic locations is one of many perks you might enjoy as a fashion photographer. While you may also find yourself shivering on top of a glacier a time or two, fashion photography is a creative job that won't keep you chained to a desk for sure. Working in fashion photography, you will help fashion designers market their clothing to the public. You'll create a visual story that sparks interest in new styles and trends. As a fashion photographer, you may be self-employed or do freelance work. You may also find employment opportunities with magazines or clothing retailers. Some fashion photographers in Nigeria are: Obi Somto, Hakeem Sallam, Terrence Sambo (onenigerianboy.com), Kiki Melissa amongst others.
Fashion Show Production: This aspect covers a vast variety of what makes fashion such an intriguing industry. A fashion show is an event put together to showcase a designer's upcoming line of clothing during Fashion Week. Fashion shows debut every season, particularly the Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter seasons. This is where the latest fashion trends are made. The two most influential fashion weeks are Paris Fashion Week and New York Fashion Week, which are both semiannual. In a typical fashion show, models walk the catwalk dressed in the clothing created by the designer. It involves handling events. production; securing designers, venue, model castings, make up, hair , photography, logistics. A wide range of contemporary designers tend to produce their shows as theatrical productions with elaborate sets and added elements such as live music or a variety of technological components like holograms. Events like The Africa Fashion week London (AFWL), Ghana Fashion Week, Arise Fashion Week and many more is a great sigh that the fashion industry is developing. For example, the Lagos design and fashion week has been put together by British Council and LFDW.
With the appropriate education and experience, you could become a model, a photographer, a salesperson, a stylist, a designer, or another similar type of fashion professional. Regardless of the exact job, there are some personal qualities that every fashion professional should have in order to carry out the design, marketing, and/or production tasks that are necessary in the industry. In addition to an artistic flair and an interest in fashion, individuals pursuing a career in the industry need to possess certain skills in order to be able to promote and get themselves started.
Whats your take on this? Which Fashion Career is Right For You?
Are you looking to pursue a career in the fashion industry?
Or is it simply not for you?
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For further enquiries on the contacts of the Fashion Schools or listed names above, Email me: kosokolanre@gmail.com
I'd be glad to help.
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