How to become a Fashion Merchandiser, Buyer, Visual Merchandiser, Window Dresser, Fashion Marketer



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Fashion Merchandiser

Breaking Into and Succeeding as a Fashion Merchandiser
How to Become a Fashion Merchandiser
How to Become a Fashion Buyer
How to Become a Visual Merchandiser
How to Become a Fashion Marketer
How to Start a Fashion Merchandising Business
How to Start a Fashion Buying Business

Love shopping and working in a shopping environment? If you do, most likely you'd make an excellent fashion merchandiser or fashion buyer.

As a senior fashion merchandiser or buyer, you'd enjoy the traveling and exclusive communications with top fashion designers, as well mingling with the world's most creative people. Because of the job, you will be directly ordering products from the world's most exclusive apparel manufacturers, including those in France, Italy and China.

You will be hopping from hotel to hotel and living in several different time zones at the same time. Your assistants will be busy carrying product samples for you as you breeze through the revolving doors of fashion houses in New York and Los Angeles.

At the company's headquarter, your employer is probably waiting for your calls anxiously.

That's about what's happening in a successful fashion merchandiser or buyer's life. Now, what is actually fashion merchandising?

In a nutshell, fashion merchandising means:

Activities involved in the buying and selling of textiles, apparel, and accessories (and other fashion products) at the wholesale and retail levels
Activities involved in the transfer of products from the hands of the designers and manufacturers to the hands of the consumers
Activities involved in ensuring the smooth sailing of marketing and selling efforts at wholesale and retail levels
Activities involved in making sure that the visual appearance of a fashion retailer looks its best in order to attract customers

Within the realm of "fashion merchandising," there are several job titles popularly used in the retail industry:

Fashion Merchandiser
Fashion Marketer
Fashion Buyer
Fashion Promotion Specialist
Visual Merchandiser
Fashion Sales
Window Dresser

If you're considering to break into the fashion world as a fashion merchandiser, there are two ways to do so:

Work for others (retailers, fashion design houses that outsource their manufacturing, wholesalers, boutiques, etc.)
Work for yourself by establishing yourself an Independent Fashion Buyer that purchases orders on behalf of your clients
Work for yourself as an Independent Window Dresser that helps clients in decorating their store windows

A buyer has the privilege to decide which products to offer to the customers and where to purchase them. On the other hand, a fashion merchandiser acts as the merchandising team's coach that glues the members together towards a common goal: selling as many products as possible to the customers.

This eGuide provides insightful formation, advices and tips for anyone who is contemplating to break into fashion merchandising. Numerous hard-to-find resources are included to help you locate pertinent information, businesses and consultants that will help you achieve your success in this highly lucrative and competitive business.

One of the myths in this profession is that you must have a fashion merchandising degree from a reputable fashion school to succeed. This is absolutely not true.

You can be successful in fashion merchandising as long as you have the drive and passion to work long hours and travel frequently. You also need to have keen eyes, good sense of design and creativity. A personable personality and good communication skills would help as well.

With these personality traits and skills set, anyone with at least a high school diploma has a chance to succeed as a fashion merchandiser.

There are several specialties in this field that you can choose based on your strengths and interests. You’re not restricted to become a fashion buyer that travels to manufacturing plants, if that's not your interest.

Some of the business specialties to choose from:

Fashion marketing (selling fashion products at retail level)
Decorating store windows
Decision making (on products to purchase, which require high-level management skills)

Editor-in-Chief Jennie S. Bev and co-author Debbie Cook have talked to many fashion professionals, including successful merchandisers and designers to provide you with the best and the most comprehensive self-study guidebook filled with insider information, tips and advice for breaking into and succeeding as a fashion merchandiser.

Among them are:

A successful handbag designer with authentic merchandising strategies
A visual merchandiser
A fashion buyer
A fashion designer with merchandising interest

About the Authors

Jennie S. Bev is THE fashion, image and fun careers expert, whose reputation has been acknowledged by prestigious media internationally. She has been profiled and mentioned in Entrepreneur, Teen People, Canadian Business, Home Business, Dong (France), San Francisco Chronicle, The Independent, Daily Southtown, The Arizona Republic, Femina (Asia) and Dewi (Asia).

Editor-in-Chief Jennie S. Bev was named 2003 EPPIE Award finalist in Non-Fiction How To category for excellence in electronic publishing. She has published over 40 books and 900 articles in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany and Southeast Asia. She is also a college professor based in San Francisco Bay Area.

Co-author Debbie Cook wears many hats in both her professional and personal life. Due to a restless drive and her entrepreneurial spirit she constantly delves into projects that range from organizing herself and others through her business DSC Enterprises; to working alongside her husband in the daily operation of their family business.

She has traveled far and wide to speak to groups about living an organized life including a memorable trip to Egypt where she spoke while floating on the Nile.

This 84-page instantly downloadable StyleCareer.com eGuide Breaking Into and Succeeding as a Fashion Merchandiser brings you valuable insider tips, advice and suggestions not available elsewhere to help you embark on this highly lucrative career path.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Myths, the Realities, and the Basics
Can I Become a Fashion Merchandiser without Going to Fashion College?
I’m Eclectic but Skeptical, What Can I Offer to the Fashion World?
I Want to Start My Own Business. Are Fashion Merchandisers Only Hired as Employees?

Getting Ready for the Big Break
Basics of the Fashion Merchandising Business
Internship
Fashion Merchandising Careers
Fashion Merchandiser
Fashion Buyer
Fashion Marketer or Fashion Promotion Specialist
Fashion Designer
Visual Merchandiser
Window Dresser
Fashion Retail Manager

Skills of the Trade
Math
Sense of Design
Sales and Marketing
Trend Spotting
Communications and Leadership
Computer

Career Game Plan
How Much You Can Expect to Earn
Where the Jobs Are
To Go to School or Not to Go to School
Advantages of Fashion Schools
Disadvantages of Fashion Schools
Advantages of Self-Study
Disadvantages of Self-Study
Top Fashion Schools
Fashion School Directories
Alternative and Distance Learning
Career Ladder
Getting an Internship
Getting an Entry-Level Position

Starting Your Own Business
Niche/Specialty
Is Entrepreneurship for You?
Resources
Market Research
Business Legal Structure
Partnership?
Setting Up the Office
Pricing Your Services

Being Successful
Success Traits
Perseverance
Entrepreneurial Spirit
Customer Service
CreativityPromoting Your Business
Publicity
Trade Shows and Fashion Weeks
Trade Organizations

Keeping Up With the Trends
Industry News
Online Resources
Industry Publications
Consumer Publications
Wholesale Suppliers

Success Profiles

This eGuide literally saves you hundreds of dollars spent on professional workshops and training and hundreds of hours of research. It will help you break into the career of your dream faster without having to repeat the same mistakes that most newcomers do.

You can have this exclusive eGuide right away by instant download for only $30.95, which you will earn many times over with your first paid order. This special low discount price is reserved for today, Thursday, May 15, 2008 only. (Regular price: $49.95)

Breaking Into and Succeeding
as a Fashion Merchandiser eGuide
84 Pages
Regular Price: $49.95
Sale Price: $30.95

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