Fashion

Use this page as your starting point for finding out about working in this sector. 

Fashion is an ever-growing sector, with its revenue thought to reach £36.10 bn in 2023. It is expected that there will be a growth of 5.40% by 2027, resulting in a revenue of £44.56 bn.

The following sector guides, produced by leading careers information providers, include overviews of the sector and more detail on specific areas, such as fashion.  They contain suggestions of employers and, where relevant, further study. 

Retail (Prospects)

Retail, buying and merchandising (TargetJobs)

 

Below, we list profiles of some roles specific to this sector. There are also other roles which are common to this and many other sectors.

Each of the profiles we list includes information about: 

• typical responsibilities in the role 

• average starting salary range for new entrants 

• entry requirements 

• career progression 

• professional bodies 

• typical employers  

• where to look for vacancies. 

Job profile: Retail buyer (Prospects)

Job profile: Retail manager (Prospects)

Job profile: Retail merchandiser (Prospects)

Job profile: Visual merchandiser (Prospects)

Job profile: Warehouse manager (Prospects)

Job profile: Procurement manager (Prospects)

Careers in fashion: the different job roles (TargetJobs)

What's it like?

The resources below will give you an insight into the fashion sector:

The Business of Fashion

Design Milk

Wallpaper

Watch the following videos of professionals discussing their careers in fashion:

Fashion (University of Edinburgh login required)

How can I develop my skills and get experience?

Build knowledge, experience and contacts by joining  art societies, volunteering or creating your own opportunity. This is a great way to expand your network, develop your skills and enrich your CV and portfolio. 

For example:

Fashion society - join this University of Edinburgh Students' Association society to build your skills

Volunteer in charity shops and retail to develop your awareness, build skills and make connections:

Volunteer Edinburgh

Creative Access, a social enterprise, supports those from under-represented backgrounds in the UK. They operate across all creative sectors, including arts and design, and partner with global brands through to smaller independent organisations. Register to apply for opportunities such as internships: 

Creative Access

Become a member of Creative Edinburgh,  which provides  events, monthly meetups and support for members to make connections and collaborate – the Core membership is free: 

Creative Edinburgh

Where can I find job vacancies? 

Check MyCareerHub for vacancies. It’s worth looking at the expired opportunities function to find companies who have advertised vacancies in the past to approach speculatively:

MyCareerHub - Opportunities

Our webpage on creating your own opportunity gives more advice on this speculative approach: 

Create your own opportunity

Fashion United advertise jobs in fashion in the UK:

Fashion United

Also, our recording below will give you an insight into how to find a work as an employee in the creative industries (University of Edinburgh login required):

#EdCreativeCareers: Finding Work as an Employee in the Creative Industries

 

Networking and making connections is an important part of working in the creative industries, not only as a freelancer but as an employee as well. Read the following article to find out how you can make connections.

A guide to networking and building connections - Creative Lives in Progress

 

To find out more about working in this sector follow our guidelines:

Careers research in simple steps