Susan Henneberg - Behind-The-Scenes Fashion Careers

I DONT DO FASHION. I AM FASHION.

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If youre like many teens, a career in the glamorous world of fashion sounds likea dream come true. Strutting down the runway in a killer designer dress. Snappingphotographs of famous models as they hit the catwalk. Hitting the trendy stores tostyle a famous celeb. The fashion industry can provide great career options for people who have a strong sense of style and love clothes. However, it can be competitive.Like you, thousands of teens want to be a Vogue supermodel or a Project Runway winner.Only a handful make it to the top every year. The good news is the fashion worldis huge, and there are plenty of jobs to be found behind the glamour.

If you have a passion for fashion, then you have much in common with many of todayssuccessful designers, photographers, and stylists. While still teens, they sewedtheir own clothes. They devoured fashion magazines and blogs. They worked in retail.They saved to study fashion in college or trade school. There they learned aboutthe wide range of occupations in the fashion industry.

You might be interested in the more creative side of the fashion world. If so, youcan become a designer, photographer, display designer, makeup artist, or stylist.Maybe you love to talk about fashion with your friends, which could lead to a careerin fashion writing and public relations. Or perhaps youre fascinated by the businessside of fashion. You might think about being part of buying, production, and sales.

How do you choose which field is right for you? First things first find out whatyou are passionate about. Earn a degree or certification in a fashion-related field.Get experience as an intern or an assistant. Work hard, ask questions, and take risks.There are huge opportunities in the fashion industry. Its a big, exciting world,just waiting for smart, creative, ambitious people like you!

As you walk by your favorite store, do the windows ever make you do a double take?Do the displays make you want to rush inside and try on the clothes? If so, you havefallen for the magic of display designers and visual merchandisers. A display designersjob is to get you into the store. Once theyve made a good first impression, theywant you to stay and buy. How do they do that? Its all about telling the story.

Display designers pay close attention to whats going on in the fashion world. Theyhave one eye on celebrity social media feeds and the other on fashion magazine spreads.They predict what shoppers will want to wear each season. And they make sure thestore mannequins rock the latest trends. Display designers dont just want to sellyou the top or the jeans or the cute jacket that pulls the look together they wantyou to buy the whole outfit!

Visual displays reflect some kind of theme, such as spring break or an upcoming holiday.In large national chain stores, the head office assigns the themes. The branch storesthen get detailed instructions on how to put together the displays. Designers oftenfind creative ways to connect the clothes to your lifestyle. A mannequin wearingshorts, a crop top, and carrying a tote full of accessories tells you its time toget outfitted for a beach getaway.

Display designers also create displays forapparel companies at trade shows largeconventions with hundreds of booths. Eachbooth showcases products from differentcompanies. At the annual New York ShoeExpo, for example, more than 300 footwearmakers show off different brands of shoes.At trade shows, designers have more creativepower they come up with inventive themesand eye-catching arrangements to make theiremployers goods stand out. Their job is tosell their clothing, shoe, or accessory labelto store buyers.

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So how can you break into this creative field? As with most careers in fashion, youneed to be prepared to start as an intern or assistant to more experienced designers.A college degree in art or fashion merchandising will give you an edge in gettinghired and moving up. For now, get a head start by taking a closer look at the displaysat your favorite stores. See if you can figure out what the display designers didto catch your eye. What story are they trying to tell?

At a Glance

The basics: Display designer

Also known as: Fashion merchandiser

Overview: Display designers plan commercial displays to entice and appeal to customers.They change or rotate window displays, interior display areas, or signage to reflectpromotions or changes in inventory.

Education/skills required: Training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience,or an associates degree

Suggested courses: Art, interior design, stagecraft, introduction to business

Salary range: $24,580$92,470/year

Median salary: $26.40/hour or $54,920/year

FIRST PERSON: SHOPIFY

Whether youre a small business retailer or planning your first pop-up store, yourwindow display is one of the most powerful weapons.... This is your chance to... turn the heads of those passing by and engage them enough to stop, look back,and walk in to your store where your floor staff or products can sweep them off theirfeet and get them to make a purchase.

Humayan Khan, visual merchandiser at online shopping website Shopify

ITS NOT ALL ABOUT STYLING AND PICKING CLOTHES. YOU HAVE TO BE HANDY. IN MY DEPARTMEN IM WORKING WITH WINDOWS, AND WE HAVE TO CARRY MANNEQUINS UP LADDERS. WE HAVE TO BUILD, DRILL, SPACKLE, AND PAINT. ITS A LITTLE CONSTRUCTION, A LITTLE ASSEMBLY, A LITTLE OF EVERYTHING.