Fashion and Shopping Blog

A fashion model’s job first appears to be one of a glamorous one. But, there are many stipulations to becoming a successful fashion model. While watching different TV channels, you would have come crossways models in ads or fashion channels that have svelte and appealing shapes, and that exhibiting a great deal of poise. And in all probability you might have wished that you could also become one. It is not just the fame and attention that lures an individual to become a model, but the huge money that is involved in these assignments.

Modelling is a career that needs a lot of travelling to exotic locations, attending celebrity celebrations and earning huge dollars for each assignment. Most of the people like us want to be in the limelight, rub shoulders with some of the favourite faces in the fashion circuit, and indulge in the various activities there; but modelling is much more than that, contrary to many people’s imagination. If you want to take up modelling as your career, you need to possess some appealing physical attributes. You have to first rate yourself and gauge your weaknesses and strengths that can make or mar your prospects. Nobody is perfect, but any mortal can work on his or her flaws and can improve on his/her plus points. For instance, a model’s height has to be at least 5′8″ or more than that, and the body weight should be in proportion to that.

Fashion models are known for their uncommon or strange diets and exercise regimens. They need to undergo rigorous training methods to maintain the required body proportions required of a professional model. The skin should be glowing and healthy without any kind of scars or blemishes.  The hair should look healthy and without any kind of restitution or split ends. The model’s teeth should be in the same line and not flawed in any manner. A million dollar smile has got the potential to do half the job and fetch you the much coveted assignments. However, aside from all the excitement and fun, the modelling job demands dedication, commitment and a burning interest in all the endeavours. The work schedules can be erratic; models are expected to equilibrise their work life schedules, giving due consideration to their individualized health.

You need to get noticed by a good modelling bureau in order for you to grow and flourish. The agencies are always on the look out for fresh and appealing faces. And, if you happen to be at the right place at the right time, you might land yourself a lucrative contract for some modelling assignments. Do take effort to search for them, and this can give you the real impetus as you give the associated people the required push. You should send out your impressive portfolios to as many modelling agencies as possible. It is important that you make your portfolio easy yet brilliant and effective. But it is not necessary that you spend a lot of money to make an excellent portfolio.

Find more Modeling Jobs related articles from search form.

A thing of beauty is a joy forever! This thought holds complete significance in the fashion industry. It is an exciting industry that attracts many brilliant, ambitious, creative, talented, committed and hard working people. Success in the fashion industry calls for an eventual passion and enthusiasm to achieve set targets. The desires to create, see, explore and appreciate beauty must be inherent. It’s a creative field and one needs to possess as well as acquire certain skills that are indispensable, such as thinking creatively beyond the obvious and the capability to carve a niche in nearly all the doable projects by making it different yet stunning than the previous one.

Careers in the fashion industry revolve around beauty. In order to be successful in this field you should have the unquenchable thirst for beauty in its all-relevant forms. Changing fashion statements determine the change in the trend of clothing, ornamenting and above all, adopting new ways of carrying oneself.

It is the style that brings elegance with a difference in different designs. Style is an individual aspect. No two people can have exactly the same style statement because each mortal has a one-of-a-kind style of their own. Therefore, the concepts related to fashion are also different. Some people feel that fashion is the passion of the slaves and that is why they try to dress and carry themselves in a manner similar to that of models travel on the ramp. This thought is challenged by a different thought; those who go against the fashion trends are themselves the slaves of the fashion.

No matter what different concepts abound, fashion is a career industry that is never going to fade. There are immense opportunities in this field, as you can opt for any of the following job prospects pertaining to your areas of interest: modeling, catwalk choreography, fashion photography, designing, merchandising, make-up artists, hair styling, and accessory designing.

Modeling: Modeling is a promising career that requires having a certain confidence and a amusing appearance that needs to confirm to the basic standards of fashion designers. One needs to have an inclination towards glitz and glamour, as it is part and parcel of this industry.

Catwalk Choreography: Catwalk Choreography aims at training models to present their attire in an appealing and professional way. Designers hire talented choreographers because they know that each movement with the background music counts on the ramp. It can make or break an entire fashion show.

Fashion Photography: Fashion Photography is a very demanding career that requires the utmost dedication, sincerity, sensitivity and at the same time perspicacity towards the subjects. It is the job of the fashion photographer to present clear expression to nearly all the doable facets of style such as fabric, design, designer, model and the like.

Fashion Designing: Fashion designing is one of the most promising careers in fashion industry. It needs to have the capability to think, understand and implement the latest and original ideas in order to be successful in this field. Designers can specialize in apparel, textile, accessory designer and many more.
Fashion Coordinator: A fashion coordinator is responsible for coordinating fabrics and trimmings, calibre and design. He/she needs to keep a constant track of production schedules and needs to be aware of the position of buyers’ orders.

There are several career options that need to be explored by aspiring students. You can certainly excel in this field provided you believe in the proverb; “work is worship” and have immense potential to rise and make your mark in the fashion industry.

Having spent the last 9 years in seemingly the most glamorous and desirable industry to women, fashion I am often asked about the careers and opportunities for women in fashion and more often what are the ideal paying careers for women in fashion today?

The beauty about the fashion industry is that it caters for the creative and the business savvy as well as encompassing the back end blood sweat and tears in producing apparel for the Australian and global markets.

Let’s look at the ideal paying careers for women in fashion. . .

For the business savvy roles for example Brand Manager, Product Manager or Retail Buyer you need a qualification in business, commence, economics or marketing. Candidate perception is often misunderstood with these roles and in the past 4 years they have become the glamour roles of the industry. The misconception largely surrounds the intense business acumen required to be a success. You need to be numbers savvy, have strong skills in product forecasting, budgets, calculation of EBIT (earnings before interest and tax) and have strong analytical skills and margin and profit focus. All too often candidates see for 15% fascination with the product side of these roles and change to see that 85% of the job is spent behind an excel spreadsheet.

Salaries in Australia for Brand Manager, Product Manager and Retail buyer vary greatly and are very dependent on the size of the company. With this said, some of the larger brands are the poorer payers. Brand Manager, Product Manager and Retail Buyers acquire above national average to executive salaries at the top end. Longevity plays a huge role in securing top dollar so proving yourself is essential. Your success will be measured on year in and year out results and growth so 18 months here and there is not going to get you into the ideal paying careers for women in fashion. You need to have some creative edge in these roles, so a sense of style and fashion is essential as much of the creative team is likely to report to you. These roles will see you wage product direction, range planning and product lifecycle analysis as a response to market forces and trends as well as the financial management aspects. .

The creative roles in fashion are probably the most deceptive. Design is hard work and again longevity is going to go along way to allowing you to achieve your financial salary goals. My ideal advice when negotiating a role in design is to negotiate your increases when you commence. One of the biggest problems in increasing salaries once you begin working is the demand of a remuneration plan at commencement.

To be a fashion designer you will need to have studied fashion design at any one of the various International Design schools. Getting accolades will also help. Make sure your design projects reflect commercial fashion and if they don’t leave them out of your portfolio. It is very off putting to an employer of a fashion designer to see arty unwearable fashion in the recruitment process.

As a fashion designer you will not only be responsible for the design of the ranges within the product budgets and brand values but you will be responsible for the outcome, market acceptance or rejection! It is very rare for a design graduate to score a top job as a fashion designer but occasionally it does happen. Your career path is however more likely to commence behind the scenes as a designers assistant. You will sketch, source fabrics, trims and accessories, cut samples, prepare range books and coordinate the design timeline with the pattern makers and sample machinists. Not too much creative here but at least you will be close to the action.

Prove yourself and you will be introduced to designing your own portion of a range with a bit of luck (and blood sweat and tears). As a designer assistant (graduate) in fashion anticipate to acquire average national salaries. You will be competing with a huge group of graduates all chasing the dream so embrace anything on offer and be realistic about the brand opportunities offered to you. It is no time to be a brand snob when you have just graduated from design school. If you decide to be brand specific be prepared to move tables as it might be required for a while until the right break comes you way.

As a Range Designer of a visible and market identified brand anticipate to acquire anywhere from average to executive salaries at the end. When so much hinges on the talents of a designer you would anticipate higher paying salaries, however, easy supply and demand principles unfortunately come into play. The ideal news is that when longevity kicks in (if you haven’t started your own label) the role of Design Director comes with a hefty pay packet. As Design Director of a fashion brand anticipate to acquire serious executive dollars. Achieve this in fashion design and you have prefabricated it!

Let’s look at the engine room; Production Management, Operations and Supply Chain. These roles are the most critical to a fashion operation. Apparel might not be a perishable commodity but if it is late into store it might as well be. With the changes in supply chain and imports the production of apparel in the last 10 years has changed the nature of these roles significantly. In fashion production, operations and supply chain you can anticipate to frequently travel to operations particularly in the easterly and work in some quite deceptive conditions. Let me remember this by saying that your negotiation skills need to be razor sharp and your capability to refer the right sources is essential.

In terms of qualifications you need a fashion production qualification, business or logistics supply chain management qualification or similar. Garment construction knowledge is essential. You will work hands on and be required to make the call on garment construction issues so it is imperative that you know the lingo. At the low end Production Managers in fashion acquire just above national salaries with Operations and Supply Chain Managers earning exceptional executive dollars.

Whilst I have purposely focused on the highest paying roles for women within the fashion industry the obvious roles of General Manager, CEO and Company Director form the highest paying roles in the sector. It is difficult to focus on these roles when the opportunities are quite few are far between. Some outstanding women have reached these roles in fashion with Sue Morphet of Pacific Brands crashing through the glass ceiling some years ago and moving up the scale with full force. Sue is of particular inspiration having conquered such an exceptional role within an established and traditional brand. There are other women like Sue earning exceptional salaries within the fashion sector, but the roles are few and far between. Salaries at this top end can reach beyond half a million dollars including bonuses and share options.

The vibrant, ever-changing fashion industry is always looking for brilliant minds with an intent of what comes next in design and merchandising. Could you be that visionary voice? What does the future hold for jobs in the fashion industry?

Check out some of the top fashion industry jobs, and learn what you can do to work your way into one of these exciting careers.

Fashion & Retail Management
If you love fashion and you’ve always wanted to own your own business, a degree in retail management could be right up your alley. You already know what shoes to pair with that tiny black dress for the perfect night out, but you need to learn the details of management as it relates to fashion. Courses in fashion sales, retail history, and more can give you the experience you need to enter the field with confidence.

Management Salary Points. In 2007, retail income managers and supervisors saw mean annual earnings of $39,210, according to the Agency of Labor Statistics (BLS). Management positions at high-end boutiques and specialty stores might acquire more, depending on location and experience.

Fashion Merchandising Careers
If you stand behind your brand, you have to be healthy to sell it. Fashion merchandising is an umbrella term that covers a range of careers, including:
•    Merchandise managers
•    Fashion buyers
•    Fashion marketers
•    Fashion sales

Even those who specialize in creating window dressings for department stores start under the category of fashion merchandising.

Fashion merchandise managers see a lot of use in today’s fashion economy. “Today it’s the merchandise manager who carries the weight,” Marvin Traub, a retail consultant, told the New York Times. “He has an eye to the numbers. ” While a degree or certificate in fashion merchandising might not be required for all careers, it can help to have the technical knowledge you can pair with you existing passion.

Merchandising Salary Points. Wholesale and retail buyers attained $53,580 in 2007, the BLS reports. That same year, purchasing managers crossways all industries attained mean annual consequence of $90,430. While that figure goes well beyond the fashion industry, it should give you an intent of the kind of salary a skilled manager in the field might expect.

Fashion Designers
When you first think of jobs in the fashion industry, you might picture famous fashion designers like Donatella designer or Michael Kors. While it’s true that most work can be found in fashion hubs California and New York, designers typically work all over the country, running small businesses and boutiques. Whether you’re dreaming of small-town success or a big-city dream, training in fashion design can get you there.

Fashion Design Salary Points. Fashion designers saw mean annual consequence of $71,170 in 2007, according to the BLS. Most designers worked in New York or California, cementing the notion that your ideal chances for employment are on the opposite coasts.

While competition is keen for many careers and no degree can guarantee a job, graduates of fashion schools are still finding a viable job market. Research fashion schools to get a superior intent of your potential future.