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There are many potential paths to become a fashion
consultant. Some people enter the field with very little experience and others
have pursued education in college that has helped them train. To be successful
in this field, people must understand the ins and outs of changing fashion and
how that will apply to a variety of body types, and they also need skill in
self-marketing to get a business going. One of the majors a person could pursue
in college if he or she wanted to become a fashion consultant is fashion
merchandising. At universities, community colleges or art and design schools,
this training prepares people to understand fashion from a historical
perspective, to learn how to showcase styles, and work in advanced positions in
retail, like clothes buying. This last position is very much like being a
fashion consultant for the entire clientele of a retail store, since it
forecasts or predetermines what will look good on customers. Many people who
have private consultancy businesses have entered this field from the retail
environment. Not everyone who will become a fashion consultant studies fashion
merchandising. Some people study related fields like design, and others enter
this career after getting degrees in business or marketing, or in disciplines
such as psychology or sociology. These last two majors are particularly good for
those who are not just fashion consultants but who want to be image consultants.
There is usually a difference between the two fields because image consultants
work not only on what people wear but how people present themselves in public
with the way they speak, the way they hold themselves, and the type of manners
or behaviors they exhibit. Another avenue people might explore is working as an
assistant or intern for a well-known fashion consultant in the area. This might
result in getting solo jobs as experience is gained, and particularly if the
consultant has a very large clientele list. On the other hand, some consultants
may not want this competition, as eventually the intern or assistant could
result in fewer jobs for the consultant. As evidenced, a degree isn’t always
necessary to become a fashion consultant. Sometimes a person who has worked
significantly in retail will become a fashion consultant. Many upscale stores
offer personal shopper services, and those interested in later working as a
consultant might try to get hired as a department store shopper. However people
start in this field, they must ultimately move on to creating a personal
clientele for whom they work. Starting a career in fashion consultancy usually
means getting several clients. In the beginning, these can be friends who accept
and take fashion advice for free, and the consultant could take before and after
pictures to demonstrate on a website. Once the consultant has worked with a few
clients, and set up a website, which is an inexpensive way to get noticed,
marketing is a must. Having print brochures or cards that can be distributed to
likely customers is useful, and networking as much as possible will be valuable
too. Some useful places to market to in early days of a career include
businesses that require a certain formality in office wear, and also related
industries like beauty salons or spas, since these cater to individuals who
recognize the power of self-improvement. |
