The Insider Guide: What Does a Fashion Marketer Do And Why Are They So Cool?

Photo Source: Marketing 91

Fashion is more than just clothes; it's an ever-evolving statement that speaks volumes on culture, expression and influence. 

Behind the scenes, a vital force known as fashion marketers are unraveling layers and trends for us to add to our cart and be the most stylish in the room.

We all love the compliments, stares and unique aspects your outfit expresses, especially to current trends but have you ever wondered what may have inspired you to purchase in the first place?

Why do your style choices shift through personal development? And how skinny jeans were once upon time “in” and now boyfriend jeans are “the replacement"?

This is where the magicians known as Fashion Marketers come to the rescue to market and have us consume these trends for purchase. 

Carrie Bradshaw for example the infamous writer/fashion icon on the show “Sex & The City” and a honorary fashion marketer would be jumping for joy for this article so, let's buckle up and explore the deep question: “What does a fashion marketer do?’’ 

Unveiling the Role: What Do Fashion Marketers Do? Delving into the Pros & Cons of Two Career Paths 

So what do Fashion Marketers do ? According to Indeed.com “a fashion marketer works with clothing brands to help communicate with consumers and encourage purchases.”

Important factors such as building consumer trust, getting recognition and improving your overall advertising are all important objectives as stated by Forbes in branding in your business. 

This is where fashion marketers come in as they are the glue in conveying to audiences all over the message a major fashion brand stands for. 

For example, brands such as Hermès, Gucci, or Prada are known for expensive, high quality products with limited accessibility to the general public as these brands are marketed to provide consumers luxury and status.

As opposed to Zara, Express & Revolve are brands that cater to a broader audience that is a bit more affordable for working class individuals. This is what fashion marketers do, they appeal to a specific consumer so you know what a brand by name stands for. 

Depending on your personal career path of being a fashion marketer you must look from a wider scope the important details that makes or breaks what they do. As stated by The Master Institute Of Creative Education The 5 w’s who, what, where, why and how are key elements that play into the overall career trajectory of what fashion marketers do.

You must know all elements in order to make profit for big or small brands, let's take a closer look into the pro’s and cons of choosing a career in a big retail brand vs a smaller, more independent brand. 

Big Retail Companies 

Pros:

Autonomy on resources and budget : Working for major companies creates a vast amount of leverage on budget for campaigns, photoshoots and marketing plans. 

Established Reputation: An Established reputation of company branding will have credible backing for consumers, making it easier for broader reach. 

Networking Opportunities: Networking Opportunities are incredibly more vast in bigger retail companies that can provide a potential opportunity for growth long-term in your career. 

Cons: 

Possible Limited Creative Autonomy: Creative Autonomy is more limited due to strict brand guidelines and a bigger approval process.

Slower Adaptation: of industry trends are more common in bigger companies due to a checks and balance system in place for approvals on a company's mission and future goals. 

Small Independent Brands

Pros:

Creative Control: With smaller brands you are able to have more creative control on the brand as you are able to shape the brand’s mission and identity. 

Direct Impact: In a smaller company you are more likely to see a direct impact as you are more involved in the decision making of the brand. 

Closer Teams: Due to the company being smaller you are able to work in a smaller team and get to know more people from different departments. Which is a great way to network and collaborate.

Cons: 

Limited Resources: Smaller brands usually have smaller resources and strict budgets to adhere to which may create a limitation in projects and campaigns. 

Brand Recognition Challenges: Due the brand being smaller and less known, it may be difficult to get recognized when launching campaigns. 

Unknown Job Security: Compared to big corporate companies, you may face your job being on the line due to market fluctuations, and budget cuts, departments and teams may face down-sizing depending on need. 

Depending on your career goals the pros and cons should be weighed and determined by your professional career goals and personal journey you want to experience. 

Always take the time to reflect on what’s right for you and consider the important aspects of what a fashion marketer does and what is the right choice for your career.

What Do Fashion Marketers Do With Forecasting

Have you ever wondered how everyone who went to the Beyonce Renaissance tour wore silver?,  Or how tights over denim shorts were once upon a time a trend that is no more?  (“A moment for the tights under everything trend”).

This all ties into the behind the scenes work a fashion marketer does to ensure trends are aligning with their brands clothing to drive more sales. Sales equal money for a company and continues to build a brand's credibility. 

Ever wondered what fashion marketers do to stay ahead of trends? Forecasting is an important aspect of what fashion marketers do especially since we have four seasons of different clothing choices, looking ahead is key to launching campaigns and making more consumers eager to buy clothing.   

A Micro-influencer on Tik-Tok by the Tiktok handle @Alicestubbss1 for example shows a glimpse of her inside life as a fashion marketing student on track to a career in fashion marketing.

She starts off by showing trend predictions (forecasting), mood boards and color pallets while diving into different fashion trends, seasonal stand-outs, and important business reports for a brand. It’s like a great sneak-peak into what you may expect as a fashion marketer. 

Curious about the day-to-day tasks of fashion marketers ? The importance of knowing what’s next and doing extensive research on fashion trends and business reports is the more analytical part of the  job as a fashion marketer and may not always be glitz or glamor.

As Tiktok handle @ansoatelier describes the realism of fashion marketing in a video. 30% is the execution and the perks such as runway shows, late night dinners, freebies and backstage access to the 70% that is described as more administrative and business work in the relatable Tiktok video. 

Source: Yellowbrick.co

Got What It Takes To Do What a Fashion Marketer Do? 

The glitz and glam, although a major part of being a fashion marketer is not the 100% realistic picture,  it takes creativity, analytical skills, personal passion for fashion, to keep up with trends that impact consumers.

Fashion marketers are the alchemists behind the curtain of a fashion brand not only generating buzz for consumers, but putting together ideas to showcase for you to buy. It's more than just fabric, social media posts and mood boards, it's an art that takes a special kind of finesse.

The purpose of this article is to shed light on the burning question “What do fashion marketers do?”. 

So the next time you slide on those boyfriend jeans, or wear lounge wear at home, remember that is all because of a fashion marketer's keen ability to influence our choices in the emergence of changing styles.

Remember style is evolutionary, and so are fashion marketers. 

✍️ Written by Samoya Peters