5 Reasons to do a Fashion Course in 2023

Fashion design is a highly fulfilling career for people with a creative mind and an adventurous spirit.  

As a fashion student you'll gain a deeper understanding of cultural influences on fashion trends and learn how to develop creative ideas and grow in an exciting and ever-evolving industry. 

Working in fashion allows you to meet many people, all with different backgrounds, experiences and stories.  

You can learn a lot from the people around you in the fashion industry, and the people you meet at the early stages of your career may very well play a key part in your development further down the line. 

While studying a fashion course you will also make connections in the industry with your fellow classmates and tutors who can support your career opportunities.  

The global apparel market grew from $610.12 billion in 2022 to $652.94 billion in 2023 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.0%. There is huge room for growth and expansion as the market becomes more globalised. 

Here are five reasons to do a fashion course.  

Excellent Career Opportunities  

From trend forecasting, sales analysis, financial budgets, styling, marketing, sourcing and supply chain to catwalks and photoshoots the fashion industry needs hands-on people across the board. Choosing to dedicate your life’s work to fashion can open the door to many high-paying fashion careers. The path is riddled with hard work, and you need to be determined, but if you succeed you will gain access to fashion industry events and other industry benefits. There are roles available for people who are business-minded and interested in finance and budgets. There are also opportunities for those who excel in organisation, planning and management as well as roles in design and manufacturing right through to marketing, photography, journalism and more. The opportunities to have a career in fashion span many different interests and skill sets so there will be endless choices for you upon completion of a fashion degree.  

International Career Opportunities  

A career in fashion may bring jet-setting and glamorous images to mind thanks to Hollywood movies. In reality, the fashion sector is becoming increasingly globalised meaning that your role in fashion buying, merchandising and managing could involve an increasing amount of international work. This can be an exciting, fast-paced and rewarding area to work in the fashion industry. Trade shows, fashion shows, exhibitions and conferences in the fashion capitals of the world could be part of your work routine if you study a fashion course and gain your dream career. The international element to the fashion industry can open you up to new cultures, communities, languages and experiences for you to learn and grow in your career and life.  

Rapidly Growing Sector with Huge Potential in Sustainability and Management  

Are you passionate about sustainability and the fashion industry? By studying a fashion course, you can be part of the change in the global movement towards more sustainable fashion. If you’re passionate about fashion and also the environment, then you can help move the sustainable fashion trend forward into the mainstream. Consumers are not just looking to spend their money on the next new thing. They want to look great, but also feel like their purchases are doing some good in the world. By studying a BA (Hons) in Fashion Buying and Merchandising or a BA (Hons) in Fashion Management you can make an impact on how companies manage their supply chain, source their materials and deliver ethical, environmentally friendly products to their customers. It seems like the trend towards making fashion more sustainable isn’t going away. As a student enrolled in a fashion degree, you’ll learn about different techniques and systems that can make this industry more sustainable. 

Tap Into Fun and Creativity  

One of the more obvious and most enticing features of the fashion industry is that there is no shortage of room to be creative. Whether you’re working in design, photography, marketing, e-commerce, or even retail, creativity is at the heart of what you are doing.  

Many aspects of fashion are quick-moving and ever-changing, which provides a lot of opportunity for new ideas. Trends are constantly created and re-created and fashion changes as quickly as the seasons, the industry is completely fueled by creativity.  

If creativity is something that you absolutely need in a workplace, the fashion industry may be a great fit for you. 

Starting Your Own Business  

If you dream of working for yourself one day in consultancy, design, owning your own brand in the fashion world, all of the skills and knowledge you will gain from a fashion course will help you in pursuit of setting up, managing and excelling in your own business. This is exactly what Portobello Institute graduate Maryam Ciaran did and she now has a hugely successful company. Read her story here.

Find Out More

At Portobello Institute we have a number of business of fashion undergraduate degrees that can help you or your son or daughter to follow their passion with career success in mind. To find out more about these courses and the careers and programmes they progress on to, visit our business of fashion department page here.

If you are interested in any of our business of fashion courses or have any questions you can book a consultation call with our expert fashion advisor Sarah Coyne here email sarah.coyne@portobelloinstitute.com or call 01 892 0041.