Fashion buyers are among the most influential people in the fashion industry. Everything you see when you walk into a clothing shop on the high street has been carefully selected to reflect the latest trends and cater to consumer expectations. As a buyer, you would be responsible for making the correct choices and selecting a range that's right for customers and the business image.
Start small and build a background in fashion
A fashion degree is the ideal start but it's not the only way to get into fashion buying. Experience in retail is vital. Many large department stores offer executive training programmes and actively seek talent to rise within the business. If you qualify for a training programme it quickly leads to promotions and increased responsibility which looks great on the CV and gives you essential experience.
The first step on the ladder in fashion buying is to become a buyer's administrative assistant. From there you should aim to become an assistant buyer and eventually, a junior buyer. Taking short courses related to business, administration and finances will help towards becoming a better candidate for promotion into the buying side of the business.
Keep an eye out for competitions and events locally, internationally and online. There are a lot of ways to showcase your talent and everything you achieve and take part in increases your experience and shows your employers that you're serious about progressing in the fashion industry.
Know your trade inside out
You need to have a competitive edge so keeping up to date on the latest trends is vital. Fashion magazines and blogs are your greatest tools for monitoring the latest clothes and accessories that consumers will want. Buyers are always aware of the season's big trends and constantly look out for the next big thing.
Encourage yourself to stay creative and imaginative. As a buyer you will be expected to have concrete ideas of what the perfect collection should look like and how it corresponds with the business you're working for, so keep making notes and devising different collections. In interviews you need to be confident about your ideas and able to display knowledge of the business need as well as an understanding of current trends.
Being numerate is extremely important as a buyer. You'll be expected to manage your own budget and finances. Being sociable and outgoing are also key attributes because a lot of time will be spent negotiating, forming relationships with new contacts and ordering stock from fashion suppliers.
Be realistic and keep going!
Fashion buying isn't all about glamour and clothes shopping. There are some serious job aspects to take into consideration before being sure you're the kind of person who could be happy with this career path.
Are you able to be bold and decisive?
Fashion buyers have to go where the trends are and that sometimes means dropping a brand they've worked with for a long time in order to pursue new contacts. You need to be able to put emotions aside sometimes and think with a business head.
Would you be happy with an extremely fast-paced lifestyle?
There are two key seasons in the fashion industry, during which you'll be travelling non-stop and organising a whole new clothing collection for your business. Between the seasons you'll be responsible for gross profits, budgets and ordering to make sure the shop floor is always full and you're within your price limit and hitting your targets.
Are you willing to work long and hard to make it to your goal?
When you start out as a buyer's administrative assistant your salary could be as low as £17,000 a year. It takes a lot of dedication to get to the big money. (Top high street buyers make in excess of £40,000.)
If you've read this and feel more inspired than ever about this career choice then it's probably right for you and it's likely you've got what it takes. Good luck!
