Fashion Career Specializations: A Breakdown

Coming straight from fashion school, you might be thinking that as a fashion designer; You will have the opportunity to work with all kinds of clothes. What you may not know is that, in general, the fashion industry is divided into categories and then categories within categories. Basically, the fashion industry is very specialized. The breakdown begins with the price (which is generally matched by quality). The lowest ranking is Discount, and at the height of fashion is Haute Couture:

• discount: These stores sell merchandise that is retailed at a discounted price from what other stores charge. Shopping malls or discount stores like Ross, Wal-Mart, Target, or Conway are examples of discount retailers that sell discount labels.
• Budget / Mass Market: Higher-priced imitation designer items that are sold at competitively low prices to the masses. Old Navy, Forever 21, and Charlotte Russe are some popular budget labels. Department stores in this category include JC Penney and Kohls. This market typically retails for less than $100.
• Moderate: These include nationally advertised clothing brands like Nine West, Gap, Abercrombie & Fitch, Express, and Zara, all in the moderate range. Examples of moderate department stores are Macy’s and Dillards. These brands typically retail for less than $300.
• Contemporary: More than a specific price point, this classification is an avant-garde image often aimed at women in their 20s and 30s who are looking for modern fashion at a more affordable price than designer pieces. BCBG, Betsey Johnson, Bebe and Rebecca Taylor all fall into the Contemporary category, which typically retails for less than $500.
• Best: These collections, which also sell for under $500, use higher-quality fabrics and styles than lower-priced brands. Armani Exchange, Jones New York and Anne Klein are two examples of a best price line.
• Bridge: Priced under $1000, these lines serve as a “bridge” between the top and designer categories. And it includes names like Ellen Tracy, Dana Buchman, DKNY, Emporio Armani and Lauren by Ralph Lauren.
• Appointed: Real designer collections often sell for over $1,000 per item. The fabrics, fit, details, and embellishments are superior to other ready-to-wear items. Some examples of designer brands are Gucci, Prada, Versace, Armani, and Chanel.
• Haute Couture/ Vanguard: Also known as haute couture, these terms have been commonly misused by ready-to-wear brands. Haute couture, or simply “haute couture,” designers sell custom-made pieces that cost tens of thousands of dollars and are only affordable to a select few. Technically speaking, there are only ten official haute couture houses, including: Christian Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, Chanel, and Givenchy. Cutting-edge designers produce high-quality, one-of-a-kind garments that experiment with new design concepts and push the boundaries of popular fashion.

Even within the categories listed above, each market is broken down into more specific specializations. First of all, design companies are broken down by client: men, women, children, etc. They are then further divided by type of clothing: sportswear, nightwear (special occasion), sleepwear, etc. And then design teams are appointed for specific areas such as knitwear, knitwear, sweaters, blouses, pants, dresses, outerwear, etc.

On an unfortunate note, it is very difficult to move from one category to another. If you start building your career in mass market companies, you will face some barriers when applying for your dream job at Ralph Lauren. The same goes for design specialties. If you have experience working with children’s knit tops, chances are you won’t get a job designing women’s dresses. If you are dead set on making a change, the best thing to do is to start at the bottom in your desired field and work your way up again.

Another thing to consider is the different types of manufacturers and retailers that exist. Some manufacturers design and produce their own designs, which are then sold to retailers. These manufacturers do not have their own retail stores. Examples include Shoshanna, Jones New York, and Carmen Marc Valvo. There are also manufacturers who hold licenses for a variety of brands. For example, Warnaco has licenses for Calvin Klein, Speedo and Chaps; while Phillips Van Heusen (PVH) holds licenses for BCBG, Sean Jean and Kenneth Cole.

Then there are the retailers that only sell merchandise purchased from manufacturers. These include stores like Bloomingdales and Neiman Marcus. Many manufacturers also have their own retail stores, such as Polo Ralph Lauren, Armani Exchange, and Nicole Miller. Other retail stores have their own product development teams and have products made specifically for their private label, such as Gap, Old Navy, and Express. In addition to buying merchandise from outside manufacturers, many department stores also have their own private label collections. Some examples are: INC (Macy’s) and Arizona Jeans (JC Penney).

The biggest job opportunities out there are in mass market companies, which often pay quite well to start, however these numbers generally level off after a few years of experience. High-end markets pay less to start and work hours are longer, but the prestige you’ll receive from such reputable companies will do wonders for your resume!