Complete Guide to Fashion Brand Management: Education, Training and Career Prospects

Are you interested in everything related to fashion? Do you want to  have a career  in fashion industry? If yes, your interest for the fashion industry can help you land a job with the top designers, merchandisers, and fashion retailers, around the globe. With the surge in the growth of the luxury industry, there is a huge rise in the career options for fashion management graduates.

Well, a decent fashion brand management degree can lead you towards a high-flying career path where you can make the most out of your creativity and skills.

The fashion industry is one of the most dynamic and exciting sectors and if you are planning on pursuing a management degree in fashion, take a look at this guide so that you can step in with confidence.

What are the Course Areas In Fashion Brand Management

A bachelor’s degree is the minimum level of education you need to break into the industry as a management student. However, there are lots of B-schools in the country that are offering post graduate diploma and an executive diploma in fashion styling and luxury brand management. Pursuing these programs can help you to achieve new heights in your career quickly.

With the right degree and right amount of experience, you can get your dream job in the fashion industry. Moreover, the favorable part is the cost of pursuing MBA in fashion brand management is quite reasonable in terms of the professional expertise you will get for career advancement.

Skills Required for Fashion Brand Management

Excellent communication skills and good social skills are two most important requisites to get success the easy way in the brand management industry. Apart from that, a little knowledge of the fashion industry is required to become successful in your profession. But don’t worry, students with no knowledge of the industry are also utilizing their creative skills. It all depends on the institute and faculty that can help you to hone your skills for a challenging role in the fashion industry. Finding a top B-school for fashion brand management course can give a creative direction to your career.

Apart from the creative expertise, the fashion industry professionals need to have an interest in analysis skills and business expertise. Executives from the export house, buying agencies, e-commerce companies, and retail organization with 1 to 2 years of experience are the most eligible candidates to get a higher degree and a decent job in the fashion brand management roles.

What are the career options in the fashion industry that I can look forward to?

Fashion management courses are rising in popularity. You might be surprised to see the upcoming career prospects in this sector. Based on your vision, curiosity, skills, and the degree you can get a financially and professionally rewarding career in fashion sector.

Fashion Brand Manager

A fashion brand manager is responsible for studying the marketplace and for creating product strategies based on the trends and customer preference for fashion, textile and retail industries. Utilizing the branding strategies is a great career option, and an average growth of 12% is recorded in this occupation.

Other Options

Besides, if you have skills that intersect the fashion and business skills, then you can definitely become a fashion stylist, fashion blogger, fashion retailer and buyer in e-commerce, personal shopper, wedding stylist, fashion events and shows organizer, wardrobe stylist for TV personalities and celebrities, personal styling and makeover and fashion enthusiast.

If you want to combine your interest in fashion and business, Luxury Connect Business School is the best option. It is one of the best B-schools in India that offer varied programs in fashion brand management to help students enter the lucrative career.

Opportunities for Entrepreneurs in the Booming Luxury Industry

The word entrepreneur originates from the French word, entreprendre, which means “to undertake.” In a business context, it means to start a business. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary presents the definition of an entrepreneur as one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise.

 What is entrepreneurship?

A business model in which you create your own business entity and perhaps hire a few people is entrepreneurship. Over and above all, entrepreneurship is a mindset which makes you think beyond the normal. A craving, a desire and a ambition to break past the set norm and create a unique identity for oneself and his enterprise.  Entrepreneurship is also a process of new venture creation.

 Who is an entrepreneur?

Someone who wants to self employed and also generates employment for others is an entrepreneur. Someone who wants to be his own boss is an entrepreneur. Someone with a vision, a passion for his product or service and a deep determination to succeed against all odds is a entrepreneur. So we can summarise that
‘ An entrepreneur is someone who organises, manages and assumes the risk of a business entity, enterprise and or identity in either goods or services sector’.
‘Entrepreneurs are people that notice opportunities and take the initiative to mobilize resources to make new goods and services.’
“one who undertakes innovations, finance and business acumen in an effort to transform innovations into economic goods”.

 What are the typical qualities of an entrepreneur?

A tendency to break away from the regular and be different.
Spot the needs / problems / challenges and convert them into opportunities for success by being solution oriented.
A determined mindset to innovate, create value and be continuously growth oriented.
A Original thinker.
A Risk taker.
Takes responsibility for own actions
Feels competent, confident and capable
Sets high goals and enjoys working toward them even with high personal sacrifices

 What is Luxury?

Luxury is a often misused term in today’s world ! Almost everyone and everything claims to be ‘Luxury’. So what really is the meaning of ‘Luxury’ ??

If one tries to Google the word luxury, one is thrown up with innumerable meanings in a split second ! This only means that ‘Luxury is relative & subjective’ – meaning ‘to each his own’.

In the words of the famous Coco Channel, ‘Luxury begins where necessity ends’.

We can thus summarise that luxury is much beyond need – it is a desire that fuels our emotional appeal. Something which defines our social status to others besides just providing us material comfort, great quality, unquestionable functional benefits and makes us feel a part of a social set normally called ‘The Elite’.

Luxury enterprenuers

 So what then is Luxury Entrepreneurship?

Someone who has a burning desire to create a business venture or a product or a service which services this sector directly or indirectly is a luxury entrepreneur. A individual with a uncanny eye for detail and excellent customer service can be a successful luxury entrepreneur.

 What are the sectors one could explore within the Luxury domain?

Unfortunately, most people link and restrict luxury to fashion and ramp shows due to the glamour attached. There is no doubt that fashion is a essential part of luxury and is in every way the fulcrum point, but luxury extends way beyond fashion, giving a entrepreneur options to choose from areas like jewellery, watches, fitness & wellness, beauty and skin care,  real estate, home and interior, aviation, yachting, automobiles to also travel, tourism, hospitality and events etc. Luxury is a complete lifestyle and defines the usage pattern of the affluent class.

If one is a fashion designer, or has a inclination to be beautician, traditional jeweller, boutique owner, travel service provider or event a wedding planner, it is possible for him to position himself in this niche space.

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 What are the Growth opportunities in the Luxury sector?

Luxury in India has been growing continuously at a pace of 20 – 25 % PA for past several years. Currently at about 18.5 b USD, it is expected to touch 50 b USD by 2020 and 180 b by 2025. (as quoted by Amitabh Kant in February 2016). The ‘make in India’ movement is expected to fuel the domestic design industry towards this sector. Recent success of young Indian designers is a case in example of this rising phenomena.

 How is Luxury Entrepreneurship different and how can one become one?

In the luxury space, the depth of the vision, the originality of the creative designer, the brand building process, the marketing & communication as well as the customer service orientation is completely of a different level. The aura of the brand, the magic around the intangibles, the romance & mystics behind the product which is accentuated by the impeccable service play the key role.

 Let us say that the basics remain the same, but the treatment is entirely different.

 The best way of course is to undertake a short course on ‘Luxury Entrepreneurship’ to clear up ones concept and knowledge of this sector and study in depth the nuances involved in handling such a business

 Then on, if one is a creative person he can begin on his own. If one is a moneyed person, he can have his idea developed by a creative team. Alternately, there is a plethora of national & international luxury brands across sectors that are keen to reach out to the Indian luxury consumer and the fast growing market here. One is open to explore franchise opportunities with them.


Abhay Gupta,

Founder & CEO – Luxury Connect & Luxury Connect Business School

The Orientation session at Luxury Connect Business School

As the first step of our journey at Luxury connect business school, there was a proficient induction programme spread over three days. It was designed especially for students like us who are at the doorstep of luxury industry. We not only learnt about the emerging trends in different luxury sectors and consumers but we also got a chance to glimpse into the  life of industry professionals. With the aim to go beyond the classroom learning and widen the students' perspective of  luxury sector We were taken to DLF Emporio mall where we were warmly welcomed by the staff of brands such as Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, Cornelliani, Armani junior amongst others. Each one of them took us through the journey of the brand, explained about the merchandise and the customers base. Everyone we met there were very dynamic and enthusiastic about their work. It was very interesting to learn about the heritage and culture of different brands. It was great to connect ourselves with experienced professionals of luxury industry and already feel like a part of it.

 

We also had the pleasure to meet some of the alumni of previous batch. While sharing their experience of studying at  LCBS, each of them stressed the fact that because of the efficient learning and guidance that they received from LCBS they are well placed with very well know luxury brands and are very confident of doing well in their careers

Finally, we had the pleasure to have amongst us two of very talented pioneers of the industry wo doing very well in their sectors-Mr. Rolf Blaser, who is the country manager of SAFILO India Pvt. Ltd.; and Ms.  Nalini Gupta, Ex Country Manager of Burberry India. They gave core insights of emerging conditions in Luxury sector and also shared their journey of becoming successful managers. It was very wonderful to have both of them with us in a very interactive session.

In a nutshell, I would like to say that the induction programme helped us in getting a true picture of luxury sector.

Sonali Khanna

PGDLM 2016

Enter The Entrepreneurship

India - The country which was struggling from the problem of Un-employment is now experiencing a new wave of start-ups.

Start up’s everywhere – from technology to food to fashion to grocery…..you can see young graduates armed with a laptop operating - from nowhere – zero capital investments and they are on….

The start-up wave in India is formed by a soaring high number of young-generation who is full of idea and new things in mind. India has the third highest number of start-ups in the world (an estimated 4200-4400 : as per a report by the country’s software lobby group Nasscom and Zinnov Consulting) Only the US and the UK have more than this.

Most of the founders – almost three out of every four – are under the age of 35, although in keeping with the poor track record of the technology space in terms of gender balance, only 9% of the founders (and co-founders) are women.

It is possible that India will overtake the UK in terms of number of start-ups (the UK has 4500-5000) next year. The US is far ahead (47,000-48,000). More than 65% of the start-ups are located in Bangalore, Mumbai, and Delhi and its environs. (Live Mint reports)

BUT, The number of failed startup is  also very high in India.

Around 80% start-ups fails in the first three years !

So what is causing that specific and high number of failures  ??

Is it the Idea..?

Is it the team..?

Is it the management..?

No, It's the mind set training which is missing.

The wave is there but that wave is not reaching to the shore. It is because the ripple is not properly contained and taken forward.

One needs to learn the art of riding these waves by professional surfers So their experiences can make you ride and take your ambition forward Even through stony ways.

The young millennial is too impatient to wait and to get the experience required to build a successful business but he is ready to learn that experience from a experienced mentor.

The Luxury Entrepreneurship Program is designed for those ambitious young's only.  Experience how Luxury Connect Can also contribute in making your venture a success & also help you participate in India's business future brighter, then It was ever before.