What careers can you do with a fashion degree?

Studying fashion at university will open doors to various creative, technical and business-focused jobs.

05 May 2025

Dorcas Omoyi Woho, BA (Hons) Make-Up & Hair Design

A fashion degree gives you much more than design skills. You’ll develop material knowledge, trend awareness, and communication expertise that you can apply to any role in the fashion industry. 

Below is just a handful or the many exciting job opportunities available to fashion graduates.

It’s important to remember that many fashion graduates will find themselves exploring multiple career paths during their working life, so think of this list as a menu of possibilities. 

Jobs for fashion degree students 

  • Fashion Designer: as a designer you’ll develop ideas for clothing, accessories or footwear. Your work will include research, sketching, choosing fabrics, creating samples, working with pattern makers and using digital fashion tools. Over time you could move into senior design positions, creative direction or perhaps launch your own label.  
  • Textile Designer: if you love pattern, material, printing, weaving and colour, this could be for you. 
  • Product Developer: product developers often manage development processes from concept through to manufacturing. You’ll make sure that the design can be made efficiently, fits correctly and uses appropriate fabrics. You’ll also be involved in testing performance and quality of products. 
  • Fashion Stylist: stylists put together looks for people, photoshoots, campaigns and fashion shows. It’s more about the visual coordination of clothing, accessories and environments. If a career in fashion styling appeals to you, you may also be interested in jobs that often overlap with stylists, such as creative direction and photo or editorial stylin.  
  • Fashion Photographer: if you like photography, composition or image editing you may find yourself a career shooting shoot campaigns, editorials, or products. These roles often demand technical skills and a strong photography portfolio.  
  • Visual Merchandiser: visual merchandisers shape how products are displayed in physical or virtual retail spaces. Window displays, in-store layout, and product presentation are crucial for brand image and sales.  
  • Fashion Buyer or Merchandiser: buyers decide what products a retailer or brand will stock and merchandisers may work alongside, planning, pricing and forecasting. These roles combine style sense with commercial awareness. 
  • Brand Management and Marketing: not everyone wants to become a maker. Many fashion graduates go into the business side of the industry. Roles in brand management, marketing, social media, e-commerce and PR require a key understanding of branding, customer behaviour and communication. 
  • Costume Design: you could find yourself a career in designing and making costumes for film, theatre and historical contexts. These roles often require deep periods of research and a thorough understanding of materials. 
  • Further Education, Teaching and Research: some graduates decide to stay in education, teaching fashion or textiles to the next generation of creatives. Many also continue to further university study in specialised areas such as digital fashion or creative direction.  
  • Freelancing and Entrepreneurial Opportunities: many fashion degree graduates choose to work for themselves, combining different roles to build their own identity in the fashion industry. 
Erin Brett, BA (Hons) Fashion Image & Styling

Your next steps after your fashion degree  

The world of fashion isn’t all glamour and isn’t always easy. It’s a competitive industry and many people will be aiming for the same jobs that you are. 

But there are many things you can do to stand out as you begin your career in fashion. These are all things that you can be doing during your studies too. 

  • Build a strong portfolio: you’ll likely have already created a portfolio when you applied to your degree. Don’t let it collect dust; as you undertake new projects keep your portfolio up-to-date, removing older examples for fresher or more impactful pieces. Include your practical outputs such as design work, photography or textile samples, but also show your process and reflect on your work. 
  • Develop your technical skills: CAD, pattern cutting, draping, garment construction, photo editing and digital fashion tools are just a few examples of the many skills you could be improving. Think about the skills required for the career you’re aiming for and focus on those. 
  • Understand the market: get to know trends, what people want, what’s new and who’s innovating. Learn about sustainability, ethical issues and emerging technologies.  
  • Gain work experience: internships, summer placements, freelancing and even short projects will help you gain experience and build a network of industry professionals.  
  • Be flexible: many roles overlap. Be prepared to adapt or undertake work in areas that perhaps you’re not quite as comfortable with. 
  • Communication and collaboration: whether it’s university group projects, working with clients, or working across departments (design, production and marketing, for example), your ability to present ideas, critique, listen and manage time matters. 
Fashion Design Studios, UCA Epsom

More advice for fashion applicants  

Related courses 

Undergraduate 

Postgraduate