Fashion Communication: How to Perfect It

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We all communicate fashion on daily basis, even if we don’t pay much attention to the fashion industry itself. Our style is something we have built over the years by consuming trends and picking up what we like the most. The way we dress tells more about ourselves than, for instance, our professional calling or the food we consume. Style is the secret language we use to communicate with people around us, to make an impression (either good or bad), and even decide whether we’d like to know more about the person we’ve just met or not. Needless to say, fashion marketers are very prolific in the language of style, and they use it to persuade the audience to buy even more clothes.

Truth be told, this profession is actually really fun. All day long, marketers are surrounded by design and beautiful craft, and their main job is translating creativity into something attractive and worth buying. To do this job properly, they need specific skills in design interpretation, visualization, and creative writing. But above all, they need to understand the psychology of the consumer. This is why fashion communication needs to be described as a complex profession of multiple layers. Here are some of them.

Styling

8843880291?profile=originalYou could have the most beautiful dress in the world, but without proper shoes, a bag or a jacket, the item itself would not be enough to leave an impression. When people talk about the most iconic dresses of all time, they are not referring only to the items these women wore, but to the overall impression. They are talking about a moment in time and the specific outfit. Which is why styling experts are needed to sell every single dress in a store. Yes, every single one.

Today, styling is all about presentation of certain fashion products throughout various media channels. We need stylists to present clothes on the company’s website, in fashion magazines, in printed advertisements, and online advertisements as well. We need stylists for billboard ads, live fashion shows, and even store displays where mannequins are used. Styling is a craft of its own kind. It has a long history, and some of the best works can be seen on the classical portraits of nobles around the world. To capture the specific moment in time is a true value of such a profession and the reason why we believe it is well worth exploring.

Product Display

Part styling, part stage design, visual merchandising has one specific role: to capture the viewer’s imagination. A perfectly designed shop window will grab the attention of bypassers and make them visualize how a specific garment will look on them. Nowadays, visual merchandising has become a true form of craft and expectations of high-end boutiques in the world’s fashion capitals are extremely high. This exciting profession appeals to people who know how to control their own imagination in a specific, sometimes limited ambient. It is challenging, but rewarding.

Fashion Marketing and Communication

Unlike with the previously mentioned areas, the effects of fashion marketing campaigns are not to be seen immediately, yet they are of the utmost importance to the overall success of a brand. Well constructed marketing is what drives the fashion industry, and to become a successful professional in this field of work, one must gain both formal knowledge and years of practice.

Today’s student programmes like this BA (Hons) in fashion marketing and communication provide both the theoretic backbone and the practical experience needed to prepare you for the real thing. They usually take three years and are designed to provide the skills necessary to achieve a high level of competency in this ever-changing industry. The objective here is to develop certain communication and presentation skills, to teach the basics of negotiation and sale, and to build a foundation for a highly capable fashion professional.

Brand Management

8843880690?profile=originalBrand development and management are one of the most complex segments of the fashion industry. Since there are no universal instructions on how to make a brand stand out on the market, most managers prefer making up a business plan “on the go”, since business is changing as fast as trends these days. Yet, behind every successful brand you will find years of strategy, planning and never-ending meetings - just like in every other office job. So, if you see yourself working in the fashion industry, but still prefer the orderliness of a “nine to five” job, maybe the role of a brand strategist will suit you.  

Event Management

Fashion wouldn’t be nearly as important without events to show off. Good old fashion shows, interactive sessions, and press tours are crucial for promotion and brand marketing. Yet, managing such events is not an easy job. It requires great communicational and organizational skills, and, of course, a ton of patience. This is where design meets entertainment, where different worlds collide, where people meet, and collaborations get built.

A well-planned fashion event measures the pulse of the industry. It brings people together, and, most importantly, it is specifically designed to celebrate style. Making it successful takes a lot of time, preparation, and planning, because, in situations like these, everybody should feel welcome and inspired.

Fashion communication, in all its facets, is a complicated blend of diverse skills and competences. It is also a phenomenal playing field for creatives and free thinkers. Absorbing the variety of knowledge and trying your hand in all the different areas is the only way to find your avenue and become a master communicator.

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