Roles in industry

Roles in industry

1. Visual merchandiser

   • Developing floor plans and displays to maximise sales
   • Easier for customer to locate desired category (Core pieces at back, change rooms at back, trends at front
     • Customer can self-select
       • Highlight and demonstrate products

2. Designer

   • Must take into account; company resources, customer profile, size of potential market
   • Forecasting of fabrics, patterns, trends
   • Range planning - classic products require minimal design changes but styled products will change based on season and high fashion products require frequent change
   • Designing - mood/story boards, initial ideas, testing feasibility, working drawings
   • Pattern making - using block patterns, toile developing
   • Sample making

3. The Buyer

   • Owner of a single boutique or member of a large store (topshop) or a large department store (debenhams)
   • Can specialise in single field or market sector such as ladies' knitwear or evening wear

4. Merchandiser

   • In charge of budgets
     • Interact with buyers, financial limits, defining the number of product types, length of time expected to be in store

5. Fabric + Garment Technologist

   • Adapting designs to suit production - checking quality etc
   • Scouring fabrics
   • Respond to product queries
   • Identifying latest fabric trends