Top 10 In-Demand Fashion Jobs (2022)
The number of job openings in the U.S. soared to record-breaking heights in late 2021, the highest levels in at least two decades, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). However, much of 2022 has seen the workforce experience an onslaught of layoffs — companies like Glossier, ThredUp, and Warby Parker have slashed 10-15% of staffers this year.
During their job-hunting season, recent graduates can brush up on those resumes by highlighting relevant experience and transferrable skills to align with some of the fashion careers that will be in demand in the years to come. Here is a list of jobs that experts see trending upward in the future.
In-Demand Fashion Jobs (2022)
3D Technical Designer & CGI Artist
Supply Chain Coordinator
Customer Experience Manager
Commerce Writer
Data Visualization Editor
Diversity & Inclusion Specialist
Inventory Planner
Sustainability & Social Responsibility Specialist
Virtual Events Manager
Influencer Marketing Manager
3D Technical Designer & CGI Artist
With the explosion of NFT projects from Gucci to Adidas, and designers experimenting with digital-only clothing collections, there comes a new demand for 3D technical designers, who are able to graft the dimensions of garments to exist in the metaverse and on your Instagram feed. An early concept adopter of photorealistic digital clothing is Scandinavian retailer Carlings, which carries a selection of brands including Levi's, Diesel, and Vans. Carlings was able to sell out a digital clothing collection in just a week. Digital tailors edited customer photos to give the appearance that customers were dressed in the apparel they purchased, which cost up to €30 per item (roughly $37 per item).
During the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, designers were forced to rethink how they presented collections in a socially-distanced world. Enter designer Anifa Mvuemba's May 2020 fashion show for her brand Hanifa, which pioneered a new era of virtual fashion, with garments appearing in 3D, worn by invisible avatars strutting the catwalk.
Also entering the virtual fashion scene was Paper magazine with its digital July 2020 covers which enlisted the help of 3D designer Rodolfo Hernández.
Supply Chain Coordinator
The Supply Chain Coordinator can be an offshoot of a career as a buyer. Skills in forecasting, Microsoft Excel, Logistics, and Purchasing are popular skills for this career path. So what does a supply chain coordinator do? A supply chain coordinator monitors incoming and outgoing product shipment traffic, fulfills shipping orders, and negotiates shipping rates with carriers. The job duties of a supply chain coordinator also includes observation and analysis of the entire supply chain network and collaborating with other departments, such as sales, to improve the efficiency of logistics.
Customer Experience Manager
Even after COVID lockdowns are behind us, retailers will still face growing demand in the e-commerce space. Keeping customers up-to-speed regarding their orders across markets, time zones, and social media platforms will be integral to providing a seamless customer experience in online shopping. Individuals with critical-thinking skills and high emotional intelligence will generally excel in the customer experience career track. Speaking with the Business of Fashion, Patricia Loureiro, global director of customer service at Farfetch, says:
“Equally if you are an advisor or a stylist, it is important to have empathy and to be able to establish a deep and intimate connection with clients remotely in e-commerce,”
“The most important thing is to reset your heart and intention with every customer to ensure that the customer has a really tailored experience.”
Artificial intelligence will undoubtedly take over tasks such as parcel tracking and self-service checkout. However, companies, particularly those in the luxury space, will funnel their resources onto customers that request human interaction as part of their personalized online shopping experiences.
“You can call this full service versus self-service,” Loureiro said.
Commerce Writer
A quick LinkedIn job query in 2020 for 'Commerce Writer' or 'Commerce Editor' will yield results showing publishers like Condé Nast, Hearst, AOL, Refinery29, Vox Media, DotDash, and NBCUniversal are seeking nimble writers with a sales mindset.
Meanwhile, where publishers adopted commerce to recoup losses in advertising revenue, retailers are expanding their commerce to editorial content. Startups like CUUP and retail mega-players like Amazon see editorial as a service that increases their bottom line.
Learn more about Commerce Editor jobs:
Styla: What is Content Commerce?
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