The Busines of Shopping

Aways up-to-date with the Latest Trends? Become a Fashion Buyer and Turn Your Passion for Fashion into a Stylish Career Option

The Indian fashion industry is booming. In recent years, international designers have identified India as a potential market and Indian designers have found recognition worldwide. As a result, there has been a rapid increase in the number and quality of fashion labels in the country. Most people interested in entering this industry, usually flock towards a fashion design course. However, if you have an eye for fashion without the skill for design, there are many other exciting ways of entering the fashion business, one of which is by becoming a fashion buyer.
A fashion buyer is responsible for selecting and purchasing the merchandise that their brand will sell. They make these choices keeping in mind the current trends and the preferences of potential customers. Buyers usually work with a retail brand or, in some cases, they work at a boutique or in an independent fashion venture. Buyers can also specialise in a particular style, such as women’s wear, men’s wear, children’s clothing, footwear, etc. Apart from spotting upcoming trends, buyers also need to know which trends should be retained and which clothes need to be taken off their hangers. A buyer’s job involves a fair amount of travel, as they need to attend fashion weeks, trade shows, exhibitions and other fashion events to keep up with the ever-changing trends.
As glamorous as the job may sound, being a fashion buyer is not just about shopping for trends and attending fashion weeks. The most challenging part of a fashion buyer’s job is to ensure that the merchandise they select is quick to sell and doesn’t gather dust on the shelves. Therefore, while keeping up with international trends is essential, a fashion buyer needs to understand the store’s customers, their choices and preferences.
The wisdom of a buyer’s choices is reflected in the company’s sales figures. Therefore, buyers face a lot of pressure as they are accountable for any significant dip in the company’s sales. A fashion buyer needs to have the foresight to differentiate between trends that will gather a following and those that have the lifespan of a mayfly.
In this profession, your people skills need to be well tuned as you will be interacting and negotiating with suppliers on a regular basis. Buyers also act as the liaison between different departments within a retail store such as merchandising, marketing and retail sales personnel. They also need to possess analytical skills to avail maximum cost and quality benefits.
You must also be enthusiastic about fashion, willing to travel and have good judgement as well as the ability to take quick and informed decisions.
If you are interested in becoming a fashion buyer, you can pursue a course in fashion management after class 12 or graduation, depending on the course you select. The size and designations of the buying team in a company may vary but generally one starts as a trainee buyer and then moves on to become an assistant buyer, senior buyer, buying manager and buying director. Freshers usually earn between Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 12,000 per month as a trainee buyer. As a senior buyer, one can expect to earn around 4-5 lakhs per annum. However, these figures vary depending on the scale and profile of the company.
So if you are looking for a career in fashion that allows you to dictate the latest trends, put your knowledge into use and strut stylishly into the world of a fashion buyer.

Course Canvas
National Institute of Fashion Technology (across India)

Mod’Art Internartional (Mumbai and Delhi)

Domus Academy, Milan

London School of Fashion

Volume 2 Issue 2