Do You Need A Degree To Start A Fashion Business?

As you consider creating your own fashion business, there’s a question that almost immediately comes to mind—do you need a degree? While an important question as you plan ahead, is it really necessary? If you do get one, where do you get an appropriate degree? 

A degree is not required to start a fashion business. Certain skills like creativity, experience in business, and determination are more important than receiving a higher degree. If you do seek a higher degree, pursuing one in fashion design or business are your best chances for additional success. 

There are plenty of those who started in the fashion business without a degree, and you can too. Successful names like Michael Kors, Manolo Blahnik, and even CoCo Chanel never finished their degrees before starting their businesses—but how can you start your business without a degree? Read on to find out more.

If I wanted a degree, what should I pursue?

While you don’t have to have that degree before you start your fashion business, there are some degrees that may help you in the long run. At the start you’re simply opening a fashion business, so it’s definitely helpful to have some sort of business background. While you don’t need to have a business degree, one can be helpful when you’re just starting out. That being said, you can get the same amount of experience working for another business—or a fashion business, to boot. 

If you’re not looking to get your business degree, you can also look for a more creative one. Art, graphic design, or even fashion design itself are both degrees that you can consider. If you stick to the business side of things, finance, marketing, economics, entrepreneurship, or communications are majors to consider. 

If you already have your degree and are looking to bolster your experience and your resume, consider a master’s degree in business administration. It will help you as you create your business, and you can even consider a specialization like marketing or finance to help when you’re creating your business. 

If none of these options appeal to you but you want additional experience, consider looking into local colleges and universities. Whether it be a four-year private or public university or even a two-year community college, there are classes that you can consider taking to help with your experience level. Continued education is a great way to help give you additional information and experience without pursuing the entire degree. 

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What can I teach myself outside of a classroom?

There’s plenty for you to learn without stepping foot inside a classroom, but it’s going to be hard work. First, you need to understand the fashion industry. Research the history of the fashion industry to learn how far it has come and potentially where it is going. You can research trends to make sure your fashion line stays on top of all the latest ones, and consider your target market and how you want to sell your clothing line. Gain inspiration during your research and make sure you write it down for use later. 

You can also take the time to research your favorite fashion brands and find out their success stories. You can learn from those who have already been successful—don’t steal their ideas, but take what you can and turn their successes into your own. 

You can also start teaching yourself how to sew and draw your own fashion plates. When you learn the trends and start learning how to create those drawings in real life, you can then start putting together a fashion portfolio. 

If you can, try to gain experience by working in a fashion house. You can get hired into any position that they’re looking for, whether its designing or something like marketing. Any job within a successful business can give you a leg up when you start your own, and you can network within the fashion industry—a must have for those starting out. 

What other knowledge should I have?

As you start your business, there are a few more subjects you should consider. One of the other aspects of your business, past the creative content that you’d like to create, is having some sort of legal knowledge. 

You don’t need to be a lawyer or a law student to understand the legal aspects of your business, but you do have to be aware of certain things, like understanding the legal structure of opening a business. You should also know how to register your business name, get your tax identification number, register for taxes, and receive any licenses that you may need. While you can task a lawyer with doing this, if you’re just starting out with a low budget, it’s important that you’re ready to do this on your own. 

You should also be prepared to create your business plan. This takes organization and pre-planning, along with being able to think outside of the box and think several steps into the future. 

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What can I bring to my business that I can’t learn in a classroom?

There are certain skills and experiences that you have to learn on the job or in the field. While you can take classes on how to improve these skills, if you don’t have them, it’s very hard to start your fashion business. 

Firstly, you must be a strong leader. You’re going to be running your business, so it’s important to have this trait, as you may be leading other employees someday. That being said, you should also be willing to work long hours—especially at the beginning. You may be your only employee, so it’s important to know that you’ll be putting in all the work. But as soon as you get your new employees, make sure you focus on their health and safety. Creating a great work environment isn’t something you can learn in a classroom, and it’s imperative to the health and wellness of your business. 

You should also have organization skills and strong communication skills. Not being organized can hurt you in the long run, and being able to communicate with your partners, investors, customers, and employees is something that if you don’t start it early, it could contribute to the failure of your fashion business. 

What happens if I don’t know something that I need to know?

There will come a time when you’re in your business, degree or not, and you have to make a decision based on information that you’re not sure you understand or know. How do you make an educated decision that benefits your business? It’s time to call in your networking. 

One of the strongest traits you can have in starting your own fashion business is knowing your own limits. You can’t know everything, even if you do get a degree—that’s why surrounding yourself with knowledgeable people will help you in the long run. Whether it’s someone who runs their own small business or someone within the fashion industry, it doesn’t matter—there will always be someone who has gone through the same issues that you have, and they know the choices you have to make to get to success. Ask them for advice, learn from their successes and mistakes, and provide your own insight so they can learn from you. The best thing you can do for yourself in creating your business is making sure you’re surrounded by the right people—both to ask for help and those you hire into your business. With the right people, success isn’t far away. 

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RELATED QUESTIONS

How much money do I need to start my own fashion business?

While it depends on whether you’re starting it online or in a physical storefront, you can expect to pay a starting cost of $10,000 for an online store or over $50,000 for a physical store. You will need to pay for your inventory, point of sale system, website, marketing, insurance, business permits, modeling, photography, staffing, and delivery costs within that $10,000. Any further expenses would be related to purchasing or renting a physical storefront. 

What equipment do I need to start designing my own fashion?

First, you should have drawing supplies like sketchbooks, pencils, or a computer program as you start designing your own fashion. You will need a way to create those items, like pattern paper, scissors, a dress form, and a sewing machine. Creating your clothing requires fabric and findings, needles, pins, and thread. Measuring tapes and rulers will help you make your clothing the proper size. 

If I’m a beginner when it comes to sewing, what kind of sewing machine is best?

While you have many beginner sewing machines to choose from on the market, there are a few basic versions that are helpful to those just starting out, like the Singer M5300 Sewing Machine, the Janome Graceful Gray Basic, the Brother Sewing and Quilting Machine, the Janome 2212 Sewing Machine, or the HC1850 Sewing and Quilting Machine.

To learn more about how to start your own fashion clothing line check out my startup documents here

Please note: This blog post is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Please consult a legal expert to address your specific needs.