The Current State of Fashion Education
Retail can be a difficult topic to teach in schools, because not only is experience a large aspect of retail, but many aspects of retail that are taught can be considered essentially theoretical. Retail encompasses so many different things - management, mathematics, finance, visual merchandising, buying, and so much more. However, what is often forgotten in fashion education is the actual management of retail, which plays a critical role as it is very strategic. As a result, undergraduate and graduate programs can have a difficult time getting in the weeds of retail - especially when you throw a pandemic in the mix.
Looking at our very own Retail Revolution podcast, it was originally created for the Retailing and Service Design course taught in the MPS Fashion Management program at Parsons, The New School for Design. “Retail Revolution Podcast was created to bridge the gap of industry and education. In essence we pull back the veil and reveal all the aspects that go into building exceptional retail businesses. This means shining a light on the good, the bad and the ugly,” said Christopher Lacy, podcast host of Retail Revolution and assistant professor of the MPS Fashion Management program. The podcast gives everyone access to industry professional interviews about what the retail industry is experiencing around the world. What listeners and students can learn from Retail Revolution, is a new modality for accessing conversations that don’t typically happen in the classroom.
If we look at the largest employers in the U.S, Walmart is a retailer and number one on the list. According to the 2018 US Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 4,780,000 people in the U.S. are employed by fashion and general merchandise retailers. However, although retail is the largest employer, there are very few retail skill learning institutions and programs. And with COVID-19, what is fashion education now that the pandemic has uprooted the system? There is now a hybridization of how we interact with education, especially when it comes to in-person and online classes and networking events.
Lourdes Mendoza, a graduate student in the MPS Fashion Management program, has experience managing teams and working at household brands such as Gap, White House Black Market, Ralph Lauren, among others. “Having worked and been in charge of design teams of 10 to 40 people, what I have experienced the most, is that when a lot of the students get out of school they are not prepared for how the real world experience is. I think there are a few schools who do a good job because they have a minimum of two internships at least. These internships expose them to reality,” Mendoza mentioned.
When it comes to designing a collection, there are many technical parts and then there’s also the production process. Because of financial constraints, there are some aspects of the design that don’t make the cut. Whether you’re working for J.Crew or Carolina Herrera, no matter if the price of the products and garments is higher or lower, there will always be price constraints. This is just one reality of the design process. “Schools need to really start opening up the space of trying to figure out how we collaborate with retail. How can design schools better prepare students to create better collections and designs through the synthesis of COVID realities and technology?” Mendoza added.
Among the realities that students face in the real world, there are several other topics that fashion institutions graze over in their classes - and that’s topics such as finance and law. Although there is a vast amount of material to cover in every program, one of the most important points we are taught in business and management classes is that a business is not a business if it does not generate revenue. This is where understanding finances is very critical. Having a business partner who is exceptional in this field is a plus, but for business owners (and future business owners) who tackle their business solo, understanding how everything pertaining to the finances of their brand works, is absolutely critical. Along the lines of that, once a business owner has created a business that is generating revenue, it’s important to protect that business. Cue fashion law. Intellectual property is just one critical aspect of law that is used to protect businesses, whether that be a retailer or not.
Additionally, management of retail is something that is oftentimes taught on the job and individuals build up their knowledge with experience over the years. But what if management could be taught more so in institutions and programs so students don’t have to spend 5-10 years learning and developing skills that they can learn in the classroom in 1-2 years?
Retail is changing and fashion institutions need to keep up in order to best prepare their students for the realities they’ll face after graduation, whether that be working for a corporation or operating their own business.
Written by Maria Soubbotina