Do You Really Need a Fashion Degree to Land a Fashion Job?

Apr 11, 2025
Person working on a laptop reviewing fashion job listings without a fashion degree

We hear this question all the time at Style Nine to Five: “Do I need a fashion degree to work in fashion?” The short answer? Not necessarily.

Sure, a degree from a fashion school can be an incredible stepping stone, but it’s not the only path to landing your dream role in the industry. Whether you’re eyeing a marketing role at a luxury label or dreaming of becoming a stylist to the stars, your unique journey can look a lot of different ways.

If you’re wondering where to begin, here are some real things you can start doing today to build your fashion career—degree or no degree.

1. Make Your Own Curriculum

Just because you’re not in a classroom doesn’t mean you can’t keep learning. Start creating your own “fashion curriculum” by tapping into online resources.

🛠 To-do today:

• Enroll in a free or low-cost course on platforms like Coursera, FutureLearn, or Skillshare. Try courses on Fashion Marketing, Styling, or Photoshop. For fashion marketing, check out LaSalle College Vancouver’s online Fashion Marketing certificate or George Brown College Toronto’s Fashion Marketing Certificate online. If styling is your passion, Toronto Film School’s Fashion Styling for Media & Editorial course offers a creative, industry-relevant approach. For visual skills, Emily Carr University of Art + Design provides beginner and intermediate Adobe Photoshop courses, while BrainStation’s Digital Design with Photoshop course is great for those looking to apply graphic skills to marketing or design roles.

• Follow top fashion professionals on LinkedIn and Instagram. Watch how they communicate, share, and build their brand.

• Read industry news daily like Business of Fashion, Glossy, and even Vogue Business are great places to start.

2. Get Experience Where You Are

You don’t need to wait for a “real” fashion job to gain experience. If you’re working retail, helping a friend with their small business, or even running your own social media page—you’re building relevant skills.

🛠 To-do today:

• List 3 transferrable skills you’ve developed (ex: customer service, visual merchandising, content creation).

• Add them to your resume and LinkedIn profile under clear, compelling bullet points.

3. Create a Personal Fashion Project

Fashion is a visual industry, and nothing speaks louder than what you can do. You don’t need permission to start creating. Start now.

🛠 To-do today:

• Launch a mini styling series on Instagram or TikTok using your own wardrobe.

• Curate trend mood boards on Pinterest to show your eye for design.

• Start a blog or Substack to write about fashion trends, brand case studies, or your styling tips.

4. Network Like It’s Your Job (Because It Kinda Is)

Fashion is all about who you know—but not in an intimidating, exclusive way. It just means building relationships and being curious.

🛠 To-do today:

• DM or email someone whose job you admire and ask for a 15-minute virtual coffee chat.

• Join LinkedIn groups or Slack communities.

• Comment thoughtfully on posts from brands or professionals you admire.

5. Tailor Your Resume to the Industry

Even without a degree, your resume can absolutely shine. It’s all about translating what you’ve done into what the fashion industry needs.

🛠 To-do today:

• Swap generic job descriptions for results. Instead of “Managed Instagram page,” say “Grew fashion brand’s Instagram from 1K to 5K in 3 months with trend-driven content.”

• Use fashion-specific keywords—think “visual storytelling,” “trend forecasting,” or “luxury retail.”

• Book a resume review if you’re stuck (hint: we’ve got you covered at Style Nine to Five!).

Final Thought

A fashion degree can open doors, but so can experience, passion, and persistence. The fashion industry is full of people who started in completely different careers, taught themselves skills, and created opportunities where none seemed to exist. You might not have a diploma from a fashion school, but you can have a portfolio of work, a network of connections, and a story worth telling.

And that? That’s more than enough.

Want personalized guidance?
Check out our Get It All Package to get expert help on your resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn, plus two one-on-one calls to map your fashion career path.

Christie Lohr, Founder of Style Nine to Five – a recruiter for top brands and the go-to expert for job seekers ready to break into the fashion industry.