Fashion designers in North Carolina use the state's booming textile industry to their advantage.
Supply Meets Demand in North Carolina
by Amelia Gray
Fashion design is a booming business in North Carolina, where material prices are low and clients demand the best. Here's an overview of fashion design school and careers in the nation's center for textiles.
The state of North Carolina prides itself on its cultural variety and economic strength. Over eight million people make up the state population, and the textile industry is an essential element of the state's economy.
Career Options in Textile Towns
Fashion design school students in North Carolina take advantage of the state's many textile and apparel-related careers. Apparel is the fourth-largest industry in the state, and textile manufacturing is the largest, offering a variety of careers for students with the right training.
Check out the possible fashion design careers in North Carolina:
• Fabric Buyer: Communicates with fabric vendors in the local area and around
the world, depending on the needs of the company. Fabric buyers are highly
organized and bargain-savvy.
•Visual Merchandiser: Designs retail store displays and catalog layouts. This
fashion marketing career requires an attention to color, style, and detail.
•Fashion Management: Companies like Cotton, Inc., have headquarters in North
Carolina, providing jobs at all levels of education and experience on the production
side of fashion.
Fashion design and marketing students in North Carolina often rely on apparel jobs to build experience in the industry. Many choose to remain in the industry, which often provides workers with challenging careers and stable incomes.
Surprising Careers for Fashion Designers
But careers in the textile industry go beyond apparel. Textile firms that operate in non-apparel markets make products in the following industries:
• Automotive
• Medical engineering
• Civil engineering
• Furnishing
• Transportation
Working in textile management or merchandising in North Carolina is a good first step for fashion design school graduates hoping for fashion-related management and merchandising careers.
Transitioning to Big-City Fashion
Though textiles and apparel manufacture are North Carolina's larger industries, fashion design also has a prominent place in the state's metropolitan areas. From specialized fashion boutiques to huge retail chains, fashion maintains a presence in Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, and other large cities in the state. Local fashion designers, merchandisers, and marketers typically stick to these larger cities, where a wide client base provides income and inspiration.
Whether you choose to focus on textiles or fashion, North Carolina's apparel industry offers a wide range of opportunities for fashion design school graduates.
Sources
Cotton, Inc.
Duke Textile Study
JTATM
U.S. Census
About the Author
Amelia Gray is a teacher and freelance writer in San Marcos, TX. Amelia earned a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature from Arizona State University.