Fashion buyers are central to preparing a collection. From agreeing contacts with suppliers to overseeing the official collection launch, fashion buyers are the people who make it all happen behind the scenes. They work with the entire head office to ensure the collection arrives in stores without a hitch.
A fashion house can have some of the best designers in the industry, but if it doesn’t also have some of the best fashion buyers you can bet their collection will look fragmented in shops. Perhaps, the fashion buyers have forgotten to chase a last minute rush order or maybe there were disagreements about a final purchase.
It’s a disaster. Key looks are missing from the rails. Customers won’t notice immediately, but they will somehow sense the look is weak or what industry insiders refer to as “fragmented”. A chain effect happens. Uninspired, customers leave the shop without buying anything and walk into a competitor’s shop lured by a strong display to buy several items.
You wouldn’t think one department could affect a business so adversely, but a company is only as strong as its buyers. If design is the heart and merchandising is the brain of the fashion industry, fashion buyers are its hands. Fashion buyers coordinate everything. They take merchandising’s seasonal sales plan and put it into action.
Without fashion buyers’ trusty hands, nothing would get done in fashion. They are the people that make things happen. As a consequence, fashion buyers are also the people you are least likely to see in head office on a regular basis. They are usually out liaising with suppliers and production sites.
There are 5 rules that fashion buyers should follow to ensure a strong collection hits stores complete and on time:
1. Fashion buyers must be diplomatic.
Diplomacy is the key word in fashion buying. Fashion buyers need to have strong interpersonal skills. One mistake in the negotiation process to buy can impact the entire collection.
2. Fashion buyers must exhibit strong forward planning skills.
There is no room for miscalculations in fashion buying. Excuses like, “I forgot” or “I didn’t see it coming” just don’t cut it. Fashion buyers are expected to be superhuman planners, who react to the slightest hiccup with lightning fast proactivity.
3. No room for wallflowers.
Not a people person? Don’t consider becoming a fashion buyer. Strong people and PR skills are a prerequisite. Knowing how to manage conflict is essential. If you don’t like the thought of confrontation, don’t go into buying.
4. Fashion buyers need to be trend aware.
It sounds obvious, right? Many fashion buyers become so obsessed with bestsellers that they forget to take a calculated risk. Being trend aware allows buyers to update fashion collections. For example check out this fashion post at http://www.hairstylescut.com/blog/borrowed-from-boyfriends-fashion/
5. Don’t overlook development.
No one rests on their laurels in fashion. In other words, no one relies on past successes. Fashion buyers are only as good as their last collection. Being able to develop a collection is essential. Professional development is of utmost importance too. Many fashion buyers and merchandisers build their skills with a degree in fashion merchandising.
Rules are good, but fashion buyers usually make their own.