Fashion Management – Full Time Year 2

This full-time Fashion Management programme follows on from the first year Fashion Buying & Merchandising programme. Building on the skills acquired in first year, the content of this programme is designed to enhance students skills to fast-track progression up the career ladder in the business environment of the global fashion industry.

Considering and understanding the complex critical paths in range planning including balancing lead times, design options, pricing strategies, sourcing strategies and the movement of stock into and out of the business are core elements of the Advanced Fashion Buying & Merchandising module. Factors affecting the supply chain including product market strategies and external forces within the market are also studies during this module.

The long-term development of any retail fashion business is more and more dependent on the contribution of retail and visual merchandisers. This comprehensive programme studies the retail environment from the perspective of consumer behaviour and how global consumers respond to the branded fashion environment. Participation in practical retail visual merchandising projects is a core element with window display, planograms for retail stores and department floor retail display covered in detail.

Having the ability to forecast trends needs a complete understanding of the design and development of a complete range for a fashion season. Portobello Institute has designed and developed the module of Advanced Design Skills to give students the opportunity to develop these skills. This module covers in detail design and development of an entire range, garment specification and construction, pattern cutting and advanced trend forecasting. Students undertake a practical project for this module, designing a full seasonal range.

Complementing these fashion focused modules are the core business subjects of marketing, human resource management, business management and finance. Advanced spreadsheet skills is a core skills of anyone working in the business of fashion and is often a practical skills test at interview stage for major retailers. Students are prepared in detail to use MS Excel and complete the financial analysis that will be expected of them.

Gaining employment in the business side of the fashion industry is the objective from this course and it is important students have the opportunity to gain practical experience and build a network of contacts within the sector. Portobello Institute has an established network of connections with many of the main fashion buying and merchandising departments within some of Ireland’s largest retailers. This year we are delighted with the support of Primark offering a 1 year paid internship to a graduate of this programme. The work experience programme for this programme affords students with the opportunity to engage with some of the leading fashion brands in Ireland and the UK and leverage those connections to advance their careers. These include brands operating in the luxury fashion arena such as  Brown Thomas and Harvey Nichols to brands operating in fast-moving high fashion such as Primark and Vero Moda. Students may also take up an international work experience placement at the end of the programme with a global brand operating in UK, US, Sweden, Spain or Portugal. Companies participating on our work experience programme invest considerable time in our students and recruit directly from this placement programme.

This Fashion Management has been designed by our experienced programme management and tutoring team in consultation with leading retailers to offer you the opportunity to advance your skills and progress to the next level in the business environment of the global fashion industry. The relevant field trips, events and guest lecturers all enhance your opportunity to gain further relevant and practical experience.  You will learn to develop a complete fashion range for a season from the initial design concept through to delivery in-store, measuring the success and reaction of consumers. This is a comprehensive course which prepare graduates to undertake a variety of roles within the world of fashion, business and retailing.