Fashion designers have artistic vision. They study past and current fashion trends and come up with new trends. They constantly develop fresh and ever-evolving fashion looks. By sketching and building fashion pieces, they transfer these looks from their minds to reality.
Fashion merchandisers have marketing vision. They go to fashion shows and purchase new fashions that they believe will sell. They are well-versed in trends, but they are also skilled at predicting what fashions consumers will want in the future. They display and market fashions in ways that promote consumer sales.
Fashion design requires strong creative abilities, such as being able to come up with ideas, express them in sketches, choose appropriate materials, and create samples. Fashion design also demands the ability to collaborate with many other people and to work well under stress.
Fashion merchandising requires strong analytical abilities, such as analyzing past fashion trends and developments in order to forecast future trends and choose appropriate fashions. They must communicate well with manufacturers and suppliers in order to get fashions into stores. Finally, they must have the skills to market and advertise fashions to the public.
Fashion designers may run their own businesses, pouring considerable work and money into their own fashion line. They may form a line with other designers as partners. Or, they may work for larger companies, such as well-known couture design houses or major fashion retailers.
Fashion merchandisers may work for retail stores, buying clothing and accessories for the store and organizing displays and advertising. They may work for fashion houses, advising them on trends. They may also travel to sample and recommend fabric for the houses' fashions.
A career in fashion design is generally more competitive and less stable than one in fashion merchandising. Fashion designers face brutal criticism and fierce competition at every stage of their careers. Recognition as a designer, let alone significant profit, takes many years of hard work to achieve, and they never come for some designers despite their talent.
Fashion merchandising is a fast-paced, even hectic job that requires a great deal of organization besides a sense of style. However, individuals with good management skills usually find career opportunities. The job outlook for fashion merchandisers has stayed steady over time, only falling during economic downturns due to retailers closing or downsizing.