Fashion stylists work in all areas of the fashion industry, not just in the design of clothes.
Many fashion stylist jobs don't require college degrees, but taking fashion and business courses can give candidates a leg up on the competition, according to the All Art Schools website. Fashion-styling education is available through diplomas and certificates, associate degree programs and bachelor's degrees. Your course load may be determined by a specialty area you hope to pursue, but most fashion-style programs offer an established curriculum for students.
Fashion Stylists
Fashion stylists may work in a number of areas in the fashion industry, including photography, design, clothing, staging and lighting, set design, music videos, movie sets, television and print advertising. Some fashion stylists become journalists who write about the industry. According to the Fashion Schools website, fashion stylists perform all tasks related to style and the creation of fashion visuals.
Diplomas and Certificates
Diploma and certificate programs typically are one week to a couple of months in duration. San Francisco-based Gillian Armour program, for example, offers a 32-hour fashion certificate program spread over five days. Students are required to pass a 100-question final exam, write two essays and complete an image consultation with a client. Course work includes modules in "What is Fashion Styling?," "Fashion 101," fashion design, fashion business, fashion styling, color basics, business basics, figure analysis and measurement, clothing silhouettes, makeup and hairstyling, marketing, accessories, customer service and ethics. Online courses are available.
Associate and Bachelor's Degrees
Two- and four-year degrees are available in fashion styling and related fields, both on campus and online. For instance, the California-based Art Institutes has more than 45 schools in the United States and offers bachelor's and associate degrees, as well as diploma programs, in fashion, design, media arts and culinary arts. American InterContinental University has locations in Atlanta, Houston, Broward County, Florida and London, as well as online courses. It awards associate degrees and bachelors of fine arts degrees in fashion styling and related fields. Many other schools offer degree programs in fashion styling, both on campus and online.
Curriculum
Typical classes required for a degree in fashion styling include apparel construction, weaving, flat-pattern design, fashion draping, design portfolios, apparel manufacturing, sewing, fashion illustration, introduction to the fashion industry, fashion history, image consulting, color theory, merchandising, retail buying, modeling, the garment business, fashion forecasting, fashion writing and publicity, lingerie design, fabrics and materials, fibers and yarns, apparel art and fashion-show production. Other traditional liberal arts course work, like math and English, also are required.
Certification
Diplomas, certificates and degrees make graduates eligible for certification through the Association of Image Consultants. Initial certification results in first-level certification, or FLC. With experience, CIP, or certified image professional, status can be gained, and testing is required. The highest level of certification is CIM, or certified image master, which requires 2,000 hours of documented work experience and extensive continuing education credit hours.
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