Mariella Lim felt accomplished as Centennial College community members admired and purchased the clothing, accessories, beauty products, and art offerings at The Shop — a pop-up shop celebrating Indigenous art and design. She was one of the Fashion Business and Management students behind the booth set up on the bridge at Progress Campus last April. For Lim, and her fellow peers, the pop-up shop was more than an opportunity to showcase unique offerings. It was a personification of the program’s impactful practical approach.
An Experiential Take on Business of Fashion Studies
"Fashion business management at Centennial is very, very hands-on," says Mariella Lim, who came into the program with a retail background that included roles such as retail buyer, operations associate, and category manager. "We get to practice, in real time, what we are learning. The Shop is a great example. It was a culminating activity of four courses that included Retail Buying and Fashion Marketing and Promotion."
Students were tasked with everything from approaching suppliers and vendors to sourcing and picking products, booth design and display, marketing, and operating The Shop. The experience is just one example of the ways in which Fashion Business Management students get to apply the knowledge they are gaining in their classes. Other opportunities include a field placement, field trips, and projects.
Through this interactive Fashion program Toronto offers, students learn about diverse topics that will help them to secure leadership roles in fashion management jobs in Canada. Production development and the manufacturing process; ethical, sustainable, and innovative leadership practices; marketing and retail promotions; financial practices utilized in the industry; consumer psychology; and relevant computer applications and technologies are just some of the included subjects.
"Everything related to the business side of fashion is included in this program," says Lim. "What also makes it relevant is that the majority of the professors are still working in the industry, so they are teaching us the most current practices and we hear about their day-to-day experiences as well. For example, retail has changed a lot since the pandemic. So, we have learned about brick and mortar stores versus e-commerce and also what brick and mortar stores are doing to bring customers in again. There is also a sustainability aspect, and how it can be intertwined with fashion practices. It’s all very up-to-date."
Fashion Management Jobs in Canada
Given the program’s comprehensive range, graduates can expect to enter numerous positions in the Canadian clothing market that is projected to reach about $28.5 billion in 2024. Among the areas in which grads will find employment are: retail buying; product development; marketing, branding, and promotion; retail management and merchandising; domestic and international sourcing; and supply chain management and logistics.
Lim, who will begin the third semester of the two-year diploma program in September, hopes to leverage her education to launch a career in retail buying or visual merchandising.
"Relearning the current retail aspects and practices in the Canadian context in this very hands-on way is the biggest benefit of the program," says Lim. "It really helps you to gain confidence."
By: Izabela Shubair