Overview
From Athens to Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia’s top cities have helped put the state on the map in the world of fashion. Each of these major cities has its own festive fashion week, featuring both big name and emerging designers from Georgia and across the U.S. Head to the streets of Athens and you’ll find flirty fashions, upscale vintage threads, and eye-catching accessories. In Savannah, the style is a mix of hip, feminine, and upscale, and in Atlanta, anything goes. Some locals sport a trendy look while others prefer preppy, vintage or hip-hop.
A strong sense of style isn’t the only reason Georgia has made its mark in the fashion world. The state is home to more than 100 salaried designers and hundreds more that work independently. Fashion merchandisers are plentiful here too, thanks to the number of high-end department stores, boutiques, and retail stores located across the state. Georgia is also home to around 1,900 merchandise display workers. Merchandise display work is just one of the duties associated with fashion merchandising.
If you want to work for a major designer, boutique or retail shop, or you want to start your own business, Georgia is a great place to do it. However, to work in any area of fashion here you’ll need talent and training in order to compete. Fortunately, Georgia is home to a number of schools that offer quality fashion design and fashion merchandising programs. Some programs may be completed in as little as two years, while others may take four to five years to complete.
Design schools and a thriving fashion scene are just a few benefits of starting a fashion design or fashion merchandising career in Georgia. You can also benefit from:
- Multiple fashion weeks, which offer the opportunity to show or network.
- Access to some of the nation’s top shopping centers in Atlanta, Augusta, Athens, and Savannah.
- Employment and salary growth both locally and nationwide.
Career Opportunities & Employers in Georgia:
Some Georgia fashion designers have their own lines or boutiques, while others may work as consultants. However, many Georgia fashion designers work primarily in textiles, design, or apparel production and manufacturing. Textiles and apparel manufacturing are big here. In fact, 44 percent of the jobs in these fields are in Georgia, California, and North Carolina.
Some Georgia fashion designers have their own lines or boutiques, while others may work as consultants. Georgia fashion merchandisers may work in everything from product development and production to marketing and sales. Many also work in visual merchandising for retail stores or fashion houses. Fashion design and merchandising graduates can find work across the state in major cities such as Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Savannah, Athens, and Sandy Springs.
Georgia Fashion Schools & Programs:
Many employers prefer candidates with a degree from an accredited college. Fortunately, the National Association of Schools of Art and Design accredits approximately 300 postsecondary institutions with programs in art and design. Georgia is home to a number of art and design schools and traditional colleges that award degrees in fashion design and fashion merchandising. In Atlanta, Clark Atlanta University offers a degree in fashion design/merchandising and in Savannah, students can earn a degree in fashion design, accessory design, luxury & fashion management or fashion marketing & management at Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD).
Other Georgia schools that offer fashion design and fashion merchandising programs are:
- American InterContinental University (Buckhead, Atlanta)
- The Art Institute of Atlanta
- Bauder College (Atlanta)
- Brenau University, Gainesville
- University of Georgia, Athens
To get started on a career in fashion design or fashion merchandising, enroll in a fashion design or fashion merchandising degree program. If you want to start your own business, consider combining your fashion degree with a business or marketing degree. Most universities offer marketing and business degrees, while most art and design schools do not. If you are attending an art & design school, you may choose to take business courses at another school while completing your fashion program or you can wait until you have completed your degree to enroll in a full-time business or marketing degree program.
For more information about the fashion design and fashion merchandising industries, visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics at Bls.gov.
Employment and Salary Trends for Georgia:
In 2006, there were only 70 salaried fashion designers living in Georgia. By 2009, the population nearly doubled to 120. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has not reported employment and salary figures for fashion merchandisers, but a significant part of the job involves working with window and store displays. As stated earlier, Georgia is home to around 1,900 merchandise display workers, up from 1,480 in 2006.
Overall job growth in the fashion industry is expected to grow by one percent for the 2008-2018 decade, but growth in Georgia is much higher. Salaries are on the rise as well.
In 2006, Georgia fashion designers averaged $53,730. In 2009, they averaged $62,260.
As of May 2008, the mean annual wage for fashion designers overall was $61,160, meaning, Georgia is higher than the national average. Nationwide, the lowest paid fashion designers earned an average annual salary of $32,150 and the highest paid fashion designers earned $124,780 per year. Because many fashion designers are self-employed, salaries may vary greatly. It’s not unusual for a top fashion designer to earn millions per year.
| Number of jobs | Mean hourly pay | Mean annual pay | Job Outlook | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fashion Job |