Because fashion is an international business, Humber’s Fashion Arts diploma program places an emphasis on retail operations from both domestic and international perspectives. You will study marketing, store planning and merchandising, brand management, cosmetic marketing, event planning, and retail buying. You’ll also learn fashion trend forecasting, sales techniques, and colour and styling analysis, while attaining basic knowledge of fashion products and fashion promotion. These skills are then applied to product launches, planning merchandise assortments, styling fashion shoots and the production of fashion events. Our advisory committee provides regular review and input of curriculum ensuring our program is always on the cutting edge of industry developments. In first year, courses in the business of fashion – marketing strategies, product knowledge, trend forecasting, web merchandising – give students an overview of this multibillion-dollar industry. In second year, build on the skills developed during the first-year foundation – wholesale sales, retail buying and operation, photo styling, and event planning and budgeting.

Fashion is a major industry in Toronto. According to the Toronto Star, retail alone generates annual sales of $2.6 billion in the Greater Toronto Area’s (GTA’s) 4,600 fashion stores. A fashion career offers numerous and varied opportunities. Work as a buyer, associate buyer, planner, distribution marketing manager in retail or mall management, or an account manager in cosmetics. Work in wholesale as a sales agent in apparel, accessories or cosmetics. Our graduates can also pursue careers as fashion and trade show co-ordinators, shopping centre marketers, visual merchandisers, merchandise allocators, buyers, and marketing assistants to fashion designers and manufacturers. Those who prefer the freedom of self-employment may find opportunities such as freelance photo styling, image consulting and event planning.