Diploma in Fashion Art and Business Humber College - North Campus, Canada

Fashion is an international business, and Humber’s Fashion Arts and Business diploma program places an emphasis on retail operations from both domestic and international perspectives. You will study marketing, store planning and merchandising, brand management, marketing, social media, 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 and web merchandising – give students an overview of this multibillion-dollar industry. In second year, students build on the skills developed on the foundation with wholesale sales, retail buying and operation, photo styling and event planning and budgeting.

Learning Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of the program, a graduate will:

• Differentiate the purposes and functions of and the relationships between various elements within the structure of the fashion industry in order to identify business opportunities, challenges and solutions.
• Define and use correctly the terminology and language of fashion from a business and art perspective in order to communicate effectively with the range of stakeholders in the fashion industry.
• Identify artistic and business trends in order to capitalize on emerging opportunities throughout the stages of product development, manufacturing, distribution and promotion.
• Respond to current market conditions based on detailed analysis of company and/or industry reports.
• Design promotional materials and events using current digital technologies and styling methodologies in order to advance fashion arts and business objectives.
• Employ professional practices which support current business strategies and plans adhering to legal, ethical and sustainable standards appropriate to the fashion industry.
• Create a variety of strategic planning deliverables for achieving measurable goals for fashion merchandising, marketing, operations, finance and sales.
• Conduct vendor negotiations, budgeting, critical path analysis, communications and operations for effective fashion-related promotional events.
• Tailor visual and verbal presentations suitable for various stakeholders (e.g. buyers, senior managers, vendors, customers) to meet their specific requirements.
• Generate social media strategy and content for marketing purposes in order to build product and brand awareness.
• Negotiate mutually profitable business-to-business transactions between parties in the supply chain in order to maximize cost effectiveness.
• Develop professional development plans to set career goals based on self-assessment of strengths, interests and opportunities.