Apparel Managers

The apparel industry is a growing market, in India and abroad. The demand for designer products is increasing by the day. A rise in the interest of people in designer wear is being seen worldwide. Although this is great news for designers and those associated with the clothing industry, it also translates into the requirement of better management of the products as well as their supply to various exporters and retailers. This task is handled by an Apparel Manager or Merchandiser as they are more commonly called.

An Apparel Manager is someone who acts as the link between designers and the production team and also between the production teams and the buyers. As an Apparel Manager, one has two options - to either work in association with export houses and help make decisions on sourcing, management, production, etc. or to work in the retail industry. In the retail industry, one has to take care of the stock, analyze the market, take note of the current demands and trends, and identify places fit for storage and take decisions regarding which products have to be bought.

Apparel Managers work on a huge scale. They could be working with brands like Levi’s, Benetton, Adidas, Nike or with retail houses, export houses, outsourcing companies or export organizations, and making sure that there are absolutely no loop holes in the supply chain. An Apparel Manager is also required to deal with the foreign clientele as well as account for any loss of products, obsolescence of trends, or mismanagement.

As a beginner in this field, one can make anything between 20,000 INR to 40,000 INR on a monthly basis. As one gains experience and makes advancement in their career, they can easily earn 1,00,000 INR and more each month. If one gets promoted to become the head manager or the CEO of an apparel managing organization, they can make anything between 50,00,000 INR to 10,000,000 INR on an yearly basis. Some apparel managers prefer to open up their own organizations to working for one or working under someone. This calls for a huge amount of investment.

To become an Apparel Manager or Merchandiser, one does not need to have a particular degree. One can complete their class 12 level with any concentration and then directly start working in this field. Some prefer to go for graduate or courses in fashion management, apparel management, fashion marketing or apparel merchandising. Post graduate courses in these fields are also offered by various institutes. Entry and selection into such courses is based on an all- India entrance test that is conducted by some institutes.

Institutes and colleges offering courses related to apparel management and merchandising in India are the National Institute of Fashion Technology which has centers in many cities, including New Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai, the Pearl Academy of Fashion, New Delhi and the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad.

To become a successful Apparel Manager, one must have strong multi-tasking abilities. One’s communication, negotiation and interpersonal skills should also be sound. They should be detail-oriented and with a creative bent of mind. Merchandisers should also be adept at crisis management and have commercial acumen.