Associate of Science - Fashion Merchandising

Fashion merchandisers select, purchase, promote and sell clothing and accessories. Students will learn how to coordinate promotional activities including marketing campaigns and fashion shows. Fashion merchandising offers advanced career options across marketing, purchasing, merchandising and sales. In this program, students will build a diverse portfolio designed to help them transition to a 4-year institution or enter directly into the fashion industry.

Santa Monica College provides opportunities to visit design houses and manufacturers as well as hear from retailers, merchandisers, and stylists. Top fashion schools and employers value Santa Monica College Fashion Merchandising graduates for their motivation, focus, and creativity. Fashion merchandising students learn and experience each step of the development, promotion, and sales of fashion and lifestyle product lines. Fashion trends are identified and analyzed in order to understand the direction of product development, the positioning in the marketplace, the importance of proper sales representation via visual presentation, advertising, public relations, and social media in the fashion cycle from initial concept to brick-n-mortar and e-commerce sales.

Upon completion of the program, students will demonstrate the ability to analyze and assess the marketable trends in fashion and lifestyle product lines for all target markets; understand the logistics from fashion production to wholesale, retail, and resale; develop pre‐ and post‐ promotional activities necessary to launch brands/private labels in order to maintain success in the local and global marketplace; utilize critical thinking in solving design, sales, or promotional issues; have the ability to utilize software applicable to promotional needs, and understand the working relationship between designers and marketers. Additionally, students will have skills pertinent to successfully entering third‐year college fashion programs, advancing in management positions, or entering major retail executive buying/management training programs.