Creative bond : It is not just about buying, selling, crisis management, and price negotiations. Apparel managers need a creative eye as well
An apparel manager is the bridge between the design and the production teams. They are the one thread that connects the entire gamut of activities from the beginning to end of a style purchase order. S/he also deals with the buyers. That’s why any delay or
goof-up in the communication to the client can cost the company a big order and the buck will stop with you, even if another team did it. These managers can work in retail where the role includes inventory control, deciding on what to buy, identifying store locations or in an export house where they decide on production, manufacturing, sourcing, etc. They need to manage fast-changing products, many of which become obsolete after one season. They can work in brands such as Benetton, Levis, Pantaloon; retail chains; export houses or sourcing companies (where they manage the supply chain) and outsourcing firms which are links between foreign clients and Indian manufacturers
Clockwork
9am: Do sample follow-ups
1pm: Lunch
2pm: Coordinate with vendors, track the movement of unshipped orders
3pm: Meet the commercial team
6.30pm: Make sure that all the samples are sent on time and inform buyers
The payoff
The starting salary of a merchandiser with a master’s degree from a reputable institute is Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 1 lakh a month. Further on, pay depends on performance. A merchant growing to be the CEO of a big brand can rake in Rs. 50 lakh to Rs. 1 crore a year
Skills/TRAITS
* Commercial acumen
* Be detail-oriented
* Be able to handle a crisis calmly
Getting there
You may come from any background. Some institutes offer undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in apparel merchandising, fashion marketing and fashion management
Institutes and URLs
* National Institute of Fashion Technology, centres in many cities, including Delhi www.nift.ac.in
* Pearl Academy of Fashion, New Delhi
www.pearlacademy.com
* Institute of Apparel Management, Gurgaon www.iamindia.in
Pros and cons
* It is a fast changing market
* If you cannot multitask, it can cost the company a big order
Apparel managers have a bright future because of significant developments in the apparel retail trade in the domestic market -- HKL Magu, senior vice chairman, Apparel Export Promotion Council, New Delhi