“I see so many fashion brands that are doing it wrong. I want to be one that does it right”

Emily Botha’s interest in fashion was apparent from a young age, from playing dress-up with her sisters to putting on runway shows for her parents. It wasn’t until a conversation with her art teacher, however, that her eyes were opened to the broader possibilities of her potential career in the industry. 

After being referred to undertake a work experience placement with the head of Liberty’s own brand menswear division, Emily was exposed to a range of different departments. By the end of the two weeks, she realised where her passion truly lay: on the business side, rather than with the design itself. 

Now a second year student on the CMI dual accredited BA (Hons) Fashion Management course at Nottingham Trent University, she has been able to blend her love for creativity with a deeper knowledge of how the industry operates. Emily is a firm believer in the power of good management both to enable successful business operation and to change fashion for the better. But she says the management aspect can often be “misunderstood”.

We caught up with her to hear all about the course and how it is helping her follow her personal passion for fashion sustainability…

Q: What is the value of management in fashion?

Emily Botha (EB): Without management, you won’t make sales, have happy customers, have a loyal customer base and create products that they enjoy and that are received at the right time. It’s all about timing and all about trends, so without good management, you miss out on sales and huge opportunities as a company. 

Q: Why do you think management is worth studying?

EB: It’s a life skill that comes into your personal life, as well as your work life. As a human being, you need to be able to manage yourself to function. You need to be able to get up in the morning and get to work on time, or whatever it is that you do – that’s basic management. Within a workplace, you will always work alongside people or within a team, so understanding how you’re going to work with other people, how your work is going to come together and how you are going to manage your time together is really important. It comes into everyone’s life all the time. Everyone is managing something constantly. 

Q: What are your career aspirations? Do you see management within your career in the future? 

EB: I would love one day to own my own company; it’s a dream of mine. I see so many fashion brands that are just doing it wrong, and I want to be one that does it right. My passion in fashion is sustainability. At its core, I think it is one of the only things we should be talking about within fashion at the moment. 

If you are going to be a leader, you need to believe in what you’re doing, especially when it comes to sustainability. You need to want to be sustainable, otherwise you’ll just start greenwashing, and I really believe that you just should do the right thing, especially in the context of sustainability. 

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Q: What does doing a CMI-accredited course mean to you? And what are the benefits? 

EB: CMI accreditation is globally recognised and helps you walk out with an extra qualification on your CV and in your ‘backpack of skills’. People in the fashion industry want to work their way up. Eventually, you’ll want to be a leader or manager, so it’s an extra tool that provides you with a step up to get there. It adds even more to you. 

Q: Do you think having the CMI-accredited degree and Foundation Chartered Manager (fCMgr) status will help you when you come to look for jobs after graduation? 

EB: Definitely. When I’ve been applying to industries, I’ve had people bring it up, as it’s not as common as a lot of people in the industry think. Hopefully, when I do manage to work my way up, I have no doubt it will help me get there. When I have my own company one day, being fully Chartered solidifies that you are a good leader and that you are building on yourself to be a great leader and manager for people.