Nottingham Trent University's (NTU) BA degree in Fashion Management helps students develop the management and leadership skills essential for success in the diverse fashion industry. The programme is dual accredited by CMI, providing students with an additional professional qualification alongside their degree. We spent the day with Principal Lecturer Justine Davidson and two of her fashion students to learn how the course equips learners to thrive in this fast-paced sector.

Working in fashion isn’t just about creating the latest catwalk craze or making the next must-have garment go viral on TikTok. This wide-ranging industry covers a variety of roles including marketing, trend forecasting, buying and merchandising. Yet they all have one thing in common - the need to have strong management and leadership skills.

“Management is often about teamwork, listening and being resilient. Those soft skills are what makes a great leader,” says Justine Davidson, Principal Lecturer for the Fashion Management BA degree at Nottingham Trent University (NTU). “Many students who enrol on the course don’t necessarily want to be a designer, they may aspire to be a fashion entrepreneur or focus on the more strategic side. This course is about helping them develop those skills, empowering them to manage both themselves and others, and ultimately achieve their goals.”

Runway-ready fashion students

CMI Dual Accreditation gives students a competitive edge. "It means that learners graduate with an additional professional qualification as well as their degree, which really cements their knowledge within the fashion industry and helps them stand out to employers” says Justine. “They also benefit from CMI’s online resources and networking opportunities. Our engagement manager at CMI has been very supportive, arranging guest lecturers and mentors, and tailoring the support to what our students need, so we're really keen to continue building that relationship.”

Boosting student enrolment

CMI accreditation has also helped NTU stand out to prospective students, boosting enrolment. “It sets us apart,” says Justine. “When we have open days and we're talking about employability, students are impressed and so are their parents or guardians. They understand the benefits of having the CMI professional qualification, which they get as part of the accreditation, as well as their degree.”

Couture meets commerce

A passion for fashion sparked during a football scholarship led final year student Adam Barthram to explore the business side of the industry at NTU.

“When I started earning, I bought lots of clothes and I realised I had an interest in fashion,” he says. “Then, during lockdown I started drawing and designing clothing, and that’s what prompted me to enrol on the Fashion Management BA programme. I wanted to develop my strategic thinking, and I knew that I’d learn the business and management side of the industry because of NTU’s affiliation with CMI.”

The strategic aspect of fashion management was an eye opener for Adam. “Apart from the creative side, you have to consider the bigger picture - for example how many units of this product should we order, what stores should it be stocked in, how will it be distributed, what product should we develop next? These are really key business decisions and I’m learning how to think in a more strategic way. On a more day to day level, I’ve had situations in work placements where things have gone wrong with suppliers and this course has helped me navigate that.

I also like the fact that everyone on the course graduates with Foundation Chartered Manager (fCMgr) status, which only CMI can offer. This will help me stand out in the job market because it shows I have a business brain as well as a natural passion for the industry.

Tailoring talent

The management element of the course was also key for final year student Ria Sharma. “Initially, I wanted to be a fashion buyer,” she recalls. “I chose this course because it was broad, so if I want a career change I’ll still have lots of transferable management skills. It was great finding out that it was CMI accredited because it’s an extra thing that I can put on my CV. It’s important to teach young people about management because the dynamics of the workplace can be quite difficult sometimes."

Having great management or leadership skills can help you navigate difficult situations and having the confidence and communication skills to get your ideas across is also very important.

Fashion in flux

It’s a challenging time for the fast-paced fashion industry, and students need to be equipped to respond to a rapidly changing landscape.

“Learners need to make sure that they can keep up with the pace of change because there'll be jobs when they graduate that didn't exist when they started the course,” says Justine. “We have to constantly adapt the curriculum to make sure that students have the resilience and adaptability to face change and uncertainty and take risks. Responsible leadership is becoming more important, especially when it comes to sustainability, not just for people working in the fashion industry but also for consumers."

AI is also becoming hugely impactful and so is analysing data to gain retail insights, so we've introduced a lot more sessions to cover these areas.

One of the biggest challenges facing the fashion industry is the increasing focus on sustainability. “We cover this in depth on the course and there are going to be a lot more regulations that brands have to follow,” says Adam. “It’s not just about creating a good product that you can scale but also the long-term implications of how sustainable it is, where you source the materials from and its impact on the environment.”

Sustainability is also an important consideration for Ria, but so is diversity and inclusivity. “The fashion industry was traditionally and notoriously known for being quite exclusive,” she explains. “It’s improving, but there are still challenges. Being a person of colour, all of those things come into play when you're applying for a role and you’re up against somebody who has those privileges or advantages. Standing out and making sure you get equal opportunities can still be hard sometimes,” she says.

“My dissertation is about diversity, equity, and inclusivity in the fashion industry and I used some of the CMI resources to help me underpin my research. Their equal opportunities articles were helpful for getting advice for managers and leaders, which is vital because educating senior people about diversity and inclusivity will have a positive trickle down effect."

I realised during my dissertation that a healthy, inclusive workplace drives creativity, adaptability, and innovation. Not just in fashion, but across any industry.

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