Fashion Management Program (F102)

Program Description

Leadership Claims

The Fashion Management program is the only academic program curriculum in Canada endorsed by the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA).

Program Overview

The Fashion Management diploma program will prepare you to apply the tools of marketing and merchandising to maximize product success in the market. As a student in the Fashion Management program, you will have a deep understanding of textiles, manufacturing inputs and processes and movement in the supply chain, as well as management of the value, costing and quality of apparel. You will also gain relevant industry knowledge through field education experience after the first year of study, and through the unique opportunity to manage a retail store on campus.

Full Description

The Fashion Management program prepares you with essential knowledge and skills required to meet the Canadian fashion industry's core business needs. You will gain a deep understanding of textiles, manufacturing inputs and processes and movement in the supply chain, as well as management of the value, costing and quality of apparel. You will also be able to apply the tools of marketing and merchandising to maximize product success in the market. This program is designed to meet the needs of today's Canadian market, which has shifted to product development, niche markets and omni-channel retail.

The Fashion Management program is the only academic program curriculum in Canada identified by the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) as an affiliate school. Benefits to you include an up-to-date curriculum, connection with the industry and access to industry research materials exclusively available to members.

The concepts of developing, sourcing and marketing a product from initial idea to retail sale are introduced. You will test and problem-solve for quality assurance; develop buying, merchandising and marketing plans; examine logistics processes and work as a team to manage a retail store.

The structure of this program gives you flexibility in the choice of a career path. You will also gain relevant industry knowledge through field education experience after the first year of study. The field education experience may be in fashion buying, production, distribution, retailing, wholesale or a related marketing area. Students have the opportunity to network with potential employers at our FashionWorks industry event.

Note: Students starting in January will have an alternate order of courses, and will not graduate until their field education component has been completed. January intake students will complete semester two from May to August, and continue into semester three in September of the same academic year.

The School of Fashion and Jewellery offers a diverse, hands-on learning environment, including many extracurricular activities for students.

Program Requirements

The Fashion Management program requires students to have access to a personal laptop or desktop computer, and reliable Internet access for synchronous classes.

Career & Postgraduate Study Opportunities

Career Options

For more than 45 years, this program has generated a varied, adaptable workforce for the apparel industry. Graduates have been hired by apparel manufacturers, designers, wholesalers, importers and major and independent retailers.

Graduates are employed in positions leading to careers such as:

  • product developer/co-ordinator
  • buyer
  • production manager
  • quality control manager
  • costing analyst
  • purchasing agent
  • merchandiser
  • store manager
  • retail planning and allocation
  • sourcing manager
  • logistics/distribution manager
  • social media

Educational Pathways

Graduates with a minimum 2.7 gpa may be eligible for admission to George Brown postgraduate programs, including International Fashion Management (F412).

Students who successfully complete this program with an established minimum grade may be eligible for articulation to other programs or for course exemptions at other institutions in Canada, internationally and at a number of universities in the United States whose apparel programs are recognized and endorsed by the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA). The Fashion Management program is the only fashion program in Canada endorsed by the AAFA.

For further information, see Transfer Guide.

Alumni Impact

We are immensely proud of the contributions of our alumni in Toronto and around the globe.

From Michelin-starred restaurants to major construction, entertainment, community and financial organizations, our graduates are truly making an impact across a range of industries.

Latest Alumni Stories

If you want to launch a career in the fashion industry and to know how brands function in the tough Canadian or global market, you have no better alternative than the Fashion Management program at George Brown College. The experience-based learning helps you gain experience and insight into the industry even before you join it as a professional.  

The GBC Fashion Management program is a comprehensive program that equips graduates with current industry skills and knowledge. It will develop your creative vision into practical and useful business skills that will prepare you- fully - to enter your career. Through internships and collaboration with companies located in GTA, you’ll have access to designers, retailers and industry professionals to build real world experience. 

Assignments and projects are diverse, based on real-life situations, and include primary research that encourages reflective and critical thinking, and lots of teamwork! The students learn about various aspects of the industry, which include diagnosing the fashion trends and retail consumer cycles under the influence of social, technological, political and economic factors. 

The two-year program taught me how to be a creative thinker and innovative problem solver. It gave me the confidence and competence to work in diverse jobs in the industry, and to consider starting a business to achieve my entrepreneurial goals.  

Jasmine Zhao
Ontario College Diploma

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