The Fashion Marketing & Management program blends individual creativity with a keen sales orientation. Students are introduced to foundation skills such as colour theory, fashion sketching, costume history, digital imaging, and introductory retail skills. They later move on to topics such as concepts and trends in apparel, merchandise management, textiles and fabrics, advertising and marketing, elements of retail operations and technology, manufacturing, retail mathematics, consumer behaviour, business ownership, media buying, human resources, accounting, store planning, and lease management. Prior to graduating, students concentrate on developing a portfolio, securing an internship, and turn to topics on e-commerce and Web marketing.

Program Description
The Art Institute of Vancouver offers a Diploma of Achievement upon successful completion of the Fashion Marketing & Management program.
This program lasts one-and-a-half academic years (six quarters) and contains 90 quarter-credits. Each course within the program is worth three quarter-credits and the program consists of approximately 30 courses.

The Fashion Design & Merchandising program offers the best of both worlds - the ability to transform design ideas into garments and accessories as well as knowledge of the business side of the fashion industry.

In the design segment of the program, students are introduced to basic skills of construction in sewing, tailoring, flat pattern drafting, and draping to provide a solid foundation in the fundamentals of apparel engineering. In the merchandising segment, usage of textiles, colours and design to create visual merchandising campaigns are taught. Business courses are added to teach students how to develop, analyze and implement effective sales strategies.

The faculty nurtures creativity and teaches hands-on skills using traditional tools as well as industrial equipment similar to that found in the fashion design field. The combination of professional marketing skills and technical knowledge help students prepare for successful entry into the industry as junior designers, patter grader, management trainee, visual merchandiser, and assistant merchandise buyer.

Students studying Fashion Design & Merchandising & Foundation for Design learn basics of apparel creation, with emphasis on design principles and final product merchandising. This program emphasizes hands-on training. Coursework discusses the business behind fashion merchandising, as well as the elements of strong design. Students also learn the process of garment construction - from initial concept to final product. Design challenges place students in situations they may experience in the professional world, providing valuable experience to take into the workplace. Graduates are prepared to seek entry-level employment such as costume designer, assistant fashion buyer, fashion designer, fashion merchandiser, or seamstress.