Where Fashion Merchandising Graduates Work
Fashion Merchandising graduates have built careers with organizations including:
- Cartier
- Bulgari
- H&M
- Kendra Scott
- Victoria’s Secret & Co.
- Veronica Beard
- FARM Rio
- Natori
- Jovani
- Rent the Runway
- Marie Oliver
- Abercrombie & Fitch
- David’s Bridal
- Kontoor Brands
Fashion Merchandising Salary and Job Outlook
U.S. News & World Report ranks High Point University #1 among Regional Universities in the South for Earnings by Major in Best Colleges 2027, a factor that measures what graduates earn four years after leaving campus.
Across all majors, 99% of High Point University’s Class of 2025 was employed or continuing their education within 180 days of graduation, 13 points above the national average, measured by National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) standards. The Princeton Review ranks HPU #14 for Best Career Services in its 2027 guide.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a $77,710 median annual wage for buyers and purchasing agents in May 2025 and projects employment of purchasing managers, buyers and purchasing agents to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035.
Salary and employment opportunities vary by occupation, industry, location, experience and other factors.
Job Titles Fashion Merchandising Graduates Hold
Career paths represented among HPU Fashion Merchandising graduates include:
- Associate Account Executive
- Public Relations and Marketing Assistant
- Assistant Buyer
- Assistant Store Manager
- Stylist
- Bridal Consultant
- Coordinator
Roles Fashion Merchandising Graduates Can Pursue
A Fashion Merchandising degree can also prepare students for roles such as merchandise planner, allocation analyst, product developer, visual merchandiser, e-commerce merchandiser, brand manager, showroom manager and retail store designer.
The major’s course requirements align closely with HPU’s marketing minor, so students can add the minor with minimal additional coursework and pair fashion with marketing, branding and sales skills.
Where Fashion Merchandising Students Have Interned
Every major completes a required internship. Students have interned at:
- CHANEL
- Calvin Klein
- Oscar de la Renta
- Tory Burch
- Kate Spade
- Neiman Marcus
- Nordstrom
- Victoria’s Secret
- Restoration Hardware
- LoveShackFancy
- Anthropologie
- Kleinfeld Bridal
- Mashburn
- Interloop North America
Fashion Merchandising Student Organizations
Fashion Forward gives students a place to exchange creative and intellectual ideas about the fashion industry through community service and professional development. Members learn from guest speakers, take field trips to New York City and meet to work on creative projects built around a shared interest in fashion. The group also produces a student publication and pop-up fashion shows.
The National Retail Federation Student Association is the campus chapter of the largest retail trade association in the world, for students in retail, fashion, merchandising and marketing. Through HPU’s membership in the NRF University network, members get retail industry research, educational programs, networking, scholarships and career-focused experiences.
HPU in the City
Over fall break, HPU in the City takes selected students to major cities for three days of company visits. Students meet senior management, hear how human resources teams hire interns and entry-level employees, network with current employees and tour facilities that include showrooms, newsrooms and trading floors.
Selection is competitive. In fall 2026, a record 271 students applied, and 64 were chosen through a résumé and cover letter review followed by virtual interviews.
Caroline Clifton, a fashion merchandising major, took advice from BNY Mellon executives to “build your own brand” to heart. “One of the most impactful realizations was the power of self-authorship,” Caroline said.
Working the High Point Market
Every spring and fall, the High Point Market brings thousands of home furnishings professionals to the city that surrounds campus. It is one of the world’s largest home furnishings tradeshows, and dozens of HPU students work it each season in home furnishings, design, marketing, merchandising and sales roles.
Fashion Merchandising students take merchandising and sales positions and help with visual merchandising, showroom design and setup. Students can also visit or work at Showtime Market, the internationally acclaimed textiles event.
Market-area companies on the program’s internship list include King Textiles, Calligaris USA, Furnitureland South and Kreber.
Fashion Merchandising Students at Market
Caroline Clifton, a fashion merchandising major with minors in marketing and Spanish, worked the spring Market as an intern on the design team at King Textiles. “Having the opportunity to participate in High Point Market is an invaluable experience in terms of getting a glimpse into the world of textiles,” Caroline said.
Lindsey Tombline, a marketing major with a minor in fashion merchandising, worked in the D&W Silks showroom in the International Home Furnishings Center, scanning passes, answering questions and taking orders. “Just hearing the sales reps’ and the business owners’ market strategies helps me to think differently,” Lindsey said.
Study Fashion in Florence
In the spring of junior year, Fashion Merchandising majors can study at the Lorenzo de’ Medici Institute in Florence, Italy, and earn one of two fashion certificates while paying standard HPU tuition. A completed certificate earns credit for VMD 3200.
- Fashion Design Certificate: Construction Techniques, Fashion Illustration I, CAD for Fashion Design and Trend Forecasting, plus an elective in knitwear, Italian fashion history or fashion photography. Students learn draping, pattern making, construction and illustration, then execute a collection for a fashion show or exhibit.
- Visual Communication for Fashion Certificate: Introduction to the Fashion Industry, Fashion Communication, Fashion Illustration I, Principles of Fashion Photography and History of Italian Fashion, with visits to couturiers, design fairs and exhibits.
LdM lists careers for the Fashion Design Certificate that include fashion designer, stylist, illustrator, patternmaker, product developer and showroom manager. Students qualify once they pass every course required for the major by the December before departure.
Maymesters in Japan and Spain
Maymesters are monthlong courses that HPU faculty teach abroad. Both of these fulfill the Experiential Learning requirement in HPU’s general education curriculum.
Osaka, Japan. VMD 3000 Auspicious Environments: Far and Near explores Japanese influences in apparel, architecture, interiors and products, from fashion houses to tea houses and streetwear to skyscrapers. In 2026, 14 students traveled with Dr. Victoria Brown, Kathryn Brandt and Brandon Jones, practicing traditional sekkazome dyeing, ikebana and calligraphy and making custom tote bags with traditional dyeing techniques.
Barcelona, Spain. ITG 3000 Biophilic Design in Barcelona, led by Dr. Jane Nichols and Lisa Williams, studies how nature-inspired design shapes art, architecture, interiors, fashion and visual merchandising through site visits, workshops and studio projects.
What Fashion Merchandising Students Say
Jenni Bilhuber
Assistant Manager, Abercrombie & Fitch
“Earning a Bachelor of Science in Fashion Merchandising and a Master’s degree in Communication and Business Leadership has equipped me with the knowledge and practical skills needed to thrive in a competitive industry.”
Mia Ciccarelli
Graduate study, LIM College
“Dr. Brown wants the best for her students and wants to see them succeed.”
Hear From an Alum
Faye Lynch, Associate Account Executive at Natori
Major: Fashion Merchandising
Internship: Alterations Apprentice at CHANEL
Most impactful mentor at HPU: “My most impactful mentor was Dr. Victoria Brown, assistant professor of home furnishings and interior design. She gave me opportunities that I never knew would be possible in my field. During my freshman year, we went on a trip to New York City to visit Kleinfeld Bridal, which instilled my love for bridal designs. Dr. Brown also displayed an outfit I made during my textiles and materials class in a window at Norton Hall. Through this, I was able to learn what it was like to design a window display. She also sent out an internship opportunity at Chanel during my senior year, and I got it! She has given me so many opportunities, and I couldn’t have imagined my HPU experience without her.”
Faye Lynch
Fashion Merchandising majorAssociate Account Executive, NatoriRead the Story ›
Fashion Merchandising Graduate Outcomes
Graduates move into buying, styling, account management and store leadership, and some continue to graduate school.
- Faye Lynch
Associate Account Executive, Natori. Started as a coordinator at Marie Oliver. - Reilly Gallagher
Assistant Buyer, Rent the Runway, New York - Sydney Brett
Public Relations and Marketing Assistant, Jovani - Keri Wright
Stylist, David’s Bridal - Jenni Bilhuber
Assistant Manager, Abercrombie & Fitch. Also earned an M.A. in Communication and Business Leadership at HPU. - Mia Ciccarelli
Graduate study, LIM College
Fashion Merchandising Internships
Every major completes a required internship at a fashion, wholesale or retail company, and some add summer internships in New York and other cities.
- Reilly Gallagher
Bridal Consultant Intern, Kleinfeld Bridal, New York - Gracie Buckles
Fashion Merchandising and Wholesale Intern, Mashburn - Chloe Koper
Product Development Intern, Interloop North America - Sophia Brown
E-commerce Intern, Oscar de la Renta. Fashion retail studies major with minors in visual merchandising design and marketing. - Jennifer Bihuber
Stylist Intern, Fallen In Love Bridal and Formal, High Point
Fashion Merchandising in the News
Sicily Ekstrom
Marketing major, Fashion Merchandising minor
Sicily will be starting her career as an Assistant Buyer for Men’s Polo at Ralph Lauren in Manhattan, New York.
Reilly Gallagher
Reilly Gallagher Leaps Into the Fashion World with NYC Internship
Reilly was a Bridal Consultant Intern for Kleinfeld Bridal in New York City this past summer.
Students Build Career Connections During ‘HPU in the City’ Program
Students concluded their trip by visiting the Ralph Lauren Library and meeting David Lauren, one of Ralph Lauren’s sons who now serves as the chief branding and innovation officer for the clothing designer.
Fashion Merchandising Innovators in Residence
Designer Alexander Julian mentors HPU students as the university’s Fashion, Furniture, Textile Designer and Entrepreneur in Residence. On campus, he has taught an introduction to fashion class for freshmen.
A longtime member of The Fashion Hall of Fame, Julian became its then-youngest inductee at age 33 and is a six-time winner of the American Menswear Designer of the Year Award. He was the first American fashion designer to design his own signature fabrics, and his Pantherstooth design has been on HPU’s basketball uniforms since the 2022-2023 season.
Alexander Julian
Fashion, Furniture, Textile Designer and Entrepreneur in ResidenceFashion Hall of Fame designer and six-time American Menswear Designer of the Year.Read the Story ›
Explore Fashion Merchandising at High Point University
See the courses behind these careers and how HPU fashion merchandising ranks.
Accreditation & Awards Curriculum & Research
Questions about the program? Email Jane Nichols at [email protected].