The Top Unique Cities for Fashion Design Careers

As we covered in our recent article, Top Creative Fashion Schools in America, and as Jenny Wu stated in her interview with us, there are several cities besides New York and Los Angeles with a thriving fashion industry. It all just depends on what you want to do in within fashion. Considering a smaller city is a great idea, especially at the beginning of your career. With less competition, and better opportunities for experience, these cities will help you up the rung faster, making that big move to NYC Fashion Week a little easier.

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Here are our top five unexpected cities for fashion design that you should consider when pursuing your fashion degree.

Unique Fashion City #1:

Dallas, Texas

Photo by Drriss on Flickr

Reason:

With about 250 positions and an annual average salary of $58,660, Dallas, Texas is the perfect place to begin in your career in fashion. Home to major fashion corporations such as J.C. Penney and Fossil, Dallas provides plenty of opportunity to make the jump into the industry you love with a higher probability of working the job you want.

Unique Fashion City #2:

Seattle, Washington

Photo by Bryce Edwards on Flickr

Reason:

Seattle, Washington employs over 200 people in their burgeoning fashion industry. Besides Seattle’s reputation as a great city with a tremendous artistic culture, their fashion employees are paid remarkably well, with an average nearing $70,000 annually. Seattle is home to both Nordstrom and Tommy Bahama, and thousands of independent brands. For a designer looking to start their own fashion line, Seattle is an important city to consider.

Unique Fashion City #3:

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Photo by Chewbackski on Flickr

Reason:

Maybe Milwaukee, with its temperate climate and harsh winters, isn’t the first place that pops into your mind when you think fashion, but they’re certainly up and coming. Major companies like Kohl’s and Sears employ nearly 120 fashion designers and curators a year. Because most of the jobs are head corporate positions at important industry leaders, the pay is higher than nearly every other fashion center in the country at an average of  $91,280. Milwaukee is the place to go if you want to lead nationwide campaigns and influence the popular culture.

Unique Fashion City #4:

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Photo by Matthew Paulson on Flickr

Reason:

Minneapolis is the corporate fashion headquarters of Target, a major player in teen and young adult fashion trends in the country. Celebrity designers like Phillip Lim, Derek Lam, and Diane von Furstenberg have curated their own lines, making Target a great place for young designers to gain experience with major labels. The city of Minneapolis employs around 130 people in their fashion industry, with an annual pay of about $66,200.

Unique Fashion City #5:

Portland, Oregon

Photo by Nathan Pirtz on Flickr

Reason:

Portland, Oregon has been on a cultural upswing for some time, with major television shows documenting the easy hipster lifestyle, as well as their reputation as an important center for arts. The city employs around 90 people in fashion design, with an average pay around $63,400. Home to major corporations like Nike and Columbia Sportswear, Portland is more famous, and more viable, for those interested in beginning their own label and drawing inspiration from the city itself.