The Most Common Fashion Job Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

You did it! You scored an interview for an amazing fashion role, yaaaas queen! The next step is to nail it by giving the best possible answers to your interviewer’s questions. No one likes to be caught off guard during a job interview, so we’ve listed some of the most common fashion job interview questions and how to answer them. 

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR FASHION DESIGNERS

What do you love about our brand? Be prepared to talk about what draws you to the brand. What exactly is it that you love about it? Make sure you can articulate what you like about the brand in a way that goes beyond saying, “I like it because it’s cool.”

What new perspectives would you bring to the brand? This is when you’ll get to speak about your competitive edge. What makes you stand out? What would you do differently from a design perspective? 

Where do you find inspiration? Your interviewer wants to get to know you, creatively. Mention any way you find inspiration. Try to give concrete examples and stories if possible (for example,  if you designed a collection for a school fashion show, you could explain where the inspiration for that collection came from). 

Are you able to meet hard deadlines? Designers need to be able to work under strict deadlines. Time management is an essential part of any design role. 

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR FASHION BUYERS

Have you been in our store before? What were your impressions? If you haven’t already visited the brand’s store, make sure you do so before your interview so you can discuss your experience. If you are unable to visit a store because you don’t live near one, get a sense of the brand’s retail presence via social media (check their Instagram, look for YouTube vlogs with footage of the store, and read reviews of store locations on Google, Yelp, and Facebook). 

Who, would you say, are our brand’s main competitors? Interviewers ask this to find out if you’ve done your research on the company. If you can name a brand’s competitors, it shows you’re already knowledgeable about the brand’s positioning in the industry and can conduct some market research independently and effectively. 

Share a story about a time you negotiated. Fashion buying is a negotiation-heavy role, so mention any prior deals that you played a big part in. It’s totally ok if you haven’t negotiated in a professional role before. If you can speak to any negotiations you made while in school (for a class, for a club, etc.), that will suffice. 

How do you stay ahead of the curve when it comes to trends? Fashion buyers are always looking for the next biggest thing, and it’s important to be a leader not a follower. You can answer this question by listing publications you read, runway shows you’ve watched, or influencers you follow.

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR FASHION MARKETERS

What social media platform is your favorite? There’s no wrong answer, but have reasons as to why your favorite is, well, your favorite. This question is designed to gage how well you know the nuances and advantages of each social media platform.

Which social media accounts do you think do a great job with content and why? There are definitely social media accounts that you obsess over, so think about what it is that drives you to follow them, save their posts, and DM them to all of your friends. Why do you tune in to these accounts time and time again? Share your honest thoughts on how and why their content resonates with you. 

What are your favorite fashion ad campaigns of all time? For a marketing role, you’ll have to turn yourself into a little bit of an advertising junkie. Sorry, we don’t make the rules. Get a headstart on this transformation by diving into brand campaign hashtags and print ad archives. Come up with at least 3 campaigns that you loved and what you loved about them. Was it the messaging? The creative aspects? The celebs or models involved? 

What could we do better/differently with our content? Does the brand post any video content? Are their images well-shot and professional looking? Are they currently active on TikTok or Pinterest? Identify any “gaps” in their content lineup and explain how you could work to fill them. 

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR FASHION WRITERS

Which publications do you read regularly? There isn’t really a wrong answer to this question, but try to name things that fall in line with the target audience of the publication you’re interviewing for. This is one of many ways the interviewer ensures if you’re the right fit for the company or not.

What could we do better/differently with our content? With this question, it’s not enough to list your ideas without the “why” behind them. There’s a great deal of strategy that goes with running a major publication, so make sure you have compelling points to back up any new ideas you bring to the interview. 

Which style guides are you familiar with? Remember when you had to write your bibliographies in school in MLA format? This question is asking if you’re familiar with MLA, AP, and/or the Chicago Manual of Style. You should be familiar with all of these if you’re applying for an editorial role. 

Which Content Management Systems are you familiar with? A Content Management System is just a fancy way of saying sites like WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, etc. Many companies have customized CMS systems and want to know if you are comfortable with using them and are quick to learn them. 

Looking for more personalized interview coaching? Book a one-on-one coaching session with Carla, founder of FFI for customized career coaching and industry introductions to jumpstart your career in fashion.