Students majoring in fashion are often told that those interested in the field of fashion cannot build a real career without design and merchandising qualifications. The fashion industry is a creative world of its own with many opportunities available. Fashion design involves the artistic construction of clothes; while fashion merchandising focuses on the commercial aspect of fashion products. Based on clothing construction, business, and styling, fashion design and fashion merchandising are two different fields of study. Undergraduate degrees in fashion design and fashion merchandising are available at the associate's, bachelor's, and master's levels. Different levels of clothing construction and fabric knowledge are offered with a fashion design degree; While; fashion merchandising offers courses on both the purchasing and styling of clothing items. Likewise, both fields of study focus on clothing sales. Fashion designers can often be recognized as artists; they create, inspire and motivate. A designer is often inspired by their own culture and the trends that surround their daily life. ...