Volunteers from domestic and international brands, department stores, and the temporary staffing industry are establishing the "Fashion Salesperson Association" as a general incorporated association to promote the social status of fashion sales professionals.
Consumer needs are becoming increasingly sophisticated and diverse in today's fashion industry. Within this context, fashion salespeople, who act as familiar spokespeople for brands, communicate product value, and listen to product trends and consumer feedback on the ground, are beginning to gain a strong recognition of their importance. However, there are many challenges regarding the current image of fashion salespeople and the versatility of their specialized skills. Therefore, with the aim of improving the social status of fashion sales professionals and further promoting women's advancement in society, a founding committee was formed with the aim of establishing the Fashion Salesperson Association as a general incorporated association by April 2016.
The Fashion Salesperson Association will promote the appeal of fashion sales jobs both within and outside the industry, as well as conduct seminars and training to complement in-house education programs to improve the specialized skills of fashion sales professionals. It will also establish a certification system to certify experts as a career path for fashion sales professionals. Going forward, the association will call on numerous companies operating fashion brands and commercial facilities both in Japan and overseas to join, bringing the fashion industry together to carry out its activities.
The founding committee of the Fashion Salespersons Association includes an impressive lineup of members, including Masao Ariga, President and CEO of Hermès Japon Co., Ltd., Taiyo Onishi, President and CEO of Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Co., Ltd., Shigeru Kimoto, President and CEO of Takashimaya Co., Ltd., Tatsuya Yoshimoto, President and CEO of Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores Co., Ltd., Masahiko Sugiura, President and CEO of Sanyo Shokai, Richard Collass, President and CEO of Chanel Co., Ltd., and Emmanuel Prat, Director of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton Japan Co., Ltd.
