This study aims to empirically identify the core competencies required for online fashion marketing roles in the context of the accelerated digital transformation of the fashion industry and to propose directions for developing a fashion business curr...
This study aims to empirically identify the core competencies required for online fashion marketing roles in the context of the accelerated digital transformation of the fashion industry and to propose directions for developing a fashion business curriculum that reflects these competencies. In recent years, the fashion industry has undergone a comprehensive restructuring of its value chain driven by the rapid diffusion of digital technologies such as social media, e-commerce platforms, and artificial intelligence (AI). Accordingly, the nature of marketing work has shifted significantly toward digitally mediated practices. However, fashion business education in Korea remains largely grounded in traditional, theory-oriented curricula centered on planning, production, and distribution, thereby failing to adequately reflect the digital, practice-based competencies demanded by the industry. Although the National Competency Standards (NCS) provide a systematic framework for job classification based on knowledge, skills, and attitudes, key competency units—namely Fashion Market Analysis, Fashion Product Sales Analysis, and Fashion Brand Strategic Planning—continue to rely on offline-oriented research, planning, and sales structures. As a result, essential dimensions of contemporary fashion marketing work, such as platform-centered marketing environments, data-driven decision-making processes, and content-based branding strategies, are insufficiently addressed. In response, this study seeks to empirically examine the gap between industry demands and educational curricula and to propose an improved educational framework aligned with the digital transformation of the fashion industry. To achieve this purpose, qualitative data were collected through in-depth interviews and participant observation involving fashion marketing professionals actively working in the industry. In addition, the NCS competency unit framework related to fashion business was analyzed, and curricula from Korean four-year universities in 2018 and 2025 were comparatively examined to assess how changes in the industrial environment have been reflected over time. Based on this multi-layered analysis, this study identifies the core digital competencies required in fashion business education and presents an educational design framework grounded in Competency-Based Education (CBE). The findings reveal three core competencies consistently emphasized in professional practice: (1) digital platform utilization competency, (2) data-driven decision-making competency, and (3) content planning and branding competency. Each competency corresponds primarily to the NCS units of Fashion Market Analysis, Fashion Product Sales Analysis, and Fashion Brand Strategic Planning, respectively, while also operating in an interrelated and cyclical manner in actual work processes. Furthermore, practitioners highlighted the importance of meta-competency—namely, the ability to adapt to rapidly changing digital environments and to continuously learn and reconfigure professional competencies beyond proficiency in specific tools or technologies. Based on these findings, this study proposes a competency-based fashion business education model structured around a sequential and cyclical learning process encompassing digital platform understanding, data interpretation, and content-driven branding strategy execution. The proposed model integrates Project-Based Learning (PBL) and stage-based assessment to enable learners to engage with authentic industry contexts and to apply competencies in an integrated manner. In conclusion, this study contributes both academically and practically by empirically identifying the core competencies required for fashion marketing roles in the post-digital-transformation era and translating these findings into a concrete curriculum design framework. The proposed model moves beyond knowledge-transmission-oriented education and offers a sustainable direction for cultivating practice-oriented competencies and meta-competencies that enable learners to adapt to evolving industrial environments. Moreover, this framework may serve as a foundational reference for competency-based curriculum development in other industries undergoing rapid digital transformation.