Working in the Fashion Industry
There are so many careers available for those wanting to work in the fashion industry, and the ones you know about are just the tip of the iceberg. Being a supermodel is far less likely (for most of us) than working in fashion retail, behind the scenes for a designer or in fashion PR – unless you happen to be stick thin, beautiful and at least 5ft 9”, that is!
Anyone that’s seen the movie The Devil Wears Prada will know that fashion is a fast-paced, highly competitive industry. Even though that’s a film, the industry itself is often considered pretty far fetched. It really does attract creative, flamboyant types, as well as those who love to be involved in the glamorous world of fashion.
Who You Know Not What You Know
Fashion is certainly one of those industries where who you know has a huge impact on your career potential. After all, would Stella McCartney be such a successful fashion designer if she didn’t have a Beatle for a dad and Kate Moss modelling her graduate fashion show? You need to commit to Building Your Network Of Contacts if you want to succeed in fashion because, even though it can be seen as fickle business, it’s a business none the less and being ‘in’ is terribly important to your potential accomplishment.The vast range of jobs available in the fashion industry are all connected by a similar passion – a love of clothes, beauty and glamour. Most people that work in the industry have this at their core, even though many of the jobs are far from glamorous. Unless you have the most amazing contacts book, you will probably have to start right at the bottom, either as a runner/dogsbody for a designer, a junior in a model agency, or an assistant's assistant to a stylist, photographer or make-up artist.
The types of people that succeed at the bottom and manage to work their way up tend to be those with no sense of entitlement, yet are prepared to work very, very hard. After all, even the most menial roles in the fashion industry are highly coveted, so you have to be prepared to give it your all. That doesn’t mean that you have to put up with anything, but you do have to get stuck in without thinking that just because you have a ‘degree in fashion’ you should start your fashion career as a top designer.
