A Beginner's Guide into the Fashion Industry

For many people working in the fashion industry would be a dream come true. There are many paths you can go to enter the world of fashion. Options include fashion journalist, fashion events producer or even becoming a stylist. Making my way through the industry and working with many different brands, I have learned a thing or two about entering the fashion industry and starting a brand. With the knowledge I have, I wanted to give some tips on how to break into the industry. Consider this a beginners guide to entering the fashion industry. 

First thing first, the number one question any fashion professional gets is do they need to move to New York or LA to make it big in the fashion industry? In my humble opinion, the answer is no. I have been able to volunteer at New York Fashion Week, work for fashion companies, travel the world and still have access to the fashion industry while living in Philadelphia. I’m sure that you can make bigger connections working in New York or LA rather than living in a small city but it's honestly best to start small and start where you are. Plus, depending on what you want to do in fashion (such as fashion journalism or blogging), with technology and social media it's so much easier to work from home and still be a part of the fashion industry. 

Another thing so many people ask when it comes to fashion is how do you actually enter the fashion industry. Once again this depends on what you want to do. As a fashion assistant I was focused on fashion design. So, I was able to work for companies and brands doing everything from running errands, completing administrative work and assisting in design studios with cutting out patterns for designers and creating illustrations. With my experience in working with these designers I was able to learn how to run a fashion brand, what aspects of fashion I like versus what I don’t like and I was able to make connections that will help me get my next job. When it comes to getting a job, one thing that helped me was writing down a list of what companies I wanted to work for then emailing them offering my skills in things I’m proficient in and seeing if they needed any help. Most times designers (especially designers with small businesses) will need help and appreciate you reaching out. When starting out you may get a few unpaid gigs but as you fill your portfolio it will be easier to get paid work.

Understanding fashion is another important skill you should know before jumping into the industry. Now, my personal opinion is that you don’t need to attend four universities to be successful in fashion, especially if you already attended school and got your degree. There are so many other options you can do such as attend a trade school, get an internship or apprenticeship or even get an online certificate that will give you the tools to understand fashion. When I say “understanding fashion” I mean knowing the knowledge of fabrics, designers, color story and even different terms you may hear within fashion culture. I went to school and had multiple internships where I was able to learn as I go. You can always Google or go to YouTube to research fashion terms and designers. There are so many resources online that you can learn at home and be ready to work in fashion. 

Being a part of the fashion industry is like being a part of any creative industry. You constantly have to build your resume and portfolio, make connections that will help you go from gig to gig and you have to put yourself out there for people to know your work. Nowadays, the best way to do that is through social media. So many people get jobs or different brands attention through social media. Just by using the right hashtags or tagging companies that may be included in the photo. You putting your work out there for people to like and share  may end up on the timeline of the right person or even go viral. Sometimes, all it takes is that one moment to get the ball rolling.  Of course, it takes more than the steps listed above but it's a great place to start. This is the time to work on your craft and learn the basics. Take these tools and create something magical and most importantly never give up.