The fashion industry is one of those “prestige industries” – a little bit like the movie industry or the music industry. Everybody wants to be a part of it because of the glamor.
But because the industry is quite small and so many people are jostling for the same jobs, getting a career in the sector is difficult. It takes more than mere luck to make it in the industry. Here’s some advice from some of the industry’s leading gurus.
THERE’S NO RIGHT OR WRONG PATH
Justin Mahmud is the executive talent director of Macy’s, a retailer who stocks some of the world’s most famous clothing lines. Mahmud’s advice is simple. He says that there is no right or wrong path to take in the fashion industry. He’s known people take all sorts of different paths in the sector and be successful. The world is random and so everybody’s journey is a little bit different. You never know when opportunity will rear its head and you’ll be given the big break you were looking for.
THE FASHION INDUSTRY IS ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS
The fashion industry, according to Alechia Reese the strategic marketing director at Daya, is all about relationships. It’s who you know, and how you entertain them that matters, not whether you’ve got a posh logo or amazing suppliers. She says that opportunities in the fashion industry come from knowing people who have the right connections. This means that it’s essential that you attend every social gathering in the industry that you can and start building links with people. The way to exert power in the industry is to make sure that you’re the person that people want to go to if they want to get something done.
LOVE WHAT YOU DO
In many jobs, it’s easy to stop loving what you do. But in the fashion industry, this can be a disaster, according to Leigh Ray the chief blogger and Pink Vintage Heart. She says that in order for people to do their best work in the industry, they have to be passionate about what they do. The only way to a happy and fulfilling work life is to go to work everyday and be exciting to be in the industry. Even if your phone never stops lighting up, it’s worth pausing to remember all of the people who don’t get to indulge their interests all day long, doing boring jobs. Fashion is life-affirming, and that’s enough to put a smile on anybody’s face.
GET INTERESTED IN THE STUFF NOBODY’S DOING
Consumer love novelty, especially when it comes to fashion. After all, fashion is changing all the time. Veronika Harbick of Thursday Finest, says that people need to target the blank spaces in the market if they want to proceed in their careers. Consumers want to buy clothing and accessories that is a little bit different to what their friends have got, but not too different so as to look stupid. These blank spaces in the market, Harbick says, are opportunities to make a name for yourself.
VISUALIZE YOUR SUCCESS
Some people go through their careers without really thinking about what success really means. Hilary Sloan, the director of business development at ShopStyle, says that people need to quantify their success somehow. They need to ask themselves questions like: how much you can make on a fashion merchandising salary? And, what job role do I want to have in five years time? Visualising your success Sloan says, helps you to make the most of every single day. Also think about the route it takes to get there whether it’s going straight into the business and hustling or by looking into fashion graduate programs.
DON’T GIVE UP
No career is a straight line all the way to the top. Everybody suffers setbacks and disappointments along the way. But according to Shira Galler, the director of Outreach at Wix, you should never give up, especially in the fashion industry. Because of the competition in the industry, it’s one of the hardest to rise in. But it’s also one of the most rewarding. People at the top of the industry are literally billionaires, immortalized forever by their brands.
BE APPROACHABLE
Some people are naturally prickly and don’t trust others. It’s a kind of defense mechanism to protect them from being hurt. But Tiffany Aita of Joe Fresh says that people have to put their hang ups aside in the fashion industry. It’s essential, she says, to be approachable. Because the world of fashion is so tight-knit, you never know whether somebody you’re talking to might be a future boss or employee. It’s your job to make sure that they feel at home around you and want to come and speak to you. Connection in the industry are everything, Aita says.
HAVE A SIDE HUSTLE
You want your main gig to be in fashion. But because the work can be a bit stop-start, especially when you’re new to the industry, it’s a good idea to have something on the side to pay the bills. Nataliya Makulova from Spring, says that people new to the fashion industry should have some sort of side hustle, besides their primary job. Perhaps they could work as a tutor or have a job at the weekend. Whatever it is, it needs to provide enough income to sustain you through times when business is slow. You may not always be able to get the business you want, and you could be dropped by your biggest clients, especially if you’re not locked into a contract.
DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT AND GO FOR IT
There’s a lot of truth to Nike’s logo: “Just do it.” Nothing gets done unless you do it, and Nike knows this. As one of the most successful fashion brands in the world, they should.
Some people suffer from a phenomenon called “growth anxiety.” It’s where they’re afraid of changing their lives in any significant way because they don’t want to become better people. It’s a common problem according to Kathleen Elie, the chief editor and ConsciousNChic. She says that people should decide what they want to do and make sure they love it. Passion is a great substitute for willpower and can take you much further.