How I Made It in Fashion

review by Amy Green

photography by Chu Ting Ng

Last night, the Fashion Society kicked off its programme of careers events with How I Made It in Fashion – an opportunity to find out how five women from across the industry took their first steps towards success. Around fifty LSE students gathered at WEXO Towers on the Strand to listen to talks by fashion journalists, brand managers, boutique owners and designers. And, in true student style, drink free wine and receive goody bags.

A common theme througout the evening was the sheer hard work required to be a success in such a competitive industry. Whatever the career path, the women all talked of long hours and menial tasks. Kinvara Balfour, most recently London Editor for DailyCandy.com, spoke of her entry-level positions in fashion journalism as being just like The Devil Wears Prada. One evening in particular stood out in her mind. At 7:30pm, just about to leave to meet friends for dinner, she received a phone call telling her to immediately source dozens of dresses for a shoot scheduled to take place at 9am the following morning. Though disagreeing with the Devil simile (!), Emily Zak, currently Retail Editor at Vogue UK, talked of working 90-hour weeks for her internships and entry level Fashion Assistant roles. Meanwhile Kate Canvin emphasised the months and months she spent researching markets and brands before even deciding to set up her boutique, Austique.

On a completely different note, the panelists weren’t particularly enamoured with fashion’s most recent development: fashion blogging. Zak argued that, though it is great that people without traditional fashion journalism experience are able to air their views, they are doing so in exactly the same way as print magazines without bringing anything new to the table. Balfour backed this up, stating that blogs are just one of a number of important media in fashion and it is unlikely that an individual’s blog could become a feasible business. Sorry, Qualified!

However, all agreed that the internet has had a huge impact on the industry. Chloe Lonsdale, founder of the re-established brand Made in Heaven jeans, noted that if you want to become a successful designer or store, it is now absolutely vital to have a strong web presence with an online store or online stockists. Zak pointed to the success of Net A Porter as evidence of this trend. So, if you’re tech-savvy there might be some fantastic opportunities in fashion web development, social media and online marketing out there for you and this would be well worth exploring.

What really stood out was the sheer diversity of backgrounds these women came from, and the huge range of roles available within the industry. Wherever your skills lie, and whatever experience you have, there will be a role that fits, whether it’s writing, design, marketing, management, computer programming or something else. As Lonsdale said, if you find a talent for something, anything, it gives you such confidence and that boost to really go for it.

Obvious, though, was the group’s shared love of clothing and fashion pre-dating their specific career choices. To get anywhere in any subsection of the industry, you need to know what you’re talking about inside out – as well as the usual knowledge about what’s hot right now, you need to know about brand heritage, cultural and historical references in fashion and why designers are designing their products in a particular way. What’s the inspiration? What do you personally like? And, as you’ll need to work your butt off to stand out, if your heart isn’t completely in it, if you only ‘kinda like’ fashion, you’ll most likely find yourself resenting the long hours and tea-making that nearly all potential fashionistas need to put in at the start of their careers.

The night was a fantastic insight for those of us hoping to work in fashion or, really, any creative industry not normally showcased on a campus characterised by the ‘banking-consulting-finance’ stranglehold. What I most took heart from is that there are diverse opportunities out there, things that don’t involve global finance and hedge funds and lawyers, and those opportunities are very much open to us all as LSE graduates.

The ladies’ best careers advice? Work hard, be polite and do what you’re asked to do! It’s a hard grind, but the rewards are more than worth it.

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If you couldn’t make the event, the Fashion Society will be uploading a full video of the evening so you don’t miss out. And look out for more Fashion Society careers events throughout the year on our Facebook page.