F A S H I O N // Vogue Festival

For fashion graduates everywhere, the “Want to work in fashion?” seminar at vogue fest last weekend was an absolute God send! With Alexandra Shulman, Louise Wilson, Sarah Burton, Lisa Armstrong and Daniel Marks all giving advice on how to make it within their areas of the industry, it was an opportunity I was not prepared to miss! I got my arse straight down to Southbank for the second day running, for what was probably the most enlightening hour of my life.

I admit, I was most excited to hear what Louise Wilson had to say about the CSM Ma course. I still (tucked away in the back of my mind) aim to complete my masters in fashion design there, but it’s something I’m not ready to go on to do yet.  I still have so much I want to learn about the industry and myself first, however I was itching to hear her opinion about the course and future applicants, and she didn’t disappoint. I expected a cold harsh woman, and I guess that’s what I got. Every time someone cracked a joke or made a witty remark I would find myself glancing in her direction to clock her reaction. There rarely was one. She has such an assured, powerful presence and I have a strange admiration (or maybe it’s fear) for her, so I sat there eyeing  her like a hawk, pen in hand, ready to absorb every word she said.

For those who are interested, I thought I'd share some of their wisdom with you. Having already made that terrifying leap from the security of the university sewing room out into the big wide world of fashion, I know how daunting it can be, so here you go! (You can thank me later when you're all rich and famous)!

Lesson one: Be Accurate

One thing that everyone agreed with (especially where journalism is concerned) was the importance of accuracy. We all know this of course, but how many of us really check over our work ten million times before sending it out for everyone to see? I’m one of those people who in a rush, will read through my blog post once for grammatical errors before hitting the post button. And every time I find myself re-editing it five/ six times throughout the day as I spot more and more mistakes. It’s frustrating and I always tell myself, “next time I’ll take my time and have someone else read over it”, and funnily enough since this seminar I’ve been finding myself carefully editing and approving multiple times before posting anything. I still spot mistakes, but hey, it’s a learning curve!
Lisa Armstrong told us how despite her mantra “accuracy, accuracy, accuracy”, after graduating she sent out her CV’s with the wrong phone number on it. Daniel Marks also shared some embarrassing stories involving poorly edited emails he’d sent, so of course everyone makes mistakes  and “every mistake that comes your way is something to learn from”. Wise words Daniel...
Alexandra Shulman added that one of her biggest turn offs when it comes to hiring new people is a sloppy email. Moral of the story here, take your bloody time before hitting send!

Lesson two: Be professional

Most people assume that to work in fashion you have to be some glittery fashionista. This simply isn’t true and most (if not all) employers will always pick outstanding skills over how well you’re wearing this season’s midi skirt.
That doesn't mean you get to slack off and wear your uggs to an interview though...   The way you look reflects you as a person, so of course you’re going to want to give the best possible first impression of yourself.  Alexandra Schulman calls it “looking appealing to the eye”. It’s one we all know, but trying to look ‘fashion’ instead of being yourself will make you feel uncomfortable and that may end up being all they remember you for.
Another important factor to consider when applying for that role- remember who you’re writing too. Don’t ever tweet someone asking for a job, always email or call if necessary.  Both Lisa and Alexandra also ensure you be careful about the tone; it’s hard to get a certain tone of voice across in an email, so  opening with “Hi Lisa…” isn’t going to cut it. And always remember that grammar!
This is mainly interview advice here, but a few other things Alexandra looks for in a strong candidate is someone who’s able to chat easily, is able to ask questions and show engagement and most importantly- has a strong handshake!

Lesson three: Be realistic

One point I remember very well (as it’s one I’ve come across a lot), was from Lisa Armstrong in discussion about interns.  She explained how after taking on interns in the past she’s discovered them complaining about not wanting to be there and wanting to write for someone like Vogue. Of course, working for a company like Vogue is on top of most of our career lists, but let’s be realistic. You’ve just come out of university; of course you’re unlikely to land your dream job within six months. You have to be prepared to work hard to get where you want. Whether that takes one year or twenty, it’s a journey you have to take in order to fill that position well and do a good job of it!

We all know those people, the ones who stand around whining about how they’re too good to be where they are (but who you’ve never actually seen do any work).  Or the ones who graduate and are immediately disappointed they didn’t land that head designer role. Lisa explains how when you’re just starting out you can’t be grand about what you’re doing. It doesn’t matter where you are or what you’re doing, we’ve all got to muck in and get our hands dirty. Work your arse off now, prove yourself, learn and better yourself time and time again. Just because you have a degree now doesn’t mean you’re any better anyone else in the industry. You have to prove yourself by hard work and eventually you'll be thanked for it. 

Lesson four: Being nice is underrated

This is something that a lot of people forget. We’re constantly told how competitive the industry is, how little opportunities there are and how we should all be prepared to fight to do well. So it’s no wonder that some get caught up in the competition and forget that actually, it’s 100% more important to make friends on the job. “Niceness is terrifically underrated” says Lisa Armstrong, and she’s absolutely right. The more people you get to know the more people you have who will be willing to get your name out there and recommend you for different opportunities. You never know what contacts other people have, so there’s no harm in being friendly, open and warm. And be humble. No one wants to work with someone who thinks they’re the most incredible thing since McQueen. You’re not.

And besides, getting to know other creative people who love what they do is amazing! Make friends with people from every corner of the industry- they’ll provide you with no end of inspiration, and it doesn’t matter how experienced they are, you can learn from everyone.

Lesson five: Get your skills across

When it comes to working in design, having a beautiful portfolio of work to showcase how incredible you are is crucial. Sarah Burton explained how she usually prefers a rougher portfolio than an overly edited version. Leafing through someone’s quick sketches and original sources of inspiration gives you a real feel of who they are as a designer and how they work. Louise Wilson goes on to explain how she looks for just one strong talent, whether that be an incredibly skilled eye for colour, drawing or 3D.

She went on to explain how (as I first thought) they don’t just‘sift’ through portfolios. She looks for people who specialize in one thing and are prepared to push themselves in that field, as well as looking for human contact within a portfolio. An evidence of pen to paper and an emotional connection between the artist and their work seems an important element to her. You might say she looks for passion rather than 'work', as she goes on to say how designing “shouldn’t be hard work- you should want to do it”.

Lesson six: Work damn hard

An obvious point to make perhaps, but you’d be surprised at how many people want something for nothing. If any of you reading this are currently at Uni you’ll know exactly what I mean when I say there always people like this on every course. The people who claim to be working so so hard, but aren’t getting anywhere. Well, the truth is they’re not actually doing much work and that’s all there is to it.
A lot of people will disagree with me here (and I imagine a lot of eye rolling), but I’m all too happy to put my work before my social life. Perhaps because I’m one of those losers whose work actually is their social life, but I think if you want to get anywhere then you have to be prepared to hold a full time job, work throughout the evenings and give up your weekends. Lisa explained how during her first job she was also freelancing and working weekends, so if she can do it, so can the rest of us!

If you really want something you have to prove you love it and that you’re passionate about it, so spending your free time doing what you love isn’t going to feel like a chore, it’ll feel amazing!  Lisa also mentioned how lucky we are being a generation growing up with the internet. We have a way to self-publish ourselves- for free! An opportunity to practice to a live audience and determine what people really want to read and wear!

“Persist and it will all come together”

Lesson seven: It’s all about the journey

Louise Wilson made a really good point about developing your skills and finding your way by working with the skill you have; “it’s about doing your own research and thinking about what you think is good enough. It’s a journey, a game between the course leaders and the applicants”.
Designing is a creative journey, anyone who has created a collection knows that. We all know how important the research process is, meticulous and passionate research results in a passionate collection. Sarah Burton spoke quite a lot about the creative process and about how “inspiration doesn’t have to be intellectual. It’s about being inspired by what’s around you and feeling something about it”. The same can be said about your career journey. Lisa Armstrong make a great point when she said there’s “no set route into any career. Work hard and it’ll happen. You have to create your own opportunities by working hard.”

That journey throughout your career, working with different people on multiple different projects is your own creative journey. In the words of Louise Wilson “You may not know exactly where you’re going, but it’s the journey the counts”.

Hannah