Fashion Journalism

[jennifer716]

Originally Posted by jackieonassis

How did you manage to get those? Is there any way that I can acquire a copy?

Not sure but I think they're reserved for press mainly... they won't just deliver them to anybody. But I work at a fashion magazine and got friendly with the Public Relations for Prada here and they just them me over in case I wanted to feature anything Prada in a spread in the future.

The fashion editors and the long time fashion jounralists all getthem automatically delivered from all the design houses every season without a word though.... but they have to know who you are... or you have to work for some place major.

[jackieonassis]

Originally Posted by jennifer716

Not sure but I think they're reserved for press mainly... they won't just deliver them to anybody. But I work at a fashion magazine and got friendly with the Public Relations for Prada here and they just them me over in case I wanted to feature anything Prada in a spread in the future.

The fashion editors and the long time fashion jounralists all getthem automatically delivered from all the design houses every season without a word though.... but they have to know who you are... or you have to work for some place major.

Ok...thanks. I know some people in that industry so I will see what I can do.

[DP_woman]

Is writing at a newspaper a good way to get into magazines? Becuase it seems like newspaper reporter jobs are easy to come by. I live in a major city and the biggest paper here is always hiring, if you have some prior experience and are motivated to succeed.

btw Stargirl, that was an interesting article and well written, Im sure you have a bright future ahead. I agree with the artilce too, teen mags are so corny nowadays. Seventeen used to be good when I was a kids, I especially liked the "embarrassing moments" section, haha....and they had stories about lots of REAL people. But now, its all about corny trends and celebs.

[yangyang]

Originally Posted by Stargirl52

Wow... I just typed a post that got deleted.

Anyway, I'm kicking off the writing sharing. I wrote this a few months ago when I was in a piss with Girlfriend magazine for various reasons. Reading back over it, it's very short and bad, but I'd love some opinions etc.



Don't be too harsh, I'm just a little kid!

-G.

i love you work, but i think there are too many questions in the first paragraph.
i love this thread, i am so late to be here. i hope all the fashion journalists can keep up this thread to help newbies like me....hehhe

[yangyang]

where are all the fashion journalists? like to share your experience?

[jennifer716]

Originally Posted by yangyang

where are all the fashion journalists? like to share your experience?

hereeee!! what would you like to know?

[yangyang]

know how to be one loh? i mean how to become a fashion journalist my dream you know.....:-p

[verb]

Originally Posted by yangyang

where are all the fashion journalists? like to share your experience?

I apologize if my qualifications aren't 100% on the mark but I've been writing for about six years now as a journalist with non-fashion mags and can offer some advice (although the previous posters have said most everything!).

Many of you are asking how to 'get started,' but I must stress that that is not the proper question. If you're passionate about your writing and fashion, you should already be started! Find some pictures, online or in magazines, and start WRITING. Whether it be for a blog, a website, or a little fashion zine you pass out to your friends, the first thing that I look for as an Editor In Chief is the ambition and motivation that demonstrates your love of the topic at hand. For example, we just hired two writers who have little to no professional experience but went around and flew themselves to a few events per year and constantly wrote about it in their blogs. If you have the will to go out and put together solid work without any pay, you WILL get noticed.

As for backgrounds and preparation, I personally took the path of Creative Writing in college. My actual English grades were mediocre and I didn't display much interest in pursuing it out of highschool but eventually I fell into the major and noticed that the concepts taught in these classes apply almost equally well for journalists! Writing poetry, prose, and a variety of other mediums forces you to work outside of the box with your subject and your vocabulary and writing style will develop magnificently.

With that said, however, I have to admit that the path to becoming a journalist seems very random from my perspective. People who work extremely hard in school and go through the usual steps (technical writing or journalism major, work at the school newspaper, yadda yadda) don't have a surefire entry-point into the field and neither do those who pursued the same path as me. In the end, it comes down to knowing the right people, being in the right place at the right time, and above all loving what you do. If you spend five years writing about fashion and constantly working to improve your style and flow, I guarantee that you'll find a company that inspires you, which will lead to bigger and better things!

[yangyang]

Originally Posted by jennifer716

hereeee!! what would you like to know?

hey, thanks for replying first. i just want to know how you get the job in a magazine? and usually how you cover all your fashion stories? will you atten fashion show to get news? will you get the chance to interview models?

and here is some questions bout you? are you hkness or are u living and working in hk? i am from guangzhou.

[yangyang]

Originally Posted by verb

I apologize if my qualifications aren't 100% on the mark but I've been writing for about six years now as a journalist with non-fashion mags and can offer some advice (although the previous posters have said most everything!).

Many of you are asking how to 'get started,' but I must stress that that is not the proper question. If you're passionate about your writing and fashion, you should already be started! Find some pictures, online or in magazines, and start WRITING. Whether it be for a blog, a website, or a little fashion zine you pass out to your friends, the first thing that I look for as an Editor In Chief is the ambition and motivation that demonstrates your love of the topic at hand. For example, we just hired two writers who have little to no professional experience but went around and flew themselves to a few events per year and constantly wrote about it in their blogs. If you have the will to go out and put together solid work without any pay, you WILL get noticed.

As for backgrounds and preparation, I personally took the path of Creative Writing in college. My actual English grades were mediocre and I didn't display much interest in pursuing it out of highschool but eventually I fell into the major and noticed that the concepts taught in these classes apply almost equally well for journalists! Writing poetry, prose, and a variety of other mediums forces you to work outside of the box with your subject and your vocabulary and writing style will develop magnificently.

With that said, however, I have to admit that the path to becoming a journalist seems very random from my perspective. People who work extremely hard in school and go through the usual steps (technical writing or journalism major, work at the school newspaper, yadda yadda) don't have a surefire entry-point into the field and neither do those who pursued the same path as me. In the end, it comes down to knowing the right people, being in the right place at the right time, and above all loving what you do. If you spend five years writing about fashion and constantly working to improve your style and flow, I guarantee that you'll find a company that inspires you, which will lead to bigger and better things!

i just really appreciate this. have fun

[jennifer716]

Originally Posted by yangyang

hey, thanks for replying first. i just want to know how you get the job in a magazine? and usually how you cover all your fashion stories? will you atten fashion show to get news? will you get the chance to interview models?

and here is some questions bout you? are you hkness or are u living and working in hk? i am from guangzhou.

I went to uni in England and I'm now living and working in HK. It takes a lot of determination to get a job in a magazine because a lot of the time they're not looking for new staff. I'm not actually permanent staff even now and I didn't do a journalism background. I'm still an intern but I do get to write and I do get to conduct interviews. I don't get given huge stories or major people to interview because those are reserved for those with more experience. You have to work several years to land big people. My editor recently interviewed Karl Lagerfeld for example but I would no way be given that chance in my current position.

I don't really attend fashion shows even though I do get invites because we don't write about fashion shows every single month so its a bit pointless. As to how I got the job, I pestered them. it took a month to get the job and I went in for 3 interviews.

[yangyang]

hello, karl legerfeld..... this is almost crazy and i guess your editor must be working for elle or cosmopolitan. this is so cool.

i hope you don't mind me for asking follow-up questions

what do they required you for getting the internship?
working as not a permenant member, do you get paid? haha

you have been through 3 interviews just for this internship? what kind of questions they asked during interviews?

finally , wish you the best of luck for your work

[evisu donna]

Originally Posted by DP_woman

Is writing at a newspaper a good way to get into magazines? Becuase it seems like newspaper reporter jobs are easy to come by. I live in a major city and the biggest paper here is always hiring, if you have some prior experience and are motivated to succeed.

I'm wondering the same

By the way, this thread is cool, I never saw it but now I finally did

[chicfay]

how much can you make if you work as a journalist?
how hard is it getting into magazines like vogue and elle? and how much would one earn if working for one of those magazines?

[jennifer716]

It's okay for the question... Yes I get paid. No its not elle or cosmo. I work for an english speaking magazine and over here, Elle and Cosmo are chinese. But.... I do work for a really well respected publication in Asia. You can PM me if you want more but I don't really wanna post it out in the open.

Yes, I do get paid. The magazine just launched this year so the budget isn't huge but my editor just extended my contract out to the end of the year cause they wanna keep me. She's trying to get me more money but its hard to get stuff like that approved.. however, she is paying me on a freelance rate for stuff I write for the other magazine she's editor of to bring me extra money... any other questions just PM me!