What Education is Needed to get into Magazines / Publishing?

[lara_banana]

I want to get a job doing something in fashion magazines, like editorials, and styling...
But i was wondering if anyone knows what education is involved and what school they would recommend. (i live in Australia but i want to go overseas to study)
And also if anyone is currently in this industry, do they have any tips???
Thank you

[winnie1080]

Yeah, im a guy and i also would like to get into that type of stuff. If there is an insight could some1 please paste a reply.

[|PerfectTonight|]

lara_banana and winnie1080, so do you guys want to work as stylists, photographers, make up artists or what? Digital/lay out designers? Publicists? I think you need to decide precisely what part of the job you're interested in before taking the second step. Working for a fashion magazine involves different jobs and education. Hope it helped!

[Lena]

for fashion styling there are no special studies required (in europe anyway..)
some knowledge of fashion history and all the current designers/labels/trends is helpfull but no special 'academic' studies really
good PR and a pleasant hard working personality is a must

[BetteT]

Lena, it's pretty much the same here in the States ... at least for freelance stylists. No specific schooling is required ... in fact there are only a couple of schools that even offer a decent fashion styling course. And we do get to do magazine editorials as freelance stylists ... no money in it unless you are an ultra famous stylist, but we need them for our resumes and portfolios, so we do them for marketing purposes.

I could be wrong, but I think that that most stylists working directly (usually called "fashion editors") for magazines came from the inside ... not from the freelance world. Fashion editors often get their jobs by working for the magazine in another capacity ... like assisting an editor or writing a column ... almost anything. Many come in as interns. So I'd think that studying English and journalism as well as fashion, might land you that entry level job at a fashion magazine and then you have to work up the ranks.

[lara_banana]

I wasnt thinking about styling... mainly something to do with writing the fashion articles and editiorials.
I know im not exactly sure at the moment but ive got work experience planned at a few different magazines. And hopefully then ill know exactly what i want to do!
Thank you for your help anyway!!

[johnniecrystie]

Look i'm a former fashion industry worker and it's all in who you no but most important it's knowing your the best in your own right no matter what others think and dont take no for an answer and do what you feel trends are for regular people... Now ask your self are you regular?

[lara_banana]

lol yea i ask myself that everyday!!!
well i go to a pretty up market hairdresser who does all the stars and to magazine editors, so that how ive been able to get work experience in a magazine... so ive learnt very fast that its who you know!!

[Lena]

lara, if you are interested in writing fashion articles, just put up a list of topics that may interest you, create a 'test' article or two and move on from there.. you can actually just mail them around and check reactions

[fairywings]

Haha. Okay, now this is a question I can definitely answer seeing as how I spent a great deal of time looking into this a few months back. Let's see...

There's a number of ways and a few different factors that can get you working for a magazine. First and foremost, going to college will already put your foot in the door. Usually companies are looking for a BA in Journalism and/or Fashion Design. And basically no matter what kind of degree you have, you'll have to start from the bottom anyway. I would suggest getting an internship with whatever magazine you want to work for during your junior or senior year. It'll probably be entry work and definitely ****ty, but you'll learn sooo much and experience is really all that matters. The magazine, if they like you, will most likely hire you as an assistant or the "closet organizer" (hehe). And you'll just climb the ladder. You'll be gaining experience and dealing with "important" people in the business. And if the magazine doesn't offer you a job, then another mag will. If you have a BA, experience, and a passion for fashion writing or styling, someone will hire you.

If you wanna know more, go to yahoo and type in Fashion Journalism or Fashion Writer and you'll get a bunch of helpful sites.

[Lena]

great reply fairywings, welcome to tFS
.. still if someone can write well and if what they write is exactly what the magazine needs they may just give a journalist post straight away..
i've seen this happening its not neccessary that someone will start from 'closet organiser' there are always the exceptions

[lara_banana]

Thank you all sooo much for the advice! Fairywings, thank you and ill definitly look into those areas of study!

[hugobossdaria]

what about a fashion photographer ?

[Lena]

obviously you need to go to a photography/art college

[fairy]

that's a great thread, thanx for starting it, Lara. I'm very interested in writing in general as well as for magazines
thanx for all the useful tips, everybody. I just have one more question: I live in Austria but next year I'll move to London to study Creative Writing. do you think that this study will bring me closer to my dream career?
thanx!