How to Get Work in Fashion Magazine Publishing (see Post #1 for related threads)

[so_pink]

Moderator's Note: Related threads

Discussion about who does what on a magazine (job descriptions) can be found here: Careers / Jobs / Positions in Magazine Publishing

Discussion about education for a career in publishing is here: What Education is Needed to get into Magazines / Publishing?



my ultimate goal is to work in NYC under a fashion/life style magazine...i know to the get there is extremely well...almost impossible.. but im a very ambitious, driven kind of person..so im willing to go through the long hours of interning & education to get to that position. im entering college (undergraduate) in the fall...its not a well known university or anything like that, so im thinking i have to work twice as hard to earn my joint or single degree in business-marketing..(minor: art history or journalism). a lot of ppl have told me that you dont even need a college education to be at the top..(positions like fashion accessories director, marketing director, that kind of thing)... im planning to transfer colleges after 2 years..to a more metropolitian area: NYC.. is the business/mba the right path...or should i go straight into interning like crazy??? (either way, im going to graduate from college)..
oh..is it just me..or does everyone want to be the next anna wintour?well..at least in my case.. after seeing "13 going on 30", ppl see it as some sort of easy,goodpaying glamourous life... it defenetly not EASY. im more concerned than most fashionistas about first impressions.. considering the fact that im no where near the physical standards of the fashion industry.. im not tall with long slender legs & flawless features. im no where near that actually. but i love love fashion..an di see myself committed to it... i guess thats why im not giving up on it yet.......
id really appreciate any comments, suggestions, information about my situation... whats really my chance at it? oh..i almost forgot......... if the american idustry dosnt go as planned....im going to go for teh korean magazine industry (pretty much the same as american ones)

thank you!!!

 

[Sephora_Socialite]

I wish you luck and it is very hard. it will take you years of starting from the bottom and moving up....and you don't have to be fabolously beautiful to be a editor anyways...Leon the editor of Vogue isn't exactly a looker. What got him there is his hard work and talent.

 

[kathween555]

good luck to u too! yes, everyone wants to be the next anna. work hard and keep dreaming. i want to do exactly the same thing as you. i love it and i just LIVE for it.
i'm double majoring in english and journalism and going into my 3rd year. its really text book tho, going to finish undergrad and do some magazine journalism postgrad. NYC is beautiful, I can't wait. see u there!

 

[Luna]

Networking plays in too... Its all about who you work for and get to know...

Good luck!

 

[Purr]

luna is right, i'd start networking as soon as possible

 

[softgrey]

forget the mba...waste of time...unless you want to do fashion pr...

 

[CelineChic]

I worked for Elle in Canada. Mostly for Elle Quebec but also did stuff for the English Canadian version because they had a lot of similar articles and they often used the same research for both.

My advice is to get your but in there and do internships (unpaid). It will be rough if you have no other means of supporting yourself but you could maybe get help from family or husband, or you could work a paying job at nights.

Almost all the people that I worked with has started off as interns (making copies, typing stuff, doing paper work, organizing meetings, pouring coffee....basically slave work)

The longer you're there the more stuff they let you do because you learn more about it.

Nothing in school will teach you about the magazine industry, its more like a trade that one has to learn through experience (internships). I have quite the education and nothing I learned in school really helped me in the magazine industry except for the PR stuff, which is what SoftGrey said. I think that’s the only time I found my MBA useful. It is quite sad when you think about it.

 

[Salope]

Check out www.ed2010.com it's a really good site for internship listings and general info on the publishing business.

 

[fashionistasista]

fashion magazine editor / how to?

hey guys get ready for a big question.............. (and an even bigger appreciacion for replying!!!)
my aim in this industry is to become a leading fashion mag editor (yes i can hear the 'keep dreamin honey's') BUT- i am very driven!!
here's my problem - (well obviously one of them!!) i live in australia , which has a very distinct (alright copying ) attitude toward international RTW and coturiers. and its in the middle of no - where
i am at a cross roads in my life where i have a couple of options after leaving high school
- i have been offered the opportunity to be trained at a leading australian (magazine based) publishing house
- i have also been accepted into the top aussie fashion school in fash design
- or i could go over seas and try my luck there
- or... ???
my main question is - what is the best way to take this career path - to gain connections? publishing exp? fashion design exp? all of the above and ahould i (definatly) try my options over seas????
help me!!

 

[criticsdarling]

I'd say intern as much as possible in the type places you'd want to work

 

[stilista]

Stay where you are There are more and more well respected magazines & designers coming out of Australia, and it's a smaller market, so you stand a better chance of doing well. If you move to London or NY you'll find it much harder to get a foot in the door.

Once you've worked for an Aussie magazine you can think about moving abroad into a better position! Good luck!

 

[softgrey]

you don't need a degree in fashion design unless you watn to be a fashion designer...
if you want to work at a mag,...then the sooner you get some experience, the better...

 

[Sephora_Socialite]

Get as many oppertunities there in Australia first. The industry there is smaller and you can work your way up and gain some valuable experience. If you really want to work overseas then that experience would go a long way, specially if you're trying to get into a big internationally sold magazine based somewhere like new york. You said that you have been offered training at a Aussie publishing house....that sounds like a good step in the door to me

 

[Ceptuouse]

Get as many oppertunities there in Australia first. The industry there is smaller and you can work your way up and gain some valuable experience. If you really want to work overseas then that experience would go a long way, specially if you're trying to get into a big internationally sold magazine based somewhere like new york. You said that you have been offered training at a Aussie publishing house....that sounds like a good step in the door to me

I agree, and Also you may benefit from writing for a fashion Magazine in Austrailia, You could try and gain your highest position, But after a while if your still not happy you could move to a different country work your way up and your career in Austrailia will help you significantly

 

[DancingQueen]

My vote is with option number 1, the training with the publichsing company. You can, certainly go to school after that. But if you want to be an editor I would also start writing and trying to get published, even if it is with small, regional or local newspapers or magazines, on topics focused on fashion.

Good luck!

 

[traceyv]

Well, for starters I would go to college and get a degree in journalism. While you're getting your degree, get published as much as possible: college newspaper, local mags, etc. Then, try to intern at a large magazine to make connections while you learn the ropes. Being a fashion editor is as much about knowing fashion as it is being a good writer and an even better editor. You MUST know your words!

 

[softgrey]

excuse me...but apparently some people don't know what a fashion editor is or does...
a fashion editor does not WRITE...they style the images which appear in a magazine....
basically tell a story-through imagery...

the fashion WRITERS...write...

 

[DancingQueen]

Softgrey's wisdom never fails...a fashion editor is the overseer of the conceptual imagery of the magazine for the season. However, I think being able to write and having your ideas or opinions regarding fashion published can not possibly hurt.

 

[Lena]

very true dancingQueen..
one needs some basic writting skills when working as a fashion editor,
even if that is just for deciding on editorial titles and shooting intros

 

[softgrey]

..
well... being able to READ AND WRITE in general is a good skill to have...
OBVIOUSLY...

you're not going to get very far in life otherwise...
but i didn't think that needed to be stressed...
seems kind of OBVIOUS....
even to the SIMPLEST of 'minds'...


...
FYI-many fashion editors do not write even the titles of their stories...
there are WRITERS>>>who do all of this..and THEY have journalism degrees...