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

[prosperk]

i just have to add...
the title of 'Fashion Editor' requires NO ACTUAL WRITING...

What about all the thank-you e-mails and notes to press officers for all the freebies?

B)

PK

 

[prosperk]

Prince of Cats, before deciding on what to do for my Masters degree, I got the requirements for journalism at Columbia in NYC.... in order for them to accept me for an MA, they needed me to have been published in national press, or to be the author of a published novel.... what BA degree I had was actually made to be irrelevant by their requirements...

which goes to prove PK's point regarding journalism to be close to the truth....

Quod erat demonstrandum... It sounds a bit "clubbish" to me. Mind you, I cut my teeth in London where more than a few of my peers would tell you that offering editors a toot in the toilets of certain Soho clubs was a far surer way of getting published than three years of journalism studies. So the modern NYC model, whilst just as cabal-like in nature, is at least better for one's sinuses. The trick was to feed it to editors whilst avoiding consumption oneself. After all, you need your head together to write once you have been commissioned...

I personally think that any kind of education is extremely valuable to anyone and everybody.... however, from my personal experience in the field, no matter how many degrees in journalism you get, all you actually need is talent, because writing is something that really cannot be taught... you can either do it or you can't and there is nothing you can be taught at uni to improve this.... it's one of those things that shows from the minute you can hold the pencil and write your name.

Absolutely! But this is a stark truth guaranteed to infuriate all the talentless types who bought into the idea that getting a degree in writing would see them inheriting the laurels of Fleet Street's and Gotham's greatest scribblers. One sees the same thing in action in Fashion and Cinema too. Propagating the notion that one needs a degree in journalism is merely an attempt to blackball talent from the private members' club envisioned by people with vested interests in mediocity and control. There are people who would very much like to exclude anyone who has not been through the social and political selection process constituted by our top colleges on both sides of the Pond.

How many prizes and awards are given out to people who don't play the game? Some of the best journalists and writers I know have never won a single award in their field. But this isn't the venue for a debate on the state of the media in general in the West today so perhaps we should drop it and focus on positive things.

PK

 

[afriyie]

I have always wanted to edit and I was advised to go to school as well as get some exposure. I am studying Fashion Buying and Merchandising and I feel it has taught me a lot. Freelance defintely does not pay the rent but I know this and that's why I want to edit "in house".

I'm not really into the writing part so much. What I want to do is come up with the concepts behind fashion spreads and create a "vibe". I don't know if we are both talking about the same thing.

\

so what fashion careers "at least" pays alot to where you live comfortabley.
like 70k to 90k. cuz ana wintour, leon-tally, and roitfeld are millionaires.

 

[softgrey]

What about all the thank-you e-mails and notes to press officers for all the freebies?

B)

PK

that's what assts are for...

 

[softgrey]

\

so what fashion careers "at least" pays alot to where you live comfortabley.
like 70k to 90k. cuz ana wintour, leon-tally, and roitfeld are millionaires.

the non creative supporting roles often pay pretty well...
ie-bookings editor...producer...
basically-babysitter and nursemaid
booking hotels, caterers, location permits..etc...

it's a sh*t job but someone's got to do it..

 

[pinksatin]

Just to add for others reading this thread... another reason to think about getting a degree is that you don't know what the future will be like. How many times does the average person change careers again? It's just good to have because it's a weeding out tool in a lot of jobs when they're hiring. This is just what I've heard...

 

[fashionistasista]

the non creative supporting roles often pay pretty well...
ie-bookings editor...producer...
basically-babysitter and nursemaid
booking hotels, caterers, location permits..etc...

it's a sh*t job but someone's got to do it..

also.. i dont think Anna or Carine were ever not well off.

most other jobs pay quite badly (well it depends on what other industry you are comparing it to - much better than being a manager of a fast food resteraunt for example but alot less than laywers/ accountants etc etc)- but you do get lots of perks.

the people who DO get paid over 6 figures are the people in Conde Nast (and other large publishing houses) corporate. If you want security in a magazine world perhaps try publicity or advertising and other jobs in the corporate world.

im pretty happy doing what i love at the moment, but im definitely just as poor as some of my uni friends who work half as many hours as i do (i am in a junior position in a mag publishing house).

 

[Lucy_Birkin]

Wanna work for Vogue-What do I need?

Hey guys, if someone wants to work for Vougue, for example assistant, what does he need?
Any special school, skills...
What is the income of the assistants?
How is it possible that they always wear such expensive clothes? Do they make so much money? Or they have a free access to the Vogue closet? (which I dont believe that much, that happens in movies....)

 

[xPedro]

I think he needs to do a university hahahaha

 

[pout306]

I was just reading somwhere (forget where now) that fashin ***. at condenast make VERY VERY LITTLE either high 20s or low low 30s

 

[Cicciolina]

Anna Wintour's assistant in I think 2004-2005 made US$40,000 (not including benefits and other perks) in comparison to Anna Wintour's $2 million salary (and her perks are amazing).

The pay for assistants isn't great so it really isn't something you go into for the money.

Vogue itself is a huge company though so you need to be a bit more specific I think about which area you want to go into, which country, etc.

They get to wear designer clothes because they probably are privy to discounts at some brands (ie can buy it at wholesale or at least very heavily reduced - remember designers want people who work at Vogue to like their brands, so they will mention it in the magazine, thus increase sales) and they will also have some sample sales which will be open to certain people (ie Vogue staff). Or, more often than not, they come from a wealthy family themselves who support them so they don't have rely on their pitiful wage.

It's probably more realistic to aim for a job in 'fashion magazines' or 'fashion editorial' or 'styling' rather than just Vogue because you may limit yourself. In addition, it's crazily competitive - imagine how many girls out there in the world want to work at Vogue? And yes, it's the whole lame "a million girls would kill for this job" - lame, but probably true nowadays.

 

[papa_levante]

You'd better have a damn good résumé to be even considered!

 

[educo]

You need CONNECTIONS more than anything else!!

 

[Lucy_Birkin]

You need CONNECTIONS more than anything else!!

Hmmm, that is very sad

 

[BerlinRocks]

Hmmm, that is very sad

try and s*** Charlie.... it could help...

no seriously... send your resume.... every two months...
have you ever worked before in fashion?
why don't you try another magazine?
why Vogue?
you wanna be asst. of what? casting director? stylist? food editor?
which Vogue?? i'm reading you're from Slovakia... why don't you try any Vogue in Europe??

and please stop talking about money.... i know it's important esp. if you have to go far from home... but i think it's ever been discussed : being asst. doesn't make you a rich guy.... if you're paid 100€ for one shoot you're already very lucky!
a lot of asst need to work next to their job.

to help you read through these :
http://www.thefashionspot.com/forums/f90/all-about-internships-work-experience-placements-34819.html
http://www.thefashionspot.com/forums/f90/how-become-fashion-stylist-10408.html

 

[~Gina~]

you need to REALLY know someone from there.
A friend of mine has a grandma whose sun either owes the German Vogue ( publisher) or
just is a high banana inthere. ( I don`t know exactly what he is.)
So my friend wanted to do a practical training there (she is still going to university)
and she was rejected. (...ok she got into an other very well-recomended newspaper in here: http://www.sueddeutsche.de/ ; has nearly only intellectual readers and usually NO one gets there until they don`t have a special profession).
They need people who already have some special abilities ( IT etc.). What you could do is asking them in a letter/email if they do need someone and what they actually expect of that someone. I could guess they need journalists, IT people...( an education at Parsons maybe won`t hurt )
Then you can work your way up. But trust me getting in there is hard.

What you could try if you live in a "fashion-show-city" is to become an assistant ( helping models etc. ) on fashion shows. It`s lousy and stressful but you get a very good insight into the hole thing. ( but again it depend on what you are exactly interested in). But you need a lot of time for this.
Does "cravat rouge" on the fashion shows in Paris, tell you something?

 

[tocceve]

Vogue Germany and Süddeutsche are very different magazines

 

[~Gina~]

Yes, for sure!
But anyway Süddeutsche is not that bad for a student..-
No it`s not a fashion magazine, but at least you can say you have done
something in that area. ( to try to get a job in other magazines,maybemaybe Vogue later)

 

[tocceve]

yes I understand
to make some experiences in writing

is she looking forward to work for Vogue?
I'm always thinking about working in the fashion industry because that would be something that interets me (I could do other things though)
but I have no clue what jobs there are

assistant? for models? you mean like hair, make up?

I think working for an agency would be nice

 

[Lucy_Birkin]

Thanks everyone for your useful informationsOf course I know I dont stand a chance to work there in American Vogue...I just wanted to know how it works, I am interested in working for some fashion magazine from Europe. And Gina, I was already thinking about the job-with helping models and that stuff...I would love to do that...really. I would like to work for Elle in Czech republic, as a beginning...And then who knows...