Making Good Contacts

[lovely lethargy]

Just work on making good contacts. They make all the difference in an industry like this. Sound familiar? I suppose in theory, this is good advice. However, how exactly does one go about doing this? I know, I know. This should be a simple concept, easily understood. But being young (almost sixteen) and trying to make contacts in the fashion industry seems nearly impossible. I was hoping some of you might be able to shed some light on this for me? I'm really just looking for some suggestions on where to start or advice for a fashion industry hopeful.​

 

[BetteT]

Most of the time it starts with internships ... done when you are in fashion school. You start to connect with people in the business and other interns who are also going places (hopefully). You look for internships in the type of business that you want to get into working as close as possible to people who are doing the types of jobs you would like to have. Internships can be had in magazines, public relations firms, retail stores (major ones, at least), designer's atleilers, clothing manufactureres ... almost any related business.

You also will make contacts with other fashion students when you are in fashion school. You never know who they know and in what companies they will end up working for. So you should maintian good relationships with all your friends and aquaintances at school.

Then, as you beging to work, (either at internships but also in entry level jobs in your chosen feild) you should work hard to get to know everyone you work with ... again, you never know who they know. The goal is to impress people with your work ethic, reliabilty, dedication to the job, your positive attitude ... and also make them aware of your goals. You want them to remember you in a positive way ... and want to recommend you when something comes up.

It's more than just social media ... it's face to face contacts that will set you apart from others .. so people will actually remember you and know that they like working with you. Social media is helpful to keep in touch ... but it doesn't replace an occasional email and phone call just to check up on your "old friends".

 

[F0F0]

Just work on making good contacts. They make all the difference in an industry like this. Sound familiar? I suppose in theory, this is good advice. However, how exactly does one go about doing this? I know, I know. This should be a simple concept, easily understood. But being young (almost sixteen) and trying to make contacts in the fashion industry seems nearly impossible. I was hoping some of you might be able to shed some light on this for me? I'm really just looking for some suggestions on where to start or advice for a fashion industry hopeful.​

Hi, lovely lethargy!!

I agree with betteT! But where in the fashion industry you'd like to develop your professional career?

But being young (almost sixteen) and trying to make contacts in the fashion industry seems nearly impossible.

Well, it depends. If you were a fashion model you could even be retiring from the industry at the age of sixteen! But in general I don't see why being 15 could be considered a barrier for building strong long term relationships with peeps! B) Quite the contrary! You are in a perfect time to do it! You just need to know the purpose of your networking: Why you want to do it? Who do you want to meet? What do you want from the relationship and why? What are you offering them? Where you can find he people that could help you?...I think it has to do more with being confident, helpful, enthusiastic, able to build rapport, and having great communication skills than age (even if a baby girl had all those skills I bet she could command a fashion house! Well, sometimes it feels the fashion industry is ruled by toddlers! isn't? ).

 

[BetteT]

I agree with F0F0 ... when he said "What are you offering them?". Just meeting people ... making contacts ... is not enough ... you have to sustain a relationship. And that usually comes when there is give and take. And if it's you that want's the relationship ... then you must offer up something of value to them, first ... so that you may call in a favor later. People in any business are much more likely to remember and to help someone who has helped them.

As a teen, it's probably not much more than volunteering to help.... "Here, let me do that for you!" or, "I have a car, I"d be happy to deliver that for you." ... those sort of favors..

But as you become more entrenched in the business, it can mean introducing people to other people that can help them, giving helpful information, things like that. Then you have the right to ask for introductions and information from them. t*t for tat ... you just have to start the ball rolling and put them in a position to return the favor.

 

[nzkiwiboy]

I've kinda made good contacts with some NZ fashion industry peeps! I'm constantly talking(tweeting)to two owners of agencies here in NZ and one of them is officially opening their agency in 2 days! AND They asked me to help them scout models, and I'm only 14, she said she'd offer me a job if I was older! I also asked the other agent whether or not she thinks my friend has potential, she said she'd be happy to meet with her because she trusts my eye. MY FREAKING EYE. Oh, and this magazine who have their own blog followed me and kinda interviewed me asking to tell them more about myself and how I keep up with fashion at this age, besides that, a model, Danielle Hayes(NZNTM Cycle 2 winner)said that if it wasn't for me she wouldn't know a lot about fashion. Feels great to help out a model! These may not be "making good contacts" to some people but to me, I think it is, and at my age I feel proud! Maybe they can help me out when I try modeling in the future, I just gotta wait till I am older and have grown about 5-6 inches! All I have right now are major sharp cheekbones and knowledge of the industry!

 

[F0F0]

I've kinda made good contacts with some NZ fashion industry peeps! I'm constantly talking(tweeting)to two owners of agencies here in NZ and one of them is officially opening their agency in 2 days! AND They asked me to help them scout models, and I'm only 14, she said she'd offer me a job if I was older! I also asked the other agent whether or not she thinks my friend has potential, she said she'd be happy to meet with her because she trusts my eye. MY FREAKING EYE. Oh, and this magazine who have their own blog followed me and kinda interviewed me asking to tell them more about myself and how I keep up with fashion at this age, besides that, a model, Danielle Hayes(NZNTM Cycle 2 winner)said that if it wasn't for me she wouldn't know a lot about fashion. Feels great to help out a model! These may not be "making good contacts" to some people but to me, I think it is, and at my age I feel proud! Maybe they can help me out when I try modeling in the future, I just gotta wait till I am older and have grown about 5-6 inches! All I have right now are major sharp cheekbones and knowledge of the industry!

Hey, nzkiwiboy!

Congrats! B) Making an assumption based on what you said: I don't like the idea of that agency asking you to help them without giving you a proper reward/job offer. Labour exploitation in general boils my blood (especially with kids like you). That's pretty much how the fashion industry works with the so-called "internships" (unpaid work) in the UK for recent and not-very-recent graduates: but alas! loads of people here don't care and like to be exploited for one or even two years by the fashion companies!

But anyway, back to you. B) I think you are indeed making good contacts!! Would you mind to share your blogs links with us? Perhaps in your profile or signature? Because I think you can only promote your blogs in a special thread built for that purpose.

P.S. Before reading your entry I was reading Grow A New Eye. It was so bizarre when you mentioned your eye. YOUR FREAKING EYE.

 

[BetteT]

A very common term, in the fashion biz... having "the eye" (aside from growing a prosthetic eye, as this video is about).

It really is all about having "the eye" in this biz ... for an agent, for a stylist, for a photographer, for a magazine editor, even a designer. You have to be able to "see" a model, a concept, wardrobe ... whatever, in it's rough form and know in advance what will look good and appeal to other people. And it's really not something you can teach effectively ... you either have it or you don't. So, it's great when someone recognizes it ... it's an important asset to have.

Won't help in modeling however ... there you either have "the look" they want or you dont. You don't need contacts to model, you just have to get your face in front of as many agents as possible via submissions and open calls ... and if you are right, someone will see it and grab you. If you don't have "the look", no friend in the biz will be able to help you get repped. But they might hire you to be a booker ......

 

[nzkiwiboy]

Hey, nzkiwiboy!

Congrats! B) Making an assumption based on what you said: I don't like the idea of that agency asking you to help them without giving you a proper reward/job offer. Labour exploitation in general boils my blood (especially with kids like you). That's pretty much how the fashion industry works with the so-called "internships" (unpaid work) in the UK for recent and not-very-recent graduates: but alas! loads of people here don't care and like to be exploited for one or even two years by the fashion companies!

But anyway, back to you. B) I think you are indeed making good contacts!! Would you mind to share your blogs links with us? Perhaps in your profile or signature? Because I think you can only promote your blogs in a special thread built for that purpose.

P.S. Before reading your entry I was reading Grow A New Eye. It was so bizarre when you mentioned your eye. YOUR FREAKING EYE.

Oh! The scouting thing, I do get rewards if the models are good, and I actually wouldn't mind if I didn't get anything in return at all, I just fee great that I was asked to help! It's hard finding models over the internet though because I don't know what they look like in real life. The agency opens tomorrow and I've only sent in 3 models, one Croatian girl, one Ghanian girl and this one guy. The Croatian didn't get signed and I think that's because she was only 5'7" and I don't know about the other 2 yet. There's others I want to send in but its hard finding a way to contact them, most of them have facebook so that's the only way I can tell them about it. Hopefully I can still help scout even though it's opening tomorrow. They've been posting photos of models they have signed so now I kind of now what kind of looks they are looking for.

And about my blog, yeah I'll post it in my signature, although it's just a blog consisting of models' recent work, but I also do my own "model of the day", "snapshot of the day" and "unique face of the day" if I'm not lazy enough to post about it, oh and reviews of each episode of New Zealand's Next Top Model!

AND LOL AT THE EYE!

Hopefully these contacts can help me out in the future! I just need height and clear skin! Stupid puberty and their pimples.

 

[senorgemma]

I'm 15 also, and a few years ago I emailed an editor of an Australian fashion magazine giving my criticism on the current issue. I don't think I actually knew what I was talking about but the editor replied saying that to email her again when it's time for my year 10 work experience as I seem like "someone she'd like to have in the office". We only sent three or four emails, and this was a few years ago, and now I'm in year 10 and wondering how I should contact her for work experience again to make her remember me?
She's really the only "contact" I've ever had. I live in a very small city which is sort of fashion dead....there's not much I can do here. I want to contact a few modelling agencies to ask if I could help out for free during my school holidays but other than that I have no idea what else I could do!

 

[BetteT]

The first thing I suggest is that you copy those series of emails. Say that you and she had talked before and that you have sent her copies of your previous correspondence to jog her memory. Then explain that you have finished and are ready to take her up on her offer if she is still interested.
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[kimberwyn]

For me I always seem to make contacts while on set at a shoot -- I work with new people and then we end recommending each other for shoots in the future.

I'm thankful for this because I always heard it was more about going to clubs and parties and meeting people, and I'm not into that scene, although I have gone to a few business mixers recently and I've met people that way but those contacts have proven to be as useful.

Oh and like nzkiwiboy said about the model thing...Ive had a couple signed recently, which is a great feeling. Im hoping it helps us get in with their agencies.