She may have written for French Elle for five minutes before going into styling but I can assure you that Carine Roitfeld is not known as a writer in fashion media circles. People were very surprised when she was appointed Editor in Chief of French Vogue. She had initially been taken on as Creative Director but then Joan Juliet Buck and Condé Nast separated and the publisher took a chance on Carine. It was very tough for her in the beginning precisely because she is more of a stylist than an editor and someone of Joan Buck's intellectual calibre was a hard act to follow.
Aliona Doletskaya does indeed have a doctorate in languages or linguistics. She speaks English to a standard that would shame many English people, who have forgotten how to speak and write their language. She is also perhaps the only chief editor of any of the major editions of Vogue with the levels of intellect, education and style that used to be required of Vogue chief editors, which is why she was promoted by the gossips as the next chief editor of US Vogue. She could probably do the job standing on her head because she also understands the commercial angles required to keep a magazine successful in the States.
However, let's not forget that there is no set rule that stylists have to be intellectually shallow and one-tracked. Some of the stylists posting here are clearly very educated and smart. And then we have iconic stylists from the past, like Florentine Pabst, who also managed to make the transition from draping clothes and accessories over models to the editor's chair. However, she was never going to be 'in fashion'. Like many others, she drifted into it.
The point here is that you should not worry too much about your academic qualifications. The only thing a degree - vocational degrees apart - tells most employers is that you are not likely to bolt after five minutes on the job, requiring them to advertise the position all over again! They know they will have you onboard for a while. Many fashion-related degrees are really an utter waste of time, although the schools and colleges won't tell you that because they're making money from this sausage machine, churning out young fashion industry hopefuls with a diploma and little if any practical experience of any use to a front line manager looking for new recruits.
I told one of my assistants the other day to forget about media studies and do a law degree instead, specialising in intellectual property and copyright. After all, she was getting the necessary journalistic experience as an assistant/intern that would give a commissioning editor the confidence to try her out so why not do something useful at university that might pay her rent or mortgage the day she realises that journalism might not cover the lifestyle to which she aspires, unless she marries a moneybags or pairs off with some rich old lesbian? As a lawyer specialising in IP etc, she could not only protect her interests but those of all the other writers whose work is being appropriated by firms like Google, for instance.
It boils down to this: either you can do the job or not. If you have talent, you will get ahead because, pre-emptive cynicism notwithstanding, talent always was and always will be a rare and precious commodity above a certain level in the business. This applies to writers, stylists, photographers, editors, copy editors, translators and just about anyone involved in the creative process of producing any form of high end media. The two editors you cited here are outstanding examples of the point I am making.
PK
I had no idea you ever replied to this! I just discovered your input upon reading the posts on this thread!
As always, you give fabulous advice. I totally agree that confidence and talent are the two main keys to success in the fashion world. Without these two crucial ingredients, one would sink quite quickly.
You mention that I should not worry about my academic qualifications, something that many people have told me. This notion is very frustrating for me, as I know I do not need to be extensively educated to be a fashion editor/stylist, but also, I do not have the experience or connections to make my way into the industry. Not to sound cliche, but it is quite difficult to gain access to the fashion industry from Midwestern America. As a result from being so isolated from fashion centers, I have consequently treated my education as a means to enter into the fashion world. I believe that a fashion editor should have a distinct point of view and a noggin full of knowledge and references, a belief which led me to major in English literature and minor in art history for my undergraduate studies.
After completing three years of university studies, I am now in a huge dilemma. I applied to graduate school, something I never wanted to do before, because, at the time, I thought it was my only way of getting to a place like NYC. Also, I have zero internship experience, something that, as I have heard from countless sources, is mandatory to get a job at a fashion magazine. I have been admitted to NYU for journalism and was unfortunately not accepted off of the waiting list at my top choice, Parsons. The thought of studying journalism and "learning" how to write for two years does not excite me nearly as much as it should, but the internships I can secure through the program are quite attractive. I have weighed the idea of applying to Parsons again next fall, but now I am wondering if I should even go to graduate school at all. My dad said that I should just go and work in NYC for a year, which is certainly an option. It seems to me, however, the best way to get an internship at a fashion magazine is through an academic institution.
I have read everything I can get my hands on focused on the topic of entering the world of fashion journalism, and yet I am still flustered and perplexed. I think you are quite right that most fashion school programs are worthless and useless. It appears as if most of the people working in fashion--or at least the most successful and respected figures-- didn't go to college in the first place. As I think about going to NYU in the fall, the more it seems wrong to me, and also a complete waste of money. Still, I don't want to move to NYC with no connections, no job prospects, and no money in my pocket, so NYU is my most viable option at the moment. Being in the city alone will bring me closer to the magazines and individuals I would like to work with and while I am not in school, I can network like it's my profession. And if it's not what I want, I can always either transfer or terminate my enrollment.
Sorry for rambling on, I just have a lot of stress and frustration I needed to get off of my chest and it all sort of spilled out
. Thank you so much for all of your input. It is truly invaluable.
