As I Get Older, I Know The Real Fashion Industry

If You've Watched The Devil Wears Prada You May Think You Know the Fashion Industry, But Do You?

As someone who has worked in the fashion industry for more than a decade, I can tell you that it's an amazing industry to work in. But if you are considering this for your (or your kids') future, you should probably know a few things so that you don't get a fright when you get there. I mean there has always been a mystique about working in fashion - certainly one that is perceived of as achingly glamorous, decadent and jet-setting. I mean we've all seen the life of Kate Moss and Anna Wintour - surely it's all like that? With all the models at each others' throats. Bitches galore in designer duds and heels, clacking across the marble floors to their seats on the front row? Well, sorry to burst the bubble, but it's not. Well most of it isn't like that. Maybe 10% is, but not the bits that I know. So here are five fashion industry truth bombs:

1. Working in fashion is more likely to be jet-setting than glamorous or decadent. I mean that's not a BAD one to be, right? I have had the opportunity to travel to some amazing places as part of my career. But I have never worked on a show, a shoot or a collection that has been drunken or drug-fuelled. I'm not saying no-one was on drugs, I'm just saying that I have never had booze or drugs openly on a set or show or meeting before. Ever. And you are far more likely to find me scrabbling on the floor tying up an ankle strap on a pair of heels - or taping a sanitary pad to the sole - than actually wearing the heels. Glamour and decadence go out the window when you are at work. Fact. (But you do travel.)
2. Creative aesthetic mostly gets sacrificed for commercial gain. Fashion can be art. But in 90% of cases it is specifically designed to sell product. Product to people who don't need it, and probably could spend their money better on other things. But the perceived glamour and decadence and art create a mood that makes these (us) people shop. Well that's the goal. If you do your job correctly you balance the creativity with accessibility - so that ordinary people actually feel like they can participate in it all. And that comes at the price of real vision. But makes the money. Meh. It is what it is.
3. The most incredible myth in fashion is that it is bitchy and cut-throat. It can be, just like any other industry. But in the main, you can forge wonderful non-competitive friendships with like-minded people who share the tough days with you and occasionally travel with you to fabulous places. Some of my dearest people were met in the industry. Some of them I respect above almost anyone, for their tenacity, good humour and grace under pressure. Because you need all of those things, just like anyone else. I have had anxiety issues my whole life, and my fashion pals have always made a safe space for me, no matter what. They are awesome.
4. Another surprise is that it's not entirely superficial either. People in the industry really care about people looking and feeling good about themselves - and using the tool of fashion to make it happen. Fashion folks are also some of the first to push to present a diverse visual identity, a representative visual reference point. Sadly they don't always get the support from the business people to do it, but I know plenty of my peers who have been pushing for this agenda for many years. And I will say that some of my best - and revealing - conversations about working toward a more environmentally friendly and egalitarian socio-political and economic future has been with fellow fashion people. In the main, they are not airheads and idiots, believe it or not. A shock I know.
5. And finally, fashion is the most wonderfully stimulating and challenging industry to stay sharp in, whilst at the same time feeling on occasion like groundhog day. It can be an absolute snooze-fest. I know that seems unlikely, but as you are styling your latest collection of flip flops, trying to make them look fresh and interesting and creatively non-derivative, you really wonder whether your degrees were necessary and whether you can bear to rethink this layout again for the tenth year in a row. As much as things change, they also stay the same. And don't even think about working in fashion if you don't love a spreadsheet. You can't get through a day without one. Sorry!

And if all that hasn't put you off, then just know, you will be perfect for the fashion industry just so long as you are the most resourceful of them all. It it probably the most valuable character trait in a prospective employee across every role in the industry. Resourcefulness is something I looked for in every person I have worked with, making up for my short-comings in many cases. Because you can do anything in the biz, if you can make a plan, fix a crisis, magic a last minute solution - all with a good sense of humour and without breaking a sweat.

So, if you are resourceful and not afraid of hard work, a spreadsheet, a super-tight budget, sacrificing your creativity for money and some days of utter boredom, then it can be brilliant and rewarding. Go for it! Either way, I do hope that I have cleared up some expectations you may have had. And if any of you or your mums and dads want to ask specific questions about working in the industry and the kinds of jobs you can do, feel free to message me.