Fashion school can be a tense time, while balancing your course load and trying to figure out your next steps after you graduate, it can be a lot to handle. There are a lot of misconceptions about fashion school being a waste or it’s just “fun”, but what you learn in school will definitely help you when you finally get out there in the industry. While you are slaving away at your school work it is important to keep a few key things in mind…
Don’t get lazy on your projects
While most students tend to cut as many corners as possible on assignments when it comes to project-based programs it is crucial you complete everything to the best of your ability. There will come a time when you will have to compile all your work to create a killer portfolio and if you put in half an effort on your assignments you will either have to go back and fix all your work or risk putting in mediocre work in your portfolio. So save yourself some time and do it perfect the first time.
Which area interests you
If you’re starting fashion school having no idea what you want to do after, my advice to you is to go into every class with an open mind. Keep tabs on which classes you like the most and WHY, and write down which assignment/projects you enjoyed the most. If you can single out what tasks you enjoy doing you will be able to identify which area of the fashion industry is best for you. What I did while attending the fashion school was treat every project/assignment as if I were already in the industry and would ask myself “could I handle doing this everyday all day?…and do I WANT to?”. Asking yourself these questions will help eliminate the jobs and areas of the industry that don’t interest you. What I learned is finding the line between “I could do that, I’m good at it” and “I WANT to do that”. You may be good at something and could easily get a job doing it but would you truly be happy doing it.
Take advantage of resources
This is something I wish I had done more of while attending fashion school, that is using the resources I had access to and taking advantage of them. While in school you have the ability to collaborate and learn from your peers, these people don’t have to be your best friends but getting their advice on projects, your blog, your personal brand, etc is a huge asset. Same goes for teachers, if you’re lucky enough to have amazing teachers, they will be eager to help you in any way they can including giving feedback on any personal projects. Depending on what fashion school you attend you may have access to libraries or online resources so be sure to take advantage of all of that because once you graduate you might not have that chance again…or you will have to pay for it.
Make Connections
In our industry one of the most important things to have is connections because these people could help you land a job or help you out if you need anything in the future. It’s always good to know people in different areas of the industry in addition to people who work in other industries. While you’re in fashion school go to as many events as you can, whether they’re school events or not, introduce yourself to as many people as you can and grow your contact list. Companies love to hire someone who already has an existing contact/media list especially if you want to get into Media, PR, or Marketing.
PS Being part of our membership program gives you the possibility to know lots of people who work in the fashion industry.
Look outside of your classes
Don’t just stop learning once you left your classes for the day, if you truly want to succeed you will continuously be learning. Read as many fashion books as you can, analyze every fashion magazine you can get your hands on, watch fashion documentaries or runway shows to know everything there is to know about each designer. You will be surprised how important it is to know all the designers and their backgrounds. You should be able to look at a piece of clothing and identify the design.
Our membership program is a great resource for you who want to work in the fashion industry.
Start a Blog/Website
Typically at the end of your fashion school you will have a portfolio development class in which you will be asked to create a professional portfolio website, so why not get ahead of the game and start one while you’re still in school? Even having a blog while in fashion school can be an immense benefit to you so you can showcase your writing and the knowledge you already have on the industry, resulting in you growing your following and personal brand. If you finish school and you’ve been building your personal brand throughout your studies you will already have a head start.
Internships
Internships can be your key into landing a solid job or even help you decide what you want to do. A lot of individuals try and skip over doing internships because they don’t want to waste their time doing free work, but you never know where an internship can lead you. Finding an internship while in school is something I wish I had done so I could have just jumped into the work force after graduation but instead I waited until after to pursue internships. It may seem like a lot trying to juggle your studies, internship, and possibly a part-time job at the same time but if you hustle hard now you can enjoy your future.
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Look for potential jobs
If you aren’t looking to work while in fashion school it’s still a good idea to look on job sites and see what’s out there. You can get a head start on finding where all of the good jobs are posted and what is needed to be an applicate to the jobs that interest you. Fashion is a unique industry where you have a mix of people who have Master and Bachelor degrees in fashion and have studied for years, and people who have no education in fashion at all but might have an amazing portfolio or blog…and they could get a job over you if you don’t know what you’re doing. Often times applying for fashion jobs isn’t just sending the company your resume and cover letter, you need to send them your work and depending what you’re applying for they may ask for specific work: for example, for some PR and Media firms I’ve seen them ask to send them specialized projects for them with samples of a marketing/PR strategies for their companies, or fashion magazines will ask you to write a specific article that tailors to their audience. Knowing this will give you the chance to prepare and also the opportunity to ask your teachers for help with the application process.
So many girls dream of working in fashion but just don’t have the discipline and drive to make it. It’s not all about how well you can dress yourself or knowing the top designers. Fashion school isn’t an easy walk in the park, if you really want to succeed in this industry you need to work harder than anyone else and go the extra mile every time.
Words Kristin Rouse
