International Fashion Jobs: How To Secure Your Dream Position Abroad

If you don’t live in a fashion capital and you are thinking of getting a job in the fashion industry, you might be considering moving abroad.

There are many benefits of doing a fashion internship or getting a fashion job abroad. I am sure reading about the fashion industry or even watching fictional shows about fashion, set in dreamy destinations like Paris and New York City has made you dream of living there.

A professional experience abroad, whether short or long will be invaluable for your professional growth and can be that golden ticket that opens new opportunities in the fashion industry. Having a seal “fashion design internship in London” or “assistant fashion buyer in New York” looks attractive on your CV and can immediately set you apart. 

And of course, needless to say, living in another country is the experience of a lifetime. It pushes you out of your comfort zone and encourages you to adapt to other cultures and customs both at work and in daily life and meeting new people. Usually, no one comes back from an experience abroad the same person they were.

If you are reading this article, it means you are not just dreaming but seriously considering moving abroad.

You must have a lot of questions like:

Do fashion brands hire candidates from abroad?

How to choose the country and company

How to apply

And so on.

In this article, I will answer all your questions about international fashion jobs and how to secure your dream position abroad.

International Fashion Jobs: How To Secure Your Dream Position Abroad

Do fashion brands hire international candidates or just local ones?

Fashion is an international industry and has teams coming from all over the world. 

For example, LVMH is home to 213,000 people across 81 countries, encompassing 190 nationalities.

Prada Group has employees from over 104 different countries.

If we look at specific brands, Burberry for example has teams of 120 nationalities across 34 countries and territories. 

So if you want to work at a fashion company in London or Rome or another place, rest assured you will not be the only foreigner there. 

In fact, many fashion companies hire international staff due to their equity, diversity, and inclusion policies. 

Getting hired abroad: How to stand out from local candidates to land an international fashion job

Candidates are not valued by their nationality but by their skills.

When recruiters are reviewing the applications, they pay attention to your education, experience, skills, and motivation first of all. 

In addition, international candidates don’t represent a burden for companies because you have to take care of all the formalities of moving abroad yourself. For example, usually, they cannot sponsor your job visa. Unless you’ve been offered a position abroad by the company itself, in this case, the latter will usually help you with your travel arrangements and settling in the country.

Now that we figured out that you can find a job in a fashion company as a foreigner, let’s look at the benefits you will be bringing to them. Yes, it’s your dream to work in Paris, New York…but it’s also interesting for companies to have people from other countries. It’s a win-win situation.

The most valuable thing you will be bringing to the table is your culture and different mindset which can reflect in your approach to work. New Yorkers, for example, have a reputation for being extremely hard-working, and this quality is sought by many brands, especially in the luxury sector.  

International hires bring diverse cultural backgrounds and perspectives, which can inspire creativity and innovation in design, marketing, and product development.

The languages you speak also represent a competitive advantage.

Many roles in fashion require working closely with international stakeholders – whether it’s with the same company’s branches in other countries and regions, or fashion agencies and showrooms abroad. Therefore, if you speak French, Italian, German, Spanish, Chinese, or another language as a native speaker, consider it as your big advantage compared to someone who doesn’t speak a foreign language or is not fluent in it.

Furthermore, candidates from different regions understand local fashion trends and consumer behaviors, helping companies tailor their products and marketing strategies to various global markets.

Steps to get a fashion job or internship in another country

Choose where you want to go

When you choose to spend your next few months as a fashion intern or a few years as a full-time employee, it’s important to think about where you see yourself not just working but living your life because this will be your new home, even if it’s temporary. And if you don’t like it there, you won’t be entirely happy even if you have a dream fashion job at the best company.

Maybe you visited Paris as a tourist and fell in love with the city and decided to move there (like Emily from Emily in Paris when she refused to return to Chicago). Or you’ve always been fascinated with the idea of living in New York. Choose your dream destination.

Best cities to work in fashion

Besides taking into account your personal preferences, choosing the destination for a fashion job abroad also involves a strategic evaluation of job opportunities in the industry. Settling in a remote village in England or a Greek island will not be possible if you want to work in fashion unless you plan to have a remote fashion job like becoming a freelance writer, working in a store, or building your own brand. 

When people think about working in fashion abroad, the first places that come to mind are the fashion capitals – New York, London, Milan, and Paris. And they are right because these are the cities offering the most fashion job opportunities.

Each of those fashion capitals is known for its specific fashion segments.

London and New York are home to British and American fashion brands – from independent designers to big names. 

Paris is home to many luxury companies, from Kering and LVMH – the two biggest luxury fashion conglomerates in the world – to privately-owned houses like Chanel and Hermès. You will experience what it’s like working at a luxury fashion house with many years of history. There is a very businessy vibe there and you will see a side of fashion that is very corporate. 

Whereas in Italy you will find family-owned businesses like Prada and Fendi. Milan is the fashion capital of Italy but some brands have their headquarters in Rome like Fendi and Brioni, or even smaller towns like Reggio Emilia – the headquarters of Max Mara – and Corciano – the headquarters of Brunello Cucinelli. There are also many production sites in Novara, Scandicci, Trissino, and others, which can be interesting if you are interested in product development.

Research and Identify Fashion Companies

Whether the choice of your destination abroad will be influenced more by your crush for a city or a specific type of sub-industry in mind, you will need to do strategic research on companies. 

Start by researching and identifying fashion companies in the country of your choice that align with your interests and career goals. Look for luxury fashion houses, design studios, fashion PR agencies, fashion publications, or fashion event production companies. Explore their websites, social media platforms, and career pages to find information about entry-level job opportunities and internship programs.

Target multinational fashion companies with offices in multiple countries. These companies are often more open to hiring international candidates and may facilitate transfers between locations just in case you want to relocate later.

Fashion companies based in New York 

• Condé Nast 
• Tapestry 
• PVH 
• Ralph Lauren
• Marc Jacobs
• Michael Kors
• Tiffany & Co.
• DKNY
• Supreme

London based fashion companies

• Vivienne Westwood
• Alexander McQueen
• Burberry
• JW Anderson
• Stella McCartney
• TED Baker
• Victoria Beckham
• ASOS
• Topshop
• Condé Nast UK

Fashion companies based in Milan 

• Prada
• Miu Miu
• Valentino
• Bottega Veneta
• Loro Piana
• Gucci 
• Giorgio Armani
• Dolce&Gabbana
• Versace
• Moschino
• Zegna
• The Attico
• Missoni
• Marni

Paris fashion companies

• Chanel
• Christian Dior
• Louis Vuitton
• Saint Laurent
• Hermès
• Givenchy
• Balmain
• Céline
• Chloé
• Vogue France

Fashion capitals are not the only players in the industry now so my advice is to not limit yourself to those cities. You can find fashion job opportunities in Los Angeles, Madrid, Munich, Berlin, Rome, Dubai, and Amsterdam, among others. 

When you do the job search on the companies’ career pages, you can filter by location to check where they are hiring.

Decide which fashion job is made for you

Ideally, you should decide on one or two fashion departments you are most interested in working at before starting your fashion job search abroad. 

Do you consider yourself a creative person or a business savvy?

Do you prefer to be in touch with the product or conduct analysis and build strategies for brands?

In my online course Break into the Fashion Industry, I explain the different career possibilities in fashion and help you decide which role in fashion is made for you.

Evaluate your financial possibilities and lifestyle preferences

Considering the financial aspects is important especially if you want to do a fashion internship because most of them are unpaid, plus fashion capitals have a high cost of living. Are you ready to rent a flat for $1000/month in New York, for instance? 

It’s not meant to demotivate you from getting a fashion internship abroad. In any case, you will be able to find something – maybe a 3-month internship instead of a 6-month one; or if you live in Europe you can consider staying there instead of traveling overseas. I like to have a realistic and practical approach to preparing for a fashion career abroad so that you don’t just get inspired by Carrie Bradshaw in SATC or Emily in Paris but do research on your dream destination and make strategic choices.

If you are looking for a job in fashion, you can be more flexible with your choices since you will get a salary, but it’s not the only decisive factor. 

Indeed, employment benefits might differ from your home country. For example, someone coming from France and used to working 35 hours per week with +30 days of vacation and a strong health care system might find it difficult to sacrifice all this to go to New York where companies tend to offer less of all these benefits.

In sum, doing your research about the countries before applying there will help you choose the right one according to your financial possibilities and the desired lifestyle.

Understand VISA requirements to get a fashion job abroad 

If you are not living in New York, Milan, Paris, or London… yet and you want to move there to get an internship or entry-level job abroad, alas, you will need to do some paperwork. 

Usually, fashion companies don’t provide assistance with taking care of formalities like getting a visa, let alone being your travel agent. So you will have to take of all the formalities yourself. 

Research the housing options, visa requirements, and other necessary things to come prepared. And of course, look at the attractions you need to visit in the city to make your research more pleasant and fun 😉 

Learn the local language

Although English is commonly spoken in fashion companies, you should still learn the local language. Even if the job offer is in English/doesn’t require you to be fluent in the local language (which is rare), you should still learn as you will be the one living abroad. English is not spoken everywhere, not even in fashion capitals like Paris and Milan. So don’t rely on English especially if you are a native speaker.

In addition, depending on your role it might be useful to learn other languages.

English, Italian, and French are the most popular languages to speak if you want to work in fashion, and will be useful no matter where you go. Other commonly spoken languages in fashion include German, Spanish, and Mandarin, which can be useful if your job is focused on a specific market.

Apply for fashion jobs and internships abroad

When you finish with the research phase, it’s time to get to the interesting part: applying for fashion jobs and internships online.

Where to find international fashion jobs and internships

Start by visiting the career pages of fashion groups and brands to check available opportunities. Luxury groups like LVMH and Kering publish new offers every week, and there are also many fashion job and internship offers you can find on LinkedIn. 

If you don’t find your dream role or company on the list, you might feel frustrated, thinking there is no chance to work or intern there. This is where I introduce you to my favorite unconventional strategy that so many applicants don’t consider: the cold e-mail strategy.

A cold email is a spontaneous application you send to fashion companies asking for a job or internship opportunity. Not only it broadens options for you but also makes you stand out among candidates, most of whom apply by responding to job boards online. Emailing brands directly is also the fastest method to land your dream fashion job or internship without waiting for companies to post their job offers. 

I talk more about how to cold email brands in my online course Break into the fashion industry.

How to prepare your CV to get a job in fashion abroad

I always recommend writing your resume in the official language of the country where you are applying for a fashion job or internship. This shows not only respect for the company but also your knowledge of the language. So for example, if you are applying for a position in France, instead of crafting your fashion CV in English and mentioning you know French, write it in French directly. 

Your CV should have an attractive layout, a clear structure and be mistake-proof. Your professionalism has to shine through your CV. 

What else can make your fashion job application stand out when looking for a job in another country? 

At the beginning of this article, I mentioned that as an international candidate, you have an interesting skill set that can make you stand out from local applicants. However, you still have to make an effort in your application and go beyond the traditional fashion job application tools. 

Besides your CV, I recommend sending a strong cover letter explaining your motivation and a portfolio from your previous experiences or sample projects you did for the sake of building a portfolio. 

I hope this article provided you with a clear plan to get a fashion job abroad. These are the fundamental things you should know about landing a job in fashion but I invite you to deepen your knowledge in my Break into the fashion industry course. I will guide you through the different career options in fashion, how to build an application that recruiters will notice, how to create your portfolio for any role, the cold email strategy and extra out-of-the-box tips to find a job or internship, how to network in fashion, and much more!

If you want to get familiar with my teaching style first, you can register for my free webinar here.