Those who work in the fashion industry know that while there’s an element of caricature to The Devil Wears Prada, there are some elements of the movie that are devastatingly accurate. Yes, fashion is art. Yes, the world of fashion takes itself very seriously. Yes, people can be bitchy and impatient. No, they don’t go quite so far out of their way to be vindictive to others. What the movie does capture very well is the blistering speed at which the fashion industry moves. We live in an age of fast fashion where looks change weekly rather than seasonally.
There are many, many areas in which career hungry fashionistas can gain a foothold in the industry, but none of them moves at a glacial or relaxed pace. The entire industry is always on the go. It encompasses elements of art, design, manufacture and business and while its multifaceted nature makes it a home for anyone with passion to hone and grow their skills, it also requires the capacity for thinking on your feet, making snap judgements, and of course communication. Whatever aspect of the fashion business you want to get into or move up in, it’s important to remember the importance of communication in this fast-paced and hectic world.
The importance of communication in the fashion biz
Because fashion moves with such relentless speed, communication is vital. You’ll be working and communicating with people from all over the world. Thus, it’s not just important to maintain open lines of communication, you have to rethink how you communicate.
There are several different levels of communication within the industry;
- Top-down communication- Your higher-ups convey complex ideas and information to (or through) you.
- Upward communication- Feedback is fed upwards to the upper echelons enabling management to adapt their strategy in accordance with feedback from grassroots level employees.
- Lateral communication- Ideas and information are exchanged between different disciplines or functions at the same level.
While you will be dealing with people who share a similar vocabulary and lexicon it’s important to master the art of brevity. You’ll be dealing with people whose time is precious and extremely limited so they won’t want long-winded explanations. They’ll want quick and simple facts. You may also need to speak to people in places like Paris, Tokyo or Milan for whom English is not a first language.
The importance of multi-channel communication
Most communication you encounter throughout your day simply can’t wait until you get back to the office. Thus, it’s important to embrace mobile platforms that will allow you to communicate quickly, clearly and effectively no matter where you are. TextBetter is a business texting service that communicated across a range of platforms and mobile devices from your smartphone. You’ll most likely want to keep all of your communication in one place so that you can keep referring back to it.
Minutes in minutes
Another important skill that you’ll need is the ability to make notes and changes to your schedule on the fly. Even if you have a capable memory it’s a mistake to assume that you can rely on it. After every phone call or communication make bullet-pointed notes on the salient points so that you’re never left umming and ahhing when someone needs to know the minutes of that telephone conversation right now!
While fashion moves with blistering speed, if you can communicate effectively and efficiently, the industry is your oyster.
Feat. Image Topshop
