When you think about working in the fashion industry, the fashion capitals immediately come to mind, Milan, Paris, New York, London and now also LA. In these cities are held fashion weeks, the most important industry events, there are fashion schools and above all, is where the most famous fashion companies are based. We don’t live all in these cities, but this does not mean that even if you do not live in one of the fashion capitals, you can not work in fashion.
In the fashion capitals, big cities like Milan, London, Paris and New York, fashion is perceived more; everywhere you can breathe the air of the glamor world. You get in contact much more easily with people in the industry, and you have the opportunity to understand more or less how the environment works even just walking in the streets, stopping outside the fashion shows or attending some events.
Whether you decide to move on later or not to leave your hometown, you can still be part of the fashion industry, here’s how:
The stores in your city
Even if you do not live in Milan, it is very likely that in your city or in the nearby one, there is a Gucci or Louis Vuitton store. Starting from the stores while studying, for example, is a good way to start gaining experience and above all to gain a few more points on your resume. Even if the store is not your dream job, an experience of a few months or a year is worth a lot on your CV. There are some companies like H&M or Louis Vuitton that often require in-store experience to get an office job, whether PR, communication or other. A manager who works at Louis Vuitton told me how she was moved for 4 months in the shop despite working already in the office because for the company is a fundamental way to get to know the customer and then establish appropriate strategies. So even if the sales assistant experience does not seem so exciting, it’s actually a good place to start.
Freelancing
Freelancing in the fashion industry is very common. Just search on the Freelancing sites for job offers and work comfortably from anywhere in the world. The most common remotely freelance jobs in fashion are writer for magazines or fashion websites, social media manager, photographer, stylist, graphic designer. For the roles of stylist and photographer you may have to move for a few days in the fashion capitals and so it is a great way to test the ground before considering to move definitely.
Online Fashion courses
Thanks to the internet, not having a famous fashion school in your city is no longer a barrier. I come from Southern Italy, where fashion schools are not so common, yet I wanted to be part of this world. Not being able to transfer immediately because I had to complete the university, I decided to attend online courses of famous fashion schools such as Parsons and FIT in New York, to understand how it meant studying in these schools, even if only from home. If there is not a famous fashion school in your city and you want to learn more about the industry, take a look online at the various fashion courses. There are many and also excellent free, like the one recommended last week on our Private Facebook group.
Blogging
Starting a fashion blog is probably the easiest way to approach the fashion industry and at the same time, start building a portfolio that will be useful when you start looking for a job. We have all seen that blogs have become a potent tool. From Emily Weiss who founded Glossier, to Chiara Ferragni, and Arielle Charnas who is about to launch her November collection with Nordstrom. You never know where your blog can take you, so if you do not have one yet and want to be part of this industry, it’s time to get started. You can also ask your favorite blogger to help her remotely in some way.
Not just fashion capitals
Do not look for jobs only in the fashion capitals because you think there is nothing around you. Try searching on LinkedIn or Instagram and find companies based in your city or nearby. The factories of fashion companies are scattered throughout Italy, so even if the head office is located in a fashion capital, many companies have several branches or departments scattered in other cities. Today there are so many interesting fashion startups and one could be in your city! Do you know that Chanel has offices in Belgium too? You do not have to live in Paris. MatchesFashion has offices in Kirchheim-Heimstetten, a city in Germany, Barcelona and Munich! Try to look around and not to take for granted that there aren’t opportunities in a city near you.
The hectic life of the big city is not for everyone, there are those who prefer to do one train hour every day or even take a flight to stay in their city and those who can not wait to be able to move to one of the fashion capitals. My advice is to make short experiences in these big cities with internships or freelance or short-term jobs to understand what’s right for you. In any case, keep in mind that you can still work in fashion from anywhere in the world today thanks to the internet. Do not be afraid to send a spontaneous application to your favorite company saying that you would like to help remotely. Even if companies do not have an open position at the time, they can keep your application for later or even open a job they did not think they needed.
