I had the pleasure to interview Manuel Sinopoli who is the social media manager at Miu Miu in Milan. Manuel is one of the 100 Observers featured in The Observers 2022 list: fashion professionals from around the world who are making and leading the fashion industry. The list appears in The Glam Observer Report 2022 which covers the most impactful moments that have made the fashion industry this year: from acquisitions and launches to sustainable efforts, who’s in & out at fashion brands, and the most remarkable fashion initiatives. We also feature the top fashion products, brands, and moments of the year. You can download the Report here.
In this interview, Manuel shares how he went from studying fashion styling to landing his first internship as a PR assistant at Ermenegildo Zegna, his experience and lessons learned in social media at Vogue and so far at Miu Miu, the difference between working in social media for a magazine vs a brand, his favorite social media practices and how it’s like working during fashion week, his advice for aspiring social media managers, and tips on how to get a job at a luxury fashion company.
Manuel Sinopoli on managing social media at Vogue and Miu Miu
1)How has your passion for the fashion industry started?
I was very young, probably around age 7 or 8. But of course, in the beginning, it was only a matter of “designing clothes” for my beloved grandmother. Then I started becoming passionate about the fashion industry when I bought my first Vogue Italia under Franca Sozzani’s iconic direction.
2) Tell us a bit about what you studied and how you chose what degree to take.
I’ve always been interested in the history of art, so I attended an art school. And then, during my Senior Year (or even before), I started collecting information about the best universities in fashion. My idea was to move to Milan (as I’m from a small town near the seaside in Liguria) and start building my career in fashion (even if I wasn’t 100% sure about what I really wanted to do). At the beginning, I thought fashion design would have been interesting. But then, after collecting much information and speaking with students from different universities, I realized that fashion styling and communication would have been the best for me. So, I chose IED, Istituto Europeo di Design, where I graduated on July 2017 as a fashion stylist.Â
3) Many believe that your career should be related to what you studied. How did you go from studying styling to getting into fashion PR?
Good question. My third year at IED was all about my thesis project which I had the fortune to present to Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana at the end of the year during “Milano Moda Graduate”. That year the contest was open to many fashion categories (not only fashion design). And I won the prize for best fashion styling project. CNMI offered me the possibility to start an internship at Ermenegildo Zegna as a corporate PR assistant. And even if it was not related to styling at all, I took the opportunity immediately because for me was such an honor to be selected.
4) Your first experience in fashion was as a PR assistant at Ermenegildo Zegna Group, then you worked at Vogue in Social Media for almost 4 years before moving to Miu Miu. How did you go from Zegna to Vogue and then to Prada Group?
Exactly, all correct. Well, as I was saying, I had the chance to start working at Ermenegildo Zegna right after university and it was my very first professional experience. Then, I discovered that Condé Nast Italia was looking for a social media editor to run Vogue Italia and L’Uomo Vogue’s social media accounts. And I took the opportunity immediately and I applied for the position. I did a couple of interviews with Emanuele Farneti, former editor-in-chief of the magazine. And with Alessia Glaviano, who during that year, was the Brand Visual Director of Vogue Italia.
I thought working as a social media editor for a magazine was a sort of compromise between working as a stylist and in the communication field. Because of course, the position required communication skills but also a sense of beauty and aesthetics. They offered me the position right after the end of my internship. And I worked for Vogue from 2018 to 2022. And then, after 4 years I decided it was the right time to move on because I wanted to approach social media from a brand perspective (which is obviously different). Now I’m working at Miu Miu as social media manager.
5) What’s your advice for getting jobs at the industry’s top brands like you have done? Any tips to stand out in the applications?
My advice is to always believe in what you’re doing because your self-confidence is an expression of power and stability. And people appreciate when someone has specific ideas and is trustable. Another important thing is to be patient, to do your best – always – even if there could be some difficult situations. And the most important thing of all, be always passionate and curious about life in general. Question yourself and try to be contaminated as much as possible. Learn things, and don’t waste your time because that makes the difference in the end.Â
6) Many people dream of working at a company such as Vogue. Can you share what it’s like to work inside the Condè Nast offices in Milan?
Working at Vogue Italia has been special and the people I had the chance to work with have been a never-ending source of inspiration for me and will always be. It was hectic of course, creative, and sometimes hard – we were always connected, always in search of new content to be shot, news to be released, talents to collaborate with, fashion shows and events to attend (and potentially capture and post on social media in the shorter amount of time) and so on. But working in an editorial office is something unique because your mind is constantly contaminated by new ideas. And the flexibility you learn to have becomes something priceless.
7) What did you like the most about working at Vogue? Is there any moment or event you will take with you forever?
Well, probably the craziest thing we’ve done is the 100 covers for the September 2020 issue under Ferdinando Verderi’s creative direction. I stayed up for 25 hours, posting one cover every 15 minutes, creating a “momentum” that people still remember. Other important moments have been the first party where I did the social media coverage: it was the one inspired by Mina, the Italian singer, in September 2018 and it’s been crazy. We all had the best time. Also going to Paris for fashion week has always been special. I remember the emotion I felt at my first Chanel show at the Grand Palais, always in my heart.
8) You are now taking care of Social Media for Miu Miu. What’s the difference between working in social media for a magazine vs a brand?
It’s a different approach. Running social media for a brand allows you to be more strategic and deeply understand the different platforms and the diversity of the content you might need, analytics, performances, and so on. You have the time to sit and really think about what the brand needs to do at a specific moment. And develop a social media strategy that must be consistent and engaging.
9) What’s the impact of social media on a luxury brand and a fashion magazine? And what are the main goals of the social media team?
Over the last few years, there has been a great increase in the usage of social media, both for magazines and brands – especially from 2020 when Covid happened. What can I say, it’s fundamental to be present on social media today. It’s a digital extension of something that exists in real life. Being digital allows brands and magazines to amplify their messages and reach a wider audience – which is very important.
10) What social media practices are working best these days?
Consistency. You can’t “scream” with a project and then be silent because people forget about you very quickly (we’re seeing thousands of pictures, videos, digital projects, or campaigns, every day scrolling through Instagram). You must build a consistent strategy and always look for new ideas which can engage your audience and create awareness.
11) What’s it like being a social media manager during fashion week? What do you do on the day of the show?
It’s very stimulating and hectic as well. You must be 100% focused on what you need to do and don’t waste even a minute of your time. Everything happens very quickly. And if you don’t have a clear vision in mind of all the steps to follow, then it’s a disaster. I’ve been lucky enough to try both perspectives because before I was covering all the shows during fashion month from a magazine perspective and now, I’m fully concentrating on the Miu Miu show.
On the day of the show, you feel a sense of belonging to a community of people that have been working so hard to make that magic happen and you feel a sense of satisfaction that is unique. As a social media manager, you have a big responsibility because, obviously, most of people in the world, discover and potentially fell in love with the new collection, after watching the show on social media.
12) What’s the best and most challenging part of your job?
The best part for me is being responsible for posting content that is seen by thousands of people out there, it’s something that always makes me smile. Meanwhile, the most challenging one is to always be updated on new features and digital realities because social media platforms are constantly evolving.
13) Which social media do you prefer using for your job?
I might be a bit basic, but let’s be honest: Instagram. Probably because I like working with images (even if now Instagram is a lot focused on videos) and I think it’s one the best platforms that allow you to always be captivated by images and create a visual culture to enrich yourself – if you follow the right accounts, of course.
14) What skills do you need to become a social media manager?
You must be very precise and organized (I’m a Virgo, so it’s not a big issue for me), creative, you need to have a sense of aesthetics (everything must be perfect and in line with the brand), and flexible – very flexible. Social media never stops. You’re not really “off” when you decide to start working in social media. A crisis can arrive unexpectedly, and you must be ready, no matter what you’re doing, whether you’re on holiday or enjoying a night out with friends.
15) What lessons have you learned so far?
I learned that success comes after hard work and even if sometimes it can be exhausting, in the end, you will be very satisfied with what you have achieved. Never give up.
16) Looking back at your background, do you think it’s necessary to study fashion to work in this industry?
Yes, but at the same time, you must have good taste (and it’s something you don’t learn in school). Fashion universities can help you to understand who you really are and can teach you the most important aspects of the industry but then you have to be focused, don’t waste precious time, and not only think about fashion because fashion is not only about clothes, it’s culture and sometimes it’s more important to know what is happening at the moment instead of knowing exactly the correct season of an iconic runway look from the past. I think most of all, what fashion really needs is a community of people that when gather are not talking about fashion but approach it from a wider cultural perspective.
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