The role of the Fashion Editor Assistant, explained from who works at Vogue

Here on GlamObserver we love to write and tell stories of people who work in fashion, to understand the variety of roles existing within the industry and how to get them. Today I have the pleasure to introduce you to  Serena Castrignano, Fashion Editor Assistant at Vogue Italia. From what she studied to how she got her first internship at Vogue to her current role – in this interview she tells us everything about her career experience. She also explains what it takes to become a Fashion Editor for one of the most important and influential fashion magazine in the world.

I am sure you are going to love her story because it helps understanding how it is to work in a fashion magazine.

1. What did you study?

I Studied Politic Sciences with a specialisation in International Relations and European Studies at the University of Bari (Italy). I haven’t completed my degree yet because I began working earlier according to the Italian standard, but I definitely aim to get my degree.   

2. You did an internship at Vogue and then you came back as a Fashion Editor Assistant. Have you always wanted to work for a Fashion Magazine or it just happened like this?

Actually, it all started by chance but passion drove me there. At the beginning, I was dreaming of a diplomatic career, but during the first period of University, I found myself spending a lot of time in Milan because my ex-boyfriend studied there. And being in Milan only deepened my passion for fashion and led me,    like in most cases,  to work in this industry.

At that time, Vogue Italia allowed people to do short internships even if you had no experience or were still at school. Then, in 2011 they told me I was accepted and I started interning in October 2012. Since then I never left.

3. What is the role of a Fashion Editor Assistant and a Fashion Talent Editor and who do you work with?

A Fashion Editor Assistant follows the instruction of the Fashion Editor as well as the Stylist to organize photo shootings. In a nutshell,  a Fashion Editor Assistant requests the clothes and accessories to the press offices for photo shootings and do the research to make sure the items match with the theme of the editorials. Then, the role also includes assisting the stylist on the set. Finally, I work with the Fashion Editor, with the production team and the people who take care of the wardrobe.

The Fashion Talent Editor is a specific role of Vogue Italia created for  Vogue Talents  – the international platform founded by Sara Sozzani Maino who I work with. The initiative is aimed at discovering new fashion talents,  So it is a lot of research online and offline all over the world to give visibility to new designers (as well as new photographers, illustrators and stylists). We write posts for Vogue Italia, organize events and collaboration with our partners to support them.

4. Vogue is the dream of a lot of people, it is probably the first fashion career someone can dream of when reading Vogue as a teen. And then we all saw The Devil Wears Prada. How would you describe working at Vogue?

For sure much more relaxing than what we see in the movie. No hot coffees on the desks or wardrobe full of clothes and dream accessories, but a more creative place where the different teams  involved with  the magazine (web, beauty, fashion, design, etc) work together  to give to the ideas you will see in our next issue. . Most  of the time models, photographers and creative directors come to the office. And last but not least ,one of the perks  of working at Vogue Italia is that  all the walls are covered with the most beautiful fashion photos published in the magazine over the last 27 years. It’s like walking in a dream and not necessarily wearing high heels! Because it is good to surrender to a good pair of jeans and Nike.

5. Like many people working in the industry, you don’t have a degree in fashion. In which way did it affect you?

At the beginning, I felt disadvantaged because I lacked some History of Fashion basics. In brief, I needed this specific knowledge rather than the general fashion knowledge we all more or less have. But I must say the good thing about fashion is that you can learn quickly working. Assist a stylist on a photographic set or find out a great designer are abilities one’s can learn getting more and more experience and staying diligent. I would say that one of the most important quality to have in this industry is the thirst to learn.  

6.  Now you are working in a publication, do you think that becoming an Editor requires to follow the traditional steps of starting off as an intern, become an assistant and then be an editor or do you think there are other ways?

I think there are some mandatory steps for whoever wants to work for a publication and the first one is to assist a Fashion Editor to learn the ins and out of the job. That path is a long one but the beauty of working in this industry is that you never know what is going to happen next. You never know who will be the next person you will meet and the opportunities you will get from this meeting. If today you are an intern, tomorrow you might meet an artistic director or a photographer who love your work and will invite you  to manage entirely a photo shooting. This is, I think, the best part of having a creative job.

7. Describe a typical day.

My day usually starts at 9.30am and ends around 6.30pm. Between emails, meetings, articles to write for the site or projects to develop/organise, time really flies fast. There is always something to do or some unexpected event to deal with.

I also spend time in showrooms, press offices, conferences, meetings, catwalks and the wardrobe to check if clothes and accessories have arrived. Vogue Talents brings me to travel a lot around the world within and out the Fashion calendar to look for emerging designers. So I am often seen running between the airport and the office with my luggage.

8. Which piece of advice would you give to someone who wants to become a Fashion Editor Assistant?

Among the most practical advices I can give I would say always have a can-do attitude, be resourceful and learn to adapt quickly. From the outside, working for Vogue always seems like a dream job involving parties and glitter but that is not only this. It is a job like any other that requires being ready to make some sacrifices like working for 12 hours (especially for photo shootings). Moreover, starting small, being modest and listen those who have more experience and being quick to react in case of unexpected events are great qualities in this industry.

And last but not least, believe in yourself and your dreams.