What are the roles at a fashion magazine?

Looking for a job within a fashion magazine, but don’t know where to begin? Maybe you’re applying to the wrong role, selling yourself wrong. Or even applying to a role too senior for your level without realising. We’ve broken down the roles that contribute to the successful flow of running a fashion magazine by the Editorial team. So you can see all your potential roles as an aspiring and overall career path within a publication.

Due to the modern world we live in today where the digital shift has taken over how we consume content, fashion publications operate in two main ways; print and digital. Although the distribution to the public is different, the operation runs almost the same. So, whether you want to work in print or digital, or even try both you can consider all the roles below.

Editor in Chief

The most senior role of them all at a fashion magazine; the editor in chief. But a role of such high status doesn’t come easy, this is the individual with the most responsibility. The one who has the make crucial decisions and decide the fate of the magazine each month. We may know Anna Wintour for her fashion taste and her signature bob. But out of fashion week appearances, she is the backbone of Vogue. The Editor in Chief’s role consists of overseeing all aspects of the publication. They sign off all ideas from each article to shoot plans and the final product, meaning they are essentially responsible for every single page that gets published.

Fashion Editor

If you know the ins and outs of the fashion industry this is the role for you. Working directly within the fashion category of a publication, a Fashion Editor is responsible for deciding what goes on the fashion pages of the magazine. From selecting this season’s staples to put on the product pages, to which articles to feature or what photo shoots to include. They are ultimately responsible for the whole fashion sector. Whether this be digital content to choose from or organising the layout of a shopping page in the physical magazine. Fashion Editors have to keep on top of the latest trends. They even often work with PR for print, to discover which trends and garments will be on sale when the magazine hits the shelves. Whether you work for print or digital, it is equally crucial to have a genuine interest and knowledge of the fashion industry. A Fashion Editor will also write articles for the sector and even attend events.

Digital Editor

A role that is based at publications with an online presence. This means a Digital Editor takes the lead organising all the online content that is published on the digital publication. Just as a magazine editor would organise the page layout of the physical product. Their role consists of signing off new ideas for the website, from content to images and managing the layout of the home page while selecting the latest articles to take the front row. A Digital Editor also monitors the traffic onto the website. Analysing what articles and categories are doing well and which are not to plan further content.

Beauty Editor

Just like a Fashion Editor, the Beauty Editor works directly focusing on one sector of the magazine. They manage and plan what will be featured on the beauty pages from images, and articles to the makeup and skincare shopping pages. For a beauty fanatic, this role would be a dream. A Beauty Editor needs to be knowledgeable on the beauty industry including the latest beauty trends. They will attend the latest beauty brand events and trial products at home to test their quality and often write a piece on them. They also come up with fresh article ideas and new concepts for beauty-focused shoots to portray an article or product. When working digitally as an editor it is also important to consider SEO when producing articles to best optimise content.

Of course it is important to remember that different magazines will have different Department Editors as they have some categories larger than others than represent the publication. Just as Vogue have their own Trends Department and Marie Claire have their own Sustainability Department. So there might just be a sector for your passion!

Features Editor

Unlike a Beauty or Fashion Editor, the Features Editor does not necessarily need specialist knowledge of a field, as they work broadly among all categories of a magazine. From each tab you see at the top of the digital Glamour website, to the categories contents you see as you turn the pages of Harper Bazaar. Their role includes generating and pitching ideas for featured articles across a broad range of topics. They are also often in charge of commissioning budgets and negotiating article prices with freelance writers, who contribute to the magazine. They even sometimes send out briefs including word count and deadline. Working with the writers in house as well as freelancers, they frequently edit and re-write articles or reject them back to the original writer.

Editorial Assistant

Editorial Assistants work directly along the side of the Editor. Developing into the Editors trusted confidant, they tend to know than the other editors in the team. They primarily assist with anything and everything that will support the Editor to do their job as efficiently as possible. Reliving any tedious or time consuming tasks and stress from the Chief. As an Editorial Assistant you will also work with the other team members ensuring the natural flow of the magazine and assisting where possible with design, writing, scheduling photo shoots, or arranging meetings. As a right-hand man to the Editor in Chief, this is where most Editors began learning directly from the best.

Sub Editor

A Sub Editor is like the final moving part of the magazine coming together. They are responsible for ensuring all the text in each article of the magazine is grammatically correct, legally sound, and factual. This responsibility is crucial to the professionalism of the magazine. Have you ever seen a spelling mistake in Vogue? Checking things are factual is also very important, as stating an incorrect fact about a celebrity or a statistic on sustainability can land the magazine in a lawsuit! These final checks are what pulls all the content together. The Sub Editors also expand or cut features to ensure they fit within the word counts. Or if your at a print magazine, to ensure they work perfectly with the images on the page and fit perfectly in the columns to create the best end result.

Staff Writer

As a role that is primarily focused on writing rather than the structure, design, or organisational side of the magazine. A Staff Writer concentrates on content. They research and pitch ideas to write articles on, conduct interviews for magazine content where necessary .This could even be the iconic cover stars to a professional giving useful facts and statistics. From interviewing a-list celebs to researching new trends, this role is for anyone who wishes for writing to be at the core of their role. A Staff Writer simply writes content for all categories of the magazine. They will also work closely with the Sub Editors to ensure word counts, deadlines, and overall tone of the writing is kept in line with the publication. 

Contributors

Finally, a contributor is a freelance writer who isn’t employed as a full-time employee within the office of the magazine. As a contributor, you ultimately contribute articles to many different magazines rather than working for just the one in-house. This means you are not a part of the magazine team as such. You work freelance, out of the office for yourself producing content for multiple publications. You may only be in touch with the editor of the department you write under, as you contribute articles on a weekly or monthly basis. A contributor write articles for a magazine on a topic they have either pitched or been briefed, it is often under a category they specialise in as their niece. 

Fashion/Beauty Assistant

As an assistant to a particular department a Fashion Assistant (or Beauty) helps the Editors to create their features and photoshoots. They assist in any way to ensure the creation runs smoothly and makes the Editor’s life easier. This could include assisting in shoots by calling clothes in from PR, organising all the behind-the-scenes or keeping note of all the credits needed in the magazines shopping pages from each item’s brand, price, and retail store. This role also involves writing articles for these sectors of the magazine.

Editorial Interns

Starting at the beginning of your career, an Editorial Intern learns the In’s and Outs from first hand experience at a publication. The main responsibility of the role is to support the people above you, from Editors to Assistants, you will act as a PA to help with the time consuming tasks or research projects to help things run quickly and smoothly. As an intern you can also produce content and get to pitch ideas for feedback and get your name published.

What you need to start within the world of a fashion magazine:

It is common that within a fashion magazine, you will work your way up these roles if desired. For example, if after reading your potential role options you wish to become a Fashion Editor, you may begin as a Fashion Assistant while you learn directly from a professional Fashion Editor. To join the world of editorial fashion you will need a BA (Hons) Degree. This doesn’t have to be a fashion or journalism degree. It is often publications like to hire people with different knowledge to bring to the magazine. It is also crucial you have some internship experience.

Before even looking at an assistant job or a lower role within a publication you have to intern. Reach out to your favourite magazines and show your interest, you may even end up like Andy from The Devil Wears Prada. Finally, to impress employers and show your knowledge of the industry take an online course. Not only does this show your genuine interest, it also expands your knowledge. 

So which role stands out to you? What are you most passionate about? What could you see yourself doing? Let us know on our Instagram.

In the following weeks we will be publishing a new series focusing on how to become a fashion writer and how to get a job at a fashion magazine. So be sure to check in next week to see the series continue…