Not just shoes: Pursuing a career in fashion

I often get asked advice on pursuing a career in the fashion industry. My response, regardless of whether they want to be a designer, model, makeup artist, journalist or stylist is the same: it's a lot of freaking hard work, but if you put your heart and soul into it then it can be extremely rewarding.

Lots of young people get this idea in their head of what the fashion industry is like. It's fed by popular culture with films like The Devil Wears Prada and Confessions of a Shopaholic, which while they do show more than just the catwalk shows and parties, do gloss over most of the actual work which goes on behind the scenes to make it all happen. As someone who has studied and worked in both the mainstream and alternative fashion industries for the last two and a half years in every role imaginable, I can assure you that there's a lot more to it than shoes, spray tans and glamour.

So what do I recommend for someone wanting to work in fashion? First of all the most important thing is to understand your motivations. If all you want is to meet celebrities and go to parties then I can promise you right now it's not going to happen. If you don't work well under pressure and want all of your weekends to yourself, then once again I'm afraid you're going to have a lot of difficulties. But if you're willing to work long, unusual hours, do 'unglamorous' things like run errands and tape up the bottom of shoes so they don't get scuffed on the runway, and can deal with the fact that you're probably going to be the one hanging up clothes after a parade while everyone else is enjoying the open bar, then fashion might just be the place for you.

Something to very seriously consider, especially if you want to work interstate or overseas, is to study. There are a huge range of courses available which can teach you anything and everything you could want to know. When you combine this with copious amounts of work experience and internships, you will have the skills, experience and contacts you need to make a name for yourself. Research all the courses relevant to your chosen career path and don't go with the first one that strikes your fancy. Choosing where to get your education is a very crucial thing, and shouldn't be rushed! Read reviews online, if you can talk to people who are currently studying there or have recently graduated. Always call the Board of Education for your area to confirm the institution's accreditation before committing to anything, and check it out in person as well if possible.

In the last paragraph I mentioned work experience, and I want to discuss that further because I honestly believe it is the singular most important thing to do if you want a career in fashion. A lot of people frown at the idea of doing work for free, and while it can be hard, especially when it clashes with actually paid employment, it is a necessity. During my time as a fashion student I have worked on photo shoots, fashion parades, short films, theater productions, magazines, advertising campaigns, weddings and big events. On these I have done everything you can imagine, including fetching coffee, makeup, hair styling, special effects, ushering, modeling, writing, working the door, dressing models, making clothes, running events, window dressing, making goody bags, organising seating, directing shoots, calling parades and distributing marketing. All these things gave me confidence, contacts and things to put in my portfolio, which will be your best friend when you're trying to get paid work. After all, out of two people with identical qualifications who would you hire? The one who's done a few bits and pieces here and there, or the person who has worked hard on lots of different projects and has a list of references as long as your arm?

Every single one of those things, whether it was here or interstate, whether I started at 4am or finished at 4pm, no matter what I was doing, I did entirely unpaid. It took a lot out of me, I would go weeks barely seeing my friends or having a moment to myself. My health suffered on numerous occasions, and I would even get behind in my assignments, which is the point of studying in the first place, because I said yes to absolutely every opportunity I could. Now that I'm at the end of my course, looking back on the last two and a half years of my life, I'm glad I did it. Because as much as the lessons and assignments gave me the skills, the work experience gave me the passion and excitement, the confirmation that I was doing the right thing because I loved every second of it so much. It also helped me work out which aspects of the fashion industry I really want to work in. There is a lot to choose from, and if I hadn't been able to try everything out I wouldn't have discovered what I was truly passionate about.

At the end of the day that's why I'm here, doing what I'm doing. It's because I love it, and can't actually imagine being happy doing anything else. It's hard work and a lot of sacrifice, but when you see what you can create out of nothing but inspiration, hairspray, caffeine and double sided tape it's a pretty amazing feeling. So to all the aspiring fashionistas out there, remember to research, reflect, and work hard, because nothing is impossible with enough love and perseverance.

If you have any specific questions feel free to ask in the comments and I'll do my best to answer!

All my love,
Saccharine <3