As an industry, Fashion is a master at working the right angles and glamorizing everyday life. If you follow a fashion editor, blogger or are a part of any kind of fashion community, you’ve probably turned green with envy once in awhile. Most know (and can quote) the Devil Wears Prada cinderella-esque scenarios that highlight the grunt work compensated by all-for-grabs editorial closets. As entertaining as looking at the before/after pictures of photoshopped celebs, we thought it would be just as fun to debunk some of the common myths about working in the fashion industry.
In this article you’ll learn…
Myth #1: No one is above a size 2
Okay okay, this is tricky since runway models are ridiculously thin, but for “fit models”, the models who sample the prototypes for designers, the industry dictates standards for fit models, and one of them is that your body must be in the proportions befitting a certain size. Sizes for female fit models, for example, fall into roughly five categories: junior (that’s a small size 4), missy (a medium size 8), contemporary (a large size 10), plus (which varies but is usually around a size 14), and petite.
Myth #2: Everyone in the fashion community is mean
So false. Lauren Sherman recently wrote an article for Yahoo Style dubbed “In Fashion, Do Nice Girls Finish First?” in which she contemplates how “the fashion industry was mired with a reputation for breeding bitches, but actually, the nice girl is winning right now. And more transparency has shown light the ongoing “nice girl movement.” We know this is true because we work with some super chic and very lovely clients!
Myth #3: It’s all glamorous
I think Kelly Frammel, aka the Glamourai, stated it best:
Go ahead and throw out your ego, because you’ve got a lot of PUTTING ON SHOES to do.
Myth #4: Working 9 to 5, what a way to make a living
Sorry, Dolly. Fashion never sleeps. While there are varied working hours for different roles within the fashion community, view Allure beauty editor Kristie Dash’s Snapchat anytime between 9am and 11pm and she’s probably still at Conde Nast. According to an an article by The Atlantic, many fashion bloggers work 100 hours a week. And we aren’t even talking about those who work the hardest at Fashion Week!
Myth #5: Content is king
As if. SEO is king. Fashion editors are constantly juggling their editorial lens with their mandated SEO requirements. Unfortunately, North West’s ballerina bun seems to generate more traffic than the creative direction of the latest Vogue photoshoot, and writers must accommodate those click-worthy pieces alongside their passion projects.
Myth #6: Everyone is on a diet
While there is definitely more of a prevalence of juice cleansing and health, the people who work in the fashion community come in all shapes and sizes and indulge in carbs. Hello Pizza Fridays!
Myth #7: Facebook is dead
This was a surprising one for me, but actually, Facebook is still the number one platform for publications working in the fashion community. “The demographic that tends to appear on Twitter — tech users — is different from that on Facebook, which is sort of the everyman. Instagram is more of a niche market.” Fashion brands are successful because they know how “to segment their messaging, so they’re able to talk to different key interests.”
Myth #8: Trust funds
John Jannuzzi’s modest start in the fashion industry is something most can relate to.
My parents quickly informed me that they would no longer be supporting me financially, so I had to get a job. I feel like I work very hard now, but I have not hustled like I did in those days in forever.
Myth #9: Everyone who works in Fashion is dumb
There is a business of fashion after all. Rent the Runway, Gilt Groupe, Birchbox, Stitch Fix, and Shoptiques founders all got their start or inspiration at Harvard. Outside of startups, Supermodel Christy Turlington has a bachelor’s degree in comparative religion and eastern philosophy from NYU and a master’s in public health from Columbia University. The Editor-in-Chief of The Business of Fashion, Imran Amed, is a McGill and HBS alum. Joseph Altuzarra went to Swarthmore, and Eva Chen did a stint at Oxford!
Myth #10: Only the young are relevant
There have been some amazing campaigns lately highlighting the more established personalities in the fashion community. Joan Didion for Celine, Joni Mitchell for Saint Laurent, Iris Apel graces the ads for Alexis Bittar and Bill Cunningham is still everywhere.
By Launchmetrics Content Team
The Launchmetrics content team is always on the lookout for new trends in the fashion and technology sector. We are geeks with style and lovers of good stories!
