I wouldn’t say nobody will tell you these things, but I’d just like to reinforce them. I feel like there are a lot of people who decide they want to study fashion but just don’t know what to expect or don’t know what they want to do with their future. I’m here to give you some tips from someone who has been in the game for a little bit and wants to make everyone whose shoes I was once in, feel more at ease. Just remember, these aren’t meant to scare you. I’m here to help, these are meant to prepare you for what is to come.
You will get asked on a daily basis if you want to design clothes.
No, I can’t make you a dress, or a shirt, or anything for that matter. In all honesty I don’t even know how to sew. A lot of people forget that there are so many opportunities in the fashion industry that don’t have to do with designing clothes. Writing, editing, social media, buying, think about that next time before asking me if I can sew you something.
You’ll probably end up changing your mind a hundred times before you find your niche.
Trust me, changing your mind isn’t a bad thing. When I first came to school I was set on majoring in fashion merchandising and becoming a buyer. I currently study marketing and I want to end up at a PR firm or doing anything that deals with social media. So I took a complete 360. The same holds true for a lot of students that attend my school. So trust me, don’t feel bad.
I hate to say it, but you will work for free. A lot.
Internships are probably one of the best ways to get your foot in the door in an industry as competitive as the fashion industry. The fact of the matter is there aren’t always going to be paid internships. As much as you think it may suck putting in a ton of hard work and not getting paid, just think of how much experience you’re getting. You are already one step ahead of someone who has no experience, and you’re building your resume. Sometimes companies will pay you with products, or clothes, which makes things a little more worth it in the end.
With that being said, take advantage of every opportunity that falls into your lap.
Do not let any opportunity slip away at your fingertips. Take advantage of anything and everything. Even if you think you might not like something, do it anyway. You might be surprised, and hey if you end up absolutely hating it at least you know what you don’t like.
Your sleeping schedule will never be the same; I’m serious.
Wake up, go to class, go to work or intern, come home, do homework, sleep, repeat. This is what a normal day for a fashion student looks like. Although it may not look like a lot to some, try taking 19 credits and working 35 hours a week (been there, done that), it isn’t easy.
Even if you don’t like coffee, you will start to like coffee.
A lot of late night’s calls for a lot of coffee. I never really drank coffee before I started school and now it’s scary how sometimes I will involuntarily start walking to Starbucks or Dunkin on the way to class in the mornings.
You’ll fall in love with the industry, and realize you can’t see yourself anywhere else.
Even when things get hard and overwhelming and you feel like you can’t do it or you feel like giving up, you won’t. You’ll realize this is where you are supposed to be and you would give any of this up for the world.