It’s no secret that the illustrious fashion industry isn’t always as glamorous as pictured. It’s a fast-paced field requiring the quick wit of many and the artistic flair of the few. Many try their hand at entering this elite workplace, but finding a foothold is a challenge that can make or break most. Many don’t know where to begin or believe they lack the proper resources to succeed. Nevertheless, it’s not impossible, and certain style savants who eventually found that grip for themselves are determined to educate the upcoming generation of capable couturiers.
Whether you’re looking for inspiration from narratives of determination and success or you’re looking for resources to help you on your journey toward a more fashionable future, these ingenious women and their stories have exactly what you need.
Giada Graziano, ‘The Glam Observer’
Giada Graziano, author, fashion educator, and founder of the Glam Observer, started her journey in fashion in 2014 from her home in South Italy. Graziano was a curious individual who wanted to break into the industry but had no resources to do so. There were no schools, companies, or internship opportunities near that could help her gain the valuable experience she needed. Feeling isolated, Graziano took to creating opportunities herself. She started the Glam Observer, a fashion blog where she’d go on to document her journey into a more fashionable future.
Over the next several years, Graziano took online courses and secured her master’s degree while frequently posting updates about these milestones on her platform. Highlighting both the highs and the lows of chasing your goals, she used her blog as a tool to help cultivate her artistic voice. Her education and determination helped her to secure positions working for Alexander Mcqueen, Kerig, and Yoox-Net-A-Porter.
However, in 2017, Graziano finally took the plunge. After running the Glam Observer alongside her several full-time positions over several years, she realized that she had built a solid enough foundation to turn her blog into something more. It had gained considerable traction, and women across the world wanted to know how they, too, could break into this world as Graziano did.
In 2018, Graziano quit her job and turned the Glam Observer into her full-time job. She also created the Glam Observer Fashion Academy, a series of online courses teaching what Graziano had learned to help newcomers acquire their dream jobs. Since being founded, her academy has seen over 3,000 graduates secure fashion careers.
Now, with over 100,000 followers on the information-filled Glam Observer Instagram page, a published book helping aspiring creatives develop established careers, and a dynamic and insightful podcast, Graziano has become the mentor she needed years ago. Her career is proof that we don’t need stereotypical avenues of education to pursue what we love. With determination, hard work, and creativity, you can craft opportunities that will lead you to where you want to be.
Emily Tighe, ‘sTYLIST eLIXIR’
Emily Tighe, celebrity editorial stylist and founder of Stylist Elixir, started her journey at university. Tighe studied fashion design at Central St. Martins, a renowned arts and design university in London. Immediately after graduating, she moved to Paris and worked under famed British stylist, John Galliano, for several years. Once she had refined her skills, she moved back to London to officially begin her career.
Tighe experienced the fast-paced nature of the industry firsthand as she dove into work. Tighe’s career moved quickly as she was thrust into the world of styling high-profile clientele, initially starting in assistant roles for celebrity stylists at British GQ. She was exposed to the world of styling for editorials, music tours, and red-carpet events on a constant basis, frequently working around the clock to meet deadlines and create red-carpet-ready looks. Tighe gained the opportunity to work closely with world-famous individuals early in her career, giving her insight most don’t receive until later on in their careers. She utilized this wealth of knowledge to jump-start her solo career as a celebrity stylist, cultivating an impressive portfolio of clients, work, and experience.
As her success continued, Tighe wanted to give back to the community she’d been working in for over a decade. She does this in multiple ways. For one, she offers both in-person and virtual mentorship programs to teach aspiring stylists the education necessary to stay afloat in the world of celebrity styling. Her in-person mentorship program allows students to gain hands-on experience by shadowing her for a week and accompanying her to photoshoots, styling appointments, and fashion events in London. Tighe also created Stylist Elixir, a digital database made to connect aspiring creatives to resources within the fashion industry. The directory includes digital guidebooks, digital mentorship programs, job listings, and communities of other creatives around the world.
While running her Style Elixir, Tighe organized editorial photoshoots for Taiker Magazine, Elle Vietnam, Grazia, and L’officiel Italia. She has also worked with well-known clients such as Kit Connor, Aaron Pierre, and Christine Quinn. She has spent over 10 years working as a solo stylist while simultaneously developing a diverse set of resources for anyone interested in the industry she found her place in.
Tighe’s story illustrates how one can succeed and reach incredible heights even when thrown into unstable territories.
Mary Korlin Downs, ‘All Things Fashion Tech’
Mary Korlin Downs, product designer and creative director of All Things Fashion Tech has both an interesting story and take on fashion. Downs studied at the University of Minnesota, gaining her bachelor’s in product design and her master’s in human factors and ergonomics. She was also a student gymnast, which inspired her to launch her own business immediately after graduating. She founded Our Colour, a business focused on supplying a line of sports tape with an inclusive shade range to athletes. Despite the business having a short life, it showcased Down’s entrepreneurial spirit and love for change in the areas she was passionate about.
In addition to Our Colour, Downs served as a creative director, product designer, and team lead for several fashion tech startups such as Bipty and Recurate. These projects allowed Downs to refine her skills in website interface design, resale-asset design, and more. Working in the technological side of the fashion industry for several years gave Downs a unique perspective into the present and future of the fashion industry from a technical standpoint. This experience initially led her to start developing resources and posting them on a TikTok account before creating her own space, All Things Fashion Tech.
All Things Fashion Tech (ATFT for short) is a multifaceted platform and newsletter for all technological aspects of the fashion world. ATFT aims to educate aspiring fashion tech workers on the industry, as well as broadcast constant updates to the community. By subscribing to the ATFT Substack, fashion tech creatives gain access to a frequently updated job board and newsletter containing the latest updates in the fashion tech industry. Downs also offers a detailed database containing the names of over 300 fashion tech companies, along with their website, LinkedIn, budget, and HQ location.
Interested creatives can also find a wealth of information on the ATFT Instagram page, which is outfitted with presentations of information in post form. Links to the ATFT Substack and fashion tech company database can be found there. Down’s story shows us that fashion often intersects with many other areas, and those intersections can be utilized to create something unique, new, and ultimately necessary. Hailing from Down’s example, we can understand that all of our passions can be linked together to create our perfect career if we choose to work hard for it.
Graziano, Tighe, and Downs envisioned their dream careers and decided to work hard for it. Despite the potential mishaps, setbacks, and moments of uncertainty, they rose to the occasion and kept their eyes on their goal. Their stories serve as inspirational examples meant to remind us of one thing: Anything you desire is within reach if you choose to seek it.