The Devil Wears Prada got something right: the fashion industry can be highly stressful. As a third-year fashion student who finally feels she’s becoming a part of the giant complex moving machine that is the fashion industry, I’m eager, I’m passionate and I’m honestly really overwhelmed.
I’ve been interested in fashion my whole life, and now that I’ve dedicated my post-secondary career to fashion and journalism, I find I compare myself to others a lot. This person is so far ahead of me, and that person knows so much more than I do. And social media, of course, doesn’t aid my stress. That being said, I find going out and constantly learning about the industry is a proactive and productive way to get ahead.
Forbes explains, “staying in the know about what’s happening in your industry has never been more important.” No matter what path in the industry you plan on taking, it’s important to stay up to date on all the latest fashion and pop culture news. This may seem obvious, but we often see big-name brands seem so out of touch with everything, from their marketing to their production process (just look at Balenciaga these days).
Being in fashion, I feel so lucky to be part of such an innovative and ever-changing industry and that there are always opportunities for me to learn constantly. It doesn’t always come organically, so you have to go out there and find the knowledge yourself.
Social media, tv and film, news and truly any sort of media can seem so overly saturated and stressful when trying to learn about what’s going on in fashion. Over time, I’ve been curating how I engage and consume my fashion news. Now I want to share the resources I have found to keep me educated and excited about furthering my career in fashion.
1. Curate a fashion finsta
So many of us have finstas or second or third Instagram accounts. Something I’ve done that organizes how I consume my news is to use a second Instagram account dedicated to following news sources, fashion houses and industry workers that I like and that are relevant to my career path.
Instead of waking up and scrolling through your social Instagram feed, make some time to go through your new curated fashion-news Instagram feed. It makes my endless scrolling feel productive and engaging rather than the mindless scrolling that so many of us do
To start you off, here are some of my favourite accounts to follow on my news feed:
- StyleNotCom – A fashion insider’s must-follow, according to Vogue, Style Not Com, curated by Beka Gvishiani, is a blunt page that follows fashion’s every move.
- Diet Prada – Diet Prada is quite the powerhouse of a voice when it comes to calling out the fashion industry for BS…I’d say it’s well-needed in this industry.
- LuxuryLaw – Law Roach is one of my favourite follows. He’s a major celebrity stylist who recently won the stylist award from the CFDA and his Instagram is an amazing inside look at his life.
2. Magazines vs. news outlets
Scroll through your Pinterest or Instagram feed, and you will find the aesthetic fashion influencers carrying a bundle of tulips and the newest Vogue issue in their fit pic. I can assure you they aren’t buying them for the informative content.
If you’re anything like me, you love a good hard-copy magazine. There’s something about the editorial design that I can’t find online. I think supporting print is so important in the fashion world because so much of fashion’s history comes from the magazine stands on city corners.
So, keep buying magazines. However, I’ve never found magazines to be a good source of information news-wise. So buy magazines and look at the aesthetic trends of photography, layout and branding, but don’t expect to get your news from magazines the way people have in the past.
Every day (more likely every other day), I like to read the front page of my favourite online magazines and websites with my coffee and my oatmeal and get the latest news in the fashion business.
Here are two of my favourites!
- Business of Fashion – “BoF combines independent, agenda-setting journalism with practical business advice, online learning, career-building tools and immersive events and experiences.” I’m part of BoF’s professional paid subscription and find it’s worth every penny to gain access to online learning, live events and exclusive news insights.
- FASHION Magazine – FASHION Magazine is a Canada-based brand and always has some articles about Toronto, which I love to see!
3. podcasts
Podcasts have become popular for a reason. They’re entertaining and convenient. When you can walk the dog or do the dishes while listening to a podcast, there’s no excuse not to make time to learn more about the fashion industry! I love to listen to podcasts during my walk to school as it keeps me entertained while furthering my knowledge.
There’s something about podcasts that seem more casual than reading news online. I don’t know what it is, but I love listening to real people’s opinions on a new show, the latest runway, and the weirdest TikTok trend.
If you’ve never tried podcasts before or if you need some new recommendations, here are three of my favourites that you can find on Spotify:
- Business of Fashion – Once again on my list, BoF continues to be a major player in fashion news. Their podcast has some phenomenal interviews that keep me feeling informed and thoughtful in fashion. My favourite episode is an interview with Sinead Burke!
- Corporate Lunch – GQ’s weekly podcast, Corporate Lunch, makes me feel as though I’m a fashion professional gossiping with my coworkers about the biggest brands, which is exactly the kind of vibe I’m looking for in a podcast.
- Fashion Fix with Charli Howard – Listening to this podcast, I feel like Charli and I are BFFs. Something about the way she discusses fashion’s biggest issues is so captivating and likeable and continues to be a go-to listen for me.