Fashion, like any other industry, is highly scrutinized by society. It is perceived to be shallow, superficial, lucrative, and cutthroat. While all those characteristics are true in some cases that is, generally, not the case. Before making judgements it is important for people to be informed about the subject matter. To do so, I have compiled a list of the top five misconceptions about the industry.
1. Everyone is mean: No, everyone in fashion is not like Miranda Priestly. However, they are not super nice or sugar coat the true either. Plus, given the fast paced nature of the industry people are going to be busy, stressed out, and not super relatable. It is important to not confuse those characteristics with general meanness.
2. It’s just about clothes and money: Yes, profits are important. However, behind all the clothing and billion dollar companies there are designers with innovative ideas, companies working to give back, and people who want to change the way of the industry.
3. The only career path is in design: I cannot tell you how many times I get asked if I am an Apparel Design student. There are so many career paths in the industry that it is virtually impossible for anyone to not find their niche. For example, there are photographers, journalists, buyers, visual merchandisers, public relations people, and event planners.
4. You need to study fashion to be in the industry: So many successful people in the industry never started off in fashion or even studied fashion. Take a fashion buyer, for example, it is common for them to study business and not fashion. There is not one specific route or career plan that will land you certain positions.
5. Fashion is only for certain types of people: There are so many ridiculous stereotypes about people in the industry, whether that is gay, skinny, white, or rich—pop culture does such a horrible job at accurately portraying people in the industry. People of all different genders, sizes, races, backgrounds, styles, socioeconomic levels, and passions are in the industry. Everyone is welcome and has a place in the industry.