How To Become A Fashion Editor

Hi. I'm Clare Watson, owner of personal styling business, Miss-dress. Today, I'm going to be showing you plenty of tips and tricks on style and lots of fashion advice that you can use for both work and play.

A fashion editor is the person that decides what is going to be reported and then published when it comes to fashion within a magazine or a newspaper. At 26, I was received my first fashion editorship so I'm here to tell you a few tips on how you can do that too. First off, naturally excellent flair and taste for style and fashion is an absolute must for a fashion editor.

Many young and up-and-coming fashion editors start off their career either by doing a degree in fashion or qualification of some description in fashion or something related to the creative arts. Whilst it's not absolutely essential, it definitely has some heavyweight in for getting your foot through that first store. So, it might be worth your while if you have been already going and investigating some options at your local college or university.

Regardless of qualifications, a passion and interest in fashion and trends is absolutely compulsory for a fashion editor, so you need to think really slickly whether your interest in fashion goes beyond shopping. Work experience at a newspaper or a magazine is then the next run on the ladder. Be prepared to work hard but most of all, be prepared to work for free and serve at least 6 months.

Unfortunately, getting into the fashion industry is no easy feat. You've got to be prepared to work hard. At the same time as doing your work experience, start put together your contact list of all those names of people that you think might be able to help you in the future.

Don't just aim for photographers and fashion editors and editors, also think about those people the bottom of the ladder like yourself as well. So, photographer's assistants, hair and makeup artist assistants, because those are the stars of the future and those are the ones that are going to be able to help you. Besides networking and building your contact book, you also need to start really testing your skills by styling photoshoots and writing fashion articles.

So, why not contact some local up and coming designers and also report on some local fashion shows where you can utilize the clothes from the designers to style in your own photoshoots and you can also report and write the articles on the local fashion shows, too. By starting your portfolio on written articles and photoshoots coupled together with your work experience, you are then primed to be able to start to apply for jobs. Start at the bottom; don't try and aim for the top.

Fashion editors, it takes a long time to get there and we all started as fashion assistants. So, look for jobs as a fashion assistant on a magazine or a newspaper. Don't just aim for monthly glosses because there is so much competition going to try to get a job on them and also, fashion assistant jobs are very few and far between.

Look at your local magazines and newspapers but also don't forget about online magazines, too. They're always looking for people and they're a great way of getting that first job. Fashion assistant roles tend to last for around about 3 to 4 years before you will be accepted as a fashion editor and can start to apply for those relevant jobs.

During that time, of course, your contact book will have grown in considerable length and you'll be able to utilize your contacts to help you find your dream job, if not being referred in the first place, anyway. But in the meantime, whilst working your way up the ladder, don't forget to start a blog. It's a great platform for being able to put your work and your abilities online to the rest of the world.

So, include photoshoots that you have styled and also any articles that you've written so that the world can then see and also, it's a great tool for being able to send on to other editors who might be very interested in