How to become a fashion editor

Last week fashion editor Bernadette Morra and stylist Derick Chetty answered your fashion editing and styling career queries. To add a comment, click here and scroll past the discussion to the comments area. And join us again Thursday for the Naked Lunch chat.

I am graduating from journalism school next year, (bachelor journalism and psychology honours), and am wondering how I can prepare myself for a communications position at fashion firm. Devon in Barrie

Check out the one year post-graduate public relations programme at Humber College. Derick

What kind of experience would be useful for someone considering a job as a fashion editor/writer? Natalie

Freelance for your school newspaper. Appoint yourself the fashion editor. Get out there and write as much as you can, even if it's for free. Profile young designers who are hungry for exposure. Cover indie fashion shows and collectives. You will develop a voice and a point of view. You will also get a chance to practice editorial writing, which is very different from writing a thesis or essay. You may even meet a magazine or newspaper fashion editor that you can pitch a story to. Bernadette

I'm going into my second year at U of T, majoring in English. Would you say your education at U of T was useful for your work now, or do you wish you would have gone to Ryerson like you originally wanted? Natalie

I am a very fatalistic person and this is one of the reasons why. I wanted to work in media. My parents pushed me in another direction. But like a boomerang I wound up in media. So I can't say I would rather have gone to Ryerson because I probably would have still wound up sitting in this chair. As for whether U of T was useful? Of course it was, perhaps not to my job today, but any knowledge gained whether it is intellectual, spiritual or emotional can only be a good thing, no matter how painful or uncomfortable the learning process is. Bernadette

What university/college did you graduate from? What did you major in? How did you become a stylist? Apolicht

I graduated from Ryerson Polytechnical University and majored in Fashion Communication. I am very lucky to do both styling and fashion editing/writing. For a stylist, there isn't a school program to take where you can train. The best way to start is to find a stylist that you can assist. There are three kinds of stylists - fashion, movie/television and prop stylists. A fashion stylist works mostly for magazines styling fashion editorials or celebrity profiles. A strong fashion background is needed for this - knowledge of fashion/hair/makeup trends, where to find product and how to pick the right model for a particular story. If you're interested in this you should get an internship at one of the fashion magazines.
A movie/television/commercial stylist should have some sewing/alteration experience and a large amount of shopping skills - by this I mean, you need to know the city inside out. When the director yells he needs a purple paisley dressing gown - you need to know exactly where to go to get that immediately.
A prop stylist is one who is an expert at working with inanimate objects. You know those pics in The Bay's flyers where the bunch of ties are perfectly curled? It's an art. A different kind of prop stylist is one who would decorate a movie or television set. It's not just about finding the stuff to use, a lot of research is involved. How to get the look of a 1920's French cafe? They would consult numerous sources to get the look down  pat. 
Short answer - whichever you're interested in, find someone who does that and assist, soak up as much as you can. And be prepared to do it for free. As for how long it takes to get from a writer to fashion editor - it varies and it's certainly not a clear route. Derick

What kind of salary is there to be made in this industry? Clare

Fashion is not the area you want to work in if money is your prime motivation. But there are lots of perks. At the newspaper we are sent to cover fashion shows in Milan, Paris and New York. We are also invited to lots of events and launches. And there are lots of beauty samples that, if beauty writing is part of the job, we are allowed to try. Newspaper generally do not allow their staffs to accept gifts. However, magazines are a different story. They can also take the free trips offered by the fashion and beauty companies to such fabulous spots as the south of France, Swiss spas and the Paris couture.

Can you define what a fashion editor is and does? James

Essentially the role of the fashion editor is to decide what is reported on in the newspaper or magazine. We are absolutely bombarded with requests from people who want us to write about their products and services. The fashion editor must have a well-defined vision based on their readership and the overall thrust of their publication and use this vision to decide who should be covered and who should not. Magazine fashion editors must also balance pressure from advertisers who feel that they are entitled to coverage in the magazine. Bernadette

What kind of schooling is required to become a fashion editor? Clare

There is no one direct path to becoming a fashion editor. If you got all the fashion people from all the magazines and newspapers in this city together, they would each give you very different stories of how they arrived at their jobs. Some may have studied journalism, some came from different areas of writing, such as music, some found their way to magazine styling after graduating from fashion school. There is no one school you can go to to become a fashion editor. Bernadette

So how did you get your job?

After high school (Lawrence Park C.I.), I wanted to go to Ryerson for radio and television arts, but my parents wouldn't let me. They insisted I go to University of Toronto, where I got a B.A. in criminology and sociology. After that I did one year at Sheridan College in a media writing programme which no longer exists. It was a fantastic course for someone who loves to write, because it covered writing for film, TV, radio and print. I learned everything from writing a radio ad to a newpaper story to a feature film. Most valuable was that the programme broke me from an academic style of writing, into a more commercially viable editorial style.

After one year of Sheridan I was itching to get into the work force. I really wanted to be a music critic, but I started out getting a job editing closed captioned subtitles for TV. While working for a small, independant firm, I pitched some stories to the music writer at Canadian Press. He couldn't give me any freelance work, but he later was promoted to editor of a lifestyle division. He called me and asked me if I would like to freelance for him. There was only one problem. It wasn't about music. He said he wanted me to write fashion. It was like a lightbulb went off over my head. I had never considered fashion writing, but I had been a fashion junkie since I was old enough to buy my own magazines.

There weren't very many writers at the time who wanted to write "soft" news. So soon after I started writing for CP, The Star called me to freelance for them. Then Flare called me. I was hired full time at Flare, but an opening came here at The Star shortly after. I became fashion writer for The Star in 1988, and fashion editor in 1993.

My career snowballed very quickly because, as I said, there weren't very many writers wanting to do lifestyle writing at the time. That has changed drastically. But I believe there is always room for good people. Bernadette

Comments

[AspiringFashionEditor]

I am an aspiring fashion editor, currently majoring in Journalism.
I was thinking that a minor in Art would be useful for my desired career, as having an artistic sense could not hurt when working in the magazine industry. There are metal work/jewelry courses to take for an Art minor and I thought this would be good as it develops a sense of fashion and style in creating my own jewelry. Do you think a minor in Art may be useful in becoming a Fashion Editor?

[Bernadette responds]

To the Aspiring Fashion Editor below, I think that any knowledge that you can gain from fashion and/or jewelry courses will ultimately benefit you a in your career. What it won't do is guarantee you a job, or make someone more inclined to hire you.

[Donna]

I have been designing fashion for over twenty years and am considering a career change as a fashion writer. What steps would you recommend I take in order to accomplish this? What type of credentials do I need to have?

[Desiree']

i am so glad i found this page. im stuck and dont know what to do. c my dream is to be a fashion designer, but yet work for a mag. i got accepted to Fidm for fashion design in LA. but the cost is way to hi for living over there. so i have to fall on plan b. thats where i get stuck, should i go to the other two schools for fashion merchin. and if i do will this help me get to where i want to be. i dont come from alot of money to fall back on. bascily what im try n to ask is what school would you recomend that is still noticed in the industry but yet affordable and hands on with the scene. hopefully you can help please im really n need of guidence.
thanks a bunch........

[Whitley]

I am an 18 year old aspiring fashion editor and stylist. I am currently attending Howard University, but I was thinking about aplying to NYU to major in journalism. But recently I decided to cancel both universities and just attend FIT. I am so confused as to how to enter this industry, but this is my passion. No one seems to know what first steps to take when trying to enter this world. If you could tell me anything to help me get started, I would greatly appreciate it!

[Jessica Dues]

Hi,
I am about to go off to college. My ultimate goal is to be a fashion editor. I have been a model for about 7 years and have interned with a photographer and makeup artist company for about 2 years.I teach styling classes and makeup and hair classes, and I am a free lance makeup artist. I am confused if I should major in fashion merchandising. I do not want to be a buyer but I want to work with every aspect of fashion. Would the Fashion Institute of Technology jump start my career by getting an education there? I want to get the right education to jump start me into fashion editing.
Sincerly,
Jessica Dues

[Kayla Sandoval]

I just wanna say thank you for telling me all about Fashion Editing. It looks harder than it looks.I had no idea that there wasnt a college for Fashion editing.I still have a question I was wondering what courses should I consider taking when I attend college,something that will have to do something about fashion Editing.

[Danielle]

Hi, i'm a junior in high school. i'm currently writing for my school newspaper, writing mostly editorials and features per month. i really want to become a fashion editor and i do keep up with the trends of fashion today. i don't know where to start after high school. should i maybe mayjor in english/journalism or right away to a fashion school? and do you know of any local southern california schools that'd be good?

[Coreyiel]

Hi, I'm a sophmore in high school and like everyone on this blog I want to be fashion editor. My school doesn't have a newspaper. I have a lot of free time and I wanted to know what steps I can take now to come closer to my dream of becoming a fashion editor.

[Marshall]

Like one of the people on here I, too, am a sophomore in high school. I write for the school newspaprer in journalism and I love it. For me, unlike the others, I like the "soft" side of reporting as well. I enjoy writing about fashion and love it. Not to sound like I am basing my career on the movie, however, The Devil Wears Prada was like a calling to me...lol.

My plan is to major in Journalism at NYU, or, more likely, the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at ASU and hopefully, miraculously, intern at a place like Vogue or Hapers Bazzar over summer.

Anyway this blog was very useful because I am wrting a career essay for my Accelerated English class and of course it's about being a future Editor.

Thank you ever so much!

[Rai Hummel]

Im a grade 10 high school student from Toronto. I am reaching a point in my life where i will be needing to take courses which will further my knowledge in a career feild that i would like to persue. I have always, even when i was a child, wanted to be in the fashion industry. I had always wanted to be a designer, however, i realise that it is a tad unrealistic and that i need to think of other possibilities. This brought me to thinking about being a fashion editor or doing something in journalism or magazine editing. I am just wondering if you could give me some more information about where i need to go, and the type of classes and universities i should be thinking about. Thank you!

[Olga Moore]

Thank you so much for this interview, I am sure you helped many girls on their way to fulfilling their dream. Thank you!

[Anita]

Hi I'm starting to look into colleges to apply to. I was wondering if it would make much of difference if I went to a college in the city, or a college in a smaller town. I also would like to know if a major in communications would be a good choice if I plan on being a fashion editor. Your help would be immensely appreciated.