When it comes to studying fashion, a quick assumption is that the industry is full of airheads and shallowness. However, if you are serious about entering into the field you have no reason to worry. This all too dominant view of the clothing and accessory world could not be more of a misconception.
Since starting college about a month ago, I've found myself constantly surrounded by people who are studying to be everything from organic chemists to heart surgeons, and I've been left to cope with the feeling of being just a fashion major. It wasn't until I started writing this column that I really felt secure in my own ambitions again. So what about writing made me change my mind? After doing a vast amount of research, I realized how much actually goes into working within the fashion industry. One must have an incalculable knowledge of history, English, marketing, business, mass communications, advertising, journalism, and of course, fashion. (And if interested in textiles, having a knowledge base in mathematics and chemistry is required as well.)
History and English are probably the hardest concepts for non-fashion majors to come to grips with. I mean honestly, why does a designer or fashion journalist need to know about something like the early American wars or Dickens' "Great Expectations?" It is simple really: without influence, designers have no inspiration and therefore no designs; and without previous knowledge of these influences, fashion journalists cannot reference them accurately.
Anna Sui's fall 2006 collection is an excellent example. Within her collection, Sui captured aspects of the French and Indian War as well as early 7th Avenue dressmaking; or as she put it, "How America was born."
Another historical reference that appeared multiple times on the fall '06 catwalk was that of the Victorian Era. It is a season influenced heavily by "Dark Romanticism," stated New York Times style reporter Eric Wilson.
In order to work within the fashion industry, possessing basic knowledge in marketing, advertising and business is essential. If designers cannot relate to and understand their target audiences, their products will not sell. In order to hold and control a substantial business, they have to know how to market and advertise their merchandise. If the designer strikes it rich somewhere down the line, then he will be able to hire a financial planner to balance his budget. However, up until that point he must be able to draw his own statistical graphs and balance their own budget.
The same goes for fashion journalists — especially if they're attempting to start their own fashion magazine.
On average, emerging fashion magazines usually do not stay afloat for more than two years. The reason behind this is that it usually takes about five years for a magazine to break even, and about seven for the magazine to even have a steady income. Most magazines go under because they cannot manage to stay afloat for those first five years of debt. In order to create a successful fashion publication, having a solid understanding of everything from marketing to statistics to graphic design/layout, as well as media and style, is crucial. Like any successful product, whether it is a $2,000 dress, $400 handbag or $3.95 magazine, it must possess creativity and that infamous "it" factor.
Above all else, slaves to fashion must also understand the ins and outs of the industry. When, for example, the fall shows for the year premiere in February, and the spring shows in September, designers, journalists and everyone else involved must be able to always be one step and two seasons ahead of the trends. They must have an up-to-date and historical knowledge of the world, its various cultures and their influence upon fashion. As representatives of the fashion industry they must also be able to constantly channel their creativity into something new, exciting and aesthetically pleasing. They must also possess the ability to influence the masses and make something as distasteful and grungy as the hobo look catch on.
The fashion industry overall is a compilation of artistic, innovative intellectuals — so the next time you or someone you know questions the validity of the profession, just remember: trying to accurately recreate a military uniform inspired by the French and Indian War in a cardigan sweater isn't as easy as you may think.
Sydney Burdick is a freshman intending to major in fashion journalism. Direct any questions or comments to [email protected].
