It’s always been your dream to be a big name in the fashion world. You’re passionate and your friends say you have a keen sense of style. You’ve been called trendy quite a few times. It’s not that you lack ambition or dedication, you just know how to get started. Breaking into the fashion industry can seem like a difficult task from the outside, but it’s actually not as daunting as you might think. Getting started in fashion is similar to getting started in any other career.
Choose Your Path
Every journey begins with a first step, and that includes breaking into the fashion industry. But before you can take that step, you have to have a general idea of where you’re going. There are many more jobs and career paths within the fashion industry than the average person realizes. From stylists to fashion designers, to people who produce merchandise or create textiles, and illustrators and graphic designers. Take the time to sit down and examine your interests, passions, and experience. Once you’ve done that, use that information to narrow down where in the fashion industry you would like to end up. Of course, you don’t have to stay on that path, but it’s important to at least have an idea of where to start.
Start Small
When you first break into the industry, it’s almost a guarantee that you won’t have much of a name in the fashion world yet. Don’t be discouraged by having to start at the bottom and work your way up. Find internships or entry level jobs in your field. Apply for gigs wherever you see them, even if they’re small gigs with little exposure. Every job you pick up will add to your experience and increase your growth.
In addition to this, some people have found luck utilizing the cold pitch method. Cold pitching is the act of pitching a gig to a person, business, or company who isn’t currently recruiting. An example of this would be approaching owners of local businesses and offering to produce a marketing campaign for them in exchange for exposure or references.
Create an Online Presence
To build a successful career in any industry, but especially within fashion, you have to build a reputation. One of the best ways to get exposure and create a buzz around your brand, you, is to build up a professional presence online. There are several ways to do that and utilizing more than one method can maximize your success in this area. You could start by creating a blog and chronicling your life as a designer, or whichever career path you’ve chosen. Post on Instagram and Twitter. Create a YouTube channel. Fashion is truly a visual art medium and the more exposure you get, the more opportunities will come to in return.
Keep Your Resume Updated
As you find yourself getting more jobs and opportunities, the most important thing you can do for yourself is to make sure you’re keeping your resume and portfolio updated. Do not miss any chance to network at events. If you have a solid reputation and good references at your disposal, you’re sure to land bigger and brighter opportunities as you move through the industry.
Consider Branding Yourself
Some people decide not to go down a traditional career path but to start their own brand from the outset. This can be a good option for people who have a strong initiative and an already established presence online. It takes a lot of work to build a business from the ground up, but there are plenty of household names within fashion that started clothing lines or fashion labels before becoming well known.
Branching into a new industry can certainly be daunting, especially if you have no prior experience. Don’t let that fear discourage you or hinder your progress. Your future in the fashion world is bright and you have nowhere to go but up.
Photo by EVG photos
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