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"There's nothing more important than to intern at a magazine during
college," says Ruth Basloe, the 25-year-old fashion editor at
Cosmopolitan. While a senior at Barnard College in New York, Basloe
secured an internship at Harper's Bazaar. "It was in the features
department, but I didn't care, I just wanted to be there." Her
internship led to a job as an assistant at Redbook, and after a year she
went back to Harper's Bazaar as a market editor.
Cosmogirl editor-in-chief Atoosa Rubenstein started as a Sassy intern.
Rubenstein was notorious for her enthusiasm, even over the most menial
tasks. "To me, that job was like saving lives," she says. "I did it with
a real vengeance."
Another seasoned fashion editor at Hearst goes as far as to say that
everyone she knows in the business has interned. "You're not going to
get a job if you don't intern," she says flatly. "When we're hiring for
assistants, we want someone who's already had magazine experience, and
the best way to do it is while you're at college." If you're not lucky
enough to attend a New York City school (many of Manhattan fashion
editors have degrees from Barnard, Columbia and NYU), a summer
internship is a good option.
Publishing powerhouses Conde Nast and Hearst receive thousands of
resumes a year, and getting into one of their publications is the style
equivalent to an acceptance letter from Harvard. Many are called, but
only a few of the fashion-mad are chosen.
It's not all about who you know. Some editors do hire candidates based
intelligence and passion. "When I'm hiring assistants and interns," a
fashion director says, "I always look for a high aptitude as well as a
real energy for the clothes. I mean, the job is not that exciting. I
want someone who'll swoon when the Versace gowns come in, because that's
what makes it worth it."
Persistence is key. If you don't know anyone at a magazine to send your
resume to, go through the mastheads of your target titles and mail away.
"I sent my resume everywhere," recalls Basloe. "Someone called and said
they didn't have an opening, but they knew someone who did at another
magazine. And because my resume looked good, they wanted to recommend me
for the position." If your cold-calling doesn't yield results, you can
always make your name and fatten your portfolio in the indie-mag
frontier. Avant-garde magazines, with smaller budgets and an alternative
viewpoint, can be stepping-stones to corporate behemoths. Surface,
Arude, Flaunt and Visonaire, are more prepared take on the
responsibility of testing out lesser-known talents. Be prepared to work
for free, but amassing a great clip file from the 'underground' is a
great way to launch into the mainstream. Camilla Nickerson, Vogue's
senior fashion editor, made her career by styling eccentric,
in-your-face shoots for British magazines like The Face. An early
peddler of heroin chic, Nickerson was soon snapped up by Vogue's Anna
Wintour to work on the other side of the Atlantic.
There's no occupation more sartorially demanding than fashion editor, so
dressing the part in your interview is essential. Still, when you're
starting out, it's hard to make an impression. However, all the editors
interviewed for this story agree: wear something respectfully
professional, but still stylish. "No suits!" a fashion director
commands. "Knee length skirt, bare legs, heels. Strappy sandals are OK.
But don't wear jeans – unless they're Chloe."
Basloe, who is routinely photographed by the fashion paparazzi and has
been pictured numerous times in the "Street Style" section of the New
York Times and the fashion pages of the New York Post, still remembers
her first interview outfit. "I had a sleeveless black turtleneck, a
periwinkle knee-length skirt, and those Sabrina heels – the ones when
they first came out. I was a senior in college and I didn't have too
much money to shop, so the shirt was from the Gap, the skirt I got at
Filene's, and the shoes were from Zara. And I still think it's a great
outfit!"
"Basically, you're styling yourself," she says. "When people see you at
appointments and at shows looking good, they'll want you. Your value
rises. Let's face it, this is a looks-oriented industry." Helen Gurley
Brown remembers that when Atoosa Rubenstein was an assistant, "People
would ask me, Who is that girl? She was so striking."
Once you're in, keeping up the look is important. "I like to make sure
every thing is right. I dress somewhat thematically," another
much-photographed editor says. "I like to make sure I have the right
jewelry on, the right shoes. If I'm working a look and I'll remember
that I have another pair of shoes that might have worked better, I'll
spend the whole day berating myself for not thinking of them sooner.
It's all about the details."
Still, bargain shopping is not to be sniffed at. "It's all about
mixing," says Basloe. "I still love H&M and the Gap. Don't be a
snob."
It's not all sample sales and town cars. Internships are typically
unpaid, or on the low side, and assistants earn in the high teens or low
twenties. Entry-level jobs in the fashion magazine industry are also
mindless and menial. "It's going to be pretty unglamorous," a former
assistant at Vogue told me. "Mostly you end up steam-cleaning clothes
for shoots, answering phones, opening mail." After interning at Sassy,
Atoosa Rubenstein's first job was as a fashion assistant at Cosmopolitan
– she had to keep the fashion closet (where all clothes and accessories
are kept between shoots) neat and tidy.
Paying your dues means never giving any attitude when performing trivial
tasks. "Don't sigh. Don't roll your eyes. This is a social game, people
notice," an editor warns. "Also, you shouldn't kiss ass too much. It's
better if people think you're cool." Enthusiasm is infectious – and can
lead to bigger things. Nancy Roth, an NYU graduate who interned and
worked as an assistant at Harper's Bazaar, followed that with a stint as
a market editor for Allure, and was recently made a Senior Fashion
Editor at Mademoiselle at 24. Roth was notorious for her dedication –
she was reported not to have missed a day of work as an intern, even
during finals.
As an assistant, you're responsible for the magazine's relationships
with the showrooms. "You can't be careless," a Vogue assistant says. "If
you say you'll have a sample from a shoot back at 4pm, you should make
sure it goes back at 4pm. You have to keep to your word and respect
their job and their obligations to other magazines." Usually, several
magazines need the same sample, so a bad reputation can mean others in
the fashion clique won't be so ready to help you out during deadline
time.
The endlessly catty environment is also something you will have to adapt
to – quickly. This is no career clich�. Fashion magazines are typically
estrogen-heavy environments, and things can get nasty and competitive
faster than you can say "Bitch on heels." One former Hearst staffer
says, "If I wanted to join a sorority, I would have joined one in
college. But you just can't take it personally." On the plus side:
unlike the stiffness endemic to the typical office jobs, life at a
magazine is less rigid, and sitting around and gossiping all day is
allowed during slow moments. Still, the creative industry does breed its
share of tyrants. It's common knowledge that several Vogue editors are
notorious for their less-than-appealing behavior, but the sisterhood
regularly warns other junior assistants about which editors to avoid.
Where are the goodie bags?
So your colleagues are hormonal and the pay isn't anything to write home
about (or in most cases, to live on), but the perks – oh, the perks.
"You get a lot of free clothes," an editor admits. "Depending on your
rank. You get a good amount of stuff at different levels. But you have
to be careful not to get too greedy." Taking advantage of your position
is a definite no-no. "People will notice. But it's hard – it's a strange
thing. It's partly friendship and partly bribery – and things can
definitely get out of hand." While some working fashion journalists are
not allowed by their publications to accept gifts – e.g. the New York
Times and the New York Observer – in the rest of the business it's a
free-for-all.
Assistants can also view the fashion show circus first-hand, usually in
their boss' place. "I remember when I was at Bazaar," says
Cosmopolitan's Ruth Basloe recounts, "I went to my first show because my
boss couldn't go. It was the Enrico Coveri show, and they sat her in
the front row. I was so used to sitting in the back for Redbook. Of
course I'm there 20 minutes early and I'm waiting. Ivanka Trump is
modeling. And who sits next to me but Donald Trump!" Basloe laughs. "I
was horrified! All the photographers started going nuts and I just
wanted to hide underneath my seat."
Not for long, of course. Once they get through the door, few
fashionistas want to step back outside. After all, a fashion editor's
job is what every style addict craves.
"When I was a teenager, I cried, when I saw the Harper's Bazaar with
Linda Evangelista on the cover. I cried, it was so beautiful," says
Rubenstein.
"I was 8 years old and my family went on this cross-country train ride,"
remembers Basloe. "We were supposed to look at the scenery – that was
the purpose of the trip. I totally missed it because I was immersed in
my copy of Vogue. My family still teases me about that. But that's what I
am. I'm a magazine and fashion junkie."
Categories: Fashion Editors, Fashion Jobs, Fashion News
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