Lack of Color hat | Gentle Monster sunglasses by Optik Seis | Cmeo Collective dress | Gucci bag | Stuart Weitzman shoes

If I could get a penny for every question about starting a career in the fashion industry, I’d build a house that is featured in The World’s Most Extraordinary Homes by Netflix (amazing, amazing show by the way).

Working in the fashion industry is the dazzling dream for some women. Understandable. Between the spotlights and the glams of the fashion industry, I get how pursuing career in the fashion industry becomes the ultimate dream. But I have to be honest with you that there is more to the fashion industry than meets the eye. In case you are planning to redirect your career or even starting one, here are some points that I can share based on my experience.

KNOW WHAT AREA YOU’D WANT TO BE IN

There are so many, so many areas in the fashion industry that you can be involved in. For instance, there is a fashion designer and tailoring and stylist. It is important to decide which specific area of fashion you are interested in.

The rule of thumb is to ask yourself this question: what are the two things that you are passionate about? For example, you are passionate in fashion and photography – then you can be a fashion photographer. Or, you might be interested in fashion and business – then you can start as a fashion buyer or merchandising.

START BY EXPLORING AS MANY THINGS AS POSSIBLE

If, in case, you have no idea where to start or which area you are passionate about, you can start by exploring as many things as possible. The easiest way is to start interning – or working as an assistant. Usually, by interning or working as an assistant you will explore a lot of areas at once; and even though it would be challenging at first, but slowly you’ll figure out which ones you don’t enjoy doing and which one you actually enjoy doing.

BE BOLD TO LAUNCH A FASHION BRAND

When designing clothes, it is very important to learn your edges. Speaking from experience, I believe that getting a full degree in fashion design is a plus – because then, you will learn about more techniques, styles, and history to pull out of your mind. You will also learn about the types of fabric and basic proficiency can give you the tactile advantages when blended well with your creativity.

BE READY TO PIVOT

As I have mentioned before, jumping to the fashion industry is not a one night thing. It is built with years of experience. Hence, it is important to be ready to pivot. It is perfectly fine to change course. For instance, maybe you started out as a fashion designer – but then you realize that now you are passionate about media and technology, so you build a fashion tech media startup. It is totally encouraged – only if you are open and flexible along the journey of finding the perfect career path.

It is a competitive industry and will take a variety of experiences to get in exactly the career you want to. So last advice is always: be persistent and keep moving forward. Good luck!