So you want to work in fashion?

If there's one question that lands in my inbox more than any other, it's this: "How do I actually get into fashion?" Honestly, it's one of those industries that feels both totally glamorous and completely impossible to crack from the outside. However, as I wrap up my first big fashion internship, I thought it would be the perfect time to really dissect the ins and outs of getting involved in this industry. I also decided to go straight to the source, by asking my fellow fashion interns to share their honest advice. I am so tired of recycled LinkedIn platitudes, and would have loved real anecdotes and lessons when I was on the prowl.

Whether you're hoping to land your dream internship in styling, PR, beauty, or somewhere in between, consider this your big sister advice column from the people who are living it right now. Let's get into it.

A little background on where I am first: 

This summer I was a PR intern at KCD Worldwide in New York City. I genuinely am so grateful for this opportunity, and had the most amazing experience with the team. I'll spare you the polished LinkedIn version of events, but between managing the accounts of my dream clients, tracking coverage, chasing down media, and pulling off events, I learned more about this industry than I even expected. 

But the rumors are true. It turns out there is not one smooth path to entering the industry – which, if you ask me, is actually very comforting.

Anise Kruse, a student at the University of Michigan and Beauty Intern at KCD, got her start as a makeup artist before falling head over heels for beauty. She's now pursuing a degree in Business Administration with a minor in UX and Art/Design, and found her sweet spot exactly where marketing and PR intersect. 

Sofia Sharam, a full semester PR Intern at KCD and student at Northeastern, admits she dealt with a serious case of impostor syndrome — until she landed a role in PR/sourcing for her school's fashion magazine. That's where it clicked, and she fell in love with the behind-the-scenes chaos of editorial, and the feeling of watching her own contributions bring a publication to life. From there, she went all in with  months of applications, networking, and cover letter drafts, and she arrived at KCD. Now she is sourcing her own vintage designer curation for a shop she hopes to open one day, and taking construction and design classes just to understand every layer of the process.

Lou Giretti’s first internship was as a stylist assistant during the Cannes Film Festival, which she now participates in every year. From there, she knew she wanted PR — so she sent one email to her dream fashion PR agency and  that was it. Her eye for beauty and talent under pressure really came across in her application and interview process.  

Sophie Kern was an intern at both Novella Paghera and Mirror Palais while earning her degrees from the University of Miami and Parsons School of Design. After taking sewing classes starting at just 12 years old, she knew that this is exactly what she wanted to do. Sophie and I even spent a summer at fashion school in London together!

Mylene Lee, my fellow Columbia University Fashion Society bestie, is finishing her first year as an intern at Louis Vuitton. After moving to Manhattan, she really focused on putting herself on the radar of the industry’s biggest names. Mylene is both extremely hardworking and has an intense intellectual curiosity for all things fashion. She really has learned the business from every angle, and is now working her way up.

Moral of the story? There's no single "right" way in. From a beauty artist and magazine intern to a Cannes stylist and fashion school student everyone's door looked different.

I also asked them for the best piece of advice they'd ever received. If I had to condense every answer into one line, it's this: results speak louder than requests. This industry runs on tight turnarounds and constant pressure, so being "a learner," as Anise put it, is really the baseline. "Closed mouths don't get fed," says Sofia. She only figured out what she actually wanted after she asked for more responsibility — and then delivered on it once she had it. Worst case, someone tells you no, but at least you tried. As Lou put it, the first move is just having "the courage to give it a try and send those emails." If this is what you are good at and genuinely want to pursue, “follow your gut.”

For Mylene, it all comes down to passion. She points out that working in fashion “covers a huge range of jobs that all look completely different day to day,” whether that's styling, merchandising, PR, buying, or wholesale, and figuring out how they differ takes real curiosity. Her go-to method has been simply talking to people about what they do and how they got there, because, as she put it, "people can tell when you're genuinely interested and when you truly want to learn." That curiosity, she says, "goes a long way" in an industry so built on relationships.

I'll be the first to admit: I sent out probably fifty (that's right, FIVE ZERO) applications that went nowhere before I got a single "yes." The fashion industry truly rewards people who show up and put themselves out there over people who are waiting to be discovered. I am blown away by the level of talent in my office every day. All of these girls built their stories and experiences by putting themselves in the rooms where they were not necessarily invited into yet, and them proceeding to make them impossible to overlook. Yes our talent got us noticed, but our persistence got us hired. 

If I was considering applying for a job in the fashion industry for the first time, there are so many pieces of advice I wish I would have known prior. 

What has personally helped me most is doing extensive research and always keeping up with fashion news sources. I have notifications on and genuinely enjoy reading sources like @stylenotcom, Dylan Kelly, Liana Satenstein, WWD, BOF, The Cereal Aisle, Robb Report, and so many more (I can do a whole post on my favorite fashion news sources…lmk)! I was extremely up to date on my fashion news and I cared enough to have commentary on it. 

NOW PAY ATTENTION!!! An even more super secret insider tip is to get your LVMH certification and be familiar with both Excel and Launchmetrics. These three skills were what really got me integrated. Not only did I have my own narrative of this blog and my previous roles, but I had the skill set that they did not necessarily need to teach me on the clock. 

Mylene wishes she'd understood earlier just how much tailoring your resume to the specific role matters, since even within fashion, positions can call for entirely different skill sets — what lands you a communications job won't necessarily work for merchandising or buying. After talking with HR and picking up more experience in the field, she came to realize the application process is really about fit. A rejection, she says, "doesn't mean you weren't good enough.” It may just mean the resume failed to show why your background made you right for that particular role, and learning to highlight the most relevant parts of your experience can change everything.

Similarly, Sophie has built significant experience in curating a “strong digital portfolio” and, crucially, tailoring it slightly for each application to align with the brand’s aesthetic.

Additionally, it is timeless advice, but you need to build those contacts. Anise didn't sugarcoat it: “fashion and beauty run on nepotism, and a lot of the entry-level jobs don't pay.” It's not the version of the industry you see on Instagram, but it's the one you should walk in expecting. Sofia says that connections aren't just nice-to-have, but the whole game. It's” incredibly hard to hear back from a job when nobody on the inside can vouch for you.” So the real work is building genuine relationships with people, not only to land the job, but to have someone to call when you need advice in an industry that is constantly evolving. While you’re reading your fashion news articles, research the editors and reach out to have a chat! They likely will be very happy to talk about their work and you will be inspired. 

So there you have the real, unglamorous, occasionally rejection-filled truth about how we all actually got into the BEST industry ever. If you take one thing from Anise, Sofia, Lou, Sophie, Mylene and me, let it be that, contrary to popular belief, nobody is coming to hand you a seat at the fashion show. I am so grateful I got to spend this summer figuring that out alongside people this talented.

If you have any other questions, I am always happy to chat!

Xoxo,

Annie