To say “I love fashion” can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. When I was young, that meant fighting my mom on my outlandish outfit choice for the day. When I got my first job, that meant marching my paychecks right to the mall and putting them to use. Now, as internships and jobs are looming, and I have my hopes set on a career in the fashion industry, I’ve realized that knowing your stuff is kinda important. Before we all land our dream jobs as designers and stylists with creative reign, we have to climb the ropes and show what we know.
The fashion industry is HUGE. There are dozens of aspects to it. Trends, designers, models, business, marketing, launches, product development, failures, and triumphs… like I said, it’s A LOT. Luckily, we live in the digital age, and even though it might not be as readily available as the latest political scandal, you can find it with just a scroll or a click.
Here are a few ways to keep your fashion knowledge in shape so you’re always in the know.
1. Follow the models!
This is probably the easiest way to educate yourself, and most of you probably already do. Models are constantly posting pictures of themselves on the runway and praising the designers, which is one easy way to see at least a few of the looks from the shows. They’re models, so they’ll post a lot of pictures from their magazine photo shoots which will give you an idea of the major publications to start looking at. They also post their paparazzi shots, which is a major opportunity for “model off duty” outfit inspo.
Some of my favorite models are Taylor Hill (@taylor_hill, above), Frida Aasen (@frida_aasen), and Stella Maxwell (@stellamaxwell).
2. Follow the designers/brands
This might be self-explanatory, but follow the Instagram accounts for those major designers and brands. They post the most jaw-dropping photos of their collections, on and off the runway. By keeping up with these accounts, you can get an idea of what their style is and their trends for the season, without even having to read.
My favorites right now are Alexander McQueen (@alexandermcqueen) and Virgil Abloh (@virgilabloh), the creative genius behind Off-White and Louis Vuitton.
3. Two words: Vogue Runway
Do yourself a favor and follow @voguerunway on Instagram. It’s a news and media website for everything important in fashion. They post insane pictures from nearly all aspects of the industry with well-written and super educational captions about big or upcoming names, trends, street style, business. Anything. This is the greatest thing you can do for yourself, I promise.
4. You better start checking your email…
Subscribe to the Business of Fashion newsletter. It’s free and really important. Instagram is great, but this is where the real content resides. It’s a “daily digest” email that previews all their articles. Read the headlines, pick two or three, and feast your eyes on the madness of the literal business of fashion. I had no clue how much went on behind the glamour of fancy clothes. There are some really thought-provoking articles about where the industry is headed or who is leaving the market. It’s really important to dedicate some time to non-Instagram reads. I’ve even found articles that have allowed me to apply fashion into my seemingly unrelated schoolwork. Just go to www.businessoffashion.com and enter your email to subscribe.