Your calendar might say August.

Your work might say October.

Or holiday.

Or spring.

Or something even further away.

Consumers experience fashion when it arrives.

People who work in fashion experience everything that has to happen before it can arrive.

That distinction might sound small, but I think it’s one of the biggest mindset shifts you can make if you want to work in this industry.

Fashion isn’t simply about understanding what is happening right now.

It’s about learning to anticipate what needs to happen next.

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There is always a new collection.

A new campaign.

A new trend.

A new launch.

A new Fashion Week.

Something is constantly happening, and from the outside, it can feel like the entire industry operates in real time.

But one of the biggest things I’ve learned from actually working in fashion is that while the industry moves quickly, the work itself often starts months before you ever see it.

That campaign you saw this morning?

People were probably working on it long before it appeared on your screen.

That new collection sitting on a retailer’s homepage?

There were countless steps between someone deciding to sell those products and you being able to click “add to cart.”

Fashion looks fast because consumers usually only see the finish line.

We See the Launch, Not the Lead-Up

Think about how most of us experience fashion.

A brand posts a new campaign.

We see it.

A designer sends a collection down the runway.

We see it.

A magazine releases an editorial.

We see it.

A retailer launches a new collection.

We see it.

What we don’t see is everything that happened first.

The planning.

The samples.

The fittings.

The meetings.

The buying decisions.

The styling.

The photography.

The editing.

The copy.

The product information.

The inventory.

The approvals.

The changes.

The things that went wrong and had to be fixed before anyone outside the company knew they existed.

By the time fashion reaches the consumer, a huge amount of work has already happened behind the scenes.

The Industry Is Always Thinking Ahead

Working in fashion can sometimes feel a little like living in the future.

While everyone else is thinking about what they’re wearing right now, people inside the industry may already be working on what customers will want months from now.

Summer work can happen while you’re wearing a winter coat.

Holiday planning can begin when the holidays feel impossibly far away.

Campaigns are developed before customers even know the products exist.

That’s one of the biggest adjustments when you begin working in fashion.

You learn to think ahead.

A Photoshoot Isn’t Just a Photoshoot

Before working around fashion shoots, I think it’s easy to imagine a photoshoot as a relatively straightforward process.

Clothes arrive.

Someone styles them.

A model puts them on.

A photographer takes the picture.

Done.

In reality, even getting a garment in front of a camera can require coordination between multiple people.

The right product has to be available.

The correct sample has to be located.

The shot list has to be organized.

The styling has to be planned.

The photographer needs to know what’s being shot.

And if something changes, everyone involved has to adjust.

Then the images themselves still need to make their way from the camera to wherever the customer eventually sees them.

The moment that looks effortless is usually the result of a lot of organization.

“New” Doesn’t Necessarily Mean New

This is something I find particularly interesting.

When you see something launch, your relationship with it begins that day.

The brand’s relationship with it didn’t.

To you, it’s new.

To the people who developed, bought, handled, photographed, wrote about, merchandised, or marketed it, it may have been part of their world for months.

That completely changed my understanding of what “new” means in fashion.

A launch isn’t necessarily the beginning of something.

Often, it’s the end of a very long process.

Why This Matters If You Want to Work in Fashion

Understanding this is important because it changes what being “good at fashion” means.

Yes, creativity matters.

Taste matters.

Understanding trends matters.

But so do organization, communication, planning, flexibility, and meeting deadlines.

Fashion depends on people being able to keep hundreds of tiny pieces moving toward one larger goal.

And sometimes the glamorous part is only a very small percentage of the job.

The rest is making sure the glamorous part can actually happen.

Learn to Think One Step Ahead

If you’re trying to enter fashion, one of the best habits you can develop is learning to anticipate.

Don’t only ask:

What needs to happen today?

Start asking:

What happens after this?

If a sample is needed for a shoot, what needs to happen before the shoot?

If a campaign launches next month, what needs to be completed this month?

If someone is waiting on your work, what can’t they do until you finish it?

Thinking this way makes you more valuable on a team because you’re no longer seeing your task as an isolated assignment.

You’re seeing where it fits in the larger process.

The Effortlessness Is the Work

Some of the best fashion moments look completely effortless.

A beautiful campaign.

A perfectly styled image.

A runway show where every look appears at exactly the right moment.

A website filled with polished product imagery.

That’s the illusion.

Behind that effortlessness are calendars, spreadsheets, garment racks, emails, fittings, shot lists, samples, meetings, revisions, and people making sure everything gets where it needs to go.

Fashion moves fast because an enormous amount of work happens before the rest of us ever see it.

So the next time something in fashion seems to appear overnight, remember:

You might be seeing it for the first time.

But someone behind the scenes has probably been looking at it for months.

XO,

𝒇𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆

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Go to the mall.

Seriously.

But don’t buy anything.

Instead, choose three stores and spend 20 minutes in each one.

Your job isn’t to decide what you like.

Your job is to figure out what the brand is trying to do.

Once you start working in fashion, you realize how rarely anything you see at retail exists in isolation. The product on the mannequin, the sign beside it, the location of a rack, the products grouped together, and even the amount of merchandise on the floor are the result of decisions.

Learning to recognize those decisions is one of the easiest ways to start thinking less like a fashion consumer and more like a fashion professional.

So, the next time you visit a store, here’s what I want you to study.

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And all of those things matter.

But there is another fashion education sitting right in front of us that I think gets overlooked.

Going to stores.

Not going shopping.

Going to look.

There is a difference.

A store is one of the few places where you can see almost every part of a fashion brand come together in real life. The product, pricing, merchandising, marketing, branding, customer experience, trend strategy, and business decisions are all sitting right there.

You just have to know how to look at them.

Stop Shopping for a Second

Most of us enter a store with one question:

Do I want to buy something?

If you want to work in fashion, try walking into a store and completely removing that question.

Instead, look around.

What is the first product you see?

What colors dominate the space?

Which pieces are on mannequins?

What is folded versus hung?

What products have been given the most space?

Where are the accessories?

What does the store want you to notice?

Suddenly, a place you’ve walked through a hundred times becomes completely different.

You’re no longer just a customer.

You’re studying the decisions being made around you.

Stores Tell You What a Brand Thinks Is Important

Retail space is valuable.

Brands don’t accidentally put something front and center.

If a certain jacket appears on a mannequin, in the window, and again near the entrance, pay attention.

The brand is telling you something.

Maybe it’s an important trend for the season. Maybe it’s part of a major campaign. Maybe the company believes it will be a strong seller. Maybe it represents the larger direction of the collection.

The same goes for what isn’t being emphasized.

Once you begin thinking this way, merchandising starts to feel like a language.

And stores are constantly talking.

Compare Brands

One of the easiest ways to develop your understanding of fashion is to visit several different stores in one trip.

Walk through a luxury department store.

Then visit a contemporary brand.

Then a fast-fashion retailer.

Then a specialty boutique.

Pay attention to what changes.

How much product is displayed?

How close together are the racks?

How are outfits styled?

How does the lighting change?

What does the fitting room experience feel like?

How are employees dressed?

Even something as simple as the amount of empty space surrounding a garment can communicate something about how a brand wants its product to be perceived.

You begin realizing that a store isn’t simply somewhere clothing is sold.

It is a physical expression of the brand.

Look at the Clothes Too

And, of course, study the actual product.

Pick something up.

Feel the fabric.

Look at the seams.

Check the fiber content.

Look at the price.

Then find a similar item somewhere else and compare.

Why is one $50 and another $500?

Sometimes you’re paying for a name.

But sometimes you’re looking at completely different materials, construction, detailing, design, production, and positioning.

You don’t have to become a textile expert overnight.

The goal is simply to start asking why.

Pay Attention to What’s Repeating

Stores are also one of my favorite places to understand trends.

Instead of learning about a trend because someone on social media told you it was trending, see if you can identify it yourself.

Maybe you notice butter yellow in five different stores.

Maybe every brand suddenly has a version of the same jacket.

Maybe silhouettes are becoming longer.

Maybe bags are getting bigger again.

When you see the same idea interpreted by completely different brands, you’re beginning to understand how trends actually move through the industry.

That’s much more valuable than memorizing a list of what’s “in” this season.

Fashion Knowledge Is Built Through Observation

You don’t need an invitation to Fashion Week to start studying fashion seriously.

You don’t need access to a showroom.

You don’t need to wait until someone gives you your first internship.

You can start building your eye now.

Go to stores.

Visit department stores.

Walk through boutiques you normally wouldn’t shop at.

Look at brands outside your personal style.

Touch the clothes.

Read the tags.

Study the displays.

Ask yourself why things are where they are.

The goal isn’t to leave with a shopping bag.

It’s to leave knowing something you didn’t know when you walked in.

Because once you start treating stores like classrooms, you realize fashion has been giving you lessons this entire time.

You just weren’t taking notes. You got this. <3

XO,

𝒇𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆

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“You must shop all the time.”

It’s a reasonable assumption.

If you spend your days around clothing, surely you’re constantly discovering new pieces to bring home.

The truth is, working in fashion has had almost the opposite effect on me.

I actually shop less now than I did before I entered the industry.

Not because I love fashion any less.

Quite the opposite.

I’ve simply learned that there’s a difference between appreciating beautiful clothing and feeling the need to own it.

That distinction completely changed the way I build my wardrobe.

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I imagined constantly discovering new pieces, finding new trends to love, and feeling tempted every time I walked past a clothing rack.

Instead, something completely different happened.

The more time I spent around clothing every day, the less I felt the need to constantly buy it.

That probably sounds backwards.

After all, if you’re surrounded by fashion for eight hours a day, wouldn’t you want more of it?

For me, the opposite became true.

You Start Looking Differently

When fashion is your hobby, it’s easy to focus on what you don’t own.

You notice the jacket you wish you had.
The shoes everyone seems to be wearing.
The dress you keep seeing online.

But when fashion becomes part of your everyday work, your attention begins to shift.

Instead of simply asking, Do I like this?

You start asking:

How is this made?

Why does this silhouette work?

What makes this feel expensive?

Why was this fabric chosen?

The conversation becomes much bigger than simply deciding whether to add something to your cart.

Seeing More Doesn’t Mean Wanting More

One of the biggest surprises about working around clothing every day is that you become incredibly familiar with just how much product exists.

Thousands of garments are designed every season.

New arrivals appear constantly.

Collections change.

Colors change.

Trends evolve.

Eventually you realize something freeing.

You don’t have to own every beautiful thing you see.

You can simply appreciate it.

That shift has made shopping feel far less urgent for me.

Shopping Became More Intentional

I still love fashion.

I still enjoy getting dressed.

I still appreciate discovering beautiful pieces.

But I’m much slower to purchase something now.

Instead of asking whether something is trendy, I ask whether it fits into the wardrobe I’m trying to build.

Will I reach for it again six months from now?

Can I style it multiple ways?

Does it actually reflect my personal style?

Those questions have saved me from plenty of impulse purchases.

Fashion Isn’t About Owning the Most

Working in fashion has reminded me that style and consumption aren’t the same thing.

Some of the most stylish people don’t own overflowing closets.

They simply know their taste.

They understand proportions.

They know what works for them.

They repeat pieces confidently.

Fashion isn’t a competition to own the most clothing.

It’s about knowing how to make what you have feel like you.

Ironically, the closer I’ve gotten to fashion, the less I’ve felt the need to constantly shop.

Working around clothing every day hasn’t made me love fashion less.

It’s made me appreciate it more.

Instead of chasing every new arrival, I’ve learned to slow down, notice the details, and build a wardrobe with intention.

Because the goal was never to own the most beautiful closet.

It was to understand why certain pieces deserve a place in it.

XO,

𝒇𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆

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Not because you’re trying to copy them.

Because you’re trying to understand them.

Every campaign is a business decision wrapped in beautiful imagery.

Behind every photograph are conversations about target audiences, brand positioning, creative direction, marketing goals, styling, casting, and consumer psychology.

The more you understand those decisions, the more valuable you’ll become in almost any area of fashion.

Here’s the framework I use when I look at a campaign.

Read more

The outfit?

The model?

Maybe the location?

There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s how most people experience fashion.

But once you start working in the industry, you realize campaigns are communicating far more than what’s being sold.

Every decision is intentional.

The styling.

The lighting.

The casting.

The typography.

The location.

The music.

Even what isn’t included tells a story.

Start With One Question

Instead of asking, “Do I like this?”

Ask:

“What is this brand trying to make me feel?”

Luxury brands often sell aspiration.

Outdoor brands sell adventure.

Contemporary brands might sell confidence or ease.

Before you notice the product, notice the emotion.

Look Beyond the Clothes

The clothes matter, but they’re only one piece of the campaign.

Pay attention to:

• The colors.

• The setting.

• The poses.

• The styling.

• The facial expressions.

• The overall mood.

These details work together to communicate a brand’s identity.

Compare Brands

One of the best exercises you can do is compare two campaigns selling similar products.

How does one brand photograph denim differently than another?

Why does one feel playful while another feels sophisticated?

The answers usually have very little to do with the jeans themselves.

Fashion Is Visual Storytelling

The next time a campaign catches your eye, pause for a minute.

Look beyond whether you’d wear the outfit.

Ask yourself what story the brand is trying to tell.

Once you start looking at campaigns this way, it’s hard to go back.

You’ll stop seeing advertisements.

You’ll start seeing creative strategy. You got this. <3

XO,

𝒇𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆

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It’s the stories we tell ourselves before we even get there.

We assume everyone else is more qualified.

We believe every opportunity has to be prestigious.

We think people are judging our outfits more than they actually are.

Many of these ideas come from watching fashion instead of working in it.

Once I entered the industry, I realized how many of those assumptions were completely inaccurate.

Today I want to walk through ten of the biggest myths I see aspiring fashion professionals believing, and what I’d replace them with instead.

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Part of it came from magazines. Part of it came from movies. And, of course, part of it came from social media.

Once I actually started working in fashion, I realized that while some stereotypes exist for a reason, many of the things I believed simply weren’t true.

Here are five that stand out the most.

1. Fashion Is Glamorous Every Day

The glamorous moments absolutely exist.

But they’re surrounded by inventory, steaming clothes, organizing samples, packing racks, spreadsheets, and countless behind-the-scenes details that make everything possible.

Fashion is creative, but it’s also operational.

2. Everyone Knows Everything

I assumed people working in fashion knew every designer, every collection, and every trend.

Instead, I’ve learned that everyone has their own specialty.

Nobody expects you to know everything.

They expect you to stay curious.

3. You Need an Entire Designer Wardrobe

Personal style matters far more than expensive clothing.

I’ve met incredibly stylish people wearing vintage pieces, affordable basics, and outfits they’ve owned for years.

Confidence can’t be purchased.

4. You Have to Follow One Career Path

Fashion careers are rarely linear.

People move between styling, buying, marketing, production, merchandising, and creative roles all the time.

Your first job probably won’t be your last.

5. You Have to Become Someone Else

This is the biggest one.

I used to think I needed to completely transform before I could belong in fashion.

Now I know the industry needs people who bring different perspectives, experiences, and ideas.

Fashion isn’t about fitting into one mold.

It’s about finding where your own strengths fit.

The more time I spend in this industry, the more I realize fashion isn’t nearly as intimidating as it looks from the outside.

And honestly?

That’s one of my favorite things about it. You got this. <3

XO,

𝒇𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆

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For her second birthday, I created a dress out of every magazine cover we had created up until that point:

For her third, I celebrated quietly. No elaborate project. No grand gesture. I just let myself sit with the accomplishment of making it that far.

For her fourth, I made a skirt, a pair of heels, and a clutch using clippings from three of the prints we had created over the years: Revival, Radiant, and Rise:

And for her fifth...

Well, I’m stumped.

If you know me, you know the story of Roam.

You know she started with an idea that, at the time, felt completely unrealistic.

You know she was one of the biggest risks I’ve ever taken.

And you probably know that I credit her with changing the trajectory of my life in more ways than I can count.

Founding Roam taught me how to lead before I thought I was qualified.

She taught me how to ask for opportunities instead of waiting for them.

How to build something instead of wishing it already existed.

How to trust my instincts.

How to create a community.

How to believe that one person really can change the direction of their own life.

More than anything, she introduced me to my own power.

That’s one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever received.

But one of the greatest gifts has also been watching what happened after I graduated.

When I left CU Boulder, I knew Roam would continue. What I didn’t know was just how beautifully it would continue.

The students who have led Roam since then have done a beyond beautiful job caring for something that has meant so much to me. They haven’t simply kept it alive. They’ve allowed it to grow, evolve, and become something even bigger than I ever imagined it could be.

Every issue they publish, every event they produce, every creative risk they take leaves me completely in awe. They have honored everything Roam was while simultaneously making it their own, and I couldn’t be prouder of the publication it has become.

I think that’s one of the greatest privileges of creating something.

One day, you get to watch it outgrow you.

And honestly, I don’t think there could be a more beautiful outcome than that.

Which is exactly why this anniversary feels different.

It doesn’t feel right to write another love letter to Roam.

It doesn’t feel right to make another piece of clothing.

Because five years... half a decade... feels like something bigger.

It deserves more than a tradition.

The truth is, I’ve spent weeks asking myself what you give something that has already given you everything.

What do you make for the thing that made you?

The obvious answer would be another dress.

Another skirt.

Another celebration.

But I don’t think that’s what this anniversary is asking for.

I think it’s asking for perspective.

When I founded Roam at twenty years old, I thought I was creating a magazine.

Looking back now, I realize I was creating proof.

Proof that I could take an idea from my imagination and bring it into the real world.

Proof that I could convince other people to believe in something they couldn’t yet see.

Proof that I could build a team, lead one, and grow alongside it.

Proof that I belonged in fashion long before anyone handed me a job title that said I did.

Every opportunity I’ve had since has a thread that leads back to Roam.

Fashion Fille.

Moving to Chicago.

Working in fashion full-time.

The people I’ve met.

The confidence I’ve built.

Even the way I approach new ideas today.

None of it exists in quite the same way without the decision I made five years ago.

Maybe that’s why I couldn’t think of the right anniversary gift.

Because somewhere along the way, Roam stopped being the thing I was making.

She became the reason I believe I can make anything.

So this year, instead of asking what I can create to celebrate Roam...

I think the better question is this:

What will I create because of her next?

Maybe that’s the real fifth anniversary gift.

Not looking backward at everything she made possible.

But using everything she taught me to build whatever comes next.

After all, I don’t think that’s ever what Roam was really about.

It was never just a magazine.

It was permission to begin.

Happy 4th, Roam. I’ll always be your biggest fan. Love you girl. <3

XO,

𝒇𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆

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Some do.

Many don’t.

The students who stand out by graduation aren’t necessarily the ones with the flashiest internships. They’re the ones who intentionally used their time.

If I were starting over today, here’s exactly how I’d structure my summer.

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Classes are over. Campus is quiet. Your internship may have ended. Friends are traveling. Before you know it, August arrives and you’re wondering where the last three months went.

If you’re hoping to work in fashion one day, I want you to think about summer a little differently.

It isn’t just a break from school.

It’s an opportunity to become someone with more experience than you were in May.

The best part? That doesn’t always require a prestigious internship.

Experience Doesn’t Have to Be Formal

Fashion has taught me that initiative is often more impressive than waiting for permission.

Maybe you’re interning this summer. Amazing.

Maybe you’re working retail, serving tables, babysitting, or working at a coffee shop.

That’s okay too.

Every job teaches transferable skills. Customer service, organization, communication, problem solving, time management, and teamwork all matter in fashion. What separates candidates isn’t always where they worked, but how they talk about what they learned.

Build Something That Didn’t Exist Before

One of the biggest advantages you have as a student is time.

Write a blog.

Start a fashion newsletter.

Create styling videos.

Photograph outfits.

Interview local designers.

Volunteer backstage at a fashion show.

Organize a clothing swap.

Create something that shows your interests instead of waiting for someone else to hand you an opportunity.

You never know which project will become the conversation starter that lands your next opportunity.

Learn Fashion Outside the Classroom

There has never been more free fashion education available.

Read fashion business articles.

Watch designer interviews.

Study brand campaigns.

Learn the history behind iconic fashion houses.

Pay attention to how brands communicate, not just what they sell.

Fashion literacy makes every conversation easier once you enter the industry.

Reach Out Before You Need Something

Networking becomes much less intimidating when you aren’t asking for a job.

Connect with professionals on LinkedIn.

Send thoughtful messages.

Ask questions.

Learn from people whose careers inspire you.

Relationships built over time are far more valuable than messages sent in a panic during senior year.

September Will Come Either Way

The end of summer isn’t the finish line.

It’s simply a checkpoint.

When you return to campus, ask yourself one question:

“What can I do now that I couldn’t do in May?”

If the answer includes new skills, stronger confidence, meaningful connections, or a project you’re proud of, then you’ve spent your summer well.

Fashion rewards curiosity, consistency, and people who create opportunities instead of waiting for them.

Summer is the perfect time to practice all three. You got this. <3

XO,

𝒇𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆

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Whether it’s a new job, a move to a new city, or a lesson I’m learning along the way, this little corner of the internet has grown right alongside me.

Lately, though, there was one very obvious chapter missing from the story.

While the articles slowed down, life sped up in the best possible way because I welcomed home Dolly, my three-year-old Dalmatian that I rescued from a shelter in Indiana.

If you’ve noticed I haven’t been posting as much lately, this is why.

If you know me personally, you know I’ve talked about wanting a Dalmatian for years. They’ve always been the dog for me. So when I came across Dolly, everything happened pretty quickly. It wasn’t something I had planned months in advance. Sometimes life has a funny way of putting exactly what you’ve been looking for right in front of you.

As it turns out, bringing home a rescue dog is a lot like starting a new job or moving to a new city. There’s a new routine to learn, a new relationship to build, and a lot of figuring things out as you go. Between helping Dolly settle into her forever home, training, daily walks, and discovering that black and white really is a timeless color palette, my attention shifted away from my laptop for a little while.

Fashion Fille has always been about more than clothes. It’s about the life we build while wearing them. And for the past few weeks, my favorite outfits have been the ones I’ve thrown on for early morning walks, pet store runs, and afternoons spent making sure Dolly feels safe, loved, and at home.

Now that we’ve found our rhythm, I’m excited to be back.

Thank you for giving me a little grace while I took the time to focus on something that has become such a meaningful part of my life.

And if you’d like to follow along with Dolly’s adventures, you can find her on Instagram at @dollythedollmatian. I’ll be sharing plenty of photos, little milestones, and all the spotted updates over there, while Fashion Fille gets back to doing what it does best.

Now... back to fashion.

XO,

𝒇𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆

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Everyone looks polished. Connected. Stylish. Experienced. Certain.

People speak quickly using industry terminology. Teams move fast backstage. Creative conversations happen rapidly. There is an energy to fashion environments that can make you feel like everyone else already understands the rules except you.

But once you actually begin working in fashion, you realize something very quickly:

Most people are figuring things out as they go.

Read more

Everyone looks polished. Stylish. Connected. Experienced. Certain.

People speak quickly using industry terminology. Teams move fast backstage. Creative conversations happen rapidly. Fashion environments can make it feel like everyone else already understands the rules except you.

But once you actually begin spending time in the industry, you realize something important very quickly:

Most people are figuring things out in real time.

Confidence Usually Comes Later

I think a lot of people assume confidence is something you are supposed to have before entering fashion spaces.

But honestly, confidence is usually built through repetition.

The first networking event feels intimidating.
The first set feels intimidating.
The first backstage experience feels intimidating.
The first fashion job feels intimidating.

Then eventually, those environments become more familiar.

Not because you suddenly became fearless overnight, but because exposure slowly replaced uncertainty.

Everyone Begins Somewhere

It is very easy to compare your beginning to someone else’s middle in fashion.

You see people with incredible portfolios, years of experience, strong industry connections, and polished careers and assume they always existed that way.

But nobody starts as the final version of themselves.

Before working in fashion full-time, I spent years trying to get closer to the industry however I could. I volunteered at events, wrote articles, networked constantly, and tried to create opportunities for myself before I fully knew where everything was leading.

At the time, I often felt behind.

Now I realize I was building experience long before I recognized it as experience.

Fashion Rewards People Who Adapt

One thing I have learned while working in fashion is that people are not expected to know absolutely everything immediately.

The industry moves too quickly for that.

The people who succeed are usually the people who learn quickly, communicate well, stay adaptable, and remain solution-oriented when things become chaotic.

Because things will become chaotic.

Schedules change. Samples arrive late. Plans shift unexpectedly.

And honestly, some of the most valuable people in fashion are simply the people who stay calm enough to figure things out.

You Are Allowed To Begin Before You Feel Ready

I think this is the part nobody explains enough.

You do not need to feel completely prepared before pursuing fashion seriously.

Most people in the industry are not perfectly confident internally. They are not endlessly fearless. They are not walking around feeling fully certain all the time.

They just kept showing up anyway.

And over time, showing up consistently slowly becomes experience. ✶

P.S. For paid subscribers, this week’s companion article goes deeper into the emotional reality of navigating intimidating fashion spaces, imposter syndrome, and the moments that helped me stop feeling like an outsider within the industry. <3

You got this.

XO,

𝒇𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆

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Not in a shallow or transactional way. More in a very human way.

Opportunities happen around people.

And because of that, some of the most important moments in your career may happen in rooms you almost convinced yourself not to enter.

I know that because many of mine did.

There were so many moments early on where I almost talked myself out of showing up entirely. Networking events where I felt underdressed, overdressed, inexperienced, intimidated, awkward, or deeply convinced everyone else belonged there more than I did.

There were fashion shows I attended alone. Volunteer opportunities I almost skipped because I was tired after work. Conversations I almost did not start because I felt nervous.

And looking back now, so many of those moments quietly changed my life.

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One perfect internship.
One life-changing connection.
One person magically discovering you.

But honestly, most fashion careers are built much more quietly than that.

They are usually built through repeated presence.

Through showing up consistently enough for opportunities, relationships, and trust to slowly accumulate over time.

And I know that because so much of my own career was built that way.

Before I worked in fashion full-time, I spent years trying to stay as close to the industry as possible while balancing other jobs and responsibilities. I volunteered at fashion events after work. I attended networking events even when I felt intimidated. I introduced myself to people while internally panicking a little. I wrote articles late at night. I said yes to opportunities before feeling fully ready for them.

At the time, a lot of those moments felt small.

Looking back now, they absolutely were not.

Careers Are Built Around People

I think social media sometimes makes it seem like fashion careers happen entirely online through aesthetics and personal branding.

And while online presence absolutely matters now, fashion is still a deeply relationship-driven industry.

People remember:
the person who stayed helpful under pressure,
the person who followed through,
the person who kept showing up consistently,
the person who was kind backstage,
the person who stayed engaged even before they had a “real” fashion title.

A surprising amount of opportunities happen simply because people know you, trust you, and remember your energy positively.

Most People Feel Nervous

I also think people dramatically overestimate how confident everyone else feels in fashion spaces.

Especially early on.

I used to walk into events convinced everyone else already belonged there more naturally than I did. I assumed everyone already knew each other, already understood the industry better, already felt comfortable networking.

But over time, I realized most people are figuring things out in real time too.

Confidence in fashion usually comes from exposure.

Not before it.

Small Moments Compound

One thing I have learned repeatedly is that careers often shift gradually…until suddenly they do not.

You volunteer somewhere and meet someone.
That person remembers you later.
You assist on something small.
You reconnect months afterward.
A conversation leads to another opportunity unexpectedly.

Fashion careers are often built through layers of repeated proximity and accumulated trust.

Not every room changes your life immediately.

But over time, the right rooms absolutely can.

Go Anyway

I think if I could tell earlier versions of myself one thing, it would simply be this:

Go anyway.

Go even if you feel intimidated.
Go even if you feel inexperienced.
Go even if networking makes you nervous.
Go even if you worry everyone else looks more impressive.

Because fashion careers are rarely built in isolation.

They are built through participation.

And sometimes the room you almost skipped becomes the exact room that changes everything.

P.S. For paid subscribers, this week’s companion article goes deeper into the emotional side of navigating fashion spaces before feeling fully established within them, including the awkwardness, intimidation, and specific moments that quietly changed my own career trajectory. <3

You got this.

XO,

𝒇𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆

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Because people who work in fashion usually are not just discussing whether something is “cute.” They are discussing construction, references, tailoring, branding, styling, silhouette, storytelling, and cultural context. Fashion conversations inside the industry tend to sound less like shopping commentary and more like analysis.

And honestly, learning how to discuss fashion thoughtfully is one of the most underrated career skills you can develop if you want to work in this industry.

Fashion becomes infinitely more interesting once you stop asking, “Would I wear this?” and start asking, “What is this trying to communicate?”

That single shift changes everything.

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They do not just consume fashion. They study it.

Not always in an academic way. Not in a pretentious way either. But in a deeply observant way.

They notice references. They recognize silhouettes. They remember collections from years ago. They pay attention to casting, styling, campaigns, fabrics, tailoring, branding, creative direction changes, and how certain images shape culture.

And honestly, I think this is one of the biggest differences between people who are simply interested in clothes and people who are genuinely invested in fashion.

Fashion People Tend To Be Curious

One thing I underestimated before entering the industry was how much curiosity matters.

The people who stand out in fashion conversations are usually not the loudest people in the room. They are the people asking thoughtful questions. The people paying attention. The people genuinely interested in learning more.

Fashion people tend to research things naturally.

They look up references they do not understand. They watch old runway shows. They learn designer histories. They notice patterns between collections. They pay attention to why brands reposition themselves. They become interested in the why behind fashion, not just the visual outcome.

And over time, that curiosity compounds into knowledge.

Taste Alone Will Only Take You So Far

I think social media sometimes creates the illusion that having good outfits automatically translates into understanding fashion deeply.

But personal style and fashion literacy are not the same thing.

You can have incredible style without understanding the industry. And you can understand fashion deeply without dressing in an extremely trend-driven or performative way.

The people who tend to build long-term careers in fashion usually develop both.

Because eventually, fashion careers require more than aesthetics alone. They require perspective.

Fashion Conversations Reveal A Lot

One thing I have learned is that the way someone discusses fashion often reveals how deeply they engage with it.

People who genuinely study fashion usually discuss things with more nuance. Instead of simply saying a look is “bad,” they might discuss whether the styling weakened the concept, whether the tailoring felt unfinished, whether the references were too literal, or whether the collection aligned with the brand’s identity.

The conversations become less about surface-level reactions and more about interpretation.

And honestly, that shift completely changes the way you experience fashion.

You Do Not Need To Know Everything

I also think it is important to say this: nobody knows everything.

Fashion is enormous. There will always be designers, references, collections, publications, photographers, or historical moments you have not discovered yet.

And honestly, that is part of what makes fashion so exciting.

The goal is not to sound intimidatingly knowledgeable all the time. The goal is to stay curious enough to keep learning.

Because the people who grow the most in fashion are usually the people who remain genuinely interested in understanding it more deeply.

Fashion Rewards Genuine Interest

I think one of the best things you can do for yourself if you want to work in fashion is to engage with the industry beyond trends and aesthetics alone.

Read interviews. Watch runway shows. Learn fashion history. Pay attention to branding shifts. Study campaigns. Notice styling decisions. Observe how people communicate visually.

Not because you are trying to become the smartest person in the room.

But because fashion becomes infinitely more interesting once you realize how much is actually happening beneath the surface. You got this. <3

XO,

𝒇𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆

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