Fashion Editor

Fashion Editor The career of a fashion editor is very much like any other editor. Fashion editors plan, co-ordinate, and direct various editorial activities for fashion publications. They generally supervise the workers who prepare material for the publication; co-ordinate department activities; establish production schedules; solve publication problems; determine the various fashion themes of each issue; gather related material; write or assign articles, reports, editorials, reviews, and other material; read and evaluate material that is submitted for publication; secure graphic material and assign artists and photographers to produce pictures and illustrations; assign research and other editorial duties to assistants; organise the material and plan the overall layout of the publication; mark pages to indicate position and size of printed and graphic material; review final proofs and approve or make changes. Amaria Carstens is living her dream. She has the plum position of being the fashion editor for women’s magazine Sarie. But while looking at clothes the entire day is hardly anything like the Meryl Streep movie The Devil wears Prada, Amaria has much fun, as well as a lot of hard work in following her dream. After studying interior design, she found herself drawn to her “dream job” through a love of magazines. With the help of her family and mentor Jackie Burger, Amaria worked herself into her dream job. She explains the basics of a good fashion editor to us. The basics A fashion editor is also sometimes called a fashion stylist, although at times this is perhaps a broad definition as it encompasses other work as well. As ajunior fashion editor, you can earn around R8 000 while senior fashion editors make around R22 000 a month. Job description Primarily this encompasses conceptualizing the Fashion pages. You start by sending out a brief to designers, retailers & boutiques regarding the concepts of the pages. It also entails looking after all product that are received and making sure that it goes back in the same condition as it is received as well as writing the pages. It also deals with briefing photographers, hair stylists and make-up artists, casting the models for the shoot. The most important thing is to understand the target market of the magazine and at all times take that inconsideration when conceptualizing and styling for the Fashion Pages. Pros and cons “Please note that this is not a glamorous job at all. There is a lot of running around, comfortable shoes are a great investment,” Amaria says. The pros are that you meet interesting people, it is a mix of being artistic and stylish. “There is so many pro’s for me because it is my dream job As for the cons, “To me not a lot,” she adds, “Just sometimes the weather that does not turnout as you “ordered” it. Early calls if you are shooting away on location. If product does not arrive on time, it can be stressful.” Required studies or experience You can pursue studies in Fashion Design and a writing course will also help. Assisting a fashion editor for at least two years and then doing freelance work to build a portfolio is important. Other than that you need a love for clothes & design. Personality type “Very organized, you have to be able to work with expensive products and deadlines. You have to be strong, no matter if you are an introvert or extrovert. By this I mean that when a concept of a shoot is finalized, you must stick to it. The ability work with people and in a team is also important. Every shoot is teamwork.” An average day “Researching the latest trends, writing copy and briefs, organizing shoots, etc”. Best thing about the job “The end results after each shoot.” Worst thing about the job “Natural elements on the day of a shoot that don’t work out, or merchandise that does not arrive on time for shoot. When you’ve put your heart on a specific model and she is not available the day you are shooting is also a bad part.”

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