Fashion Journalism – The Inside Scoop

‘What did you study? Fashion Journalism? That’s a course?’ Yep, it is something you can actually study.
I often encountered this question in my career so far. Seems like some things need clearing up. First of all, I’d like to say that fashion journalists are neither aliens nor arrogant bitches – I’m thinking about some scenes in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ here. Fashion journalists are usually well trained and specialized professionals just like their peers covering, say, business or sports for daily newspapers or magazines.

So, what exactly does a fashion journalist do? Jet from one fashion show to the next, mingle with the great designers of the world and squeeze in some editorial work between photo shootings and meetings, always perfectly styled and in designer outfit? Unfortunately not. This stereotype only applies to a handful of super successful fashion journalists at best, and even then only to a certain extent. A job is a job, and the fashion business is a tough environment. Resilience, ambition and initiative are key prerequisites, especially in the beginning. A diploma alone will not open many doors, and when you at some point do get an internship offer, you usually get paid very little, if anything at all. The prospect of turning an internship into a proper work contract often remains a dream, and is not seldom down to pure luck. The alternative is freelance work for newspapers, magazines or online media, often helping to at least make good contacts and gather valuable experience.

My Personal Experience and some Tips

Alright, so it is possible to combine the love for writing with an interest for fashion in a profession. But how to get started, and what are the job prospects? One thing is for sure: studying fashion journalism is not a piece of cake, and requires a clear initial decision. It’s not enough to love shopping and reading magazines. And anyways, once you work in the field you will find you spend very little time with these activities.

What does a professional fashion journalist do?

First of all, there is a distinction between fashion critic and fashion editor. Probably the most famous fashion critic is Suzy Menkes, whose work in the past includes a regular fashion column for the International Herald Tribune. Menkes was the international fashion editor 19 issues of Vogue magazine. Her responsibilities included the detailed portrayal of current fashion trends and topics in prose form (like for example fashion show reports). As part of her work she visits seasonal shows all over the globe.
The most famous fashion editor is still Diana Vreeland, who passed away in 1989. Vreeland, a New Yorker, is known for her work for the American edition of Harper’s Bazaar and as editor in chief for the US edition of Vogue magazine. Her style was characteristic and hugely influential for today’s fashion journalism. Vreeland devoted her entire life to the discovery of trends and presented her findings in breathtaking fashion spreads.

Today, an experienced fashion journalist is expected to combine both components. Daily editorial tasks include
– press meetings (both individual meetings or seasonal press days) and correspondence with PR agencies
– participation in editorial meetings to plan upcoming articles and issues (print and/or online)
– comprehensive research and summary of current trends and fashion topics (which requires attendance of big fashion shows in the main centers like Berlin, New York, London, Milan and Paris)
– reporting those stories in prose form or as photo spreads

All this requires a lot of knowledge, skill and preparation. Fashion is not a field that you end up in ‘by accident’, so here are some words on my personal path of education, which illustrates one possible approach.

My study experience

I got a degree at AMD Düsseldorf, the only institution offering a specific course tailored to fashion journalism in Germany. I graduated last November, and have mixed feelings towards the experience. The institute has a good reputation in Germany, is well known in the industry and provides an excellent framework to build a network, not least because the university has a presence in several cities. I did my internships in Munich, and have been living in Berlin for more than a year now. I met other AMD graduates in both cities, built friendships and every now and then also got jobs through that network. This, the networking aspect, is probably the single biggest advantage of doing a course at a private university like the AMD, and may to some extent justify the somewhat higher expenses.

With hindsight, would I choose to study fashion journalism again? Probably not. I say this mainly because of the fact that a lot of the subjects were only touched very superficially, and the curriculum was not always followed as communicated in advance. Some topics like online journalism and fashion design were either not covered properly or repeated every term without substantial additional information. I approached the course with great expectations, and maybe that’s why I ended up rather disappointed. Given the high fees, I would have expected a much more in-depth engagement with the subjects, and a more hands-on approach. My experience is of course purely subjective, and I would also like to point out that some of my peers greatly enjoyed the course.

On the positive side, the course does communicate excellent basic journalism and writing skills. Furthermore, students are well trained in their understanding of textiles and related technologies. I nevertheless felt that students are often left to their own with questions regarding individual projects. I ended up teaching myself some of the important programs like Photoshop and InDesign. Another positive aspect was that some subjects were treated very comprehensively, like the history of art and costumes and fashion photography. Writing the final paper was also a very valuable experience. We were essentially challenged to create our own fashion magazine, both for print and online, and had ample opportunity to reflect and integrate all we learned over the previous six semesters in one big project.

Universities with comparable courses in Germany
– Fashion Design Institut, Düsseldorf / Studiengang: Fashionjournalismus B.A.
– Axel Springer Akademie, Berlin / Studiengang: Journalismus
– Burda Journalistenschule, München / Journalismus Volontariat

Universities with comparable courses outside of Germany
– Condé Nast College of Fashion & Design, London / Vogue Fashion Certificate
– University of the Arts, London / Fashion Journalism B.A.
– The Paris School for Design and Business, Paris / MBA Global Fashion Media
– Fashion Institute of Technology, New York / Fashion Journalism
– Haute Future Fashion Academy, Mailand / Fashion Journalism

Is an editorial internship worth it?

Absolutely! If you’re uncertain what course is right for you, it is definitely a really good idea to consider an internship. However, short term internships (e.g. for three months) are relatively pointless. Also, it is worth understanding that such an internship has nothing to do with glamour. Still, I do not want to sound too negative about it. I did internships in the fashion departments of Elle and Madame in Munich and was very happy with the experience. Initiative is always welcome there, and if you give your best you are supported and nurtured. My responsibilities included


– archiving look-books and creating trend analysis
– preparing and wrapping up fashion productions, ordering pieces in Germany and abroad
– assisting in the photo studio and for fashion productions
– general administrative support in the editorial office
– text production for individual fashion pages

My university course required me to do internships for a total of six months, so the work constituted an important part of my studies. The university was helpful in initiating contacts in that respect, but the top spots like Condé Nast or Burda require a lot of initiative and ambition to get. It may also be advisable to do another internship or two after graduation to rack up some additional job experience.

What other lines of work do my studies prepare me for?

With a degree in fashion journalism you may also be well equipped to work in the following fields:
– PR agencies
→ the counterpart to the press. Working in PR means working for a certain number of clients (e.g. fashion or beauty companies, lifestyle brands,…) and presenting them or their products to the press via mail, at press meetings, during fashion weeks or at individual events. In addition, PR agencies are often responsible for organizing events and the placement of labels in suitable press outlets. Some of the biggest German PR agencies are: Loews (Munich), Häberlein und Maurer (Berlin & Munich), Henri Frank PR (Hamburg), Prag Agency 8Berlin), Fake PR (Berlin), Bold (Berlin)
– Film, TV or radio.
→ Job opportunities in this field include assistance with fashion props for a film or TV program or the work as presenter for various formats in TV or radio.
– Fashion labels or corporations
→ Opportunities include positions in sales, styling or retail.

Are there other ways to start a career in professional fashion journalism?
Yes. From today’s perspective I do not believe that a university degree will make or break your chances to work in the field. Whatever your path of education, you will at some point be confronted with the (harsh) reality. Even really big publishing houses often have no more than one single internship position. A well paid position is a rare exception, and good connections are unfortunately all too often the decisive factor when it comes to getting a top spot. I would also like to point out that I have met many people in my career so far that studied classic journalism, art history, cultural sciences or comparable subjects, and still ended up writing successfully for publications like Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan or as freelancers.

In conclusion, there is no need to despair if you cannot afford the expensive studies at a private university. A degree does not automatically make it easier to find a job in fashion journalism. It is immeasurably more important that you approach your future job with a high level of interest and an innate understanding of the subject matter. If you know the right people, or get to know them at some stage, you may indeed make it very far in this profession and earn a lot of money. But be aware that the road is long, bumpy and very unglamorous.