From nerves to backstage
How one bold introduction opened fashion’s doors
My first year of uni was the start of a series of extrovertedness (if that is a word - probably not). I was living life like it was a movie - The Bold Type series to be exact - and seizing every opportunity that came my way. Today, we flashback to the time that a short interaction with an editor of a magazine brought me backstage of a fashion show…
This is what happened…
Stylist live is an annual, three day, fashion commerce event run by Stylist Magazine. It hosts various speakers from athletes to authors at the Truman Brewery as well as pop up stores and a thematic fashion show. I actually had uni the first day an sprinted off straight after class to get there on time. The magazines colour was pink so I went with that as my style inspiration and to this day, it is one of my favourite outfits from my time at uni.
This was the first time I had attended and I got a weekend ticket that got me access to the three days of this event. I did not go in there hoping for networking opportunities, but once I got there, I decided to make the most of it. I could’ve aimed small and spoke to some people attending - but I had big dreams and that meant going straight to the editor of Stylist magazine. Crazy right? Well, you have to be a little cookoo to believe in yourself fully and completely.
During one of the panel discussions, I remember standing at the back because I couldn’t get a seat. Even though the guest speaker was great, I was focusing on Lisa Smosarksi, the editor in chief at the time, and her interviewing style. I noticed how she would sneak a quick look at her question cards before meeting the eyes of her guest, showing how present she was in the conversation. She would create new questions on the spot based off of something someone said and repeat in other words if they couldn’t answer easily. To this day, I remember how much she didn’t just interview, she hosted whilst also being in conversation. I told myself that I wanted to be like that.
Straight after the panel discussion, I knew I would have a small window to speak with her and I took it. Everyone was focused on the guest but I went straight up to her, super nervous and overcompensating with a huge teethy smile. I introduced myself and mentioned that I would be there the whole weekend, she complimented my outfit which felt like a win already. As I was about to leave, I turned around and asked if she happened to be looking for an intern. She asked for my details and as I frantically searched for a blank page on my notebook, she recommended I get some business cards for next time.
And as a result…
I was happy enough having introduced myself but I couldn’t have predicted the next day. I woke up to a DM from Lisa, the editor herself saying how she admired my confidence and that I should meet her that day and she’ll take me backstage of the fashion show! WHAT?! I was just a young girl trying to carve a path in this industry - I still am. It was crazy to wake up to a message like that, you can imagine how quickly I got ready that day to arrive as early as I physically could. What’s shocking is that period of my life compared to now, I wouldn’t even say I was that confident. I was so scared to talk to people, but I feared missing out on my future even more. I always knew the type of life I planned for myself and I took baby steps like this everyday towards it.
I put on my green power suit and had the best day. Lisa introduced me to the team of editors, models, stylists - literally everyone. I spent the whole time wondering why she was being so kind. I didn’t know her before and I’m just a fashion student. It was my first real experience in the fashion industry and my first lesson was that people are nice. It’s so simple, but growing up hearing how mean people in the fashion industry can be, it was a real mind boggler to experience the opposite. I felt the rush of backstage madness with models running in and out, stylists dressing them, makeup artists doing final touches - I was home. It was an invaluable experience that I will always remember. I was shown so much kindness at such an early stage of my professional career and I can only aspire to do the same for others.
A year later Lisa also agreed to be interviewed by me for my uni assignment which ended up getting an “A” grade. People like Lisa are so necessary in this industry. Because there will be more people like myself that just need that one person to lend a hand.
This taught me…
People in fashion can be nice
People in leading roles can be nice
Don’t let present fear stop you from joy in your future
Talk to people - they will usually respond
Meeting people in person will always be the best way to form connections
Follow up on connections you made - but be genuine, you can smell an opportunist a mile away
Being nice is a given - you get nowhere being mean
Be memorable - use fashion to present yourself before you open your mouth
Get business cards - which I did
When you’ve been given an opportunity, it is your responsibility to do the same for others
If I could go back, the only thing I would have done differently is take more photos because I barely have any - I mostly do video content but this year, I’m going to focus on having both video and photo content to look back on. Here is a gallery of some pictures I have from that weekend and as always, make sure to subscribe for updates on new blog posts!
