I recently interviewed a current fashion industry professional! Her name is Julia and we used to intern together in the W Magazine fashion closet! Juila now has a full-time job working as a Public Relations Assistnat at Dolce and Gabbana in New York. Julia has decided to share some of her expriences in the industry and advice she would give to others looking to break into the fashion world.
Thanks again Juila for the insight!!
Name: Julia Greco
Current Job: Editorial PR Assistant at Dolce & Gabbana
What are your responsibilities at your company? I assist in managing samples for Dolce men’s and women’s as well as D&G men’s and women’s. We work to ensure the samples are heavily rotated and well represented in all major magazine titles. It can be a bit of a juggling act, as the majority of items are one of a kind samples and highly requested, but it is very rewarding when items are shot and featured in an issue.
What were your previous internships before your first job? When I started college I thought I wanted to work in finance so I completed an internship at Merrill Lynch the summer after my freshman year. When I realized I wanted to be in fashion I interned in the fashion closet at Harper’s Bazaar and then the next summer in the fashion closet at W magazine.
How did you find your position? What was your path? I was informed by my boss at W that Dolce was looking for an editorial PR assistant and she put me in touch with them.
What were some of the most valuable skills you learned interning that help you with your current job? I found that experiencing first hand how the fashion closet of a magazine works is very valuable. Fashion tends to be a fast paced and stressful environment so it was beneficial to go into my job already knowing that. Additionally, when you are spending everyday in the closet of a magazine you cannot help but be informed about what is going on in the fashion industry in general, which is also advantageous.
What advice would you give to someone hoping to break into the fashion industry? I would recommend completing internships in the industry. I would also suggest being flexible and open to any and all opportunities that present themselves, even if you may not see it as your ideal job.
What were some of your strategies you used on the job hunt? Any tips/tricks? I opted to intern after I had graduated college instead of wait around for a full time paid position, which ultimately helped me get the job I have now.
Any resources that you used on your job hunt? Truly the best resource I used was talking to anyone and everyone I knew in the industry to get their advice.
Parting advice about the industry?
- Meet as many people as you can.
- Try to keep things in perspective!
