#MisfitMonday: How Did I Get My Start In The Fashion Industry?

With the ongoing changes of social media to reach more people in innovative ways, I’m constantly learning of different ways to interact with my audiences. Merely 6 months ago, all I had was a Facebook, a Twitter, and a privatized Instagram. NOW, I’m utilizing Facebook Live, Twitter Live (Periscope), Instagram on a public spectrum AND utilizing Instastories and Snapchat. Needless to say, this Millennial is a bit bogged down!

Anywho, the other day I was quickly giving my two cents on my Instastory (are you following me on Instagram? You can right here 🙂 on being a blogger and working hard on your dreams to achieve them. A viewer of mine (hey girl!) then responded to one of my posts, asking how did I get into the fashion industry. So, I decided to do not only an Instastory on it, but also quickly talk about it to you all on how I got my start in the fashion industry.

I’ve always had a love for fashion. Even when I was younger, I would either be dressed in strict head-to-toe matching sets or go crazy with colors, textures and prints. I used to ask mom to sit down with me and go through her jewelry box and try on every single item. I’d go to thrift stores and rummage through the items that looked crazy just to take them home, give them a good wash, and deck it out with some funky accessories. Clothing and dressing, to me, was how I tackled a lot of topics such as low self-esteem, bullying and just teenage angst, in all honesty. Getting dressed up has always been an outlet of self expression, and I never tried to model myself after anyone else.

I never viewed myself as the ‘trendy’ girl, but I was definitely a person who could see clothes and look at them in a larger aspect (how to weather them in different seasons, what accessories to pair with them, etc.)

When I first graduated college, I knew I wanted to write and wanted to somehow provide my voice to something that was bigger than myself. With my love of fashion behind me, I started exploring careers in the fashion industry while learning about notable women of color in my industry. Names like Shioni Turini, Kahlana Barfield, Karleen Roy, Tiffany Reid, Nikki Ogunnaike, and so many more were all a few names of the many that I encountered. As I continued to read up on what each one of these women do, I became inspired to write more, do more, and ultimately pursue my dream of fashion editorial.

Now I will say, I have had hits and misses throughout my (very short) career. I’ve worked for people who have given me hope that the industry is slowly working to incorporate more women of color, and I’ve worked for people who tried to tear me down whenever they could. The reality is that if you continue to work hard, you will get somewhere. If you continue to work smart, you’ll get even further.

I did a lot of freelance (many unpaid) projects and assignments for brands and businesses, slowly building my clips to the point I felt comfortable applying for bigger publications. I was a staff writer over at Fashion Bomb Daily, where my responsibilities grew to overseeing the website, running social media on nights and weekends, and producing upwards of 25-30 posts a week. I did that all on TOP of a standard 9-5 and ongoing health conditions.

Finally, the time came to move. Literally, move. I felt stagnated at my job, at various parts of my life, and needed something to shift. One person has asked me before how you’ll know when it’s time to move, to which my simple reply was, “You’ll know it’s time to move when moving is the only thing that’ll fix the situation.” I laugh at the irony of God, because I had asked him to move me into a new job that would allow for my dreams and ideas to manifest. I meant a career move, not a literal one! After applying to places, networking, and attending events where I got to meet many of the women I mentioned above, I was finally introduced to an opportunity to join InStyle Magazine, which is currently where I call home.

It can always appear (especially on social media) that life is just easy; we bloggers just wake up, attend fashion shows, and life is grand. You don’t see the blood, sweat, tears, long hours, early mornings and push throughs that happen. My life is far from perfect, but working hard has never done me wrong.

Everyone will reach their goals differently and at different intervals. Some will trip and fall, some will never stumble. The majority will start and not finish, and that’s where you differentiate yourself from the crowd. Though I’m not nearly as consistent as I want to be, I’m getting better. I’m investing more into myself and to my brand and building my name in an industry that I want to be reflective of my values and standards for humanity.

So, what can you be doing to build your name in the industry? First of all, brand yourself. Secondly, you need to network and promote your work to people, whether people you look up to or just people you want to work for. Lastly, never give up. This industry, unfortunately, can sometimes resemble a garden where you wonder about the snakes. Stay in your lane and give your best at any and all times. Nobody can tell you when you’ve given enough; only you can do that. Once you continue to work (or as some older may say, “pay your dues”) you will begin to notice things just naturally start gravitating to you. Let things happen organic, and always remember to give God glory.

Anywho, hope I was able to inspire someone! Coming up, I’ll have a Breaking into Fashion hacks post that you all might enjoy, as well as a few surprises along the way 🙂 Peace and blessings my misfits!