Imagine what it’s like to be a fashion writer at New York Fashion Week…
This is what you’re looking at, a day in the life of fashion editor:
6:30am: I am awake and already multitasking. I quickly scroll through my Instagram feed screen grabbing anything of interest or inspiration. After a quick look through my calendar and I’m out of bed.
8:00am: There are not enough hours in a day – especially when it comes to editorial fashion – because your network of inspiration is endless. I get to work at 8:00am each day. Admin work is always the first thing I do when I get to the office before things get hectic and busy. I have around 32 emails in my inbox today, most of which are PR queries. It takes me around 30 minutes to check the rest and send out my replies. I also have about 15 administration ‘To do’s already for the day: Did those shoes get returned? Have we booked in the shoot date?
9:30am aka The editorial meeting: We have this once a fortnight to make sure we’re on track to reach our editorial content deadlines. We had two events covered (by writers and photographers) last night and we’re looking through the best of the images to run a gallery in the upcoming issue. We need to be careful to make sure that the people and trends are on track with our monthly content plan. Next, I run through my progress on the editorial stories for the next printed issue and our upcoming online content pieces. We need to ensure we’re sharing across the digital and social space – as well as preparing fresh content for the magazine each week.
10:30am: Second coffee for the day. Now that I’m partially relieved to know what we’re doing for today’s stories, I make my way back to my desk, read the two features I have received this morning from our Editor in Chief. One is about the new Victoria Beckham spring collections’ shop front launch in London last week (where I also found a few must-haves) and the other is about an interview with a top English model (she has recently collaborated with an international clothing chain and we are choosing to make a comment in the ‘trending’ page).
Did those shoes get returned? Have we booked in the shoot date?
1:30pm: Done editing. It was quite a quick turn around today! Both features are ready.
2:00pm: Over my desk lunch, my secret vice is checking celebrity blogs online. I think of it as part of my job really. After all, I have to check their clothes, their bags, their make up. I send a few links to our gossip columnist, scroll through my social feeds and then pack up my lunch.
2.10pm: After my online fix I spend a bit of time in the fashion cupboard with my Fashion Coordinator looking through our range of loans. It is good to have a quick stock run through before we head to a PR showroom this afternoon.
3:00pm: We arrive at the showroom on time, greet a couple of Editors I know from competitor magazines, and start gazing around the workshop. I check out news designers, new clothes, bags, shoes ranges – as much as you are shopping for yourself you need to have in mind the stock that you just agreed on running back in the cupboard.
5:00pm: Back in my office. Quick brief with the publisher, I will need have another two features edited and sent to him before I go home tonight for the morning content update. We are running some themed fashion galleries so I will need to source and annotate some images. Once this is done, I send a few thank you and enquiry emails to relevant contacts from the Showroom launch. The afternoon has given me some great ideas!
6:40pm: On the way out I quickly grab a copy of Vanity Fair that was just delivered to read on the bus home. Does loving what you do for a living count as a pure blessing?
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