How to become a fashion editor

The importance of interning

"There's nothing more important than to intern at a magazine during college," says Ruth Basloe, the 25-year-old fashion editor at Cosmopolitan. While a senior at Barnard College in New York, Basloe secured an internship at Harper's Bazaar. "It was in the features department, but I didn't care, I just wanted to be there." Her internship led to a job as an assistant at Redbook, and after a year she went back to Harper's Bazaar as a market editor.
Cosmogirl editor-in-chief Atoosa Rubenstein started as a Sassy intern. Rubenstein was notorious for her enthusiasm, even over the most menial tasks. "To me, that job was like saving lives," she says. "I did it with a real vengeance."
Another seasoned fashion editor at Hearst goes as far as to say that everyone she knows in the business has interned. "You're not going to get a job if you don't intern," she says flatly. "When we're hiring for assistants, we want someone who's already had magazine experience, and the best way to do it is while you're at college." If you're not lucky enough to attend a New York City school (many of Manhattan fashion editors have degrees from Barnard, Columbia and NYU), a summer internship is a good option.
Publishing powerhouses Conde Nast and Hearst receive thousands of resumes a year, and getting into one of their publications is the style equivalent to an acceptance letter from Harvard. Many are called, but only a few of the fashion-mad are chosen.
It's not all about who you know. Some editors do hire candidates based intelligence and passion. "When I'm hiring assistants and interns," a fashion director says, "I always look for a high aptitude as well as a real energy for the clothes. I mean, the job is not that exciting. I want someone who'll swoon when the Versace gowns come in, because that's what makes it worth it."
Persistence is key. If you don't know anyone at a magazine to send your resume to, go through the mastheads of your target titles and mail away. "I sent my resume everywhere," recalls Basloe. "Someone called and said they didn't have an opening, but they knew someone who did at another magazine. And because my resume looked good, they wanted to recommend me for the position." If your cold-calling doesn't yield results, you can always make your name and fatten your portfolio in the indie-mag frontier. Avant-garde magazines, with smaller budgets and an alternative viewpoint, can be stepping-stones to corporate behemoths. Surface, Arude, Flaunt and Visonaire, are more prepared take on the responsibility of testing out lesser-known talents. Be prepared to work for free, but amassing a great clip file from the 'underground' is a great way to launch into the mainstream. Camilla Nickerson, Vogue's senior fashion editor, made her career by styling eccentric, in-your-face shoots for British magazines like The Face. An early peddler of heroin chic, Nickerson was soon snapped up by Vogue's Anna Wintour to work on the other side of the Atlantic.
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What to expect on the job