Fashion Career Playbook

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Fashion & Founders The Podcast 6 min 1 speaker 6 chapters transcribed 13 days ago
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What is the Fashion Career Playbook and who is it for?

Victoria Smith 0:06
Hi guys and happy 2026. This is the first episode of the year and it's a mini solo episode. So the interview will still be coming out on Sunday. But I wanted to share the fashion career playbook that I just put out on Substack and talk a little bit more about what it's going to be like. On this platform. And I really wanted to create something that is for the beginners of the industry, people who want to break in. And this could be if you are a student trying to get your first internship, or maybe you're later in your career and you're trying to pivot. I think there's something for everyone here. It's going to be five different parts and really in-depth of things I wish I knew before getting started.
Victoria Smith 0:49
In the industry. So week one is out now. It's on Substack.

How can beginners identify the right fashion roles and companies to target?

Victoria Smith 0:53
And this is really the basis and the foundation learning about all the different roles that fashion has because fashion is a business. There's operators and there's roles that are a bit unsexy. They're not the editors or the PR or the designers, but you're still working in the industry. And I think it's really important to understand where that first role can then lead you. what companies, what types of brands, what you should be looking for when doing your search and your job applications. Because applying to jobs, internships is like a job in itself. It takes a lot of time and a lot of work. And really streamlining this process and getting clarity on what you actually want out of the job, I think at the beginning will really help through this process.
Victoria Smith 1:36
So we're gonna go through the first week. Which is out now is the fashion internship map and getting understanding of all those different roles, like I talked about. Next week we'll talk about resumes, even if you don't have experience. The following week will be email and DM templates that actually get you replies and things that have worked for me.

What strategies streamline the internship and job application process?

Victoria Smith 1:57
Following that will be how to actually get into fashion weeks, kind of gearing up before New York Fashion Week. And there's a Lot of backdoor, side door, whatever you want to call it ways to go to fashion week. And then finally turning internships and those kind of first opportunities into jobs, referrals, or your next role or move. And I get so many questions about how to break into the industry, what should be on my resume, what should I study in school? And I really try to ask guests on the podcast this. I think the one coming this Sunday was Cynthia. Rowley gets to a lot of these questions, but I wanted to have it be kind of in one place on Substack, something that you can read or come back to and go through questions that are kind of hard for me to answer over a DM or a comment.
Victoria Smith 2:44
But please let me know if there's something that you specifically really, really want to see. And I can try to still work it in there. But I think if your goal in 2026 is work in the fashion industry, this can really be your playbook at the beginning of the year to get started, get clarity and go from interested and following along to actually inside the industry at events. And I want to emphasize that there is no one silver bullet.

Which weekly topics will the Playbook cover—from resumes to fashion week access?

Victoria Smith 3:11
Nothing is going to just instantly get you a job or the dream role that you want. It's a Lot of hard work and just trying and putting yourself out there. When I was starting the podcast, I would send hundreds and hundreds of cold DMs and emails, LinkedIn messages, got a lot of just either no's or mainly no replies, to be honest. And now I'm getting people pitching me that are bigger guests than those first ones that I was reaching out to. Like Like Cynthia Rowley, which was such a pinch me moment. And I've really learned by doing what works. And I want to share that knowledge, but it will take if this is something you actually want, going through the motions, doing the work and making those connections, reaching out to people on LinkedIn, building a personal brand, reaching out for opportunities.
Victoria Smith 4:04
I still get no's, but then just kind of pivoting. And either learning from it or understanding that it just wasn't the right opportunity at that moment.

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