The Intern (2015) Film/ Careers in Fashion

So tonight I watched the new film 'The Intern' starring Anne Hathaway and Robert De Niro that was based on a senior citizen (De Niro) who becomes an intern at a successful online fashion company called 'About the Fit' founded by Hathaway's character, Jules Ostin. About the Fit is a fictional E- commerce company that values the sale of clothing that is designed and sewn to actually fit the specific customer's size and to avoid any malfunctions or disappointments beyond the purchase. A situation that we can all raise our hands in the air and confess to being victims of when ordering clothing online and being remotely disappointed with a delivery of the 'wrong colour' top, the 'wrong size' dress or the item not matching the online image. If this hasn't happened to you then you are one extremely lucky online shopper.
 Although the company is not actually real, it does take inspiration from other businesses that have started small then gained huge success in a short amount of time due to growing popularity and of course, networking through social media. You could even say that 'About the Fit' was the tinsel town portrayal of online brands such as Nasty Gal, Zappos (both American online retailers) or even ASOS if you look at UK based online companies.
What makes the film even more interesting is that we even see Anne Hathaway play the polar opposite of her role as Andy Sachs, an aspiring journalist who becomes an intern at Runway Magazine in 2006 fashion film 'The Devil Wears Prada' as this time round, she is the person in control, giving Meryl Streep's character in TDWP, Miranda Priestley a run for her money. Obviously there are not any links between the two films as the characters are different as Jules Ostin is a much nicer CEO in comparison to the very demanding editor and chief of Runway Magazine that Priestley is characterised as. However, the two films are similar in terms of narrative and the job roles that are being portrayed.

 

 Not only was the movie interesting to watch in terms of how the film industry portray these type of workplaces and work ethics but the film also included visual examples of the marketing of products in an online company, the use of photo shop and in design to create campaigns/editorials and adverts(something I am learning right now). Also the acknowledgement of the physical experiences of the marketing mix such as packaging, promotions of products and customer awareness in a company to maintain consumer loyalty. Obviously the film was not entirely devoted to a story about the fashion company as there were other subplots with it being a comedy however, it still had insight into the online fashion world.
 Therefore, after watching this film, it started to make me consider what sort of role in the fashion industry I would ideally like to go into after completing my degree at Nottingham Trent University, studying Fashion Communication and Promotion. There are many roles that are important in the fashion industry, such as visual merchandising, buying, trend forecasting, styling, creative directing, PR and marketing. I have always aspired to go down the potential career path of styling or buying however, since I have started writing this fashion blog for my course, it has made me more aware of the role that social media plays in the fashion industry and individuals who have actually made fashion blogging into a career. Bloggers such as Chiara Ferragni, the founder of 'The Blonde Salad', (an $8 million dollar business and labelled the "most successful fashion blogger" by Harvard Business School) Camille Charriere for 'Camille Over the Rainbow', Margaret Zhang's 'Style by Three' and 'The Sartorialist' by Scott Schuman (former boyfriend to fashion writer Garance Dore, just saying) are just few who have turned their blogs into online brands that share their personal interests, offer fashion advice and inspiration through visuals. They also digitally communicate their online identity that influence the posts they blog in exchange for millions of followers and recognition. Although some would not classify this role as a real job, I still think that it is especially important for the promotion and advertisement of actual clothing brands that collaborate with these bloggers to publicise their newest collections. Furthermore, fashion blogging is quite similar to the role of a fashion journalist therefore; part of being a blogger requires writing about popular culture, current affairs in society and what impact there having on the fashion world, styles, the latest runway shows and anything else trending in the fashion world. Following on, this self-employed job allows you to voice your own opinions through self-promotion and have freedom to say what you want about things in the industry that many other roles would not be as accepting towards.

 
Chiara Ferragni blog 'The Blonde Salad' http://www.theblondesalad.com/

Although I am still undecided on a definite potential career (as many university students are), styling has always been something that I have been very keen to do ever since my study of fine art and design during GCSE and A Levels. The idea of working on editorial or campaign photo shoots, collaborating with designers or even personal shopping is something that both interests and excites me. This is because it includes the understanding of current and past trends, having a creative flow, mixing with patterns, textures and the silhouettes of garments and working as some might say, 'the customer's best friend' as your main value becomes being aware of what your consumer feels both comfortable and confident in. (Whilst still making them look extremely stylish and on trend of course).

My Favourite Stylists:

Megan Ellaby for ASOS



http://www.pagesbymegan.com/
http://www.asos.com/discover/personal-stylist/megan-ellaby/

Zanita Whittington



http://zanita.com/


After looking at websites such as WGSN during my first module at NTU, this application made me interested in going down the path of trend forecasting. As a job, the role of a trend forecaster forces you to be quite ruthless and fearless with the experimentation and curiosity of future trends. However, this is something that interests me because trends are ever-changing and normally have historical context behind them, especially when you are looking at trends from a global perspective to build narratives for certain collections. The role of a trend forecaster also encourages you to be aware of music, art, street styles, film, dominant colour and history which all influence the industry.


Historical context of fashion however, has been something over the past few years which has always appealed to me as I find the evolution of clothing over the past centuries extremely intriguing and amazing to see the changes from traditional to contemporary. I also think that studying international fashion affairs that influence future trends would be exciting as it gives you the opportunity to look at more culturally diverse styles that are executed from different textures and materials around the world to brainstorm ideas for trends in the long run for upcoming seasons.



Finally, another career aspiration I have in regards to working in the fashion industry would be the possibilities of going into the area of visual merchandising. This is because I feel it tests your skills as a creative chameleon and requires the ability to promote products visually and confidently in an innovating and inventive way, via window or in store displays to attract customers through the doors of the shop. Visual merchandising  also has similarities to the role of a stylist as it still consists of the dressing of mannequins with garments from current collections. However, what appeals to me about the role of a VM is that it still allows you to portray different narratives and themes within the windows to publicise and advertise a brands image. Therefore, the job encourages the research of cultural contexts of different trends to communicate a story to the public through visuals whilst still applying your skills of co-ordination, application of colour and being aware of seasonal trends.

Successful online fashion brands:


Nasty Gal founded by Sophia Amoruso
Who knew that when Sophia Amoruso started a small eBay profile selling vintage clothing behind her desk in an art school, six years later, she would go on to become the CEO of a $100 million fashion online company. Nasty Gal is an American based online fashion retailer that offers both designer pieces and limited edition reworked vintage clothing to cater for a target consumer in their late teens/early twenties, who is super confident, daring with fashion but very stylish.

 

Personally, Nasty Gal is quite hard for me to purchase from since I live in the UK and delivery is a pain. However, that does not stop me regularly looking at their Lookbook's and fashion blog 'Nasty Galaxy' to keep up with the latest fashion news and the company's different outlooks on trends.

You should also have a read of Amoruso's book, the '#GirlBoss'  which I will be talking about in my blog post called 'Top Ten Fashion Books for Fashion Students to read' that will be going up in the next few days after Christmas!

ASOS founded by Nick Robertson
ASOS is another online fashion retailer aimed at young adults looking for forward thinking fashion trends and a range of beauty cosmetics. Other perks? It also allows you to browse online in your pyjamas free of judgement and without dealing with the perils of shopping in-store. Especially during this crazy Christmas period! Not only does ASOS caters for both men and women, but it also collaborates with over 4000 fashion brands to bring an eclectic variety of fashions to the digital community that all types of consumers can access. ASOS is probably my favourite go-to online fashion retailer as it so easy to use, reliable and even offers next day delivery all year round with ASOS Premiere for just £10!

Miss Guided founded by Nitin Passi
Miss Guided has one value as a brand and that is to shape an identity of what it means to be a true girl in the 21st century, whether it be sophisticated and independent or girly, stylish and feminine, their clothes celebrate the reality of women's fashion, alongside providing fresh affordable new trends on a weekly basis. Misguided is another British based online company, however, they deliver to 160 different countries to market their brand globally due to their online websites for France, Australian, USA and Canada.