When I first began my journey in the fashion industry over 10 years ago, I would have never expected to grow so tired of the system so quickly. It really only took 1 year out of college and a shitty job, for my brain to start looking for a way out. Initially, I thought it was the job itself that was toxic and callous and that the bullying and verbal mistreatment came with the territory—fashion is highly competitive, stressful, and fast-paced. So, despite it all, I kept high hopes for my future in the field, dreaming about finding my niche within a company that would nurture my creative flair and leverage my community-building skills to increase their market share. I was delusional. None of the many companies I worked with—except for adidas—gave me enough space to grow and implement my talent to the fullest, leaving me to anguish and grieve a career I thought I wanted but could never have.
In the first three years as an employed worked—what they consider entry-level experience nowadays—the only guidance I could rely on was the benevolence of a good-hearted colleague who had been there before or the world’s best tutor: Google. For some reason, during the most foundational period of my life in the workforce, my bosses were too busy to spend time properly training me to fit within corporate orders. Their feedback microdosed, my only chance to receive constructive criticism and ask for help was relegated to brief 1-on-1 meetings at the end of a busy week. Needless to say, the attention span of my superior was mangled at this point, so rather than going over my development as a professional, the conversation would steer in the direction of structural problems.
I was never given a toolkit for what makes a good presentation, nor was I ever handed a company-specific glossary. Introducing myself to my fellow team members was ultimately up to me and, I was ushered into each and every one of my positions with urgency, leaving little to no time for proper adaptation. The “induction” process, if we may even call it so, was as quick and painful as ripping a bandaid off a hairy arm. I was expected to immediately take on the reins of my department in fifth gear.
Each year, I strived for more—to do more, to achieve more—and to prove my ideas were good and they would indeed generate the long-term return on investment I often heard about if only they allowed me to experiment. Little did I know, I was part of a wider machine that, if not properly oiled in all of its parts, would eventually crash and burn. No long hours or weekends at the office would alleviate foundering if my piece of the puzzle didn’t properly fit into the next department’s strategy. Success was always, and it will forever be, a matter of collaboration.
Looking back, despite the sleepless nights and miserable days spent commiserating myself, I am grateful for having gone through such a baptism of fire when I first stepped foot into this unappreciative industry. My skin grew thicker and it made me bolder, unafraid of criticism. It provided some clarity over what I wanted out of life—or at least the type of treatment I would not acceptfrom an employer and colleagues.
I would love to say that things got better, but, whenever I accepted a job within the realm of fashion, I always ended up scorned, deceived, and drained by the experience. Whether it’s the incompetence of managers at the top, the meager wages offered, or the misuse of allocated funds, I have yet to hear about a role within a fashion company that fulfills people with a good soul. There’s just something purely evil about the fashion industry. As if only those with blood as bitter as gasoline can thrive and make it to the top. You have to be ruthless, bitchy, double-faced, and concerned with which color shoe goes better with the discounted designer dress bought at a sample sale than a person’s well-being. Ok not everybody is like this, but it is many people.
This leads me to a disgraced situation I found myself in recently. A few months back, after promising myself I would never deal with clients coming from that devilish business, I made the deadly mistake of accepting a consulting role with a brand that reached out to inquire about my services.
I will spare you the anxiety-inducing details, but, long story short, I have been battling with my payment for the past 2 months, and the whole ordeal has really left me empty, demotivated, and disheartened about work at large.
On the bright side (there’s always a bright side), as someone who is in the process of building not one, but two companies after continuously failing to commit to full-time self-employment over and over, this nightmare left me with a few great takeaways in expectation and people management.
Moreover, I learned how important it is to distance yourself from the negotiation process if you are also the person who is going to carry out the scope of work. Unfortunately, when working freelance, this is often not an option as we are a one-man show.
Another crucial factor that I learned the hard way is having a lawyer handy whenever a dispute arises.
An attorney will be able to suggest what’s the best route to take when things get tricky with a client, and if needed, they will step in to resolve the issue on your behalf, employing the kind of jargon that will help you set the record straight. I know lawyers can be costly, so try to make friends with some law students! Jk, but trust me, having an attorney on your side is very productive, essential even.
At the beginning of any type of collaboration, if the commissioner does not provide a proper brief for the work, ask for it. Ask the point of contact to send you a very clearly defined scope of work, if they prefer you come up with it, then demand that they sign it promptly. Then demand a contract and make it very clear that you will not start working until the agreement is signed, filed, and archived in the right jurisdiction. You need to protect yourself and your work as much as you can because when things go left, malicious clients will try to gaslight you into thinking you are not good enough, instead of taking account of their mistakes and inadequacy.
It’s hard not to back down and accept whatever crumbs they try to throw at you because the process of fighting for what you deserve is exhausting, however, it’s important to continue standing up for ourselves whenever we can afford to. It’s a matter of solidarity for those who cannot do it, as well as the right thing to do in terms of self-respect.
Not sure why the fashion industry is such a scam but if you are an aspiring fashion-anything reading this rant today, please, I beg you, learn how to deal with contracts and make the best out of any experience and job. Add fines to late payments, record every piece of communication.
Obviously with experience comes the confidence to stand up for yourself, but it’s also a matter of learning how to sieve through the bullshit. Good clients–employers and collaborators—will set you up for success, not tear you down on the first hindrance.
Worse come to worse, change industry. I cannot say that other fields are a walk in the park, but so far, startups have not let me down.
In other news, one of my babies is soft-launching this weekend in New York!
systemarosa is a first-of-its-kind platform bridging football and fashion through a distinctive female-centric lens.
Founded in 2023, systemarosa is an interdisciplinary venture born from my and my partner’s need to express our love for vintage, football style, and the game at large.
Crossing the boundaries of traditional football fashion and vintage style, we merge commerce and research, offering an ever-growing, curated collection of archival garments, carefully sourced from Europe and the US.
Additionally, we provide editorial inspiration and community events aimed at fostering an inclusive atmosphere.
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Your memories of those first few months working for the industry reminded me of the first day of my first internship at a hip Paris fashion mag, where I was placed in front of a computer and told to "call Calvin Klein, Etro, and Lanvin and ask for xxxx", then left to my own devices and screamed at when I asked who should I talk to at those companies LOL. Took over 10 years and severe burnout for me to get out of the fashion press. Still work in the industry though, in a consulting capacity with brands that have always been professional and no-nonsense. Luckily time, experience and terrible past experiences have provided me with a pretty good radar on who are the good companies to work with and who is gonna be trouble. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, and looking forward to seeing what you are currently working on!
I work in the fashion industry, but I appreciate I can do it remotely. I lost my job as a Fashion Product Sub-Editor in London during the pandemic, and I haven't looked back since. I don't know in which department you worked in fashion, but localisation is much more relaxed and less bitchy, probably because the people working in that field don't all come from fashion, so there is an open-mind and a no-nonsense approach I appreciate. I believe all industries have a level of toxicity, fashion is always pointed as the big bad girl because in this industry we put people on a pedestal and brush offt their bad behaviours rather than calling them out immediately.
Anyway, congratulations on your soft-launch!