I'm not a lady, but I'll answer anyway;)
Fashion Week in any city is definitely a tricky thing to get into. This is where networking plays in your favor. And don't expect to be paid or get any credit whatsoever at first. The key artist always gets full credit for the look and they dictate the look to their team. In small, local shows with unknown designers, this can sometimes be a bit more relaxed.
1. Have a SICK portfolio with great photographers. The stronger your work, the more easy it will be to get into some of the good shows. This is good to have anyway - and it's always good to have a professional critique.
2. Experience. Can you show that you've got some good references under your belt? Take jobs, even the boring or low-rate ones if you need to build. Portfolios don't speak for themselves, unfortunately. You need the resume to back it up!
3. Network. The more people you know, the better. Have a professional, positive attitude and look for events in your area where others like you are gathering. I met my long-time assistant Andrea on a site like this, and others at a meet-and-greet at New York Fashion Week. All my assistants come from personal connections. When building a team at FW, key artists will almost always choose people they have met or know personally - you need to be on that short list of people they call:)
Also...they usually choose a key artist MONTHS before FW, so this is something you need to be thinking about all the time. This month's FW has been in planning for the past 6 months or more!
or
Arial V.
Ok ladies do any of you have advice on how the heck to get into LA Fashion Week???
Jordan L.
I'm not a lady, but I'll answer anyway;)
Fashion Week in any city is definitely a tricky thing to get into. This is where networking plays in your favor. And don't expect to be paid or get any credit whatsoever at first. The key artist always gets full credit for the look and they dictate the look to their team. In small, local shows with unknown designers, this can sometimes be a bit more relaxed.
1. Have a SICK portfolio with great photographers. The stronger your work, the more easy it will be to get into some of the good shows. This is good to have anyway - and it's always good to have a professional critique.
2. Experience. Can you show that you've got some good references under your belt? Take jobs, even the boring or low-rate ones if you need to build. Portfolios don't speak for themselves, unfortunately. You need the resume to back it up!
3. Network. The more people you know, the better. Have a professional, positive attitude and look for events in your area where others like you are gathering. I met my long-time assistant Andrea on a site like this, and others at a meet-and-greet at New York Fashion Week. All my assistants come from personal connections. When building a team at FW, key artists will almost always choose people they have met or know personally - you need to be on that short list of people they call:)
Also...they usually choose a key artist MONTHS before FW, so this is something you need to be thinking about all the time. This month's FW has been in planning for the past 6 months or more!