Reading List: Inside The Check Republic, Vogue UK August 2011

Inside The Check Republic, Vogue UK August 2011 - Jo Ellison's interview with Christopher Bailey, Creative Director, Burberry

Useful Websites

• The Business of Fashion (BoF) - read daily for all things hot in the business.
• Women's Wear Daily - read daily. religiously. 
• Style.com - always review the current trends before your interviews.
• Gayot - for a calendar of fashion weeks around the world.

Rookie Mistakes

A collection of anecdotes about what not to do as a fashion intern (submit yours here!)

#1 Wearing the shoes of the brand that you are interviewing with and not knowing the name of the shoe - a very awkward moment! True story.

#2 Dressing up to nines for an interview only to sit opposite an interviewer who is wearing jeans and converse. Not enough research into the brand. Clearly.

#3 Having to lie about knowing what the role description said. How was I supposed to know they would remove it from the web-site so quickly?!  

Birdie News: Temperley London

A little birdie told me that ... Temperley London are looking for a very organised PR intern. You need to be organised enough to beat all the other people to it! Hurry up! xx

Birdie News: Christopher Kane

A little birdie told me.... that the folks at Christopher Kane are looking for sales interns to help with the upcoming fashion weeks. Get in quick, I hear a trip to Paris may be on the cards! xx

Reading List: Luxury Fashion Branding by Uche Okonkwo

This book is an absolute gem! Don't be misled by the name which suggests that it is a book about branding. Yes, branding is a big part of it, however, the book also features the origins and history of luxury fashion, as well as an excellent comprehensive overview of what a luxury fashion business is all about. Although the version I have is slightly dated (I dont know if the editions have been updated since) as it does not take into account things like the global financial crisis for instance, it is still extremely relevant with topics covering things like fake luxury goods trade, the rise of the Internet retail as well as the ever relevant marketing basics like the BCG matrix. 

This book will make you think beyond the final product that you see in the store. It will make you consider what goes on behind the marketing scenes at the monsters of the industry such as LVMH. If you are thinking of getting into marketing, sales or strategy, I would strongly recommend you read this book as it will provide you with a crash course in the business of luxury fashion. If anything, I would recommend reading this book so you have something to talk about in your internship interviews - the more you know, the more confident you feel! 

Reading List: In Fashion by Annemarie Iverson

This is a must read for anyone who is even contemplating a career in fashion. The book, albeit very US centric, very clearly defines the various possible career paths within the industry by separating them into 4 main categories: creatives, critics, visualisers and sellers. 

If you have absolutely no idea about what it is that you are wanting to do and if at this point in your life fashion is a passion or a hobby this book should be your bible. It is written in a simple language, full of useful tips starting from which type of stockings not to wear and ending with what the major headhunters' website addresses. The book also features interviews with a variety of industry insiders and discusses their respective career paths. After reading this book you will have a fair idea of what different roles within fashion entail. Although, I should probably note that the book doesn't really contain any 'technical' industry information as such. You should be able to purchase from Amazon.