How to Break Into Fashion Industry?

Everyone knows it’s not an easy thing to become an insider in fashion- one of the most competitive and fastest developing industries in the world.

Andrew Riley, an editor in chief and owner of Style Birmingham magazine shares his journey from the beginning to the top of Local Vogue Business.

Who is Andrew Riley? An owner and editor in chief of Style Birmingham Magazine, who happens to also have other businesses across Birmingham like Riley and Raven Partnership. Since he was little, he was inspired to be in the fashion industry. He says he created the magazine to change the

negative image of our beautiful city. Let’s find out what else he’s got to say about it.

How long has he worked as an editor? He says he named himself editor around 12 months ago. He had to change his title to benefit the business. It’s not easy to assign him one role as he’s doing

a little bit of everything: “you have to be a little bit of an all-rounder to do the job that I do.”

He also shared with us new must-haves of the season through Style Birmingham.

“There’s a new denim trend, which is pretty big right now. There is a number of different features here.”

„We’ve got A Clean Slate, which is eccentric styling.”

„ We’ve also got Fine Lines, there is a lot of stripes in this season, which are a favourite of mine, I’ve always been a fan of stripes”

„This one is called style Magpie a playful dresser, treasure-chest, vintage inspired look.”

„And then we’ve also got modern denim and a loose thigh as well. There are quite a lot of trends in there"

Andrew shared his very well-targeted trend statement as well „ … What I found through watch-ing fashion is how fast it’s changing but how quickly things come back. There are things that hung around for a little bit longer as well. For example, a military trend was hanging

around for a long, long time, it started to adapt and evolve but it’s still there a bit like a sta-ple, so things almost become staples as well, you know like men dressing dapper can be

making a bit of a statement as well. There was a rising trend of wearing capes as well and I saw it, when I was in New York. I’ve seen quite a few people doing that but I don’t think

people in Birmingham are quite brave enough, particularly men, they are pretty safe in what they wear. We’re actually launching in here, there is men’s fashion in here but we’re launch-ing a specific section because we want to be, I suppose, the authority of what men should be wearing and trying to get people, a man particularly, to be a little more adventurous.”

„Feeling comfortable in what you're wearing is the number one important factor in fashion”

With this claim, the next question came up: What’s more important- sticking to the latest trends or being more independent? Of course, there always needs to be a balance, his biggest suggestion is "if you feel the slightest bit of discomfort in something when you put it on or, if you're not feeling entirely relaxed in it, it's not going suit you because it’s a part of you. If there is a trend you like when you see it on the page, it doesn’t mean it’s going to suit you or your shape, that’s why it’s better to stay away from that one. Feeling comfortable in what you're wearing is the number one important factor in fashion.”

Despite a huge knowledge and great understanding of fashion, Andrew didn’t go to university at first. He went to college and studied BTEC in Business, where he gained his comprehension about the subject. Then he went straight to work at a brick company where he progressed from a selling to a marketing role. After that someone discovered a potential in him and put him in for a Chartered Institute of Marketing Diploma, so he could study and work at the same time. He thinks he hasn’t done the best at it as he is a person who gets bored very easily and prefers to keep his mind active in a job where he knows who he is, although he found university a useful part of what he did. “If I employ someone, I like to see they had a really good grade in their university degree but also it's really important to come up with their own ideas, pretty forward ideas. Also self learning new skills, for example new design skills and on a design package. It's important to have a university background but there are also other skills that really will benefit you getting a job if you're a self learner. That's the most important thing.”

„People are the most importantpart of business”

Riley also worked in a bar at the age of 15 and caught a couple of modelling jobs at a young age. Then, he faced many struggles in his career. “When you create a business you start with think-

ing that everybody you employ is going to have the same mind-set as you but they don't. You often get let down by people a lot and you have to overcome that challenge because

you can't do it without other people. You have to be a really good people person, motivating people and that's an ongoing challenge. You have to make sure they are motivated, driven, coming with their best work and that's a whole other conversation. People are the most im-portant part of business.” There was also the money challenge. He says “finance challenge is quite massive as well, especially when you run out of money at some point and you have to make some more somehow”. Now, his biggest challenge is to establish the business and ensure that it’s growing in the right direction. He also struggles with employees as, a matter of fact, many creative talents from Birmingham go to London, on the other hand he feels great that he actually

picks people good enough to work in London.

„It's absolutely crucial that you get as much experience as possible”

We also gathered some more tips, for example about work experience. “If I was a fashion jour-nalist, it's absolutely crucial that you get as much experience as possible and you do it for free. If you do it for free and you do a great job you will go a lot further”. He says it’s not only

about coming into some work experience just to get it on your CV. You have to make a mark by getting your own work published, then you’re in a good position.

I asked about salary too. Of course, it’s a really important factor when we talk about any kind of job. He believes we will probably start with £15k to £18k for editorial/writing positions. These days we’ve got so much competition out there, especially bloggers that aren’t always good and often unprofessional. It means that there is so much content pushing at us all the time and that’s the

reason that drives salary down.

We all know how huge and competitive the fashion industry is… I asked Andrew how he imagines it in a couple years. “I think it will keep evolving but I feel like there is almost like too much. We've got lots of different trends, so I think it may have to simplify itself. Now, it's sort of

less it's more.” In his opinion people are looking for staples, which they can mix up and use from season to season. Isn’t that the main beauty of staples?

„Never Give Up”

At the end, he shared a very motivating tip to become successful “NEVER GIVE UP: If you feel really deeply that you’re good enough, then you will make it!”

If you’re interested to see Style Birmingham, there are 290 places around Birmingham including hotel receptions but hurry up! It goes very quickly. We all know that magazines are a lovely thing

but the online content is great too, check it out here: www.stylebham.com