No I’m not crying on the other side of the screen, why do you ask?
I was recently reminded by a friend that on my very first night in New York, when asked about my dream job, Fashionista was one of the places I talked about. Having read Fashionista every day for the latter part of undergrad, I thought of this publication as one of the industry’s best-kept secrets that employed some of the smartest writers in the business.
Those writers were my teachers as I tried to learn how the industry worked from afar while studying at a university in the midwest without a fashion program. It was much to my delight that they eventually became my colleagues. After attending many of Fashionista’s live events my first year in New York (which meant saving up as a minimum-wage-earning intern) and aggressively introducing myself to these editors I so admired, I became one of them.
Working here has been an incredible learning experience. I’ve often said that one of Fashionista’s greatest strengths is that it lets its team members run after the things they care about, which for me meant relentlessly pitching sustainability stuff — so much so that we eventually created a new role for me — and also writing a lot about #fashiontheology, in addition to all the general fashion news. In my time here, I’ve gotten nerdy about carbon offsetting, helped make the Preachers N Sneakers guy go viral, reported from informal waste-picking sites in India and a diamond mine in Botswana, and asked a lot of questions about what role brands are most suited to play in the push toward sustainability.
I’ve also gotten to work alongside a group of women who are funny and smart and good at the internet and know more about Harry Styles than I would’ve thought humanly possible. They’ve been great people to learn from, take loopy “stretch and share” breaks with when the days get too long, grab ramen with in between fashion shows and attend concerts full of screaming teens with. My colleagues here — and the former Fashionista editors whose legacies live on in this little corner of internet — have helped shape the journalist I am today, and I’m so grateful for that.
In this next chapter of my career, I’ll be writing for a wider range of publications, but you’ll still see my byline around here sometimes (you’re not rid of me yet!). I will remain, as always, reachable via social media and newsletter should you find yourself looking for someone to share mushroom pictures with. As wild as it feels to set out on a new journey in the midst of a pandemic, I’m comforted knowing I started out from the best kind of home base I could’ve asked for.
Thanks for everything, Fashionista. It’s been a pleasure.
Source: Fashionista.com
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