From October 19^th to the 21^st, I was in New York attending Teen Vogue’s Fashion University. What sounds like my doctor’s botched mispronunciation of the eponymous fashion magazine (ie. ‘I didn’t know my waiting room had a copy of Voh-gue’), Vogue-U collected 500 high school and college students for the weekend program. Each “student” was sent a list of classes they could sign up for, with each activity being presided over by successful people in the fashion industry. I am mostly interested in the editorial side of the industry, so the majority of my classes were run by editors or bloggers- kind of like my rock stars even though most people don’t know who they are. Classes were held in the Conde Nast building in 4 Times Square, and for larger seminars, the Hudson Theatre. Each morning started bright and early, with check-in beginning at 8:30 am, followed by an hour to just talk to people, take pictures, and get our hair done by professional Pantene stylists. As soon as they opened the doors to the theater, a stampede of kids followed, pushing each other aggressively to try to get a better seat. We had to run from class to class throughout the day – literally run, because a front row seat could mean the difference between a handshake with the speaker and an ignored hand-raise from the back. It was clear everyone there would be interested in the cut-throat world of fashion. Both nights, the Teen Vogue team threw a shopping soiree at stores H&M and Topshop where there was entertainment and exclusive Teen Vogue discounts. At H&M, after entering on the red carpet, a DJ spun tracks downstairs while band Blondfire played a few sets upstairs. The Topshop party featured a Teen Vogue student only room with candy, mocktails, and a special Teen Vogue edit of clothing. By the time Sunday night came, I was completely drained.

My schedule for the weekend looked something like this:

    It was a little intimidating being the youngest one there (the cutoff for age was that you had to be sixteen before October 6^th, and I had turned sixteen the week before) among so many high school seniors and college students who were already working in the fashion industry. One of the primary positives, though, was that I was enveloped by a huge network of creative people who were so enthusiastic about what we had in common. I met a plethora of talented kids – one girl already had her photography in Italian Vogue, another was already a seasoned expert on creating your own fashion line and showing it during fashion week – and exchanged business cards with a lot of them. We also still communicate through a Facebook group, where we can all post links to our blogs to widen readership and gain feedback. While TVFU gave us the opportunity to meet and learn from already successful people, we also got the chance to network with each other and get to know some people who may as well be our coworkers in the future.

The main lessons that I took from my seminars was that, firstly, one should get as much education as possible under their belt so that they can bring something new and fresh to the table at a big publication. Many of the speakers majored in things not usually associated with fashion in undergraduate college and went back to graduate school for something completely different. Having a new perspective on things will set a person apart in such a competitive industry. I also learned to appreciate the organic process of fashion. All speakers emphasized the importance of going with the flow, and showed how a person could rise up the ranks by being in the right place at the right time. For bloggers, is important to involve yourself with brands and companies that align with your personal aesthetic and views; that way the partnership seems even more powerful.

Anyone interested in the fashion industry should try to apply to this program for next year. The application asks for answers to a few basic questions (ie. Where do you get your inspiration, who are your biggest fashion role models, what are your career aspirations, etc.), for you to attach a few pictures of either yourself or your work, and the link to your blog. Having a blog (www.annoyingali.com) was very important for my networking once I got to New York and is also a great first step to getting your foot in the world of online fashion. The application was submitted in May, and I heard back about it in September. I am so grateful that I was chosen out of 2,000 applicants to attend this amazing program, and I’m so glad that I applied when even my family thought there was no way in a million years I’d get in! All in all, my weekend with Teen Vogue Fashion University was a completely surreal experience, and also taught me a lot about what a lot of big companies are looking for in an employee. I can’t wait until next year when I can apply again!