The Quinnipiac community was privileged to have Zandile Blay, a fashion journalist, come speak to all those who are interested in a fashion career last night. Wearing a stylish Nicole Miller dress, she talked about her experiences in the fashion industry. Originally from Ghana, she has since had the experience of writing for In Style and People magazine, The New York Sun, as well as was an editor at Seventeen magazine for two years. Right now, she works as a fashion market editor at Paper Magazine and is getting her masters from Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design in London.
She talked to the crowd about the glamorous side of working in the fashion industry (meeting celebrities and designers and all the free giveaways), as well as the not so glamorous side (countless hours of hard work for very low pay).
Blay offered the audience 6 bits of advice for people who aspire to work in the fashion industry:
1) Ask yourself why fashion?
2) Get internships, and lots of them. They’re great for networking and experiencing the reality of the business, as well as for acquiring skill sets you will need.
3) Pick your position and play. What role do you want within the fashion industry? Find out and work towards becoming that.
4) Find a mentor- someone who has had experience in the field.
5) Be humble. Employees who are courteous to others and possess humility are valued.
6) Be realistic of what you think fashion is. She explained that the fashion industry is “not an episode of Sex and the City.” It is a real business and people work hard.
Whether you are interested in becoming a fashion journalist like Blay, a fashion designer, or anything else within the industry, I think it is wise to take the advice she offers to make all of your fashion dreams come true!
Fashion Forward 
wow! you take GREAT NOTES!!!!!! thats exactly what i said. thanks so much for the kind words. it was a privilege for me to talk to you guys. xo, zandile