Teen Vogue Editor-in-Chief Amy Astley recently held book signings and a Q&A at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) in Los Angeles, CA. I did some investigative journalism, pretending not to hear the security guard who asked for my “student I.D.” & sat front row to jot down pages of notes to bring to you. [Photo from Teen Vogue's Bergdorf book signing in NY by Julia Chesky.]

A gaggle of fashion students sat in Room 500 of the FIDM building buzzing about courses, clothes, and Halloween plans in their best “I don’t usually wear this to class” ensembles. Apparently, the place to be this Halloween is Santa Barbara…

“We’re sorry to keep you waiting, but Amy is running a little late, she had to take a call from Anna Wintour, I’m sure you understand.”

An audible gasp then collective giggles broke out around the room. Soon after, some FIDM figurehead or another introduced “Amy Astes” as a former Art History major, who once worked with “Anna Wintar.” A little cringe worthy, but Amy politely corrected her, she was an English major at Michigan State, and all was quickly forgiven. The fashion aspirants were all smiles, sitting with eyes wide and notebooks ready as Amy took her spot at the head of the classroom. I whipped out my pen and took 4 pages of notes, just for you.

Amy’s Beginnings

- though she trained to be a ballerina, Amy always loved writing and aesthetics, ending up an English major at Michigan State, where her father was a professor.

- first editorial job was as an assistant at the late House & Garden, where she learned the ins and outs of publishing.

- when HG folded, a Creative Director she had impressed on the job recommended her for a position at Vogue where Anna Wintour tapped her to launch Teen Vogue

- Teen Vogue spent 2 years in development, and after 4 test issues Conde Nast decided there was real potential in the market and deemed TV viable.

- Was massively intimidated by Andre Leon Talley at first, but he’s actually “the sweetest man,” and says Anna is the “ultimate editor.”

The Book

- Since taking the helm at TV, nearly every girl she encountered had questions about breaking into various roles in fashion. Basically, on a personal and marketing level, it made sense.

- Why isn’t her name on the cover as the author? “I didn’t write the book!” she said. The handbook is comprised of industry professionals advice as a “roadmap to careers, whether you want to be the next Karl Lagerfeld or Anna Wintour or not.”

- Karl Legerfeld gave her favorite quote from the book.

- Wanted to keep the book visually appeal with the usual great Vogue photography and design integrity.

- On reality TV “I don’t want to be a media personality. I’ve seen people laughed off Madison Avenue for taking the reality star route, it can really backfire.” That’s also why you didn’t see so much of her on the Hills.

Getting Your Start

- “Fashion is not the road to riches. But there is definitely room to make a living.”

- NY vs LA/everywhere else: Who cares? “Fashion is so democratic now! With the internet, you can gain exposure in fashion from anywhere. The Rodarte sisters live in Pasedena at their parents’ house!”

- Believe in yourself and hustle. Guido Paulo was kicked out of Vidal Sassoon, and Thakoon interned at Harper’s Bazaar while working and attending Parson’s at night. [And I've done the same.] You can work yourself silly when you’re young, no excuses.

- DIY at the beginning. You may not have access to the best models, etc. but “start small” using whatever resources you have to test (and use a pretty friend as a model).

- At this point, everyone should do an internship in college.

- Teen Vogue will interview ANY college-credit receiving intern who sends their resume and is willing to get themselves to NY.

- “Work and dedicate yourself to a support team, don’t just fixate on the top job.”

- Aspiring designers especially: Work under someone else first. Any other path is a rare exception. Michael Kors & Marc Jacobs are two big house that have a lot of internship opportunities.

- Always do your best work with a smile whether it’s for your boss or not. The CD who got her the gig at Vogue wasn’t even her boss, just someone she had impressed with her good attitude. It’s a small world, you never know who could help you. Also, don’t be a bummer.

- “Dolphin Speak” This came up a number of times. Mostly in reference to getting an education and expressing yourself well. Not everyone has the ability to be both good with visuals AND words (i.e. Rachel Zoe, “shoes! bananas! omg! i die!”), but if you are, that can be a very valuable skill-set. If not, know which roles cater to your specific talents.

Obstacles

A lot of them are on your head… More failures of confidence than anything real. Amy’s athletic/ballet training taught her to never say “can’t”. “I believe in patience, karma, all that Mom stuff!”

- Make your own luck. There’s a certain degree of serendipity, but you make sure you’re positioned to take charge when the time comes.

- See too many talented people fall victim to the gossip, jealousy, and partying. Don’t be one them.

Future of Teen Vogue

- her works not done yet – she finally feels out of survival mode, and can focus more on growing the brand.

- working on a new TV show!

- will continue to grow on the web

- Has already established the Teen Vogue/CFDA scholarship with Target, and now the book, but wants to give back even more opportunities to the young people who have supported her and made her own career possible

I talked to girls after, they all loved the advice, and were glad they weren’t talked down to. Many waited in line to have their copies of the book signed (which sold out at the school by the way), some even trying to be last in the hour long line, hoping to get more face time – and more camera phone pictures – with Amy. She answered every question and signed every copy with genuine care and love, before heading off for another signing at OTIS, then a red eye back to NY. She said she’d be back home by 7 a.m., just in time to see her kids off to school, before she headed back to work. Incredible, right? That alone is inspiration enough for me. Thank you Amy for having me, I am infinitely grateful for all you’ve done for me and hope to follow in your inspiring footsteps.

I haven’t finished reading yet, but I can already say the Handbook is WELL worth reading and beautiful to look at. I’m thinking about doing a video review with some more personal experiences as a former Vogue & Teen Vogue intern in both LA and NY. Unless after my last 3 posts you’re all Teen Vogue‘d out…? (and in that case, I’d be equally happy to save myself the time haha)

]]> http://www.jazzimcg.com/blog/confessions-of-an-intern/advice-from-amy-astley-fidm-the-teen-vogue-handbook/feed/ 21 http://www.jazzimcg.com/blog/confessions-of-an-intern/the-teen-vogue-handbook-an-insiders-guide-to-careers-in-fashion/ http://www.jazzimcg.com/blog/confessions-of-an-intern/the-teen-vogue-handbook-an-insiders-guide-to-careers-in-fashion/#comments Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:48:38 +0000 Jazzi http://www.jazzimcg.com/blog/?p=887

Teen Vogue is the best. They bust out great content month after month, manage to keep afloat among all the publishing madness, & gave me my start in this industry. I met with my fashion fairy godmother aka Amy Astley while in NY this May and she mentioned Teen Vogue had just finished their first book with Penguin “The Teen Vogue Handbook: An Insider’s Guide to Careers in Fashion“.

Though I was bummed that I wasn’t included in the book in some capacity, they made up for it by filling my place with interviews from Anna, Marc, Bruce Weber, Patrick Demarchelier, their own editors, assistants and, I presume, interns. Can’t complain, nor compare (well, maybe to the interns & assistants).

The title speaks for itself and this is Teen Vogue, so expect some great photo spreads and (yes, I’m completely biased here) great advice as well. I don’t know where I’d be if Ms. Astley and sooo many of the other TV editors didn’t let me plop down at their desks every time I’m in NY (heads up Teen Vogue: I’ll be in town on the 12th!).

It’s not due out until October 5th (though you can pre-order the book from Amazon) but there are already two great quotes coming from the Kaiser and the Bob:

“Ask yourself, Are you sure this world is for you? And are you sure you are the right person to survive in this world–the world of fashion, a world with no rules, no laws?” Karl Lagerfeld

“Do your homework, go online, visit every museum, and intern. You just need to have a love for what you’re doing. It’s not about thinking that it’s the cool thing; it’s about really believing in it.” Anna Wintour

Preach it. And here’s hoping the rest of the book doesn’t go on to glamorize the industry too much.

]]> http://www.jazzimcg.com/blog/confessions-of-an-intern/the-teen-vogue-handbook-an-insiders-guide-to-careers-in-fashion/feed/ 9 http://www.jazzimcg.com/blog/confessions-of-an-intern/intern-flashback-nas-kelis-for-fashion-rocks/ http://www.jazzimcg.com/blog/confessions-of-an-intern/intern-flashback-nas-kelis-for-fashion-rocks/#comments Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:24:03 +0000 Jazzi http://www.jazzimcg.com/blog/?p=548

I’ll be posting a few Internship Flashbacks not because I have any desire to live in my past, but because I have some photos/stories lying around and my blog seems like a better archive for them than my hard drive.

Fashion Rocks has since folded, but before it did I worked on this shoot featuring Nas & Kelis shot by Norman Jean Roy. I love Kelis & Norman, so this was really exciting for me.

We spent the week leading up to the shoot researching Jazz-era style on the web and in books we picked up from the library, scouring style.com for dresses, cutting and pasting together look boards, and calling in options. This shoot was tamer than most. We would typically have 100s of options for a fashion shoot, but because this was Fashion Rocks, a lesser publication on the totem pole, everything was pared down to a pretty manageable selection.

The day of the shoot was also tame, the only hitch I remember was some people being late. I was the only intern on set and things went smoothly. It was a short day. My job on set was to organize the wardrobe/wardrobe room, steam, and stand with prop-kit ready. Lunch was really good (the things that my brain holds onto…) and so was the conversation with everyone on set. And ya, I’m wearing Uggs – deal with it. I was in LA and it was years ago! haha

continue reading for more dress options & the final images

]]> http://www.jazzimcg.com/blog/confessions-of-an-intern/intern-flashback-nas-kelis-for-fashion-rocks/feed/ 9 http://www.jazzimcg.com/blog/confessions-of-an-intern/questions-answered-the-fashion-interview-pt-1/ http://www.jazzimcg.com/blog/confessions-of-an-intern/questions-answered-the-fashion-interview-pt-1/#comments Thu, 19 Mar 2009 19:42:43 +0000 Jazzi http://www.jazzimcg.com/blog/?p=372

me with my folder en route to a summer interview in NYC

I have my first interviews with [a fashion magazine] and I’m wondering what I should do to prepare or what I should expect. If you could give me any tips for the interview process, I’d greatly appreciate it.

Thanks,
L

Firstly, congrats on landing the interview! That means your resume was in good form, your communication skills were on point (or mommy & daddy made the right phone calls). Either way, getting face time with boss (or boss’ assistant) is an accomplishment in its own. Not everyone gets an interview.

I would guess that for every 100 resumes you hand out, you may get a call back for 1/2 of them, and called in for even fewer. The number of job offers you get from there depends highly on you (and the market, and your competition).

So now is the time to consider what you will do, wear, & say when you have your foot literally in the door. Interviews are admittedly a bit intimidating because no matter how good you’ve made yourself look on paper, you’ve got to prove it in person. Here is some of the best advice I’ve received and put into practice (Note: Since I started working at 13, I’ve probably been on 50 interviews, wild guess, including schools, work, and internships – and I’m JUST getting comfortable with them.)

• Always bring: Pen, Notebook, 3 Resume copies [1 is for you to read along, 1 for your interviewer, and 1 more in the event of a tag-team interview]
• Have on-hand: 3 Reference copies, Portfolio/Clips (in case you’re asked)
• Dress: Keep it cool. No denim ever – but also no business suits ever. [Follow-up post to come]
• It’s okay to say that you’re a little nervous. [Fantastic advice from my mom. It shows you care, and aren't afraid to admit it.]
  
• Treat the interview as a two-way meeting: you should also be making sure this publication is the right fit for you.
• Ask questions.
• Don’t belittle yourself. Have confidence.
• Do your homework on the publication & staff.

And here are the most common questions I’ve been asked on fashion interviews:

1. Tell me about yourself. [obvious, but can trip you up if you're not prepared]
2. Do you have a copy of your resume/references/clips?
3. Who are your favorite designers?
4. How long have you read our publication?
5. What’s your favorite section of the publication?
6. What other publications do read regularly?
7. What interest you about XYZ publication?
8. What do you think is your biggest fault?
9. Do you have any questions about us? [have questions!]
10. What kind of work did you do at your past jobs? Did you write?

And don’t be discouraged if you don’t get the job or even a call back. I’ve been left high and dry PLENTY – I really do learn from every single interview, and my interview skills climb steadily with every single one. And sometimes, all it takes it one.

There is more to come on interviews (specifically, what to wear) and if you have any questions or your own advice, you know where to leave them.

xo

]]> http://www.jazzimcg.com/blog/confessions-of-an-intern/questions-answered-the-fashion-interview-pt-1/feed/ 10 http://www.jazzimcg.com/blog/confessions-of-an-intern/responses-part-1-please-pay-the-interns/ http://www.jazzimcg.com/blog/confessions-of-an-intern/responses-part-1-please-pay-the-interns/#comments Fri, 22 Aug 2008 15:20:00 +0000 Jazzi http://www.jazzimcg.com/blog/?p=213

For the record, I am not necessarily a proponent of a student getting $$$ for their internships (wouldn’t that be dandy?). I’m more interested in the issue of places justifying unpaid JOBS under the guise of an “internship”.

So if you’re a full-time student with a part-time “for credit” internship… that’s normal. and generally fair.

aren’t most of these internships illegal then? Why don’t labor laws apply?

It’s a gray area between legal/illegal… but that’s where I think the industry sometimes lacks in morals.

It is not illegal as long as you are receiving school credit in place of monetary compensation. That’s why these places are so adamant about the “for credit” thing.

Well, that and insurance liability reasons.

Breaks are also required by law. I only worked one place where this wasn’t observed… but legally, if you’re working a full day you should get 1 hour + two 15 minute breaks.

That’s one thing that I personally waver on as a part of “paying my dues”. You’ll probably have to skip lunches/breaks a lot. So eat while you work if you have to.

Though, I do think lunch should always be ordered/provided in that situation. But you should bring something to munch on just in case ;)

if people try to take a stand on the issue… there is ALWAYS another person willing to do it for free

Yupp. It’s really tough.

Do what you can for school credit. It doesn’t hurt to ASK about lunch/travel stipend. But at a point, you will get walked alllll over. I interned for free, great, but once I had done enough to stop getting that experience in return… I had to put my foot down and stop working for free.

If I find another situation where I’ll be learning to do a job I haven’t already done, I will gladly take another internship & not demand money in return.

they offered me a free pass to their annual festival (which they don’t give to a lot of interns).The free stuff is always awesome! These are perks though, not pay, and don’t let it fool you.

]]> http://www.jazzimcg.com/blog/confessions-of-an-intern/responses-part-1-please-pay-the-interns/feed/ 1 http://www.jazzimcg.com/blog/confessions-of-an-intern/questions-answered-fashion-reality-tv/ http://www.jazzimcg.com/blog/confessions-of-an-intern/questions-answered-fashion-reality-tv/#comments Thu, 10 Jul 2008 22:34:00 +0000 Jazzi http://www.jazzimcg.com/blog/?p=192

“What do you think about style network casting interns to give them a fall internship at a “prominent” fashion magazine and document their experience?”

Answer: I don’t. I just don’t care anymore.  As a pathway into the fashion industry, I think it is just as legitimate as ANTM models & the Hills.  Take that as you please.

Speaking of ANTM, Toccara looks fieeeerce [does the Ms. Jay finger wave] in the new Vogue Italia!! But remember kids, for every Toccara-in-Vogue-Italia there are 50+ Adrienne Currys… Remember this?

Would love to hear your opinions: Sound off!

]]> http://www.jazzimcg.com/blog/confessions-of-an-intern/questions-answered-fashion-reality-tv/feed/ 5 http://www.jazzimcg.com/blog/confessions-of-an-intern/questions-answered-i-heart-wendy/ http://www.jazzimcg.com/blog/confessions-of-an-intern/questions-answered-i-heart-wendy/#comments Fri, 30 May 2008 03:28:00 +0000 Jazzi http://www.jazzimcg.com/blog/?p=175

Wendy on one of our grocery trips

Question: “Please, oh, please share your advice for Wendy to the rest of the suburbanites/country girls heading to the city for the summer.”

Answer: I asked Wendy to help answer this one for you, since we chat so much, I have no idea what I’ve said.

Wendy is a student from TX, living with me at my apartment in NYC until July while she interns at Marc by Marc Jacobs. She got her internship the moral way – by applying, and we struck up a dialogue via the internet and I ended up hosting her during her stay. She’s a total sweetheart, indulges my incessant LOST babble, gets to go to MJ employee-only sample sales, and brings home lots of goodies.

My words to Wendy & some of her comments:

Nobody really cares what interns wear

“this really did prove to be true, especially given how casual my office is. they’re all very well dressed, but they don’t make it into a big deal or expect you to be decked out in marc every day because they know you’re a student who hasn’t had the luxury of buying heaps of designer clothes at sample sales for years.”

Don’t worry too much and don’t take in personally. Your boss probably has a screw loose, almost everyone does in fashion. If there’s a miscommunication, explain how you were confused instead of just saying “sorry”, try to understand, correct, and move on.

Getting around in NY: www.hopstop.com. Nuff said.

“my new best friend!”

It’s OKAY to shop at Forever 21. Just pick carefully. Some of my Forever 21 pieces have passed for designer on many occasions with editors/people who should know better.

The villain is always the bald guy. [in reference to action movies]

Don’t talk to strangers. They’re probably axe murders.

At least see if you can be reimbursed for MetroCards and the like.

Cereal is not dinner. Pizza, apple pie, and french fries are.

All the cute boys live in Brooklyn.

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