Your Fashion Education

Where do I even begin? What do I read? Who or what do I refer to? These were just a few of the questions that consumed me when I realised that fashion was a passion of mine and wanted to learn more. Knowledge, in my opinion, is a key part of fashion. Being informed not only about current events in the industry, but also a foundation of basic knowledge are both necessities.

So, to spare you the hours of scrolling through fashion books on Amazon or videos on YouTube, I'm going to break down a few aspects of my "fashion education" so far. *The underlined words contain useful links.*

The first fashion book I read was "Why Fashion Matters" by Head of London College of Fashion, Frances Corner. This book contains 101 reasons why fashion matters in today's hectic and confusing world. This concise guide is the perfect book to get you started on your fashion journey, laying down an introductory grasp on the industry. Throughout the book Corner presents questions, breaking down the 101 concepts and allowing the reader to digest the information that is being presented.

This book contains 101 reasons why fashion matters in today's hectic and confusing world.

The Teen Vogue Hand Book is described as "An Insider's Guide to Careers in Fashion" and having read this guide, I can certainly approve that statement. This book goes through the successful careers of fashion designers, magazine editors, bloggers, fashion photographers (the list goes on) as well as featuring intimate interviews with the likes of Karl Lagerfeld and iconic cosmetics queen Pat McGrath. This is a must if you are seriously considering a career in the fashion industry, by providing pieces of valuable wisdom from fashion experts.

All corners of fashion are covered in Croll's "Fashion that Changed the World".

"Fashion that Changed the World" is a concise history of fashion, highlighting truly iconic moments as well as shining light on hidden aspects of the industry. This book was written in an understandable manner and was truly a pleasure to read.

What could be the most important tip is to subscribe to a fashion magazine. I recently subscribed to British Vogue and having received and read the September issue, I am only now beginning to realise the beacons of information that these magazines represent.

Although I am obviously not an industry expert, I know that these tips will set you up for a thorough fashion education.

Additionally, YouTube is an excellent source of fashion information, the main channels (that I have discovered so far) being BOF (Business of Fashion), SHOWstudio (founded by legendary photography Nick Knight), and the FF Channel.

The Business of Fashion channel frequently posts panels, occasionally hosted by founder Imran Amed, as well as helpful videos such as the BoF Education Series.

SHOWstudio, primarily during fashion weeks, posts panels with industry experts who analyse and discuss the shows in great detail. Whether it is a fresh collection produced by A-COLD-WALL* or the brilliance of Burberry, SHOWstudio will have covered it.

Haute Le Mode is a really great fashion youtube channel which reviews fashion in a "fun, bitchy, and sassy" way.

The FF Channel posts exclusively runway shows from a vast array of fashion weeks. To enrich knowledge, I would recommend watching a show on the FF Channel followed by panel coverage on that show. In this way, you have formulated your own opinion, been exposed to the perspectives of others, and broadened you own knowledge on that particular brand.

I hope you have found this post interesting and, more importantly, helpful.

thanks for reading ;)