Sunday, 31 January 2010

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Sex and the Style Editor

Alison Tay

'Any media jobs going on your celebrity magazine?'

...and other frequently asked questions

If you want fame, here's where you start paying

I never grew up dreaming of getting photographed in the back of a 34-foot stretch limo with Dizzee Rascal, being dressed by Gok Wan, learning dance moves from Diversity or interviewing Piers Morgan, but I always knew wanted to be a journalist, and worked hard to make that happen.

That said, I have more fun at work than most people have when they're having fun, but what you don't see in my What I Did At Work Today album on Facebook is me being shouted at on a daily basis about deadlines, and having to play hardball with Hollywood agents.

The best career advice I can give anyone is to find someone with the media job you want, and find out how they got it. And in response to all the messages I'm sent asking for career advice, work experience, jobs and celebrity contacts, I hope this answers all your questions:

1. How can I get work experience on a magazine?
Contact your favourite magazines and find out who coordinates work experience placements - usually the Editorial Assistant or the Editor's PA - then send in your CV.

On Now Magazine, all details about how to apply are already on the Now website. Don't get your Mum to do this for you.

Gorkana PR has an data base of the latest media jobs. Visit the link below and check out the interns section for work experience and internships, and the consumer section for the latest magazine jobs. www.gorkanapr.com/jobs/journalist/

2. How did you get involved in the industry?
My degree is in English Literature, I've always devoured magazines and always, always wanted to write. I feel strongly you can only write with passion about a subject you believe in, so that's why I focus on fashion and celebrities.

3. What was your big break?
After I graduated I applied for an internship at The Guardian on The Editor section, working with David Rowan who's now the Editor of Wired Magazine at Condé Nast. It was a two week placement, and I ended up staying for six months. David Rowan remains my mentor to this day. I constantly strive to make him proud - and with David I have to work a lot harder than "Guess what? I'm interviewing Jedward tomorrow!" - and I'd never make an important career decision without consulting him first. Find a mentor and make sure you never let them down.

4. Describe your role
As Style Editor of Now magazine, flicking through the wardrobes and rifling through the make-up bags of the famous and fabulous is all in a day's work. I also interview A-listers, style, art direct and coordinate celebrity fashion shoots, pull together trend pages, and have edited several of Now's spin-off magazines.

5. What is the best part of your job?
Meeting and interviewing my style superheroes such as Vidal Sassoon, Twiggy, Sex And The City costume designer Patricia Field and supermodel Erin O'Connor, and discovering what makes them tick. It was Vidal Sassoon's striking images from the 60s that made me realise what a powerful force fashion could be.

6. What do you like about the industry?
Working with creative genii in a constantly evolving environment, and nothing beats the buzz backstage at London Fashion Week before the show's about to start, watching next season's trends come to life.

7. What don't you like about the industry?
The assumption we're all label-obsessed airheads. Now where did I put my Chloe handbag?

8. Describe a typical day
Every day is like an episode of Ugly Betty or a scene from Zoolander. Because we're a fast-paced news-led weekly, anything could happen. My day could include anything from a full English breakfast The Wolseley, filming a TV interview, trawling the high street to track down a version of Victoria Beckham's Roland Mouret dress that will leave you change from a fiver, then flying to Milan for a fashion show.

Meanwhile back in the office, there's copy to file and proofs to sign off, celebrities to style, future issues to forward plan, and trends to identify. Forget The Devil Wears Prada...being Style Editor of Now is the job a million girls would die for!

9. Do you have any funny shoot stories?
Styling the Backstreet Boys was the best day of my life. I'd prepped five rails of clothes - one for each Backstreet Boy - had five assistants with me, and even came equipped with a copy of their Greatest Hits just in case. Every fashion stylist who regularly shoots on location will tell you her collapsible rail is her best friend. That was, until my collapsible rail actually collapsed on me in front of the Backstreet Boys mid-way through the shoot while I was trying to create the illusion that everything was under control. On the plus side, I did get to see Nick Carter drop his trousers.