Marc Jacobs’s 6 Tips for Surviving the Fashion Industry

Whether you’re currently enrolled in a fashion school or looking for entry-level job opportunities, here are some of Marc Jacobs’s tips to help you survive in the fashion world:

1. 1. Pursue your passion. Marc’s fashion design team works together to produce great designs under a shared goal. “Their desire is to make something that we all feel is great and beautiful and says something fresh and new for us,” he explains. “We have a shared kind of goal. There’s a true passion and energy for what we do.” This passion is what fuels his team members to stay late or work weekends to meet deadlines. Without that passion, designers can quickly burn out or lose interest and move on to a different field. This passion is also vital during the job search: in your cover letter and job interviews, your passion is an essential part of your skillset, and you’ll need to make sure you communicate it clearly if you want to land a fashion job.
2. 2. Do an internship. If you’re wondering whether or not a job in the fashion industry is right for you, Marc recommends doing a fashion internship. When he was in high school, he interned for designer Stan Herman, who worked on lingerie and uniforms. “I just wanted to be around people who were designing clothes,” Marc recalls. “Being there, being around any form of design was … very exciting.” If you can’t find an internship in your desired field, be open to others. When Marc interned for Stan Herman, he wasn’t particularly interested in lingerie or uniforms. However, working in the bustling New York City location as people toiled away on designs inspired him. An internship is a great way to get relevant work experience, discover new fashion trends, develop your technical skills, and determine if a fashion career path is right for you.
3. 3. Ask questions. “The idea of being feisty or approaching people or asking questions, that's kind of my character and my nature,” Marc says, “and it certainly has served me.” Passionate curiosity can be extremely rewarding. If you’re interning, ask the people around you about their positions during coffee breaks and keep your ears open for helpful advice. If you want to know how a designer made a particular piece, reach out to them or their assistants with a polite cold call or email. Asking questions can help you expand your knowledge of the fashion design process and make meaningful connections.
4. 4. Remember that it’s a job. “If I have to tell you one thing about being a designer,” Marc says, “it would be, it's a great job. But it's a job.” While being a fashion designer may sound glitzy and glamorous, there’s a lot of hard work that goes into creating designs for the runway, and some days can be incredibly challenging. From looming deadlines to creative blocks, there are a lot of behind-the-scenes stressors involved in fashion designing. Whether it’s your new job or you’ve been working in the industry for years, it’s important to be mindful of the ebbs and flows of the work. Practice self-care as needed.
5. 5. Find the environment in which you work best. Marc finds he is most connected to his work when he’s on deadline, decisions need to be made, and his designs are standing in front of him, ready for final revisions. At that moment, the runway is quickly approaching, and Marc experiences a new wave of creativity as he reflects on the work he has spent months perfecting. That might not be your optimal work environment, but you can learn about your own process by continuing to observe, produce, revise, and display your work to the world.
6. 6. Keep the bigger picture in mind. Like any industry, fashion has its ups and downs. Even as a top designer, Marc has to remind himself that other designers experience creative issues, too. “[I sometimes imagine] that it's so easy for them and that their inspiration is almost divine and that they don't … have some of the daily difficulties that I seem to struggle with.” But Marc says that’s untrue. When he has difficulty coming up with a new design, he takes a step back to look at the bigger picture, reminding himself that he’s not alone in the struggle. If you’re an aspiring designer, check out Marc’s essential tips for getting started in fashion design.

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