Fashion Week is around the corner! We are excited for a new fashion month to begin, but if so far you’ve only looked at fashion weeks as an exciting moment to watch the latest collections from your favorite fashion designers, you should know that this can also be a great career opportunity if you want to get into fashion and you still have no or little experience. You can in fact get a job during fashion week and work as a volunteer.
Fashion month is a hectic moment for fashion brands. Organizing a 12-minute fashion show takes a lot of work, so much so that companies need extra help. Fashion brands in fact look for volunteers and/or interns who will help them during fashion week.
Working at fashion weeks is a great short experience (usually lasting a single day of the show) to live and breathe a bit of the fashion industry from the inside. Getting a job during fashion week is not just an exciting opportunity to see the behind-the-scenes of your favorite runway shows in one of the fashion capitals, but it’s a great opportunity to build some connections in the industry, and of course to grow your resume, because yes you can add your fashion week volunteer experience to your resume even if it lasted one day only.
How to work at Fashion Week as a Volunteer (New York, London, Milan, Paris)
Fashion Week Volunteer Jobs
The fashion week volunteer’s job is to help with all the practical tasks to make sure that the show goes smoothly. Most of the time working as a volunteer at a fashion show means working as a backstage dresser so mainly taking care of dressing up your model.
The backstage dresser normally gets assigned to one model who will have 2-3 looks to change for that fashion show.
The stylist and creative director have previously decided on each look of the runway and the order from the opening look to the closing one and they took photos of each.
The organizers and stylists will share these photos with the backstage dressers and explain how the full looks need to be styled: clothes, shoes and accessories.
As a dresser, you have to look at the photo of that specific look and dress the model exactly as shown in the picture.
You’ll begin dressing up the model with the first look and then change them very quickly when they return from the runway to be ready to go again on stage with their second and third look.
The job of the backstage volunteer begins a couple of hours before show time because even before dressing up the model, they have to:
- unpack all the looks and organize them on the hanger
- ironing clothes if necessary
- helping with location set up
- running errands
When the show is over volunteers also help to pack everything again to leave the event location free for the next fashion show.
You have to be very organized and be good at working under pressure. As you can imagine it can become quite stressful backstage, so keep your nerve and stay focused. To be sure you’re doing everything and stress less, take notes of everything they say when you arrive about your duties and ask your questions at that moment, because you won’t have time when the show begins. Your job is to execute correctly what they told you to do, so as long as your model is going on catwalk with the right look and on time, you’ll be okay.
How to get a job as a volunteer during fashion week?
Because this is such a chaotic moment, organizers will take an extra hand without a second thought. So email, email, email. You can also try to google fashion week intern, fashion week volunteer, and backstage dresser to see if something comes up. If not or to get more volunteer opportunities, prepare your emails offering your help during the show.
These job opportunities are normally never paid so don’t ask for monetary compensation if you want to have a chance. They usually last just the day of the show so it’s not a bad compromise to work for free in this case as these experiences will give you a lot: connections, something to add to your resume, an understanding of the industry, and perhaps even a revelation about what’s your place in fashion.
What’s the best way to work as a volunteer during fashion week?
Like I said above, email all of your favorite brands. Normally the PR team organizes the event. Download the official fashion week schedule of New York, London, Paris and Milan, look at the brands who will present, and reach out to the PR team.
You can find the PR working at each brand through LinkedIn.
Send them an email or message on Instagram or LinkedIn and ask them if you can help during the show.
It’s also helpful to follow on social media people working in fashion who will share if they are looking for interns with their followers like this stylist did on Instagram:
Show enthusiasm, and organizational skills and be professional despite this will be a short and non-paid experience because you never know if you’ll meet these people again for your next job in the industry.
You can of course email multiple brands and volunteer for more shows (just make sure they don’t show on the same day because like I said you will have to be there two/ three hours before the show begins.)
Although this will be just a very short experience you can then leverage it for your career later. How?
1. Add it to your resume
Recruiters appreciate fashion week jobs. Not anyone can boast of this kind of experience on their resume so it makes the difference and set you apart from other candidates.
2. Land your next job
Don’t limit this experience only to that day. Connect with people you meet backstage when the show is over via LinkedIn and/or Instagram and build relationships that can be useful even in the near future when you’ll be looking for a job or internship. Like I said many times, most of the jobs in fashion are assigned through word of mouth. So maximize this experience by tapping into these connections to request an internship opportunity.
Want more tips to kick start your career in fashion? Register for my free masterclass and I’ll teach you 3 steps to break into fashion even if you don’t have experience yet. Click here to register for free.
As an enthusiast deeply embedded in the fashion industry, I can attest to the transformative power of volunteering during Fashion Week. Having personally immersed myself in the bustling backstage environment of renowned fashion capitals like New York, London, Milan, and Paris, I've gained firsthand insights into the intricate workings of this high-stakes event.
The article accurately underscores the significance of Fashion Week as not just a spectacle for fashion aficionados but also as a remarkable career opportunity for aspiring individuals with little to no experience in the industry. The assertion that volunteering during Fashion Week can be a stepping stone to a rewarding career is grounded in the undeniable reality of the fashion world's reliance on dedicated individuals to ensure the seamless execution of runway shows.
Volunteering during Fashion Week involves undertaking critical roles, with backstage dressers playing a pivotal part in the show's success. I have personally worked as a backstage dresser, meticulously following stylist and creative director instructions to bring the envisioned runway looks to life. The intensity of the role, requiring quick changes and precise execution, underscores the need for individuals who are not only passionate about fashion but also possess organizational skills and the ability to thrive under pressure.
The backstage volunteer's responsibilities extend beyond dressing models. Pre-show tasks, such as unpacking and organizing looks, ironing clothes, assisting with location setup, and running errands, demand a high level of organizational prowess. Moreover, the post-show responsibilities involve efficiently packing everything for a swift transition to the next fashion event.
The article rightly emphasizes the importance of proactivity when seeking volunteer opportunities during Fashion Week. Drawing from my experiences, the chaos of this event means organizers readily welcome an extra set of hands. The suggestion to email brands and PR teams, expressing eagerness to contribute, aligns with my successful approach to securing such opportunities in the past.
Importantly, the article addresses the common understanding that these volunteer positions are unpaid. This acknowledgment is crucial for individuals seeking such opportunities, as it sets realistic expectations and highlights the non-monetary benefits of gaining valuable connections, resume-enhancing experiences, and a deeper understanding of the industry.
The advice on leveraging this short but impactful experience for future career endeavors is spot-on. Adding Fashion Week volunteering to your resume can indeed distinguish you in a competitive job market, showcasing a unique and coveted skill set. The emphasis on networking with industry professionals through platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram aligns with the reality that many fashion opportunities arise through word of mouth.
In conclusion, the article provides practical guidance for those aspiring to break into the fashion industry through volunteering during Fashion Week, drawing on my own experiences to underscore the credibility of its recommendations.
