In Barnes & Noble Tribeca on December 2nd, the Teen Vogue panel focused on fashion entrepreneurship, providing valuable information and advice to a room full of young men and women for the release of The Teen Vogue Handbook: An Insider’s Guide to Careers in Fashion.
Amy Astley, editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue magazine, moderated a panel that consisted of Man Repeller blogger Leandra Medine, fashion designer Phillip Lim and Teen Vogue editors Drew Elovitz and Elaine Welteroth.
(From left to right) Drew Elovitz, Elaine Welteroth, Phillip Lim,Leandra Medine and Amy Astley. Photo by Alison Ng.
Medine and Lim began the night with anecdotes about their career beginnings – Lim wanting to re-create the looks he saw on celebrities and Medine thinking of a way she could set herself aside from her peers in college when applying to jobs. They discussed The Teen Vogue Handbook: An Insider’s Guide to Careers in Fashion and their own beginnings in the fashion industry before answering audience questions.
With most of the audience in, or going into, college, the entire panel stressed the idea of choosing passion over money.
“You have to love what you do,” said Medine . “You can’t just do something because you think it’s a cool thing; there has to be some emotional investment.”
While they all noted that only you can live your life, Lim reminded the crowd that no matter what each of them chose to do, to just “keep it real.”
One audience member asked the panel how they got through the exhausting days doing the thing they loved. “I don’t think you’re doing it right if [being exhausted]doesn’t happen every single day,” replied Medine with a laugh. “You’re not working hard enough if you don’t want to jam your head against the wall when the day ends.”
Although the panel gave advice for about an hour, Astley reminded college students to “network among [their]peers.” She explained that the people you study and work with now can help you land your next job, since they are the ones to recommend others for different positions.
“If you do what you’re supposed to do and do it to the best you can do, you will be recognized,” added Lim. “Don’t try to do things just to impress – really go after it.”
