Why I Ditched the (fast) Fashion Industry
Once as a teenager, my dad asked me what my passion was; me not quite knowing mine at the time answered something along the lines of “I’m not sure, hmm I guess fashion since I love clothes and reading magazines…”. He bluntly replied, “That’s sad you’re not sure what your passion is – you best figure it out”. His statement, like gorilla glue, stuck with me triggering a reaction to figure out what my true passion was ASAP!
From there I continued with the notion that, without sounding cheesy, fashion was my passion. I figured that if this was my passion then I must study at some fashion school to pursue a career in the industry. I remember in Gr. 12 going to a university fair and asking each table if they offered some sort of degree in fashion – I received a round of blank stares from boring slacks and blazer-wearing representatives along with a “no, no we do not offer any sort of fashion degree”. I was demotivated and knew that I wouldn’t be able to afford the tuition of a private fashion university. I listened to the advice of my family, deciding instead to study Business Management thereby attempting a career in the industry from this angle. I went on to pursue a BBA and during my studies landed the winning lottery of an internship at the renowned German ELLE and Harper’s BAZAAR fashion magazine (shout-out to Carlotta for making this dream of mine a reality). I learned all sorts of interesting insider knowledge which only confirmed that I still longed to pursue a career in fashion … what kind of job exactly I had to figure out.
After graduating with a BBA in Management in 2018, I moved overseas to Munich, Germany. Not a top-rated city for fashion, but this was my second home, and I knew it was the place to begin my life post-grad. With a continued thirst for anything fashion related I sent out countless job applications to prospective clothing companies, agencies, and designers, and in return received countless rejections. Broke, unemployed with a mountain of student loan debt, living far from home at my grandma’s you can imagine I had my share of demotivating and depressing days. However, I persevered and after a few jobless months, I landed a traineeship at a visual merchandising agency. To spare you the details – this place was an absolute shit show. I promptly left after only two months of working there. Back at square one. I could have easily packed up my suitcase and moved back home to my family in Canada, yet some inner voice kept nudging me to continue this path I set forth in Munich.
Eventually, after another few months I was hired through a temp agency to work for an online retailer specializing in top-name brands at top discount prices. I worked in the customer service department answering the phone and responding to e-mails from customers all across Europe. I was so bored beyond belief I didn’t imagine making it through the first week! So desperately did I want to work in a department with the clothes, bags, and shoes – be it product management, buying, marketing, or production. I prevailed knowing that I had to first earn my “tiger stripes” in this company to be able to switch departments and fully live out my passion for a career in fashion. And let me say that it was no easy feat! I was both annoyed and put off daily at the petty complaints I listened to from customers both via email and telephone – “a button is missing”, “there’s a thread out of place”, “this shirt isn’t as blue as it appears online”, “I made an order yesterday for a wedding this weekend and it still hasn’t arrived!” What the actual f*ck?!
There is the species human and then there is the species complaining customers. The thoughts that kept coming up for me during this time were how can these people be complaining about the pettiest of things when there is so much suffrage and poverty happening in the world aka more severe issues!! How come they can’t be nice and thankful?! It became so pathetic and annoying to me that eventually to continue working in this job I mentally numbed myself against these complaints whilst envisioning a role in a department where I could put what I learned in my BBA to use as well as satisfy my continued thirst for all things fashion. And it worked…for a while.
The great colleagues I worked with in the customer service department made the job that much better. Most importantly we showed up for one another when facing a difficult interaction with a customer oftentimes lending an open ear to any venting that needed to happen. Eventually, after 15 months of working as a customer service representative and a huge thanks to two co-workers of mine, I made the grand leap to the Department of Online Category Management aka I finally landed my “Rachel Green job”! Here, I became responsible for young men’s fashion and women’s wear including intimate apparel and swimwear working alongside the buying, merchandising, marketing, and production team. The process was as follows: the buyers bought the stock with the guidance of the merchandising team in terms of budget, spending and other numbers. The clothes then were virtually sent to us where we planned them in a campaign and from this point, two different steps happened 1: the goods were sent to production to be photographed and labelled for the online shop and 2: the campaign was sent to the Marketing team to make it visually appealing. There was a huge learning curve in the beginning but one I was willing to put all my effort, knowledge, and time into. And that I did. I learned the ins and outs of the department and greatly improved my performance. I finally felt that my business degree and passion were harmonized. Also, huge thanks to my co-workers who onboarded me back then. Whatever role I take on in life I strive to do it to the best of my abilities.
Fast forward a few years. If it wasn’t for this long journey, I’m not sure I would have ever realized that a job in mainstream fashion isn’t suited for me. That is unless I founded my own sustainable fashion label or work for one, or work in some fancy boutique where the garments are made on-site. A realization hit me that each career path I take in the world of mainstream, consumer driven, capitalistic run fashion is ultimately contributing to fast fashion. And the destructiveness of this industry in no way, shape, or form correlates to my passion for textiles. This is when I had a light-bulb moment – my passion doesn’t necessarily lie in this all-encompassing word called fashion, but rather in what fashion intrinsically offers – self expression, joy and satisfaction. The physical garments I wear on my body like a second skin, and how I express myself by wearing them. The colours and prints and shapes and forms of each piece I own. That feeling of excitement when I find an awesome piece at a vintage or second-hand shop! Or splurge on an article of clothing from a sustainable label that has put care, inspiration and precision into each stitch and inch of their fabric. That thing or feeling that besides breakfast, makes me want to jump out of bed each morning. That is my passion – style and the expression of myself through clothing and other textiles.
It all makes sense when I think back to being a young child – I was so shy that verbal expression would have sent me into hiding. Creative expression such as drawing or painting never fully resonated in my family thereby in myself either. Physical expression like climbing trees or riding a bike didn’t satiate my true self. So, in my young subconscious mind the truest form of self-expression where I felt safe, seen and heard yet didn’t have to speak resided in how I dressed myself. Specifically all the dresses and gumboots I wore!
The more thought and reflection I put into it the more it became apparent to me that my job has little to do with actual fashion and style and more to do with consumerism and trends. Increasing products at a low cost/high win was the bottom line. In my role alone I was responsible for more brand-named labels than anyone could own in their closet! I kept pushing for quality vs. quantity in my campaign planning to showcase style for the customer. But at the end of the day when you’re just another “worker bee”, the upper hand ultimately prevails. I could no longer evade this knowing that sunk its way into my conscious mind. Once I made this connection it wasn’t long before I knew I had to quit my job.
It’s funny how in life the decisions we know we need to make as they will lead us on a better path forward can often be the most difficult ones to implement. This may shock some, but it took me roughly one year before I handed in my resignation. I guess in hindsight it needed to be the right time. Leaving my job and the company I had been a part of for close to five years was an intimidating “out of comfort zone” process yet the feeling of liberation and general knowing that this was the right step outweighed the scary feels.
Whatever idea or thought you may be facing and aren’t sure how to navigate forward just remember to remain true to yourself and how you envision your future. As difficult as it may be at times, begin to block out the noise and distractions of if, when, how, and why. These usually stem from a place of scarcity and will only hinder your growth. We do need to take some time to decide by weighing the pros/cons and the steps going forward – this is being rational and responsible. The problem, however, arises when we stall on a decision because of a fear of change or a sense of security we may lose. Often, it’s not a matter of if you will make the decision but when you will make the decision. In any case, set yourself a timeline when you wish to have x completed in order to move on to y. There is clarity in action! Your life is too precious to waste it in a job that no longer fulfills you with a sense of meaning. The majority of your adult life will be spent in a career environment, all the more reason to go after one that not only benefits you financially but also serves you with satisfaction and purpose. And always keep in mind your boundary of work:life balance!
Take a risk, be bold, make a mistake, course correct, listen to your inner voice, and remember to follow that which makes you want to jump out of bed in the morning! And while we’re at it, avoid supporting fast fashion! Try vintage, sustainable, second-hand, clothing swap shopping instead – your style and the environment will thank you.
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