Hi Everyone! This week on Fashion Profiles we have the lovely Marisa Tom, who works as an Associate Editor for FabSugar at Sugar Inc. She has a job most girls lust after, from attending fashion shows to learning what it takes to be BFF’s with Diane von Furstenberg, all the while creating fabulous content for us to read every day. Here is her first hand account of what it takes to work in fashion editorial, and how you can break in to the ‘biz. Enjoy!
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
What kind of experience did you have in editorial before working at FabSugar?
Prior to working at Sugar Inc., I had been working on the fashion PR side of things, which also required a great degree of edit experience and certainly demanded a lot of daily writing via pitches, releases, etc. It also helped that I majored in English Lit in college, so combined with my interest in fashion, I wasn’t completely at a loss for how to write/create (hopefully) compelling content.
Do you always have inspiration for an article? If not, what do you do to get inspired?
It really depends on a.) what celebs were wearing the night before b.) what’s going on in the fashion industry (any big breaking stories to cover? Raf Simons to Dior!) c.) and what I’m feeling passionate about. I tend to gravitate toward color and trend stories — focusing on runway-to-reality type posts, so there are days when I can expound on shades of yellow for as long as you’d like me to, and then, there are other days where I need to brainstorm with my Fab colleagues, revisit our edit calendar, and pore through our giant stack of magazines to come up with something fresh/exciting to present to our readers.
What is your favorite part of the job?
Is is totally lame if I err on the side of saying there are a lot of things I like about my job? I do love when I have that bird’s eye view moment and think, “Wow, when will I ever see or do something like that again?” and for those times where I catch my incredulity, I’m grateful. Example: a couple of weeks ago, some coworkers and I previewed Coach’s Legacy collection at their showroom on upper Fifth Avenue. We got to admire the gorgeous leather bags as we drank champagne on a terrace overlooking St. Patrick’s Cathedral, just as the sun was setting. I mean, to quote the great Dennis After Dentist — “is this real life?”
What is the toughest part of the job?
Sometimes it feels as if I’m never ever disconnected. Finding the balance between being an integral team member during the work day, at evening events, and covering weekend awards shows and my life outside of that is really important to me. And quite honestly, it’s a tough balance to strike.
How do you always make sure you are in touch with readers?
I think I can speak on behalf of the entire FabSugar team and say that we all read each other’s work on the site and thus, we’re really active about commenting. In addition, we’re all social media fiends. You name it, we’re on it, checking it, replying to questions, etc. We get excited hearing from our readers so we like to keep the lines of communication a two-way street.
Who was your favorite person or brand you have interviewed?
Diane von Furstenberg was a cool interview. All I’ve chosen to remember from it, though, is that she complimented my hair and then proceeded to play with it while fielding my questions. It felt like we were real BFFs, just braiding each other’s hair before bed.
Who do you most want to interview (that you haven’t yet)?
The GBG first-name-only trifecta. Gwyneth, Beyoncé, and Gisele.
What is the best advice you can give to someone who wants to break into fashion PR or editorial?
Internships — and don’t be a lazy intern. Prove that you can work hard, get your networking in, and have fun doing it. Also, build your own brand via your personal Twitter page and blog, especially if you don’t have official writing samples. You never know who you may connect with. At the end of the day, the nexus of the fashion PR and edit industry is all about who you know, who’s moving where, etc.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Married with 10 children, living on the prairie. And if that doesn’t pan out for me, I’d like to be writing. If there’s one thing I’ve discovered in the almost two years I’ve been at Sugar, it’s that I really do love to write. It can drive me nuts and tire me out, but it’s something that makes me happy 98% of the time and I’m always learning from it. Aside from that cheesy bird walk, it’d be awesome to have a dog within the next 5. A dachshund, if possible.
