The Truth About Working In Fashion (+Nepo Babies) 

My ex partner completed two Fine Art degrees at UAL and he said the vast majority of his class were wealthy international students who had already established an art career in their home countries and just needed a degree from a reputable arts university to add to their resume to further their success. They were very talented, but it was never a matter of survival for them.

I’m in South Africa & worked in the fashion industry via styling and academically as a Sustainable fashion Anthropologist. And let me tell you, if you don’t have connections or well known friends in the industry, are rich, went to a fancy fashion school (extremely expensive) there’s a low chance you’ll make it. I’ve moved to UX/UI design In corporate and couldn’t be happier.

It’s so frustrating being an intern/ entry level and you’re expected to do everything because the higher ups barely know how to turn on a computer. But some how expect everything to be done quickly and get mad that it takes longer than they expected. Also I wish nepo babies would just own it. I feel like people would care less if the nepos stop trying to pull the “I’m just like you” card.

I came to the same realisation once I graduated too. Fashion is basically ego and you having the confidence to convince other people that you’re basically it

Congratulations on Your Graduation....

I think a lot of nepo babies end up in creative fields because it takes less effort to jump the queue. As you said, the qualification barrier to practice medicine for example don't necessarily apply in the arts. Obviously education in the arts is just as important but with the right connections it's a lot easier to circumvent these... PS Congrats on graduating!

I work in the fashion industry here in Lagos Nigeria and honestly it's basically the same experience here if not worse. Although I was quite lucky when I was started out as an intern for a fashion house here in Lagos, I was being paid from the start(mostly because I already taught myself, gained skills and knowledge) and gained experience until I stopped being paid for literally no reason in my 5th month working for the company and was owed for 2 months. And Nepotism is a thing here as well, you see cases of young talented and skill designers being ignored, to favor some kid with well known and connected parents having access to opportunities that they've never worked a day in their life for, in an industry they basically do not understand.

Hi ! I have just discovered your channel. Love fashion and i am an interior architect. Nepo babies have been around forever. I moved to Barcelona in 2005 aiming to work in architecture. I was 24 at the time. I contacted many architecture studios and the top ones had policies to work for 1 year for free and then they may consider you to work with a wage. I met graduate architects from Cambridge and the Bartlett all working there ( for free of course) and mum and dad paying for the lot ( lifestyle etc) it was impossible for me to compete. I ended up moving to London and got a job the second day I arrived. As I already had 2 years experience. I now run my own company, and I have EARNT respect. It’s been nearly 15 years. I am known for my detail, hard work and output- I am hands on and use all the software, hand skills ( drawing) etc. and have the technical skills for site. Hang in there guys! Nothing beats integrity, passion, hard work and commitment! ❤

I feel like there should be some outlet like Yelp where interns and other workers could write their experience with the company so that in the future others would know if they should step their foot in that company. Best part? Those who wronged them had to read about what they’ve done 😅😂 Congratulations on the graduation! 🎉 you deserve it ❤

All I could do was laugh as you hit point after point. You told not one lie! I walked away from the industry over 10 yrs ago because of these exact reasons. But the fact that young professionals like yourself are speaking about it more transparently gives me hope that change is finally coming Congratulations on your graduation and I wish you and all the other fashion underdogs the best of luck. Never forget that talent and integrity always win in the end

I share my office with a nepobaby.i feel like I'm babysitting.she comes from money and again she likes to pretend that she got her position thru hard work.she is 22yrs old.i am 50 yrs and had to work my way up to where she is now in her 20s.

yeah fashion school is also like this u have the students who have to work to keep up with buying all the fabric and the ones who get appartments and hired seamstress from their parents, those are also the ones who have job offers waiting for them as soon as they graduate

so F*king TRUE! I work with a very closed minded boss, who is never open to change and if her way of doing things (which are 99% a guessing game) did not work out then i get the blame. TOXIC. Its unfortunate that so many highly skilled artisans are not being valued of their worth because of nepotism. There should be an end to this cycle! Thanks for sharing your thoughts and content. 😍

The problem with fashion journalism is there is a lack of depth in knowledge. American Vogue has become dull; its obvious Grace Coddington is no longer there. I will say Coddington made that magazine, not Anna Wintour.

Congrats on graduating!!! About the video specifically, I feel you. I’m just starting out in the fashion industry and it’s really hard not knowing people and having no real connections in it. I love fashion but it’s hard to connect and see myself staying in it for long

Honestly everything you spoke about isn’t only applicable to fashion, it can be applied to the corporate world as well. One of my previous jobs, the manager was the same way, he delegated all his work onto the team and was so checked out we would often joke about it. But he would also protect his team if need be and didn’t throw any of us under the bus, so that was a positive. A colleague told us his nickname was recession proof because he would always make sure to befriend the incoming VP and be on a friends basis with them and would always avoid getting let go even when people weren’t sure what he even did. Not sure I would recreate all that to the same degree but I learned that being friends with your superiors and those in other departments really pays off.

Dude….I love fashion and always have….however when I found out how much $$ I would make I decided not to move forward with fashion and just got a general business degree with an emphasis in marketing because I knew every industry needs good sales people. So although not sexy I was able to make some excellent $$ through out my 30 year career. I found it interesting that I was making as much $$ and more pulling in 6 figures while still in my 20’s. Now I am semi retired from that. But I still love fashion so I consider myself a fashion nerd which is why I enjoy your channel. You are correct there are so many people in all industries that have mediocre talent in high profile positions based on who they know. I worked for a famous publishing company and while meeting with an executive head who was best friends with the owner/CEO I realized just how clueless this person was in the job. It was almost laughable……so now I just work for myself.

congrats on graduating! along the lines of nepotism, yeah its quite unfortunate how it happens across all industries. I come from an engineering background and in my previous job I remember an intern joining and in a matter of a year or so the person became director of product management. I eventually learned that the intern was related to the CFO, but it baffled me how comfortable they were putting the intern in a position like that. the company is doing quite poorly now but I still wonder what reasons upper executives have to make decisions like that especially when they know they aren't too big to fail.

Extremely important reality check to put out there. Congrats on graduation!

omg i used to manage the designers son when i was art director at a fashion brand and he literally did zero work no matter how hard i tried to get him to!! and there was no world in which he could have been fired either. if i were him in that position i would have worked so hard to help my moms brand, i’ll never understand. the nepo baby thing is so true!

You had me at nepotism….congratulations on your graduation 🎉

I recently finished reading David Balzar's 'Curationism: How Curating Took Over the Art World and Everything Else' which focuses on the history of traditional curatorial work and how it has evolved. I found that a lot of the toxic facets of the art world he describes are applicable to the fashion industry as well. In the second half of the book centered on defining creative work and analyzing how this definition fits into the mechanism of art production, Balzar deconstructs the concept of the 'gallerina': a young, wealthy, female, art student who exists in a unique position to accept non/underpaid internships with the hope of someday owning (or at least persuading her parents to buy her) a gallery of her own. He delves into this complex web of governments cutting funding to art programs, the creation of 'deskilled work'--work in which conceptual work is valued on par with physical labor to its detriment, the introduction of "professional" humanities degrees that sought to deprofessionalize creative work in the vein of poststructuralist critical theory, but just ended up reprofessionalizing it and to an even worse degree, and finally culminating with a discussion of how curators like HUO operate in a new-age feudalist regime wherein a few tenured creatives maintain their illustrious positions that are unachievable to obtain by the average creative nowadays, leaving only a few highly coveted positions open for those with the most privilege to sweep up. Enter: The Gallerinas. This is too fuckin long now lmao but this book made me rethink the way I want to navigate the fashion industry and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who's an entry-level creative in any field.

hello! i’m a student for journalism and really want to get into fashion as a writer/journalist. i’ve been following you for a while and really thank you for making this video.

Congratulations, you've done so much already while still in school the sky is the limit now. xxx

I did an internship a few years ago for a fashion designer and it was the WORST experience of my life. I wasn’t paid, which I was willing to tolerate but she was a total bitch (I feel bad for saying this but it’s true) completely volatile personality and took offence real quick but didn’t care that others had feelings too… it took me a while to fall back in love with fashion after that But in terms of building a platform: I heard this multiple times from people like Brendahashtag who’s been so outspoken about this. Saying that traditional journalism courses are not preparing students for the realist use of the fashion world today. Pitching an article for £100 if you’re lucky isn’t sustainable or the way to succeed anymore…

I didn‘t know who Ana Wintour was until 2021 and I have my own fashion company. Vogue is extremely overrated. My ability to block out the world (especially the insanity of the fashion industry) is my biggest strength. I am doing well completely independently of it all. It is totally possible to succeed on your own. Your advice in this video is gold.

Unpaid internships are a structural way to maintain class division. Working class people need to make money - if you want equity you can begin having paid internships

Delegate the task is the core upper management staff skill set - they do it convincingly with style, flair and joie de vivre and oh yes they have 'connections'. Sometimes it makes sense to make as many mistakes as you can and get away with before they crash and burn.

Let's be honest, I think every single nepo baby got into the position where they are because of their contacts. There is always someone who is better suited or has the same skills. And if other applicants have the same qualifications, the Nepo baby will still be accepted. Maybe there are a few exceptions. But if a Nepo baby is preferred even though others have the same skills, then you can't say that the Nepo baby made it on its own!

Congrats 🎉! Ive been keeping up with your channel since forever and am so happy/proud of you! Really glad to hear that BoF is a good place to work for, I really enjoy the content from there.

This video was quite revealing about the sheer amount of uncritical opinion on anybody who is well-connected in the fashion industry. Anna Wintour is always without blemish and has a flock of adoring fans (and fan accounts) despite her very real flaws (the way she treats her interns like trash and her lack of actions when it comes to body diversity in high fashion) and lackluster vogue issues. If we want to move fashion forwards, it had better start with removing complete flattery and hard sells articles and moving onto a critical and nuanced perspective on fashion which I see more on RU-vid and Reddit than I ever did on traditional media outlets. Let the heads roll and let's start with nepo-infested Vogue first.

Yeah… with the nepo baby thing totally agree! In creative careers the assessment is subjective and where with other careers there is an objective set of standards to be qualified e.g. exams, professional qualifications etc. There is an element of subjective & objective is in all careers but in creative careers it’s extremely subjective!

If I could say 1, no - 2 more things - 1). Congratulations on graduation, - Well Done! 2) If possible, please subtly introduce to would-be hosts of RU-vid segments the importance of shooting WS i.e. 16X9, eye line (i.e not looking up or down on the camera), framing & shot composition (neutral background/ lighting the face not the clothes) and above all watch that headroom - if you are on a locked off shot avoid moving about too much - otherwise LOVELY. I shall look forward to your genuine (avoid use of authentic which suggest contrived) relaxed style and warm delivery.

I'm tired of all this attitude that is connected to fashion industry. Fashion industry needs a revolution!

Your internships are giving new meaning to the phrase “learn by doing.”

In summary , you had a bad leadership/ management experience. As have I , so it’s true that can be reality . A reality that I won’t accept . I am all about alignment and having expectations. There are great leaders out here . Bc overall it was a defeated tone. I hope you have a better work experience. Give us an updateeee

I'm curious if you felt the the fashion scene on your recent trip to SA was recreating these same dynamics? I feel like these dynamics will never change in the big fashion centres like New York, Paris, London, etc. and sometimes wonder if in 100 years their importance just ends up being supplanted because of it.

First congrats on graduating! Secondly I love this video and everything you said. I have been in similar situations where I ended up doing all the work and did not get properly compensated for it or even get to learn from those in ‘established’ positions. I have also been in an internship with people who got the internship due to parental contacts which is fine but that nepo-kid was rude to fellow interns, was lazy and one time she claimed my idea as her own. After I finished my internship term, I found out that the other interns told the supervisors about the nepokids behavior, the supervisors took it as the other interns not being team players. So everything you mentioned is so true, even your explanation of nepotism in different industries

when you talk about having to work for years without getting paid a living wage, even that is not possible for people without family in London to offer free or subsidised accommodation :( unpaid internships suckkk

It is not news that fine arts degrees are for the already wealthy. But I do wish they would tell idealistic 18yr Olds this.

Congrats on graduating! You deserve it

You have always been my fav ex-model, nepo baby. Day 1.

9:50 this is an incredible type of internet community to have. Critical but not aggressive or over corrective discussions are so good, and sometimes hard to come by in industries that can be judgmental.

Lol your story about working as an intern is so hilarious. It‘s just insane people live this way. Incompetent people at their jobs is also what i have been baffled by many times. I can relate so well to this.

Big congratulations on your graduation. I’m not in fashion but it’s sadly the same thing in the theatre. It’s annoying to see my wealthy colleagues be able to make all sorts of plays and performances on shoe string budgets because they don’t have to worry about paying rent. But I choose to not linger in that space because it’s too time consuming and it takes away time and energy from me making my own art. At the end of the day, I think the hardest pill one has to swallow if we’re poor, grew up poor and we go into the arts… the hardest pill to swallow is that nobody cares about that. In the late capitalist system we live under, no producer or director or audience member cares about your struggle, they only care about what you produce. And so, because of this, I think us peeps who come from nothing we need to just show up and show out and outshine everyone in whatever way we can AND our struggle isn’t for everyone to hear, not everyone is deserving of knowing about our vulnerability and strife - so be careful who you choose to tell. I also find solace in artists that I admire and that I find out grew up rough and with no money and still managed to shake the world up even when they had no connections or a mom and dad to pay their rent. ❤

I feel like you've had a pretty bad experience with that internship and don't think its fair to say that all companies function in the way of just giving higher up jobs to their friends/ kids even if they aren't capable of such a role. Unfortunately, yes it does happen. But there are also loads of brands who's teams are full of incrediblyyy talented people who have so much knowledge and expertise to share. That said, I definitely do find that the internships I did do, ALL utilised every single one of my skills no matter what my ''role'' was, but I kind of saw this as a positive personally because it meant I was able to get even more experience doing even more things which then fed into my portfolio and I have now used as a freelancer. But that said I am a very multi-disciplinary person, and still work in a broad range of fields, although styling is my main focus (I also do photography, marketing, copy writing, creative direction, and more hahaha). So to conclude I guess everyone's experiences are going to be very different. The thing I recommend the most is if you're going into the industry without any connections- go out and MAKE those connections!

I've been in the fashion industry for 3 years now and it is a challenge. For example, you can work for a good company but only make minimum wage and then you can work for a bad company that mistreats you and you can make a little above minimum wage. There's just no winning really is what I'm trying to get at. As a result of the low pay, I just live at home but I'm getting tired of it so I'm slowly transitioning into UX/UI design and have been a volunteer apprentice designer for a client for the past 3 months and will be working with them until March. I'm really sad to transition out of the fashion industry because I love sewing and clothes so much but I don't see myself getting out of entry-level roles anytime soon if I stay in it.

When I hear the NEPO WORD, I get images of Bella Hadid, Kendal Jenner

Thank you for being so transparent about the industry. It is definitely not an easy journey and it can defeat a lot of people (mentally, emotionally, spiritually). I fight with myself a lot to continue my journey in fashion. You, Ayo are an inspiration to us all, I appreciate all the knowledge you provide so much!! And congrats on graduating! :)

Reminds me of when I was an apprentice hairdresser in a high end salon 1950s and hoped someone would give sixpence so I could take the train home.

Thank you for this video, trying to go into the fashion industry as a management with marketing student in my first year. Thank you for the heads up.

This is what working has been, we graduated and come to find out our bosses don’t know how to use computers instead of being a little open about their gaps meanwhile we are pretty forthright about our gaps. A boss got so upset with me for not working so far beyond work hours because she couldn’t use power point and I’m like I get it you have the power and you want to feel like you have a gap but like bro say that and don’t be a meani pants. It’s like collaboration one on one. Tips to the younger generation coming up your perspective is different because of the tech age - these elders can’t stand our charisma uniqueness nerve and talent. Avoid the non profit world all together they drain the life out of you. It makes sense not much gets done in this world people at the top are holding progress by the neck. I understand we have had more access to information but like you have experience ma’am, relax chill

Im more bothered that people keep buying up the stuff just csuse they're nepo babies. Yes yheres not much qualification other than taste but realy... also, how many underpaid people are they taking credit for? Currently dealing with issues in the industry with people rather get collage students even for more sr. positions just to not pay much to anyone. But going it alone takes a lot but at this point... (Im an illustrator for surface and textiles).

Bro the fashion industry seems to mirror the film and TV industry

I do also have to highlight that from a medior position there's A LOT of politicking you don't see that takes and exorbitant amount of energy AND experience to handle.

I know it's surprising to look at it from that perspective but in academia there's an incredible amount of nepotism because you a) need a mentor / relative to achieve certain credentials or get into a certain program and also advancing the ranks can be very nepotistic and opportunity driven vs pure scientific contributions and results. These are just hard to quantify in a job role. Or maybe there's just an unwillingness to do it.

Such a great video. Thank you for opening up about such issues. Good luck with you career!:)

You know what´s funny about the Nepo Baby in engineering and them needing them same qualification as every other engineer and this not quiet being the case in Fashion? I´m studying to become a Fashion Design Engineer. 😂

You're an inspirational role model, I'd love to be working for

I was in school for fashion and had a few internships in NYC in the early 2000s. They were all unpaid, and I was frequently the only minority around. For one co, the CEO was the grandson of the founder and all the employees were his school mates. Never seen someone work less in my life, he would spend DAYS crafting singular emails to celebrities, blasting their music/movies in the office while "working"😂😂😂

Ah'_hang on there,sorry' I beg to differ WHAT 😮about that especially in the UK not for nothing I think you'll find that statement, isn't exactly factual,may like to 'rethink that😟😳🥺 🙄 but please do not take offense🤭 surgeons in the UK statement please note my reason ' cause in every industry on our beautiful planet earth has the scammers,the friend of a friend & of course the member of the family sadly I absolutely agree with what you'll find in places they should not be just taking up space & wasting time & someone's money🤨 So you know I definitely appreciate your truth on & about the fashion industry,I for one have worked & held positions in NYC Fashion World to be as honest how dreadful indeed😏 Yep when all said & done not a pretty world after all 🧐🤔😬

Congrats on graduating. Such a blessing. I love, love the advice of building your own audience. Such a vital point.

All due congratulations to the person who shot your graduation video in WIDE SCREEN - that's 16X9 - most people make the mistake of shooting footage in portrait mode essential 4X3 which looks amateur and uninspired.

“Most journalists in fashion don’t even know basic fashion history…” *cough* *cough* Anna Wintour 👀

throwing myself a party great job on Graduating ayo ur hard work is seen and will be rewarded

interesting video, albeit i do think the experiences you're describing working in corporate fashion settings aren't universal and are more unique to smaller more independent brands. nepotism is a tricky one, it exists in every industry but if everyone in fashion just sits around and complains about nepotism, what are we doing other than blaming our lack of progress on other people. the beautiful thing about the fashion industry is that its unconventional and that anyone can enter it. i studied international relations at university and now I'm a stylist working on red carpet projects and magazine covers. yeah the rate of progression of a nepo baby or even someone who went to csm is going to be faster than me, and they'll start off with more connections, but at the end of the day, who cares? as someone who had zero connections to the fashion industry two years ago, i truly believe if you believe in your skillset and ideas, and have that hunger to work hard and do whatever it takes to get to where you want to be then nothing will stop you- you just have to accept that the timeline won't be as quick as someone who has nepotism on their side.

Bwwwahahaha very true. Seriously, even in government or regular jobs, I’ve worked in shit roles - had to do 3 people’s worth of duties and my boss was having a manic episodes, over eating at her desk because she’s trying to quit smoking and being on facebook all day. LOL I can very much relate. I’ve started out as an engineer, then moved over to multiple BFAs in design and an MFA, and I just see the same bullshit over and over.. only a small amount of people doing most of the grunt work and the higher ups, not really doing much other than get on ur case when something is incorrect, but will surely, accept praise for your work. It’s everywhere. I worked for a couple designers in the interior design realm.. and traveled 2 hours to get to work, take 3 trains, then run to catch a bus to get to work… I would leave my apt at 345am to be there at 7. It was the worst. LOL ( I was paying $260 a month just for public transportation and my checks were like 400…. I could have just rented or leased a car ). I seriously don’t know how i fed myself during those times.. my shekels all went to rent.. and there was a amount of time where I was homeless.. and luckily got to house sit for a person i didn’t know personally, and she was just such an angel to meet at the moment.. and she didn’t charge me to take care of her apt while she was sent to work in Shanghai for a month… then thankfully I ended up getting an ADU apt where I could pay less rent, based more on my income. I really wish I could get in with a great label and do work that is valued and paid well, I just live in the middle of nowhere. It’s just so hard to get in without knowing ‘people’ to get your foot in the door. *Le sigh Rick Owens is my dream job - it really seems like he’s a great employer, calm, and measured and has the same dark sense of humor that I love. I can only dream.

i have little intent to actually work in fashion, but good video! watched it all

I'm studying Marketing who wants to work in fashion or luxury, more on the PR side or maybe Consumer insights.

Congrats on getting that degree, but Ayo your the fashion journalist, so the world needs you to find out what demon is controlling the design process at Amiri. those jeans are made by dark forces

My boy is going to be active and the channel is going to get even more exposure 🔥

im planning to work in the business side of fashion which i suppose is less creative and requires BBA/MBA degrees n stuff so im wondering are those jobs paid less too or would it be similar to say a marketing head in a non fashion company gets paid

why hasn't your videos been appearing on my feed? so damn annoying. You deserve more.

Basically it’s like working for Daniel Meade in Ugly Betty.

Congrats on graduating!

I don't know why this video was recommended to me since I'm not into fashion, but I ended up watching the whole thing, it was interesting to hear your perspective. Congratulations on graduating and good luck in the future!

Congrats on Graduating!!! And yes, unqualified people are soo irritating. Glad you spoke to Accountability regarding your RU-vid channel.

One of your best ever videos. Congratulations on graduating 💫

Major congratulations to you on Graduating! Super insightful video on the industry

Not a single lie was told, your dedication and perseverance during your internship blows my mind. I don't think I'd ever cycle 2 hours for anything. Also, congratulations on obtaining your qualification!👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

Relevant, I love your content. It’s realistic and helpful ❤

She… She Didn’t Know How To Use PS? Wtf

Thank you for this video Like you,I have a love for fashion and had bad experience recently with this sort of thing I feel like the advice you have in the end of the vid is definitely the best course of action Congrats on the graduation

After having worked a few internships and graduating in business rather than fashion I can confirm these things. I was already at a disadvantage and I assumed people would be happy to teach me. But the gate keeping of knowledge I have come to find is ridiculous, I now work in watches which is my secondary passion. Despite both being luxury industries, this industry is far more welcoming and people are so passionate to share knowledge and opportunities. It breaks my heart that I love the product of fashion but I love the people of watches far more. I would love to return to fashion but as a south Londoner I couldn't play all the little bitchy games that I experienced, especially having now been treated and respected as a real person.

Congrats on finishing your degree in CSM Looking forward for your future endeavors

Congratulations 👏 well done on graduating 🔥

Whats the bag in the thumbnail? 😮❤

*CONGRATULATIONS* 🎇🎉🥳

REAL! this was refreshing

I used to love fashion. But I am questioning that these days. I can say I like STYLE and ART! Congratulations on your graduation! And thanks for sharing. Everything would be better if people told their real truth instead of acting they are self made. And that goes for successful business people too

Smarty pants sexy pants!🎉🎉🎉

I’m noticing this is starting to happen in a lot of places. Places that don’t require a degree or education in very specific areas, like a type of engineering, or like you mentioned, the medical field. Nepotism and buddy-ism. It’s not the talented or qualified who are getting promoted, but the ones who hang out and suck up. This always went on but I feel that at first most people would think to have at least a few functioning people. But now they just don’t gaf, and if they get by it’s bc of the lowest tier workers who have the talent, take pride in the work they do, they’re holding entire companies down with almost no pay, while the people who do nothing but get in the way by making the wrong decisions and sabotaging things just to be evil and crazy

Thank you so much for this

Fantastic! Congratulations! Keep going and keep growing in your fields 🙌👍✨

Well done graduating, fine achievement

keep going bro. you're a legend

Congratulations on graduating!!! Very good video

Congratulations 🎈

This was some video ty for the insight

Thanks for the video, this is so true. During my time at LCF (business master), we would all apply for unpaid/minimally paid internships and they would simply pick people that had worked in a similar (senior) role abroad. A friend of mine had worked as a buyer for a global fashion brand in Mexico, and was then picked as a merchandising intern for Tom Ford. They paid her 300 GBP per month for seven days a week during Milan fashion week.