POV: You’re a Fashion Journalist — Career Inspiration

POV: You’re a Fashion Journalist.

I created this mood board a few years ago when I aspired to work at some of the top fashion magazines, like Teen Vogue or Essence. Whether it was becoming an intern, journalist, or editor, I just wanted to be in the room. I was also writing articles for college programs for Her Campus and College Fashionista to gain more experience. I would write articles about fashion, career, entertainment news, and beauty. Some of my favorite articles I wrote highlighted upcoming black influencers or fashion documentaries that you can watch for career inspiration if you aspire to work in the industry.

Since then, I’ve felt somewhat discouraged when I haven’t gotten the freelance opportunities I wanted outside the programs. I thought my writing wasn’t good enough when editors wouldn’t choose my pitches, or I failed an edit test. Regardless, I continued to write for my blog, Kadiskreations, which I dedicated to fashion, music, & culture. On my blog, I could write in my own voice without any restrictions, unlike on other platforms. Sometimes I felt that my writing was edited so much that it didn’t sound like me. Also, with so many recent layoffs in the journalism industry, such as at Teen Vogue, Rolling Stone, and The Washington Post, it is important to have something you own when so many writers (especially those who are POC) are being unfairly censored.

I used what I learned from the writing programs to improve my writing. I also completed a journalism course with NYU and Rolling Stone, which helped improve my article structure and my ability to capture readers’ attention. I wanted to make sure I was creating posts that interest people and not just something they’ll scroll past, which is becoming harder today as our attention spans decrease due to endless social media use. You have to capture someone’s attention within the first few seconds, or they’ll skip.

Also, people are reading less than usual, and long-form content doesn’t perform as well. But there’s still a benefit to having a blog, or even a Substack, which is becoming increasingly popular lately. You can build a dedicated community and share your own words. That is still needed today in such a fast-paced world. People still want to sit down and read something that intrigues their minds or relax, just like reading a magazine. Then it hit me.

I thought, why not achieve something that’s been on my goals list since I was a child — starting my own magazine. It’s always been my dream to start my own business, and why not do that by turning my blog into an online publication? Magazines have always been a part of my life, from collecting Vogue, to using its pages to create my own lookbooks and mood boards, to designing my own magazine covers in school. Now I can finally make that a reality.

Kadiskreations Magazine was made to inspire and uplift young women through style, beauty, travel, career, and life advice. I’ve always felt that my purpose in life was to use my story and life experiences to inspire others, and now I have the platform to do that. It is also my goal to inspire others to do the same.