While New York and Paris may seem like the true fashion capitals of the world, Los Angeles has long been a staple in the fashion world with a flavor to rival the other prominent cities in the industry. As a result, careers in fashion are relatively common in Los Angeles. Keep reading…
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About Los Angeles Fashion Jobs
Although not everyone is cut out for the life of a model, the amount of production and development that goes into the fashion industry demands a high level of creativity and hard work that Los Angelean fashion hopefuls are eager to provide. Not only is the city a hub for international fashion weeks and modeling opportunities, but Los Angeles houses hundreds of prominent garment companies and their design teams that makes it a prime location to break into the industry. It is important to note just chow competitive the world of fashion can be, so not every hopeful designer can be a success, but we have provided an overall survey of fashion industry jobs in LA and some guidance for how to acquire such a position.
Career Path
One of the worst-kept secrets in the fashion industry is that connections are the true ticket into any position, whether it be designer, model, or photographer. The majority of recent fashion graduates get their start as interns on a clothing design team, of which there are many in Los Angeles. Prominent brands based in LA include Sue Wong, PacSun, Nasty Gal, and Tadashi Shoji. While these may not sound like the high-fashion designers most students hope to work for, working for one of these design teams can prove to be more consistent work and a better experience than trying to get a one-in-a-million job for a high fashion company.
Roles & Compensation
A fashion designer in LA usually makes around $60,000 annually, although income levels are greatly dependent on experience, seniority, and the particular company. Prospective models must weigh similar variables when deciding how to proceed because success in the modeling industry is another rare bird. Most LA models are paid $30 hourly for a few hours of work and spend most of their time trying to book jobs. The help of an agency can ease that burden, but it requires making enough to pay an agency. As a result, most models end up stringing together lots of lower-profile jobs than any single major campaign. Finally, a fashion photographer in LA faces similar challenges. Most photographers make just over $40,000 annually and rely on word of mouth to get consistent work, often bouncing between companies and gigs rather than getting anything consistent.
Overall
Ultimately, working in the fashion industry in LA is an enormous uphill battle. The most concrete way of securing consistent jobs is to make connections at every potential opportunity as well as ensure your work gets online exposure, so you have a publicly available portfolio. For some, the risks of breaking into the LA fashion scene pay off tenfold, but many more end up changing career paths along the way.