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A break (at last)


Gemma

Gemma is a 21-year-old glamour-puss fashion graduate starting out in the fashion and beauty industry.
Entry: 5

Just when Gemma had almost given up hope on a career in fashion, fate lends a helping hand.

It's been a long time since my last entry, I know! Things really started to get hectic for me around October, which is why I haven't done a diary entry for a while. Just as I was beginning to think my whole working life would be shop work and writing for free, a job appeared from nowhere. I'm now working harder than I've ever done in my life.

I'd applied to various jobs on magazines and just got my tear-sheets returned to me with the usual 'thanks, but no thanks' letters. Then out of the blue, I got an email from a fellow freelancer (albeit one with much more experience) who'd joined forces with some other writers to start up an online publishing group.

To cut a very long story short, I ended up being hired to edit the shoe blog Shoewawa. The team I work for are all technical specialists and they needed a fashionista to write for them. Through various web searches (and a touch of fate) they came across my work and asked me to be Shoewawa's editor. It's the best thing that could ever have happened to me, as the site took off almost instantly and the new role has led to new and unexpected opportunities.

"In my new role, there's no making coffee, no answering to scary editors and no need to wear overpriced clothes to the office just to fit in."

Over the last three months, I've seen my work praised and publicised in the Guardian, The Independent, The Express and Marie Claire to name but a few. There's no making coffee, no answering to scary editors and no need to wear overpriced clothes to the office just to fit in. I can do my work at 7am in my dressing gown or at midnight in...um...my dressing gown. Shoewawa has been such a success that I've been trusted with another blog . I'm now also editing the handbag and accessories site The Bag Lady.

A couple of weeks ago, in my role as Shoewawa Editor (doesn't 'editor' sound fabulous?) I got to report from London Fashion Week for the first time. Even though I'm not quite cool and trendy enough to get into the really big shows just yet, I still wore out my press pass (not to mention my feet!). I got to see some great clothes, some beautiful people (like Lisa Snowdon and Rachel Hunter), and got to meet some of the shoe designers I frequently big up on the site. I was on cloud nine. I was home!

I always forget how much I love London until I go back as a visitor. My brother lives there now which really rubs salt into the wound, but at least it means I have a place to stay when I do get the chance to go down there.  I'm back off to London soon for the EMAP Fanzine Awards. EMAP are magazine publishers (they own New Woman, Bliss, FHM and Heat among others) and these awards recognise small, independent magazines and websites. My work (for Catwalk-Queen.net and the magazine I produced at university) is short-listed for two categories, but I'm not counting my chickens when it comes to actually winning anything. If nothing else, it's a chance to schmooze with the people who ignored my CV's when I applied for jobs at their magazines (just kidding!)

I'll let you know how that goes next time, when my diary entry will be slightly less glam, no doubt!


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