Fashion Journalism - 5 biggest myths

LCF's Lime Grove campus in all of its glory 

Let's face it: I'm studying at a university that is world-renowned for teaching FASHION. When someone asks me what I study, the reactions are always pretty much the same:

1. OOOHHH!!! My friend tried to get there!
2. So your campus is at Oxford Circus, how cool! (no, it's not)
3. So, fashion, huh? (in case you didn't know, there is a second word in the name of my course as well and it says "journalism")
4. I bet you dream to work for Vogue one day, don't you?

It's my last year at LCF and with about six months of my education left I feel like I got to know this school pretty well. There have been good times, there have been slightly worse but I can honestly say I do not regret the decision I've made couple of years ago - to follow my dreams despite of what others may say, to get out of my comfort zone and try something completely new. And, frankly, I can't imagine studying fashion journalism anywhere else now and I am pretty proud of myself. I achieved quite a lot for a non-native speaker that didn't know a single thing about living on their own.


But enough about me. Let's leave alone the X-factor-like application process for today, let's leave all the "do you think I may have a chance to get in?" questions. Let's talk about fashion journalism and myths. 5 biggest myths people believe in actually.

Fashion Filth Glamour 

1. "STUDYING FASHION JOURNALISM IS GLAMOROUS"

Terribly sorry to disappoint you - it's not. We don't learn about designers and clothes and we don't watch fashion shows. There are teeline classes. Well, it's an art university after all so you may feel slightly more glamourous from time to time but we are here to learn (or to pretend that we do) and we pay for it.

2. "FASHION IS WHAT EVERYONE IS INTERESTED IN"

Here are some examples of what I worked on during my academic career:
1. An investigative documentary on part-time sales advisors that can't get home for Christmas.
2. A trend report analysing the future of relationships.
3. An essay analysing how do Polish romantic comedies mimic American ones.
4. A project proposal on a 10-minute-long documentary on street food.

For my cultural studies option, I've chosen moving images. My Final Major Project is on fitness. FITNESS. And no one really cares about the fashiony bits anymore (oh, of course there are people that do, you know what I mean). Why? Because fashion is lifestyle, lifestyle is fashion, fashion is not just clothes. Easy.

Still, if you want to focus all of your work on high fashion you can. Simple as that.

3. "THERE IS NOT A LOT OF WORK, COME ON, IT'S A FASHION COURSE"

I'm a month in this year and I've already cried twice and had a PROPER mental breakdown. My boyfriend and my flatmate both study engineering and they are sometimes really surprised by the amount of work I have to do.
To be fair, I haven't had an exam in the last two years but working on a project means you need to organise your time like a pro and depend, mostly, on yourself.
And there are academic essays, oh there are. And there is a dissertation on the horizon. Help me god.

4. "EVERYONE IS MEAN AND TALKS ABOUT CLOTHES ALL THE TIME"

I touched this subject a little bit while talking about eating disorders but let me say that one more time: no one cares. Of course, there is gossip, of course some people don't like each other and of course if you wear a new dress to school you get compliments but I have this feeling sometimes that I used to care a lot more about what I wear to school when in a secondary school back in Poland. Seriously, that WAS something.
And I met some of the greatest people while studying that now I can't imagine my life without.

5. "ALL I CAN DO AFTER GRADUATING IS WORK FOR VOGUE" 

Seriously?

The Lime Grove cat. I love it so much I want to eat it every time I see it.

Pictures are not mine. Sorry.