21 and Professional

21 is an age in America where one is considered an adult. As a 21 year old, I know that you’re just grasping that concept of what an adult is. Since 19, I have been building and rebuilding myself to work in a business full of creative professionals. There are a great deal of responsibilities associated with being a stylist that I didn’t anticipate; even more there are so many responsibilities associated with being an independent adult that I knew of, thought I was prepared for, and wasn’t.

Call times: I was late in high school more than anyone I know, and not late, 5 minutes late, late like, fourth period showing up and late to the class following late. I was the king of tardy. As a professional I have stripped myself of that title, I am, if not 15 minutes early, on time which is considered late.

Accountability: I can no longer hold my mom, or brothers or sisters, not even assistants who may have shortcomings accountable for anything that goes wrong. I am at all times the one accountable for anything that goes wrong in my business. Be it, a misreturned article of clothing, a miscredit, lack of communication in pre production. And of course, adhering to call times. I am accountable for my business and its success

Professionalism: This is a big one. I’m always working at this one. I want to be the most professional person I can be, especially because of my age, being seen as a professional and respected as one is always a number one priority for me. I don’t always succeed 100%, but working at it is better than being lax in professionalism.

Responsibility: Another HUGE ONE. I am responsible for myself, my health, for my assistants, for the wardrobe I pull and their safe and timely return, for credits, and updates on images. Imagine shooting 3 projects for publication in per week for a month, pulling from 20 showrooms for each shoot and then returning the clothes correctly and keeping them updated on the publication status of your shoot. ALL while worrying that your story may be pulled and then you have to figure where to get it published before the clothes go out of season.

Being your own boss: We wait most of our teen years to make our own decisions, to not have to defer to our parents for what we want to do and then at 21 we faithfully rely on advice from our parents in certain matters. Life works out that way; you try to not do something so bad and you end up in need of it. Being your own boss finally makes you the decision maker and no matter what advice you take the decision you make is solely yours, as are the consequences.

These are just a few of the things that I have encountered at the age of 21, the age where most people are partying in college or smoking marijuana in a basement. I, on the other hand, am scheduling meetings and shoots, trying to keep up with emails, clients, and deadlines. Whether or not this is something you’re ready for once you thrust yourself into the bedazzled womb that is the fashion industry be prepared to suffer, to have to learn a lot in a little amount of time, and to work ten times harder than the people older than you just to be given a little respect.

Being a professional, let alone one in the fashion industry at 21 is no walk in the park. It’s more like a pump in Christian Louboutin’s on the cobbled streets of the meatpacking district pulling a suitcase full of designer clothes from showrooms….for an editorial that isn’t paying you.  That being said I’d advise you to be prepared to face challenges that you would never fathom you’d have to because fashion isn’t easy, especially when you want it to pay your bills.