How Does Fashion Jour­nalism Work? – Alexandra Bondi de Antoni

AFA Community

How does fashion journalism work? How do the requirements differ between print and digital media? Which formats are suitable for which content, and what should a fashion label consider in order to gain media presence?

These and many other questions around the topic of communication and media strategies in the fashion industry were answered by editor, author, and creative consultant Alexandra Bondi de Antoni in the AFA Community Online Talk.

Link for the Online-Talk


Interview

Please introduce yourself briefly: Who are you, where are you from, what do you do, what did you study, what drives you?

I am Alexandra, originally from Vienna, but I haven’t lived here for over ten years. I studied Fashion Business and Photography in London and Paris, and then worked at i-D and Vogue. Currently, I am studying Gender, Media, and Culture Studies at Goldsmiths University in London and letting myself be guided as much as possible. There is so much that moves me, it would exceed the scope of this interview.

You were the (chief) editor at two of the most renowned fashion publications: i-D and Vogue, were named to Forbes’ “30 under 30” list of European media talents in 2017, and received the German Lead Award for Web Magazine National in 2019. How did you achieve this?

With (too) much work, ideas that were apparently in demand at the time, and many people who believed in me and trusted me.

What qualifications do you need to become a fashion journalist/editor at such prestigious media outlets as Vogue or i-D?

A love for fashion and culture, an understanding of current discourses, a willingness to break rules and question old structures, and an interest in the various forms of journalism.

What did you do before that?

I studied, dipped my toes into everything I could, said yes to almost everything, and did a lot of internships.

Currently, you are the Executive Cultural Advisor at Vogue Germany. What does that entail?

In my role, I advise the core team on specific topics and work on my own projects. Unlike a permanent role, I can manage my time freely, which allows me to have enough time for my studies.

What are the biggest differences between the two publications, or in the workflows? Are there any similarities?

At both Vogue and i-D, I was primarily responsible for online content. So, every day, my team and I would create articles, videos, podcasts, social media posts, and more. Occasionally, I also worked on the magazine itself. The difference between Vogue and i-D is the reach and target audience. i-D is still a relatively niche publication compared to Vogue, which means you have to approach content planning in a very different way. That was a crazy learning process for me.

There was no typical workday. Every day was different, and every task was different. The most fun I had was working in the team and seeing how an idea turned into something that might even be appreciated by people.

Can you explain how you work when creating content for different formats such as print, online, social media, video, and podcast? What are the biggest differences in terms of content, workflow, target audience, delivery, etc.?

Of course, there are differences between the various formats. This starts with budgets, goes through timelines, and includes team sizes. The most important consideration at the beginning of the process is: Which format fits my idea? A perfect text might be a boring podcast or an even more boring video, and vice versa.

You are very interested in young talents and new fashion labels. What should they pay attention to regarding their PR, and how can they make themselves easily available to the press in order to be featured by you and other journalists, and achieve media presence?

I think that nowadays, having a good social media presence is very important. Having an Instagram account where the work can be seen, an email address that is easy to find and can be used for contact, and perhaps a pre-prepared factsheet or portfolio for quick sending is definitely a good approach.

What are your top tips for aspiring fashion journalists and fashion designers to achieve media success?

Understand what you can and cannot do. Never stop learning and accepting feedback. Build a community that supports and challenges you. Be humble and grateful.

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