Guest Blogger Melissa: My Life as a Fashion Editor...part one

I wanted to be a fashion editor since I was 15 years old, so it goes without saying that I loved every minute of my career as a fashion editor in NYC.  It started as an intern as Sassy magazine (oh my god, that dates me, doesn't it?)...I created a fashion "zine" when I was in college, and for those of you who remember Sassy, they used to feature a "zine of the month".  Well, they featured mine and it served as my introduction to their fashion editors.  They invited me to intern when I graduated from college, so I moved up to New York, slept on a friend's couch in New Jersey, and worked for free 40 hours a week.  (And 30 hours a week at the very glamorous Kinko's Copies!)

I was there for 2 weeks, and got to do some funny stuff, like judge entries for the annual reader-produced issue and interview b-list celebrities.  (I won't name names!)  If you're too young to know this, Sassy was famous for it's interns- in fact Chloe Sevigny and Atoosa Rubenstein (of Cosmo Girl and Seventeen Editor-in-Chief fame) were both there right before I was.  (Atoosa and I later became friends when we were editors at Mademoiselle and Cosmo, respectively.)

After two weeks, an editor told me that Harper's Bazaar was looking for fashion interns, and she recommended me.  I interviewed and they asked me to start the next day.  I was freaking out to put it mildly- this was September 1992- Liz Tilberis' first issue under her direction and it was making major waves in the fashion industry.  The iconic cover:

I interned for a few months and then I was hired as Sasha Iglehart's (who was one of the senior fashion market editor) assistant, and I was in pure heaven.  She was such a mentor to me, and the whole department became like family.

It was a lot of hard work, of course, but there were a lot of fun moments too...  The first photo shoot I ever assisted on was a Kate Moss cover shot by Patrick Demarchelier.  (Kate and then boyfriend Mario Sorrenti were often in the office.)  I remember getting off the elevator on time and seeing Peggy Moffitt sitting in reception- in full 60's mod makeup!  Meeting Christy Turlington in the office- she was in sweats and looked amazing.  Going to Liz Tilberis' Christmas party (yes, she was so nice, she even invited lowly interns!) and sipping cocktails among the fashion glitterati, her two young boys, and two large golden retrievers, who ran around the whole night.

More tomorrow...

Comments

[Natasha]

When I saw the Sassy magazine, I was all smiles. I was a huge fan of Sassy and a long time subscriber! That feels like so long ago...

[Persephone]

Wow - what a wave of nostalgia. I adored Sassy magazine. There is nothing like it out there for girls now...is there?

[Sarah]

I'm loving your guest blog posts. What an amazing career you have had! And so amazing to have worked with Liz Tilberis!

[melissa]

I know what you guys mean about Sassy! It was such an amazing magazine... In fact, a friend of mine wrote a book about Sassy last year called "How Sassy Changed my Life: A Love Letter to the Greatest teen Magazine of All Time". If you were a Sassy lover, you will LOVE this book!

[Katie]

Like I said before, sounds like my dream job!!

[joanna goddard]

that is so cool! my british parents randomly were friends with liz tilberis. (they weren't in the magazine industry, they knew her family from england). they said she was warm and wonderful. i always really wished i got a chance to meet her!!

your experiences sound wonderful!

[melissa]

She really WAS amazing!! I felt so lucky to work there. :)