Anatomy of a Fashion Editorial

Anatomy of a Fashion Editorial

Over the years I’ve been lucky enough to be part of several fashion and beauty editorials as part of my career as a model. For those not in the industry, an editorial is a very low-paid job that is one of the most creative parts of the fashion business. For those involved, it’s typically more about building a portfolio and staying relevant than making money. The focus is primarily on creating interesting images using a variety of brands instead of creating advertising content using one particular brand.

Personally speaking, I have been in Ellements Magazine several times (with my name on the cover), Dreamingless, Vigore, Malvie Magazine and more. Perhaps most notably, I was in the Porter Magazine (Porter Edit) cover story editorial in 2018. I also partook in a Glamour Magazine story with editorial style photos, which is a bit different than what we are discussing.

This Spring I have a couple editorials lined up. In fact, I just shot a New York City inspired spread on location in the heart of Financial District. It was a collaborative project between myself, a photographer and a stylist. The photographer took over the creative director duties and the hair and makeup was left to me. A lot of times an editorial will come together in this fashion, especially if it’s on spec. Of course, there should be more resources available for editorials commissioned directly by the publication.

There are a minimum number of looks that you have to have in order to be eligible for publication and that number changes depending on the magazine. Of course, you can always submit to photo Vogue with just one or two images. This is the first place I was published at the start of my career.

An editorial also must have an overriding theme or a connecting thread throughout the images. It has to be a cohesive story and not simply 4-6 disparate looks. This is typically achieved through the styling, set and makeup. A really excellent editorial will typically also have a progression and evolution in the styling. In my last editorial the theme was chiefly achieved through the location and the styling was set to match.

Something else to consider is that nowadays the larger publications want a behind the scenes video to accompany the editorial. This was the case with Porter and Glamour.

Some resources:

1. Kavyar – great for networking with creatives and submitting to magazines.

2. Mixer App – great for posting projects and collaborations. Jobs are also posted.

3. Photo Vogue – great to hone your skills and get that Vogue logo.

4. Instagram – the ultimate fashion networking tool.

5. Facebook local casting groups – better for novices, but a good way to start out.

What are your thoughts? Have you ever seen an editorial shoot taking place?

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 fashion editorial Modeling