Dream Jobs: Fashion Editor by Hailee Romain, Adapted by Newsela Staff on 10.15.18 Word Count 831 Level 630L

Dream Jobs: Fashion editor By Hailee Romain, adapted by Newsela staff on 10.15.18 Word Count 831 Level 630L

Image 1. Nia Porter is an editor at Vogue, a fashion magazine. In this role, she writes articles for Vogue's website and creates content for digital platforms like Snapchat. Photo courtesy of Nia Porter

Since she was young, Nia Porter has loved both writing and fashion. Porter followed these interests into fashion journalism. Today, she works as a writer and content creator at Vogue, a world-famous fashion magazine.

How would you describe your job?

I help create Vogue's digital content. Digital content includes the articles you see on the magazine's website. It also includes all of the videos and photos we share on apps.

Lately, I have been developing stories for an app called Snapchat. These stories include videos and photos. I come up with ideas for the stories and find experts to talk to for them. Sometimes I help with the video shoots. The rest of the time I am writing articles.

What kinds of topics do you write about?

Many of my stories are about beauty, health or fashion. Once I wrote about the best sunscreens for darker skin tones. Another time I interviewed a model and wrote about her tips for taking selfies.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. One time I got to write about what it feels like to dress like Katy Perry for a day! I can pretty much write about whatever I want. I just need to make it interesting for my readers.

Do you ever get writer's block or feel creatively stuck?

It happens all the time! Every writer I know goes through it. When it happens to me, I step away from whatever I am working on. I open a magazine and read some articles. Sometimes I may ask my boss for help. Having supportive writers around me has been a lifesaver.

Can you describe your career path up to this point?

I went to school for journalism. Then I looked for a job in New York City. My first job was as a fashion assistant. It was more office work than writing. Then I got a job writing about fashion at another company. That led to my current job at Vogue.

How did you first get interested in fashion journalism?

I have always appreciated dressing well. In high school, I got really interested in the world of fashion. I read about designers and their fashion lines. I taught myself all about the history of the business. I watched all the fashion shows on TV and dreamed of someday wearing the beautiful clothes I saw. I started to really appreciate how much hard work goes into creating a beautiful piece of clothing.

When I was younger, I thought I wanted to write short stories or books. Then, I started reading fashion magazines. I was really impressed with the articles in these magazines. I decided I wanted to do fashion writing, too.

Have you ever met an idol of yours?

Yes, my boss! She oversees all of Vogue's digital content and has worked for the magazine for years. I have always loved her work. She is so creative and very supportive of my ideas. Getting to work with her has been amazing.

What's your favorite part of your job?

The best part is meeting and learning from the people I grew up reading about and admiring. I get to work with designers, models and celebrities. It is like the coolest dream.

What do you find challenging about your job?

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. Working in digital media is cool and exciting. It is also non-stop. Social media is constant, so keeping up can be tough. I am thankful I have a supportive team to help me.

Is there something that you wish more people knew about your job?

Fashion might seem silly to some people, but it is a billion-dollar business. Millions of people work together to make this business happen. They create and make every piece of clothing you see.

Working in fashion comes with responsibility, too. We have a duty to people and the environment. It is our job to change traditional ideas of beauty that leave out many people in the world. We also need to find ways to make clothes without hurting the planet.

What advice do you have for kids who are interested in this field?

Find a great mentor. That means someone who can teach you about fashion. Read everything you can about the field. If you want to be a fashion writer, polish your writing skills, too.

Most of all, remember to be kind to the people you meet. Kindness goes a long way. If you are good to others, it makes work a whole lot easier.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. Quiz

1 Which sentence from the article helps the reader understand that working on Vogue's digital content is challenging sometimes?

(A) I come up with ideas for the stories and find experts to talk to for them.

(B) I get to work with designers, models and celebrities.

(D) Millions of people work together to make this business happen.

2 Read the paragraph from the section "What kinds of topics do you write about?"

Many of my stories are about beauty, health or fashion. Once I wrote about the best sunscreens for darker skin tones. Another time I interviewed a model and wrote about her tips for taking selfies. One time I got to write about what it feels like to dress like Katy Perry for a day! I can pretty much write about whatever I want. I just need to make it interesting for my readers.

What conclusion can the reader make based on this paragraph?

(A) Nia Porter spends a lot of time interviewing models because she would like to be a model someday.

(B) Nia Porter loves her job at Vogue because she can dress like celebrities and take selfies.

(D) Nia Porter especially enjoys writing about health issues such as what the best sunscreens are.

3 What is the structure of this article?

(A) compare and contrast

(B) problem and solution

(D) question and answer

4 Read the paragraph from the section "Can you describe your career path up to this point?"

What is the structure of this paragraph?

(A) sequence of events

(B) order of importance

(D) problem and solution

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. Answer Key