SO, YOU WANT TO WORK IN FASHION?

A panoramic view of the fashion industry geared to would-be fashionistas.

In the latest installment of the practical Be What You Want series, which has previously explored careers ranging from comic illustration to being a chef, Wooster unlocks the mysteries of fashion. Tackling one of the most lucrative global industries, Wooster breaks fashion down into five broad areas: design, patternmaking and garment production, merchandising, journalism and photography, and fabric styling. Each field is then showcased from a variety of perspectives, one of which always includes at least one Q-and-A–style profile of a relatively young practitioner in that specialty—some impressively well below legal drinking age. Throughout this fashion primer, the importance of creativity and confidence in one’s vision repeatedly shines through, as evidenced by 16-year-old fashion designer Courtney Allegra, who advises: “If you want to be in fashion, you have to be determined, focused, and confident. Don’t follow the trends if you don’t want to….Design what you want!” Wooster backs up this inspiring message with activities for readers to hone their own interests and skills. The copious resources provided here include not only a glossary, notes, and detailed bibliography, but tempting lists of fashion-related films and television shows, fashion camps, top fashion schools and online games.

A wonderfully comprehensive, accessible and realistic entree into the dynamic world of fashion.