The fashion industry is extremely competitive. When you score an interview in this industry, you want to be as prepared as possible so you leave the interview knowing you made an excellent first impression.
1. WHAT AND WHY
People have different definitions of Fashion, what it is and what it means to them. There is absolutely no concrete answer to that. The purpose of asking this genre of question, is mainly for the interviewer to find out whether or not you’re serious about pursuing a career in fashion. The industry is one of the most arduous and competitive and so, companies spend a lot of resources in training employees. Before they make that investment, they’d want to make sure you’re not just applying for a job because it “looks cool”.
2. PERSONAL STYLE
Again, to each their own, no two people have similar tastes when it comes to dressing themselves. Although we may be heavily influenced by catalog models or celebrities, most of us have some idea of what works and what doesn’t when it comes to our daily fashion grind. Interviewers may cross reference how you pick your style/dress up to how you are as a person. For example, if you were to say your dress sense is “versatile” – you may appear to be fun and approachable!
3. CURRENT AND FUTURE TRENDS
Fashion trends come and go like the wind, sometimes too quickly for people to keep up with. Questions like, “what do you think is trendy now” or “how do you feel about a certain trend” may surface. Going into the interview, you have to be on the ball on what’s hot, what’s not and most importantly, your personal opinions and applying it to the company you’re applying for.
4. ABOUT THE BRAND OR COMPANY YOU’RE INTERVIEWING FOR
When asked why you want to work for the company, it’s your time to shine during the interview. Prepare for this question by carefully studying the job description and information on the company. Before your interview, spend some time on the company’s website and learn what ongoing and new projects the company is invested in, what the company’s goals are and who the executives are. Recount the information you learned about the company and note how your qualifications could be relevant to the company’s goals.
5. PROBLEM/CONFLICT SOLVING
Fashion industry interviewers want to know how well you handle high-stress situations. There are a lot of strong personalities in the fashion industry and the employer wants to know you can handle difficult or sensitive situations. To that end, the interviewer may ask how you handle conflict and to give her a workplace situation where you effectively handled a difficult problem. Make sure to give an example where you took a potentially negative situation and turned it into a positive one.
One parting tip, portfolios, and resumes go a long way especially in the fashion industry, so keep your designs or recommendation letters neatly in a clear folder!