If you are toying with the idea of working in fashion but you do not
want to go all mainstream, consider our list of unusual jobs that the
fashion world has to offer. For example, how would you like to be paid for
feeling someone’s skin, making sure shoes and bags always reach the
customer wrinkle free, interpret someone’s lip profile or organise hundreds
of closets? If this sounds strange and wonderful, follow our countdown from
10 to 1 of the weirdest fashion jobs. All of these jobs are real, by the
way – we could not possibly make them up even if we tried.
How about giving unsuspecting window shoppers the shock of their lives
when the mannequin whose clothes they are admiring suddenly comes to life?
Somehow like the movie “Mannequin” but better because you are getting paid
for it! As a live model, you have to be good at standing a lot and being
perfectly still for a while before you can change your position. Live
mannequins find work in small boutiques or at trade fairs for brands that
want them to interact with their customers. Conversation not going your
way? Just freeze. And then move on.
If you know fabrics like no one else and have a degree in fashion,
textiles and/or library science, fabric librarian may be the perfect job
for you. A fashion librarian visits designers and fashion houses and tells
them about new and old fabric options. Apart from becoming a whiz with the
different fabrics and materials out there, you will also quickly build up a
network of contacts in the industry. No wonder it is a popular job with
those starting out in the fashion world.
This sounds like a dream come true – who would not want a professional
closet organiser to come home and straighten out their wardrobe, maybe
colour-code shirts and pants and tidy up once and for all? Well, we’re
talking about a professional closet organiser, not a personal one, so hold
your horses. A professional closet organiser works for fashion companies
and thus operates on a much grander scale – think along the lines of
devising a system for a chain of retail stores, an apparel manufacturer or
a fashion house. In any case, the system needs to be intuitive, make sense
and allow easy retrieval of whatever clothes are needed.
This may be less glamorous than being a runway model but by no means
less important. In fact, a fit model’s job is to show designers how the
clothes they have created look on different body types and shapes, if they
are practical at all and work for real-life people. So instead of walking
the ramp, a fit model will visit designers’ stores or fashion companies to
try on their clothes and make sure they really are ready-to-wear.
Needless to say, a fit model needs to be comfortable trying on clothes,
many different ones, day in, day out. He or she also has to give an honest
opinion about how each garment fits on them – or not. So next time you slip
on a skirt that just seems to fit your body type perfectly, thank the fit
model for her valuable feedback.
Have you ever thought about the music you hear when models walk the
ramp? And the choreography they may be doing instead of just sashaying down
the catwalk? Well, some fashion shows stick out by their choice of music
and/or the choreography the models are following; in fact, nowadays no
fashion show is complete without its own soundtrack. In that case, they
sure have taken professional help from a runway choreographer and a
soundtrack composer. This is actually two jobs rolled into one but we
thought one can’t really do without the other, so we clubbed them.
How about runways that turn into construction sites, giant mazes or
fantastic wonderlands? It is not unusual that the scenery for a fashion
shoot or catwalk steals the show and requires outlandish props like giant
hedges, clouds that look real or oversized mirrors. A good idea for a
scenery is only as good as the person who can make it a reality. This is
where the style scenographer comes in. He or she is not fazed by even the
strangest request and is crafty and resourceful when it comes to sourcing
what he or she needs. Now who comes up with the idea in the first place is
another question.
Have you ever seen a model (or celebrity for that matter) who did not
look like they just came back from a nice vacation somewhere warm where
they acquired a beautiful tan? Well, neither have we. But fashion being
fashion, all is not what it seems. If you would like to help people acquire
a healthy, sunny glow, becoming a tanning professional may be the job for
you. It entails bronzing up everyone who’s on stage or in the public eye
and a side effect is getting up close and personal with supermodels and
celebrities.
No, we’re not still talking about models (and their usually non-existent
wrinkles) but about fabric wrinkles on shoes, bags and accessories. Have
you ever wondered how fabric on shoes remains stretched and wrinkle-free,
ditto with a bag that you just ordered online and unwrapped at home? Enter
the professional wrinkle chaser who, with a special iron, will make sure
that the fabric on products around us remains tight, stretched and wrinkle
free, usually between delivery from the factory and shipment to stores.
Thoroughness and patience are a must and those who are not too fond of
ironing need not apply.
Yes, you read correctly – there are people who are getting paid for
feeling other people’s faces. Not without a purpose of course. The aim is
to determine who’s got the softest skin after applying a certain
moisturiser. Also called “sensory scientists”, these professionals go
through rigorous training before they start out commercially; there is even
a society of sensory professionals.
Ah, and here we go, our number one when it comes to weird jobs in
fashion. Though we have to say it was almost a tie between 2 and 1. A
lipstick reader or lipsologist (yes, it is a science) is someone who can
tell quite a bit about a person just by reviewing a lipstick imprint left
on paper. What started as a hobby for Seattle-based entertainer Jilly Eddy
turned into a serious science after more than 30 years of research.
How is this useful in fashion? Well, brands want to make sure that the
lipstick hues used on models and the lipstick imprints in their advertising
are sending the right message. Is the model tired? Artistic? Or maybe
picky? Or even energetic? Romantic? This and more is what a good
lipsologist can tell just from looking at a lipstick imprint.So the next
time you pucker up and leave a mark, think about what you may be revealing
about your personality. Or go to lipsology.com to find out.
This brings us to the end of our list and no doubt, these are not the
only weird jobs in fashion. In fact, we have enjoyed this list so much,
here’s a bonus entry:
Yes, there are professional fashion florists who provides flowers and
everything green for runway shows and photoshoots. Ever wondered where
those gorgeous flowers came from? Well, the fashion florist is your woman
(or man) to say it with flowers and provide arrangements that are
individual and show-stopping. Where they are are sourcing from and how they
do it is their trade secret.
Credit illustrations: Studio Iva (IGM: studio_iva)
During the month of August FashionUnited will focus on Work in Fashion. For
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