Summer 2019 Reading: Fashion & Career Books

Sun, sea, parties and sunsets. Have you already packed for your summer holidays? Together with a good SPF cream, swimsuits and a pair of sunglasses, it can’t miss a good book to read on the beach or by the pool. Although the novels are the most popular genre for the holidays, I have selected for you light books but at the same time very useful for your career in fashion.

Many of these books will help you discover the backstage of the fashion industry and understand more about this business and how fashion professionals have navigated their career. In addition, you will also find career books, not related to the fashion industry but that I’ve included because you know, working in the fashion industry is not so simple, it takes a lot of hard work, patience and above all, confidence.

If you have other books to recommend leave a comment below 🙂
Enjoy the reading!

My Paris Dream: An Education in Style, Slang, and Seduction

Kate Betts has been covering the world of style for twenty-five years, first as a reporter in the Paris bureau of Women’s Wear Daily and later as an editor at Vogue, and the youngest person ever to serve as editor in chief of Harper’s Bazaar. In this book, she tells the story of a young woman in Paris who wanted to break in fashion.

When life gives you Lululemons

You know for sure Lauren Weisberger for her bestseller novel turned into a movie The Devil Wears Prada. Even though she writes novels, there is a lot of truth in her stories. If you’ve watched the movie or read the book The Devil Wears Prada, you know how the behind-the-scenes of a fashion magazine work. In this new novel Emily Charlton, Miranda Priestly’s ex-assistant is working in Hollywood as an image consultant to the stars. The perfect beach read.

Inside Vogue

This book is a must for those who want to know what the life of a fashion magazine editor is really like and want to work at a fashion magazine. Alexandra Shulman, editor-in-chief of British Vogue from 1992 to 2017, reveals in this diary, the emotional and logistical minefield of producing the 100th-anniversary issue (that Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton cover surprise), organizing the star-studded Vogue 100 Gala, working with designers from Victoria Beckham to Karl Lagerfeld and contributors from David Bailey to Alexa Chung.

A New Model What Confidence Beauty and Power Looks Like Ashley Graham

Ashley Graham became the first size 14 model to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine. She tears down walls that have always existed around curvy women in fashion, showing the world that when it comes to beauty, size is just a number. In A New Model, Ashley shares the story of her life and career, and her decision to break out of the shadows and fight against those “who feel entitled to weigh in with their opinions on other people’s bodies”—including those who told her she’d never grace a magazine cover. Ashley reveals her struggles and how she has been supported by her family, how she has coped with her food issues, how the fashion industry doesn’t understand the curvy body; and how faith in a higher power helped her find her center and achieve more than she ever dreamed.

The Woman I Wanted to be DVF

Diane von Furstenberg is one of the most powerful people in the fashion industry. Her interesting and unique life story is so inspiring, and in her book she reveals intimate stories about her family, love life, beauty and, of course, her business.
She started out with a suitcase full of jersey dresses and an idea of who she wanted to be-in her words, “the kind of woman who is independent and who doesn’t rely on a man to pay her bills.”

Tales From the Back Row

Amy Odell served formerly as editor of Cosmopolitan.com from 2013 to 2018 and is now a media columnist for Business of Fashion, and regular contributor to other publications. Tales from the Back Row is a keenly observed collection of personal essays about what it’s really like to be a young woman working in the fashion industry. Amy Odell takes readers behind the stage of New York’s hottest fashion shows to meet the world’s most influential models, designers, celebrities, editors, and photographers

The Big Life: Embrace the mess, work your side hustle, find a monumental relationship, and become the badass babe you were meant to be

Ann Shoket was editor-in-chief of Seventeen from 2007-2014. With her book you’ll get career advice by high-profile millennial women who have already achieved tremendous success and of course Ann’s tips too.

Influencer: Building your Personal Brand in the Age of Social Media

Brittany Hennessy was the first Senior Director, Influencer Strategy & Talent Partnerships at Hearst Magazines Digital Media where she secured fashion & beauty influencers for Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle… In this book Brittany shares practical tips on how to step up one’s game in the influencers’ world. In this book she’ll reveal how to:

*Build an audience and keep them engaged
*Package your brand and pitch your favorite companies
*Monetize your influence and figure out how much to charge

*Landing an agent
*Getting on the radar of your favorite sites
*Praising a brand without alienating their competitors

Whether you’re just starting out or you’re ready for bigger campaigns, Hennessy guides you through core influencer principles.

Brave, Not Perfect: Fear Less, Fail More, and Live Bolder

In a book inspired by her popular TED Talk, Reshma Saujani shows women how to end the love affair with perfection, and rewire ourselves for bravery.
Drawing on hundreds of interviews with girls and women from across the country, inspiring stories of women changing the world one brave act at a time, and her own personal journey to accept her imperfections, Saujani shares an array of powerful insights and practices to make bravery a lifelong habit.