One of the things that amazes me most about the fashion industry is how a person with
no formal fashion education, little to no industry experience but an innate talent and
fashion sense can quickly become a success.
Catherine Kallon and her Red Carpet Fashion Awards blog is one of those success stories.
After only a couple years of putting her blood, sweat and Prada into her blog Catherine
is already being recognized as a Person to Watch in 2012 (and beyond). Vogue has put
Catherine on their most wanted list, and have featured her in their publication—as have
Vogue Italia, Marie Claire UK, Net-a-Porter and Women's Wear Daily--to name just a few.
Times Magazine named her blog as one of their Top 25 Blogs of 2011.
Catherine now runs her blog full-time and graces top fashion events around the globe.
If you are jealous already, don't be—remember that Catherine is armed only with
her finely-tuned fashion sense and a strong work ethic. Yet another important and
reoccurring lesson weaved throughout our Interview Series is that to survive in the
fashion industry you need to be a creative thinker and be able to pick yourself up after
being knocked down. Catherine has both in spades, as she created her blog and stuck to
it only after being turned down from Elle, Vogue and pretty much every other prominent
fashion publication in the industry.
Turning rejection into an opportunity Catherine invested her time, and money, into
making Red Carpet Fashion Awards a hit. After 4 months spent redesigning the website,
£2,500 on a faster server and even more money on professional-grade photos, she
doubled her initial traffic and turned her blog into a full-time career. RCFA continues to
be a strong voice in the industry, by chronicling the runways to the red carpets in New
York, Milan, London and Paris. Catherine's ability to be one of the first to know who
everyone is wearing, when and where, is what has earned her international praise and
acclaim.
use her experiences, failures and successes to break into the industry:
How did you get your foot into the door of the fashion industry? (aka what was
your first job and how did you get it?)
My first job was as a PA working for a CEO. I thought it would be a stepping stone but it
didn't work out that way.
For any of our readers not familiar with you could you explain your blog's vision
and what inspired you to start it?
I want to start off by saying that I created the blog as a fun outlet to discuss my views in
fashion. I had no intention of being famous or getting free clothes from brands which is
the reason many people are starting blogs today. I was tired of designer dresses being
incorrectly credited in publications, this is why the runway picture is placed alongside the
celebrity picture--as proof so there isn't any doubt.
Do you hold any other fashion-related positions in the industry?
No I don't. My blog is my business and my full-time job.
What type of education did it take to get you where you are today? And how has
your career path progressed over the years?
None. I didn't even have any writing experience before starting my blog.
If you had it to do all over again what would you do differently, change or
improve?
I wouldn't change a thing. I'm very content by concentrating on what I'm doing.
Which designers and/or artists influenced you the most as a creative
professional?
Elie Saab inspires me. His dresses are magical.
What is the most important skill or hard lesson you have learned while working
on your fashion blog?
Just because you spent 30 minutes talking to someone before the start of a show, don't
expect that person to acknowledge your existence the next time they see you. In short the industry is very fickle. I have made a few true friends. The others tend to latch onto you because of your success. I know who they are and keep them at arms length.
Do you accept interns looking to get a career in fashion writing, blogging, PR or
in reviewing?
Yes I do, and I pay interns per published post.
Which role(s) in the fashion industry do you think will offer the best career
opportunities moving forward? eg. designer, PR, entrepreneur, etc.?
As I only worked in the fashion industry very briefly as a PA I'm not really sure.
What designer(s) or brand(s) influenced you the most as a creative
professional?
Elie Saab.
Which skills do you consider to be most critical for a career in fashion?
Fashion knowledge and history. I wish I had more historical knowledge.
What would you recommend for aspiring fashion professionals looking to break
into today's fashion industry?
That hard work pays off.
Check out more interviews at The Fashion-Schools.org Interview Series.
