5 reasons to give your parents if you want to study or work in fashion

Dream job. We all have one, depending on our aptitudes and interests. According to a 2018 study conducted by PWC, for six out of ten young people that job is in fashion. But if, according to the «observatory on perspectives and expectations at work» Millennials and Generation Z are determined to turn their passion into their job, convincing parents and family members to believe in a creative career is not so easy. As a survey conducted by 1Granary shows, 68 percent of more than two thousand respondents recounted that they had quite a bit of difficulty getting their loved ones to accept and respect their work - and this is for two reasons. The first is that, in common understanding, any creative work is still associated with financial instability. The second relates instead to the cultural background of parents as members of Gen X, as Laura Bachmann writes in an article entitled Do your parents hate your creative career too?. According to Valerie Steele, author of Anti-Fashion: The 1970s, fashion has lost credibility in the eyes of those who grew up in the 1970s, at the time of the controversial (and contradictory) race between couture and ready-to-wear. This is why most parents do not conceive of the idea that a creative job can guarantee respect and economic certainty in life. However, before we give up at the outset on the prospect of studying in a fashion school or applying for a creative position, it is worth trying to give them our motivation. Here, then, are five key concepts to expound to one's parents to convince them that fashion is the right path. 

1. The data are clear  

Fashion is a constantly growing industry that plays a central role in the Italian economy, not to mention its value internationally. According to a study conducted by Mediobanca Study Area's Sistema Moda, which combines financial data from 70 multinationals and 134 large Italian companies, Italian industry turnover is expected to increase by 28 percent in 2021. According to the president of the National Chamber of Italian Fashion (CNMI), Carlo Capasa, the industry's turnover in 2022 is expected to exceed 92 billion euros - a figure that is 10.5 percent higher than 2020 and 2.2 percent higher than the pre-pandemic period. For 2023, PWC and the Edison Foundation projected a total turnover value of 81.3 billion euros. 

2. Fashion is a dynamic and flexible industry

If there is one thing we have learned from the lock-down period, it is the importance of finding a "work-life" balance. Fashion companies, in this sense, are offering workers more and more flexibility. Increasing day by day are the tasks assigned to freelance professionals who, along with an ever-changing percentage of employees, work remotely. This method encourages the conduct of a healthy lifestyle, in which work is not everything and each worker is free to cultivate interests and passions. In addition, virtually no one is forced to live in a particular place anymore - and pay the price involved in a city like Milan, from being far from home to overpriced rent. 

3. You never stop learning

«After all, we do it for the culture», Virgil Abloh writes to Gabriella Karefa-Johnson. Abloh, with his multifaceted approach, has shown the world that a stylist, designer or any other industry insider adopts a creative process that feeds on countless resources and contaminations. As a documentary made by the news outlet 1Granary and the Parsons School in New York shows, clothes make up just 20 percent of a student or fashion expert's work. The rest is made up of art, stories, cultures, experiences, inspirations, travel and other obsessions that converge in the cultural baggage of those who choose this path and help make them an expert in many - so many, things.  

4. Networking is everything

Networking is certainly not easy, but it is also challenging and engaging. Creating PR is something that teaches one to cultivate relationships with other people and allows one to work without neglecting one's human component or the importance of interaction in daily life. In accordance with a kind of democratization of the industry, which until a few years ago was extremely difficult to enter without historical knowledge, networking is now also digital. The number of people who start working thanks to a direct on Instagram or an online job ad is steadily increasing: if it is not encouraging to think that a simple "Follow" now opens all doors.    

5. It's a calling and it's yours 

In fashion (and beyond), it's not all about an axiom like «Choose the job you love and you'll  never work, not even for a day in your life», as people do work, many times even more  than they should. But that is why those who have the privilege of being able to choose  their dream job deserve the opportunity to pursue their dreams, opting for the job they are  best at. Sometimes we forget this, but our parents and loved ones want our best for us  more than anything else in the world.All we need to do is open our hearts to them and tell  them that we feel we were born for that job and that no matter how risky the path may  prove to be; we are willing to take the risk.