Hailing from a small seaside town, Bianca Bass is currently relishing in a Sex and The City lifestyle. Heels and Cosmo equipped, the 21 year old has interned up and down the country, scoring placements at the likes of Vogue, Company and The Telegraph.
As well as UK placements, Bianca travelled across the pond to New York City and worked at NYLON magazine for 3 months. Not only did the placement allow her to get up close and personal with the publication – writing articles, doing vox popps and, of course, making coffee – but it also taught her about the country’s work ethic.
A massive contrast to ours in the UK, we caught up with Bianca to discuss more about the international placement. We also picked her brains about what advice she’d give to today’s budding fashion journalists. Here’s what she had to say.
HTF: For our readers who don’t know you tell us a little bit about yourself?
BB: I am 21, half Brazilian, half English and live in London. By day I’m a full time copywriter, by night – and evenings and weekends – I’m a freelance social media and brand consultant.
HTF: Have you always had an interested in fashion?
BB: Fashion always intrigued me from a young age. As a child I was always fascinated by the way clothes could be used to express a person’s identity, far louder than words. Growing up, I loved spending my spare time customising clothes and covering my entire room with inspiration boards – the old school Pinterest! So I always knew it would be incorporated into my future somehow, someway.
HTF: How did you go about it? What was the journey like?
BB: Being from a small town, I initially wasn’t sure how to make it happen for myself but I knew that I desperately wanted to leave where I was from. The only examples I had of anyone working in the industry were from shows like The Hills and The City, that’s how sheltered I was, and I figured that wasn’t – at all – realistic so I’d have to find my own way. I went to a very old fashioned and boring all girls grammar school, so my first step was leaving there to study at a college with more varied A Levels. It wasn’t great, but it was during these two years that fashion became kind of an escapism for me, as I plotted my great escape to the city. I went on to study Journalism at University of the Arts London – the flexibility of the course and the central London location meant I was able to get as much as experience as possible alongside studying.
Source: BiancaAllegra.blogspot.co.ukHTF: How crucial were work placements when it came to getting the dream job?
BB: I started writing voluntarily for blogs from the moment I got to London before applying for several hundred internships. I remember receiving an email from Company magazine saying they’d had a last minute cancellation, could I come in on Monday. I jumped, quite literally, at the opportunity and from then on I spent every Easter, summer, and Christmas holiday interning. From Company I went to Psychologies, The Times Magazine, The Telegraph’s Stella Magazine, British GQ firstly in features and then in fashion and then on to British Vogue.
HTF: You also interned at NYLON in New York City. Tell us a little bit about the experience.
BB: The industry in New York City is so different from the UK. Summer internships in the US are generally only a few days a week – something I think works better. I’d always dreamed of going to New York and experiencing working life there so it’s an experience I will never forget. As a huge fan of the magazine, it was definitely inspiring to see the whole editorial process from start to finish. The scale of things even for an independent magazine like NYLON is just incomparable to the UK – bigger celebrities, bigger offices and bigger events! It taught me a lot about work ethic – a lesson I will carry with me for life!
HTF: And how did internships help you get your current job?
BB: They are a definite talking point at any interview that helps! Most importantly, they show prospective employers that you aren’t afraid to work hard, for free, and are dedicated to the career path you’ve chosen.
HTF: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received on a placement?
BB: Definitely to use my time as a student to my advantage. Lectures and seminars can be difficult but once you start working full time it becomes a lot harder to pursue all of your interests and goals.
Source: BiancaAllegra.blogspot.co.ukHTF: You also have your own blog. Is it something you’d recommend to budding journalists with the industry being so competitive?
BB: Yes, experiment with your own blog. Write as much as you can for as many different websites and build up a portfolio you’re really proud of – that’s what will make you stand out. Your future self will thank you!
HTF: Finally do you have any tips for girls who are currently interning/undergoing placements?
BB: While you’re interning you have the amazing opportunity to have a student loan, to be able to live at home if you need to temporarily save money and experience a wide variety of exciting placements! My tips would be to firstly not be afraid to take risks in reaching out – I always found it’s best to contact an Editor’s PA or the lowest member of staff, like an editorial assistant, as often more than not, they’re the ones who deal with the interning schedules.
Also don’t feel disheartened if you don’t hear back – I sent literally hundreds of emails before receiving one that went on to change my fate completely! And lastly, when you’re on your placement, be the person who really goes above and beyond what’s expected. While I was at Company I tried to suggest as many ideas as I could and kept in touch with the editors via email. This led me to be able to write features for the magazine long after my placement had finished – a dream come true! Ultimately, anything is possible but the best way to predict your future is to go out there and create it.
If you would like to find out more about Bianca visit: http://www.biancabass.com.
Interviewer: Emma Matthews
