My ex partner completed two Fine Art degrees at UAL and he said the vast majority of his class were wealthy international students who had already established an art career in their home countries and just needed a degree from a reputable arts university to add to their resume to further their success. They were very talented, but it was never a matter of survival for them.

Congratulations on Your Graduation....

It’s so frustrating being an intern/ entry level and you’re expected to do everything because the higher ups barely know how to turn on a computer. But some how expect everything to be done quickly and get mad that it takes longer than they expected. Also I wish nepo babies would just own it. I feel like people would care less if the nepos stop trying to pull the “I’m just like you” card.

I came to the same realisation once I graduated too. Fashion is basically ego and you having the confidence to convince other people that you’re basically it

I think a lot of nepo babies end up in creative fields because it takes less effort to jump the queue. As you said, the qualification barrier to practice medicine for example don't necessarily apply in the arts. Obviously education in the arts is just as important but with the right connections it's a lot easier to circumvent these... PS Congrats on graduating!

I’m in South Africa & worked in the fashion industry via styling and academically as a Sustainable fashion Anthropologist. And let me tell you, if you don’t have connections or well known friends in the industry, are rich, went to a fancy fashion school (extremely expensive) there’s a low chance you’ll make it. I’ve moved to UX/UI design In corporate and couldn’t be happier.

I recently finished reading David Balzar's 'Curationism: How Curating Took Over the Art World and Everything Else' which focuses on the history of traditional curatorial work and how it has evolved. I found that a lot of the toxic facets of the art world he describes are applicable to the fashion industry as well. In the second half of the book centered on defining creative work and analyzing how this definition fits into the mechanism of art production, Balzar deconstructs the concept of the 'gallerina': a young, wealthy, female, art student who exists in a unique position to accept non/underpaid internships with the hope of someday owning (or at least persuading her parents to buy her) a gallery of her own. He delves into this complex web of governments cutting funding to art programs, the creation of 'deskilled work'--work in which conceptual work is valued on par with physical labor to its detriment, the introduction of "professional" humanities degrees that sought to deprofessionalize creative work in the vein of poststructuralist critical theory, but just ended up reprofessionalizing it and to an even worse degree, and finally culminating with a discussion of how curators like HUO operate in a new-age feudalist regime wherein a few tenured creatives maintain their illustrious positions that are unachievable to obtain by the average creative nowadays, leaving only a few highly coveted positions open for those with the most privilege to sweep up. Enter: The Gallerinas. This is too fuckin long now lmao but this book made me rethink the way I want to navigate the fashion industry and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who's an entry-level creative in any field.

Hi ! I have just discovered your channel. Love fashion and i am an interior architect. Nepo babies have been around forever. I moved to Barcelona in 2005 aiming to work in architecture. I was 24 at the time. I contacted many architecture studios and the top ones had policies to work for 1 year for free and then they may consider you to work with a wage. I met graduate architects from Cambridge and the Bartlett all working there ( for free of course) and mum and dad paying for the lot ( lifestyle etc) it was impossible for me to compete. I ended up moving to London and got a job the second day I arrived. As I already had 2 years experience. I now run my own company, and I have EARNT respect. It’s been nearly 15 years. I am known for my detail, hard work and output- I am hands on and use all the software, hand skills ( drawing) etc. and have the technical skills for site. Hang in there guys! Nothing beats integrity, passion, hard work and commitment! ❤

I work in the fashion industry here in Lagos Nigeria and honestly it's basically the same experience here if not worse. Although I was quite lucky when I was started out as an intern for a fashion house here in Lagos, I was being paid from the start(mostly because I already taught myself, gained skills and knowledge) and gained experience until I stopped being paid for literally no reason in my 5th month working for the company and was owed for 2 months. And Nepotism is a thing here as well, you see cases of young talented and skill designers being ignored, to favor some kid with well known and connected parents having access to opportunities that they've never worked a day in their life for, in an industry they basically do not understand.

Honestly everything you spoke about isn’t only applicable to fashion, it can be applied to the corporate world as well. One of my previous jobs, the manager was the same way, he delegated all his work onto the team and was so checked out we would often joke about it. But he would also protect his team if need be and didn’t throw any of us under the bus, so that was a positive. A colleague told us his nickname was recession proof because he would always make sure to befriend the incoming VP and be on a friends basis with them and would always avoid getting let go even when people weren’t sure what he even did. Not sure I would recreate all that to the same degree but I learned that being friends with your superiors and those in other departments really pays off.

so F*king TRUE! I work with a very closed minded boss, who is never open to change and if her way of doing things (which are 99% a guessing game) did not work out then i get the blame. TOXIC. Its unfortunate that so many highly skilled artisans are not being valued of their worth because of nepotism. There should be an end to this cycle! Thanks for sharing your thoughts and content. 😍

I feel like there should be some outlet like Yelp where interns and other workers could write their experience with the company so that in the future others would know if they should step their foot in that company. Best part? Those who wronged them had to read about what they’ve done 😅😂 Congratulations on the graduation! 🎉 you deserve it ❤

All I could do was laugh as you hit point after point. You told not one lie! I walked away from the industry over 10 yrs ago because of these exact reasons. But the fact that young professionals like yourself are speaking about it more transparently gives me hope that change is finally coming Congratulations on your graduation and I wish you and all the other fashion underdogs the best of luck. Never forget that talent and integrity always win in the end

I share my office with a nepobaby.i feel like I'm babysitting.she comes from money and again she likes to pretend that she got her position thru hard work.she is 22yrs old.i am 50 yrs and had to work my way up to where she is now in her 20s.

yeah fashion school is also like this u have the students who have to work to keep up with buying all the fabric and the ones who get appartments and hired seamstress from their parents, those are also the ones who have job offers waiting for them as soon as they graduate

omg i used to manage the designers son when i was art director at a fashion brand and he literally did zero work no matter how hard i tried to get him to!! and there was no world in which he could have been fired either. if i were him in that position i would have worked so hard to help my moms brand, i’ll never understand. the nepo baby thing is so true!

Your internships are giving new meaning to the phrase “learn by doing.”

I didn‘t know who Ana Wintour was until 2021 and I have my own fashion company. Vogue is extremely overrated. My ability to block out the world (especially the insanity of the fashion industry) is my biggest strength. I am doing well completely independently of it all. It is totally possible to succeed on your own. Your advice in this video is gold.

9:50 this is an incredible type of internet community to have. Critical but not aggressive or over corrective discussions are so good, and sometimes hard to come by in industries that can be judgmental.

Extremely important reality check to put out there. Congrats on graduation!

The problem with fashion journalism is there is a lack of depth in knowledge. American Vogue has become dull; its obvious Grace Coddington is no longer there. I will say Coddington made that magazine, not Anna Wintour.

Congratulations, you've done so much already while still in school the sky is the limit now. xxx

congrats on graduating! along the lines of nepotism, yeah its quite unfortunate how it happens across all industries. I come from an engineering background and in my previous job I remember an intern joining and in a matter of a year or so the person became director of product management. I eventually learned that the intern was related to the CFO, but it baffled me how comfortable they were putting the intern in a position like that. the company is doing quite poorly now but I still wonder what reasons upper executives have to make decisions like that especially when they know they aren't too big to fail.

Congrats on graduating!!! About the video specifically, I feel you. I’m just starting out in the fashion industry and it’s really hard not knowing people and having no real connections in it. I love fashion but it’s hard to connect and see myself staying in it for long

Delegate the task is the core upper management staff skill set - they do it convincingly with style, flair and joie de vivre and oh yes they have 'connections'. Sometimes it makes sense to make as many mistakes as you can and get away with before they crash and burn.

Relevant, I love your content. It’s realistic and helpful ❤

My boy is going to be active and the channel is going to get even more exposure 🔥

Lol your story about working as an intern is so hilarious. It‘s just insane people live this way. Incompetent people at their jobs is also what i have been baffled by many times. I can relate so well to this.

Congrats on graduating. Such a blessing. I love, love the advice of building your own audience. Such a vital point.

REAL! this was refreshing

You had me at nepotism….congratulations on your graduation 🎉

Thank you for being so transparent about the industry. It is definitely not an easy journey and it can defeat a lot of people (mentally, emotionally, spiritually). I fight with myself a lot to continue my journey in fashion. You, Ayo are an inspiration to us all, I appreciate all the knowledge you provide so much!! And congrats on graduating! :)

Congrats 🎉! Ive been keeping up with your channel since forever and am so happy/proud of you! Really glad to hear that BoF is a good place to work for, I really enjoy the content from there.

First congrats on graduating! Secondly I love this video and everything you said. I have been in similar situations where I ended up doing all the work and did not get properly compensated for it or even get to learn from those in ‘established’ positions. I have also been in an internship with people who got the internship due to parental contacts which is fine but that nepo-kid was rude to fellow interns, was lazy and one time she claimed my idea as her own. After I finished my internship term, I found out that the other interns told the supervisors about the nepokids behavior, the supervisors took it as the other interns not being team players. So everything you mentioned is so true, even your explanation of nepotism in different industries

Gone head black man! Appreciate your existence in this space. Keep going 🫡❤️

Thank you for this video, trying to go into the fashion industry as a management with marketing student in my first year. Thank you for the heads up.

I don't know why this video was recommended to me since I'm not into fashion, but I ended up watching the whole thing, it was interesting to hear your perspective. Congratulations on graduating and good luck in the future!

As someone trying to get into the industry from another industry, I loved this video. I found you during the pandemic on Clubhouse!

Congratulations !!! May the very best in life come your way!

Thank you for this video Like you,I have a love for fashion and had bad experience recently with this sort of thing I feel like the advice you have in the end of the vid is definitely the best course of action Congrats on the graduation

Congrats on Graduating!!! And yes, unqualified people are soo irritating. Glad you spoke to Accountability regarding your KZfaq channel.

One of your best ever videos. Congratulations on graduating 💫

I'm am so ready for the good content

Thank you for sharing your Journey. I hope that other People on the creative fields can learn from it.

Such a great video. Thank you for opening up about such issues. Good luck with you career!:)

throwing myself a party great job on Graduating ayo ur hard work is seen and will be rewarded

Congratulations on graduating! All takes are now accredited and certified. 😤

keep going bro. you're a legend

Fantastic! Congratulations! Keep going and keep growing in your fields 🙌👍✨

Congratulations on your graduation and all the best to you going forward! 🎉

congrats on graduating, you have come a long way man

Major congratulations to you on Graduating! Super insightful video on the industry

hello! i’m a student for journalism and really want to get into fashion as a writer/journalist. i’ve been following you for a while and really thank you for making this video.

CONGRATULATIONS ON GRADUATING!!!!!!!

Yeah… with the nepo baby thing totally agree! In creative careers the assessment is subjective and where with other careers there is an objective set of standards to be qualified e.g. exams, professional qualifications etc. There is an element of subjective & objective is in all careers but in creative careers it’s extremely subjective!

Huge congrats!

Thank you so much for this

You're an inspirational role model, I'd love to be working for

Congrats on graduating! You deserve it

Brilliant . Congrats on graduating. Well done 🫶🏾🙏🏾👏🏾

Great insight, thank you.

Youre videos are so info! So please get it coming! And you are handsome!

Congratulations on graduating!!! Very good video

i have little intent to actually work in fashion, but good video! watched it all

Thanks for the video, this is so true. During my time at LCF (business master), we would all apply for unpaid/minimally paid internships and they would simply pick people that had worked in a similar (senior) role abroad. A friend of mine had worked as a buyer for a global fashion brand in Mexico, and was then picked as a merchandising intern for Tom Ford. They paid her 300 GBP per month for seven days a week during Milan fashion week.

Congrats dude! Be someone who actually pushes fashion forward and doesn’t just take up space. 🎉⚙️

so much truth spoken here. also, great shoutout to imran ahmed and BoF. i listen to him on the BoF podcast weekly.

Those biceps bro! Fire!

Congrats on graduating!!!❤

congrats on your graduation !!

Not a single lie was told, your dedication and perseverance during your internship blows my mind. I don't think I'd ever cycle 2 hours for anything. Also, congratulations on obtaining your qualification!👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

Great Content

Well done!

Congratulations 👏 well done on graduating 🔥

*CONGRATULATIONS* 🎇🎉🥳

Congrats on graduating! Keep it up

I finally found you again I found your account when you were live streaming pharrells first show

Congratulations on your graduation 🥳

Nice story of the fashion industry from an insider.

Real spill.

Congrats on finishing your degree in CSM Looking forward for your future endeavors

This was some video ty for the insight

Here to boost❤

If I could say 1, no - 2 more things - 1). Congratulations on graduation, - Well Done! 2) If possible, please subtly introduce to would-be hosts of KZfaq segments the importance of shooting WS i.e. 16X9, eye line (i.e not looking up or down on the camera), framing & shot composition (neutral background/ lighting the face not the clothes) and above all watch that headroom - if you are on a locked off shot avoid moving about too much - otherwise LOVELY. I shall look forward to your genuine (avoid use of authentic which suggest contrived) relaxed style and warm delivery.

Congratulations on graduating!!

I've been in the fashion industry for 3 years now and it is a challenge. For example, you can work for a good company but only make minimum wage and then you can work for a bad company that mistreats you and you can make a little above minimum wage. There's just no winning really is what I'm trying to get at. As a result of the low pay, I just live at home but I'm getting tired of it so I'm slowly transitioning into UX/UI design and have been a volunteer apprentice designer for a client for the past 3 months and will be working with them until March. I'm really sad to transition out of the fashion industry because I love sewing and clothes so much but I don't see myself getting out of entry-level roles anytime soon if I stay in it.

Congratulations 🎈

I used to love fashion. But I am questioning that these days. I can say I like STYLE and ART! Congratulations on your graduation! And thanks for sharing. Everything would be better if people told their real truth instead of acting they are self made. And that goes for successful business people too

interesting video, albeit i do think the experiences you're describing working in corporate fashion settings aren't universal and are more unique to smaller more independent brands. nepotism is a tricky one, it exists in every industry but if everyone in fashion just sits around and complains about nepotism, what are we doing other than blaming our lack of progress on other people. the beautiful thing about the fashion industry is that its unconventional and that anyone can enter it. i studied international relations at university and now I'm a stylist working on red carpet projects and magazine covers. yeah the rate of progression of a nepo baby or even someone who went to csm is going to be faster than me, and they'll start off with more connections, but at the end of the day, who cares? as someone who had zero connections to the fashion industry two years ago, i truly believe if you believe in your skillset and ideas, and have that hunger to work hard and do whatever it takes to get to where you want to be then nothing will stop you- you just have to accept that the timeline won't be as quick as someone who has nepotism on their side.

Nothing is for free and endurance is priceless;)

Congrats on graduating Ayo!

Great video. Love the perspectives you share and how you depict "privilege". Sure--many work hard. But some work hard blindfolded and with their hand tied behind their backs.

Congrats on graduating!

Congratulations!

congrats on your graduation 🎓🎉

Big congratulations on your graduation. I’m not in fashion but it’s sadly the same thing in the theatre. It’s annoying to see my wealthy colleagues be able to make all sorts of plays and performances on shoe string budgets because they don’t have to worry about paying rent. But I choose to not linger in that space because it’s too time consuming and it takes away time and energy from me making my own art. At the end of the day, I think the hardest pill one has to swallow if we’re poor, grew up poor and we go into the arts… the hardest pill to swallow is that nobody cares about that. In the late capitalist system we live under, no producer or director or audience member cares about your struggle, they only care about what you produce. And so, because of this, I think us peeps who come from nothing we need to just show up and show out and outshine everyone in whatever way we can AND our struggle isn’t for everyone to hear, not everyone is deserving of knowing about our vulnerability and strife - so be careful who you choose to tell. I also find solace in artists that I admire and that I find out grew up rough and with no money and still managed to shake the world up even when they had no connections or a mom and dad to pay their rent. ❤

Congrats on your graduation 🎉

Well done graduating, fine achievement

I'm tired of all this attitude that is connected to fashion industry. Fashion industry needs a revolution!

It is not news that fine arts degrees are for the already wealthy. But I do wish they would tell idealistic 18yr Olds this.