Eunice Olumide - How to Get into Fashion: A Complete Guide for Models, Creatives and Anyone Interested in the World of Fashion

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

EUNICE OLUMIDE is a supermodel, activist and curator. Born in Edinburgh to Nigerian parents, she has appeared in both national and international fashion campaigns, working for top couture houses such as Christopher Kane, Alexander McQueen and Mulberry. A committed philanthropist, she works closely with a number of charities including CHAS , The Well Foundation, Zero Waste Scotland and Best Beginnings, and is a patron for Adopt an Intern. Eunice was awarded an MBE in the 2017 Birthday Honours list for services to arts and media, and was appointed Design Champion by The Victoria and Albert Museum in Dundee in 2018.

First published 2018

ISBN: 978-1-912147-73-1 HBK

ISBN: 978-1-912147-72-4 PBK

e-ISBN: 978-1-912387-44-1

The paper used in this book is recyclable. It is made from
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Photographs reproduced with kind permission of the
photographers detailed in the photograph credits section
at the end of the book.

The authors right to be identified as author of this work under
the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 has been asserted.

Eunice Olumide 2018

This books advice on exercise and health are not a substitute for
direct, professional medical care and diagnosis. Neither the
publisher nor the author accept any liability for injury or illness
of any kind arising directly or indirectly from reference to or
reliance upon the books contents.

For all those who were
mistreated along the way

Contents

Acknowledgements

Id like to say a special thank you to all the wonderful people who helped make this book possible: British fashion commentator and Professor of Diversity, Caryn Franklin; supermodel Richard Biedul; author and journalist Lucy Siegle; fashion director at Rankins Hunger magazine, Kim Howells; Susan Angoy; Doug Wood; special thank you to the prolific artist Bradley Theodore, for the cover image; and photographers Maximilian Hetherington, Ioannis Koussertari, Dawn Marie Jones, Arved Colvin-Smith, William Pine and Morgan White. And especially to my mother, Victoria Edwards, for always being so supportive throughout my career and my life. Thanks mum.

Introduction

WHEN I ORIGINALLY came up with the idea for this book it was to answer the many requests from friends, clients and fans who would all ask me the same question: How do I get into fashion? Having experienced the industry first hand, I lost count of the people who gave me completely contradictory advice. And because there are virtually no manuals or guides out there to offer any kind of sensible, practical help, it became more and more obvious to me over time that much of this advice would send people in completely the wrong direction. In the very worst cases, I came across models who had been badly treated simply because they were unsure about the boundaries of the occupation, what they might be asked to do and how their image could be misused or even exploited. So my primary concern is to protect people from putting themselves in situations that are not productive or necessary to achieve their dreams. I hope youll enjoy reading my book.

To give you a little bit of background, I was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and was originally scouted at the age of 15 by one of Londons top model agencies. Back then, I knew next to nothing about the fashion industry and had absolutely no desire to be involved in it. But, after being scouted a further four times, I eventually decided to give it a go and see where it could take me. Amazingly, it turned out to become my lifelong career and, as one of Scotlands first black models, I worked in the UK , the United States of America, Japan, France, Italy, Spain, Germany and the United Arab Emirates. I was signed to top modelling agencies AMQ , The Model Team, Colours, IMM Dusseldorf, Nemesis and Viva & LAAgencia. Ive appeared in both national and international advertising campaigns, fashion weeks and editorials such as WAD , ID , News Week , Hello , OK , ES Magazine , Stylist , Dazed & Confused , Oyster , Paper Cut , New York Magazine , Vogue , Vogue Italia , Bahrain Confidential , London Fashion Week Daily , Harpers Bazaar , Luire , Tatler , Hunger and many more. And at the grand old age of 27, I began to be talked about as a supermodel. Walking the runway was always my favourite place to be and I loved modelling for the likes of Mulberry, Alexander McQueen, Christopher Kane, Swarovski, Alexander Wang and Harris Tweed as well as fronting campaigns for brand giants such as The Body Shop.

In 2017 I was honoured by Her Majesty the Queen for my services to arts and media and received an MBE , alongside fellow supermodel Erin OConnor, author JK Rowling and musician Ed Sheeran. So, eventually, I achieved my dream of not only becoming highly successful within the fashion industry but also being able to contribute something towards the greater fashion world and being recognised for it in a way that exceeded even my own expectations.

Although its been hard work, Ive had a fabulous time during my modelling career and I was brought up by my mum to be supremely grateful to the universe for every opportunity that came my way.

But, as well as enjoying the glitz and the glamour, Ive also felt I should use my profile to draw attention to and raise awareness for a number of charities that are dear to my heart. These include CHAS , The Well Foundation, Zero Waste Scotland, Love Music Hate Racism, Best Beginnings and St Columbas Hospice. In 2013, I was asked to be an ambassador for the Fashion Targets Breast Cancer Campaign, joining individuals such as Kate Moss, Edith Bowman, Twiggy, Alan Carr and Sharon & Kelly Osborne, and became a patron for Adopt an Intern. And in 2018, the V&A in Dundee appointed me as Design Champion.

CHAPTER ONE

How to Be Successful

WELL DONE , you have just taken the first step towards living the life and achieving the career that you really want. And now, its my mission to demystify the fashion industry for you and show you how to plot a clear route to achieving your goal.

You may have bought this book because you know exactly what it is that you want to do. Or it might be because youre not quite sure yet. Whatever the reason, when youve finished reading youll have a much better understanding of the industry and be able to decide if fashion really is for you. Youll also have a healthier perspective on the various career paths that are available to you. One thing is certain though: behind everything we want to achieve, Im convinced there lies a deeper connection to our subconscious, how we really feel about ourselves and where we are at this specific moment in time. Ive learnt a lot of lessons in my life and one of the most important ones is that if you dont believe in yourself and think you deserve to be successful, its highly unlikely that anyone else will believe in you either.

A lack of self-belief is the main reason why so many people fail to achieve their dreams. You must trust that your dreams are completely attainable and that you deserve them to come true. This comes from a place of love. Loving yourself will make you capable of being the best you can be, and it will also give you the strength you need to survive when others do not support you. Above all, it will make you more attractive to the rest of the world. Other key qualities you must try to develop to be successful are patience, perseverance and resilience. Define what success means to you and, rather than judging your progress by how someone else is doing, judge it on the goals that you have set for yourself and how far youve gone towards achieving them. Were all born with different life chances, which are often beyond our control. For instance, you may have grown up with everything you need in life or you may have had very little. Loving yourself is the start of making your life the way you want it to be. Loving everything and everyone else around you will bring peace and happiness.