Glamour and gossip: Oxford Fashion Society’s ‘Women in Fashion’

On a sunny Friday evening at the Research Centre in Christ Church, Oxford Fashion Society hosted a panel titled ‘Women in Fashion’, featuring Julia Hobbs, Senior Contributing Fashion Features editor at British Vogue (a gloriously convoluted title only fashion media could produce), and Daisy Hoppen, founder and director of PR agency DH-PR. It is easy to feel a sense of anticipation in the room: the two are some of the most high-profile guests the Fashion Society has hosted since a panel with Adam Baidawi (Global Editorial Director at GQ) in Hilary of this year. 

Yet – perhaps in typical PR fashion – the two women seem eager to dispel any such tension. When asked how they would describe themselves, Daisy, with a thoughtful expression, describes herself as a “problem solver”, whilst Julia, sweeping her elegant dyed-red bob out of her face, claims to be “5 ‘9 and a natural redhead”, drawing easy laughter from the audience. Neither has a fashion background: Daisy studied Law at undergraduate and Master’s level, before changing track and interning at the Financial Times, whilst Julia did Medieval History at Leeds, and worked at a jeweller’s – she chuckles whilst recollecting trips on the tube to Vogue House, laden down with thousands of pounds worth of jewellery. There was something almost cinematic about their stories of getting into fashion. After a spell of freelance writing, Julia describes how an acquaintance informed her of a job opening at Vogue, leading her to hand-deliver her cover letter to the doorman at Vogue House just before midnight. It’s hard to imagine getting a job this way now, but there is something charming about Julia’s story, humanising the industry in a way the media seldom does. 

With the recent premiere of The Devil Wears Prada 2, conversation turned to the depiction of the fashion business in the media. “The Devil Wears Prada is more of a documentary,” the women laugh. For them, it’s a good thing that the media glamourises working in fashion – for the most part, it is glamorous. Julia recalls a highlight of her career at Vogue, in which she found herself in Kate Moss’ London home, trying on clothes in the supermodel’s wardrobe, a story which seems to have been plucked straight from a young girl’s dreams. Above all, however, they want the job to be appealing to young people, and if glamourisation is the way to make this happen, then so be it. “Daisy is a Charlotte with a Samantha rising,” Julia tells us as they assign each other Sex and the City characters, proving that the fashion fiction of their youths had much of the same effect that it does now.

But fashion is not always glamorous. In fact, it’s “cut-throat” – as Julia shares, “the job won’t love you back”. A heavily-pregnant Daisy is quick to point out the toll that her job has taken on her experience as a mother. “Women have to make compromises”, she states, citing the pressure she felt to work throughout her maternity leave. For this reason, both women emphasise the value of female friendships and mentorship. While diversity in fashion has improved, the industry has a long way to go, with the British Fashion Council’s UK DEI Report finding that while women account for 78% of the fashion world, they constitute only 39% of executive teams. For Julia and Daisy, it is important that they support younger women in their fields – Daisy’s PR agency proudly offers year-long internships, and Julia expresses her desire to be a mentor-like figure to junior editors at Vogue.

As the biggest fashion magazine on the planet, Vogue also documents the changing media landscape. The pair discuss the recent news of The Face shutting down, reflecting an increasingly competitive market for arts and culture publications. They fervently agree that AI summaries are currently the biggest obstacle to journalism, and are threatening the viability of newspapers and magazines to stay afloat in troubling financial circumstances. “Fashion is ultimately a business,” Daisy tells us, “but print media isn’t going anywhere.” In a world soon to be dominated by AI, they emphasise the appeal of stepping away from the screen, and remind us that those working in fashion still look to print magazines for their inspiration. Sure, Vogue may have to take on creative partnerships with Ebay, BMW, Nike, and others to facilitate this, but at least there’s hope for a more analogue future.

The two are full of advice for those aspiring to enter the industry. For Julia, the key is to think outside of the box. “Being niche has a huge power,” she says, expressing that a lot of the content which catches her eye is sure of the value of its own perspective. She also comments on the value of getting to grips with making your own visual content, since this kind of medium is (marginally) less of a victim of generative AI when compared with written forms. As short-form content becomes increasingly ubiquitous, Julia seems to urge those interested in making a platform for themselves toward harnessing its power, to “challenge yourself to be comfortable on camera” – even if it is just for 60 seconds. Indeed, getting comfortable behind the camera is Daisy’s advice: “Cool girls bring their own cameras!”

Ultimately, the greatest advice they offer is to have fun: connect with others, keep up with culture, and don’t stop partying. While this may not always be conducive to a healthy work-life balance – “a lot of us are insomniacs” – it nevertheless rings true for the work that the women do. “People fuel this industry,” she concludes, referring to both the relationships between creatives and the journalists themselves. “Writing should share who you are, what you do, and where you’re coming from.” Any young journalist who has written for Cherwell or any other publication may feel this sentiment deeply – when looking for inspiration, the best thing to do is usually as simple as getting outside and experiencing life. After all, Julia adds, “fashion is gossip.”

Is there hope for young journalists in the midst of an unemployment crisis, funding cuts to arts-based degrees, and the unknowns of AI? Yes, Julia and Daisy think, but it is by far the hardest time to be a new fashion journalist. Gone are the days of fashion publications taking on a junior editor who has no clue what they are doing – young people now need to prove why they are useful to an office. But saying yes, even if you’re unsure, will go a long way.. Praise must be given to the Oxford Fashion Society committee for facilitating real, human connection between industry experts and budding writers, a connection which is needed now more than ever.