For many others, working in fashion doesn’t provide enough income to cover a decent standard of living — especially in the four fashion cities, regularly ranked among the most expensive in the world. Designer and trend forecaster Draven Peña says she could only accept her job at a New York fashion brand because she lives with a friend’s family for discounted rent. Otherwise, her salary wouldn’t have covered her basic living expenses and student debt repayments, which she took on because her family couldn’t support her financially. Even so, Peña considers herself “lucky” to have this role.
The scarcity of lucrative opportunities in the industry coupled with the lifestyle pressures mean that a lot of people have an exit plan. “So many people get a few years into their career and realise they need to make a change,” says TikToker Park. “No matter how much you love fashion, it doesn’t give you much security. Most people find it hard to buy their own home, upgrade their lifestyle, facilitate a long-term relationship or have savings.”
Fashion is a highly individualistic industry, where many people achieve success by trading off their appearance, personal relationships and interests. But, this focus on the individual — rather than the collective – only exacerbates the fashion industry’s overworking culture. If individuals keep trying to push through the exhaustion rather than coming together to find solutions, the risk of mass burnout and quitting will limit the industry’s success on bigger picture change.
Often, when people feel like their work is taking over too much of their life, they think the solution is work-life balance. However, this elusive concept is misguided, says Subira Jones, founder of consultancy The Fireproof Career. Instead, people should aim for work-life satisfaction. For example, if you wake up at 2am with an idea one night and have to jot it down before you go back to sleep, or you work late, but you enjoy your work, you won’t feel as bad about it than if you constantly set yourself up for failure with a never-ending list of habits you would like to change.
“The idea of work-life balance is like walking a tightrope — it’s exhausting, and you will always feel like you need an escape from one or the other,” she says. “Work-life satisfaction is a much more realistic goal.”
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With data analysis by Amy Betts and Jayne Pickard.
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