How to Make Real Friends in the Fashion Industry
Not just collaborators. Not just contacts. Friends.
It starts like this: you're on a week-long job, surrounded by people — assistants, photographers, makeup artists, hair stylists, models, art directors, set designers — the list goes on. The vibes are flowing, there’s real energy, the looks are major, and your feet hurt from the 14th look change.
The shoot wraps. A month of prepping is suddenly over. It feels like a massive anti-climax. You get in the car. You’re exhausted and a little emotional. The cab driver asks how your week was. You say, “I made new friends. It was a great week.”
The next morning, you wake up, check your phone, and realise… maybe it was all just proximity. Maybe it was just work. You haven’t heard from anyone. No one’s checking in. It hits you:
You were part of something special, but maybe not something lasting.
Let’s talk about it.
Fashion is full of people, and yet it can feel desperately lonely.
Not because everyone’s cold or cruel (though let’s be honest — the myth of the mean girl in Margiela didn’t come from nowhere), but because everyone’s busy performing.
Performing success.
Performing connection.
Performing that we’re all too booked and blessed to feel burnt out and alone.
But here’s the thing: you don’t need more contacts in fashion.
You need people.
And building genuine friendships in this industry — the kind that survive beyond the call sheet — takes intention, softness, and a little bit of rebellion.
So — if you’ve ever walked off a dream job and still felt like you didn’t really know anyone…
If you’ve ever smiled through the wrap drinks and gone home wondering why it didn’t feel like enough…
If you’re craving something deeper than just “mutuals” on Instagram —
You’re not imagining it.
You’re not alone.
In the next section (for paid subscribers), we’re getting practical.
A toolkit for how to actually build real friendships in fashion — without forcing it, faking it, or waiting for someone else to go first.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
Five go-to conversation starters that won’t make you cringe
Soft, clear ways to follow up after a job — without sounding transactional
Reflection prompts to help you figure out who’s in your corner (and who isn’t)
Scripts to help you go first when you're scared of being “too much”
Friendship green flags — and gentle boundaries that protect your peace
Because the right people are out there.
And sometimes, all it takes is one real connection to change everything.