Words of Widsdom: Louise Wilson

Professor Louise Wilson passed away last Saturday May 17. She was a mentor to Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, Christopher Kane and all of the great talents that have emerged from the Central Saint Martins MA Fashion course over the past 22 years. Wilson was appointed OBE in 2008 for services to education and the fashion industry, she was considered one of the most influential figures of fashion.

I never met her formally,  but I consider myself very lucky just to have heard this advice directly from her at the recent Vogue Festival Fashion Masterclass:

Photo: Chris Brooks. Vogue.co.uk

Louise Wilson's top five tips on how to get ahead in fashion:

Think long-term, not short-term, hence:
1. Have at least one skill and develop it.
2. Understand what manners are and deploy them.
3. Take risks. Failure is OK, you can learn from failure!
4. Be interested in the industry and its breadth - it's surprising how many people are not.
5. Work hard - absorb knowledge and give knowledge. 

Piensa a largo plazo, no a corto plazo, por lo tanto:  
1. Ten al menos una habilidad y desarróllala.  
2. Entiende lo que son los buenos modales y empléalos. 
3. Toma riesgos. Está bien fracasar, ¡puedes aprender del fracaso!
4. Interésate por la industria y toda su extensión - la cantidad de personas que no se interesan por ella es sorprendente. 
5. Trabaja duro - absorbe conocimiento y da conocimiento.