Fashion Editor Danielle Prescod Shares How She Scored Her Job at Moda Operandi

Name: Danielle Prescod

Hometown: New York City

Job: "I'm a fashion editor at Moda Operandi."

I went to school at New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Study, where I created my own major, called fashion theory. When I was eighteen, I got an internship at Nylon and first discovered the wonders of a fashion closet. I think my big break, though, came when I was interning at Teen Vogue. I had been there for about six months when accessories director Taylor Tomasi Hill asked if I would like to help in her office. I was so nervous at first, but we just clicked, and Taylor and I have been a team ever since!

I've had some pretty memorable experiences with Taylor over the years, from holding her up as she hobbled over cobblestones in seven-inch heels at fashion week to sneaking off to Miami to help out on a shoot during my finals. When I finished college a semester early, I made up my mind to start working and not walk at graduation. My boss, however, had other ideas. In the days before street style was big, Tommy Ton of the blog Jak & Jil used to photograph Taylor at the shows. I had told her that her pictures were boring and she should do something crazy. Well, right before my graduation she was in Milan, and Tommy took a picture of her in a silly pose. Underneath, he wrote that Taylor said I had to go to graduation. I couldn't believe it, but after that, I had no choice. I went, and as I walked across the stage, I did the pose too!

After graduating, I worked at Interview as a market assistant and then Teen Vogue as the accessories market assistant. When I applied for the job at Teen Vogue, it definitely helped that a lot of the staff remembered me from my interning days. Then one day, Taylor called to tell me about the launch of Moda Operandi and asked if I would consider working there.

Now, as fashion editor, my job is to manage the creative concepts for the site. I go on appointments to designer showrooms and pick out what to shoot for the editorials as well as things to sell in our new boutique section. When I come back, Taylor and I sit down and go through everything and make selections. She can't be everywhere, so whether we are in New York, Paris, or London, I have to check out new collections and report back to her. Sometimes it feels more like we're shopping for ourselves than working!

I also help to style a lot of the shoots for the site and plan the editorial pages that support our trunk shows. When I'm not on appointments or on set, I am in the office working on the Moda Operandi magazine. I have always gone back and forth between whether I wanted to style or write, but thankfully now I have a job that allows me to do both.

My best advice to anybody who wants to work in fashion is to intern as much as possible. It is an invaluable experience and the best way to discover your strengths and weaknesses. This industry is not an easy one, but the encouraging thing is that no one ever has the same path to success. I really believe that if you work hard and have a good attitude, that is something people will reward!