Behind The Glamour Series

Part 8 of my "Behind the Glamour" Series - Confessions of a Fashion Headhunter Let’s have an honest conversation. Fashion has never looked more diverse on the surface. Runways, ad campaigns, and glossy brand reports showcase a beautiful spectrum of faces, identities, and cultures. And yet — behind the curtain, not much has changed. If you’ve worked in this industry long enough, you’ve seen it firsthand: People of color, women, LGBTQ+ professionals are welcomed in the door… bu

Part 7 of my "Behind the Glamour" Series - Confessions of a Fashion Headhunter In the last article in my  Behind the Glamour  series, we looked squarely at the quiet crisis happening in fashion and business in general:  Ageism .  A pattern of marginalizing—sometimes subtly, sometimes brutally—the very people who helped build the brands we now celebrate. But there’s another story happening in parallel. One I see unfolding in almost every coaching conversation I have with exper

Part 6 in my "Behind the Glamour" Series - Confessions of a Fashion Headhunter Let’s talk about something the fashion, luxury and lifestyle industries refuse to confront head-on:  Ageism. Behind the curated campaigns and DEI pledges, there’s a silent but devastating trend playing out in boardrooms and hiring pipelines—where  brilliant leaders over 50 (especially women)  are being quietly pushed out or passed over. It’s not subtle. It’s not rare. It’s a pattern. And it’s getti

Part 5 of my "Behind the Glamour" Series - Confessions of a Fashion Headhunter “They let me go in a 10-minute Zoom after 12 years.” I wish that quote was rare. It’s not. It’s one of many I’ve heard lately — and it says everything about where the fashion industry is right now. Behind the runway shows, glossy campaigns, and DE&I panels, there’s a workforce that’s disillusioned, burnt out, and quietly watching loyalty disappear.  One restructure at a time. One 10-minute Zoom at

Part 4 of the "Behind the Glamour" Series - Confessions of a Fashion Headhunter "It’s a dream job!"   "I’d take a pay cut just to say I worked there."   "We don’t offer top salaries, but you’ll be part of something iconic." Sound familiar? These are the stories I’ve heard — and the language I’ve seen used — across fashion, luxury, and lifestyle organizations for years. In an industry that trades on image, prestige, and aspiration, the  compensation illusion  is one of its mos

Part 3 of my "Behind the Glamour" Series - Confessions of a Fashion Headhunter Let’s be real. In fashion and adjacent industries, there’s an unspoken code — a myth so embedded in the culture it barely gets questioned anymore: They call it "paying your dues." I call it  glamorized burnout ! Overwork isn’t just accepted. It’s glamorized. Burnout isn’t seen as a warning sign. It’s worn like a badge of honor.  Late nights? You must be dedicated. No holidays? What loyalty! Emails

Part 2 of my "Behind the Glamour" Series - Confessions of a Fashion Headhunter In my last article, I wrote about a common pattern in the fashion industry:  Hiring for brand pedigree instead of actual leadership ability. When we choose résumés over leadership skills, we don’t just risk bad hires — we damage cultures, lose great talent, and stall innovation. But the point isn’t just to critique what’s broken. It’s to offer a better way forward. Because  fashion needs a new kind

Part 1 of my "Behind the Glamour" Series - Confessions of a Fashion Headhunter They’ve worked at all the right brands. They know all the right people. They have presence, polish, and a beautifully curated CV. On paper? Perfect. But ask the teams who worked under them? “Empowering?” Not really.  “Visionary?” Never saw it.  “Safe to disagree with?” Only once — never again. In fashion — especially luxury —  𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵�