Working in Fashion with Fumina Tsuji
I interviewed Fumina Tsuji, contributing fashion editor at ELLE / ELLEgirl JAPAN. Fumina has also started working for Harper's BAZAAR JAPAN as a social media editor in January 2022. She moved to Denmark from Japan in 2020 with her husband and now lives in Copenhagen. We talked about working in fashion, her styling secrets and she also told us her favourite piece from our collection and how she would style it.
I’m absolutely in love with Fumina’s colourful outfits and I’m pretty sure you will love them as well. You can follow her on Instagram.
Tell us a little bit about yourself
I'm Fumina Tsuji, a contributing fashion editor for ELLE / ELLEgirl JAPAN. I've just started working for Harper's BAZAAR JAPAN as a social media editor since January this year. I moved to Denmark from Japan in 2020 with my husband and live in Copenhagen now.
How did you end up working in fashion?
I've been so into fashion since I was a child because of my grandmother. She was so stylish and bought me a lot of fancy clothes! Also, I love to study English at that time. Then I grew up, I started to think about how I could combine my passion for fashion and learning English. That's why I wanted to be a fashion editor for an international fashion magazine. After graduating from my university, I applied for ELLE JAPAN and got this job. Before applying for this job, I had worked for a music magazine as an intern for a year.
What do you like the most about your job?
To meet a lot of inspiring people who have a variety of backgrounds all over the world.
Are there any benefits that come with being a contributing fashion editor? Do you receive any PR gifts, or are you invited to fashion week etc.?
Fortunately, yes! I'm so grateful that fashion, jewelry, and beauty brands are interested in me as an editor for ELLE JAPAN and also my personality or style. They sometimes send me PR gifts and also invite me to press previews, shows, or events. Of course, I write articles about their products or post content on my Instagram so I can say it's much more "work" than benefits for me.
Any advice for people trying to make it in fashion journalism?
Basically, I always try to read, check and follow all kinds of magazines, websites, or social media every day. It's important to keep your eyes open and have your own opinion.
How does your average working day looks like?
I always work from home. I usually wake up at 8 am and check my e-mail and Instagram in my bed. In the mid-morning, I have some online meetings with my Japanese colleague and then write my articles or plan features for the next issue in the afternoon. Sometimes there are press events or parties in the evening.
We are in love with your colorful outfits. What are your styling secrets?
Thank you so much! I always try to wear two colors at least. Pink x green is the best combination for me and orange x purple is one of my recent favorites as well. The most important thing when I style my outfit is not to be afraid of combining different things - colors, patterns, or vibes.
How do you feel about trends in sustainable fashion?
Using recycled materials or choosing a made-to-order system are good ways to make fashion much more sustainable. Or making high-quality pieces long-beloved is also effective, I think. Among the younger generation, hand-made and vintage items have been huge trends recently.
And for the end, let us know what is your favourite By Alja Horvat piece and how would you style it?
I love Crystal Short Dress.
I would love to wear it with long leg warmers and platform loafers - the Y2K style!
