01-11-10
The Daily Northwestern: Today's feature
An interview with Andy Sachs, local girl hitting the big time in the big city.
Q: Have there been times where you thought that the dream would never become reality?
...yes, I became disillusioned at times. I moved to New York with this grand dream of being snapped up; of meeting a prolific editor and them being so amazed by my portfolio that they immediately snapped me up and offered me the most lucrative and meaty positions. Truth is, reality isn't like that. That wasn't a dream so much as a fantasy; in reality, you have to take what is offered and make the best of it, until you can mould situations to make them ideal for you, or mould yourself into situations. Your dream, ultimately, has to be about creating your own reality and being comfortable within it.
Q: Would you say that you are comfortable within your reality now? And how did you reach this point of your life? As you mentioned earlier, a tenure at Runway fashion magazine wasn't ever on your list of 'to-do's'...
A: No...no it wasn't. Basically, I arrived in New York and pretty much immediately realised that it wasn't going to happen the way that I had envisioned in my head. I applied for jobs everywhere, and when I was contacted about the Runway job, it was either that or head back home. And I knew I could make it, if I only had a chance somewhere.
People told me that if you worked a year at Runway, it pretty much guaranteed you a promotion to your ideal placement. So when I was accepted, I saw it as a means to an end; a necessary, evil stepping stone if you like. I had never read beauty magazines; didn't set much store in fashion. I almost despised the whole industry; I thought that it was there to make ordinary people like me feel ugly. But the longer I was there, the more I realised how self-absorbed and delusional I was. I had no idea how many people not only worked in fashion, but built their lives around it. To quote someone who has become a great friend, I only deigned to work where others would die to work; had no idea how many great people were known in the world because of that publication, and what was worse was, at the time, I didn't care. I thought everything was about me; was disappointed that the editor hadn't yet even thanked me for my work!
It took a while, but suddenly I found this clarity of mind; I wanted to be noticed, wanted to be someone and yet all I was doing was complaining about the lack. So I changed that; Runway was never even on my radar, but I threw myself into my job completely, and through that, I have ended up where I am now. A job - any job - could hold the key to your dreams, so it's always best to...well, do your best. Because more importantly than impressing others, you'll have self-worth. So yes, that makes me quite comfortable with my current professional reality.
Q: You mentioned briefly the lack of acknowledgment from Runway's editor-in-chief. Tell us, how did you manage five years as the iconic Miranda Priestly's assistant? Is she really the devil incarnate?
A: My first meeting with Miranda didn't go particularly well, and it went rather downhill from there for a while. As I mentioned, I was quite self-absorbed, and I bought into the general consensus that she was utterly unreasonable. I think at my lowest I thought she was borderline sociopathic! But the longer I worked there, and certainly after I threw myself more into the work, I realised that Miranda Priestly...Miranda is so dedicated to making Runway the best that it can be, that she does not accept anything less than perfection, from anyone on any level. But - and it took me a while to realise this, too - she's not unreasonable, because unreasonable would imply that she expects people to do things that she herself never would. Anything Miranda asks of anyone she works with, she knows she would be able to accomplish herself, and she can easily match the amount of hours any of us worked - still work - there. She doesn't demand perfection so much as merely expect people to do their very best; to immerse themselves completely into their jobs, because she can't see the point of not. People don't spend sixty dollars on ingredients for a fine meal then only half cook it, so why spend your life working at something if your heart's not completely in it?
Yes, working for her was hard, and sometimes exhausting, but I can honestly say that without her, I would not be the person that I am. I would not be as intuitive, as creative, and ultimately I would not have as much respect for myself and others that I have now. If you do your best for Miranda, she will do her best for you, in her own inimitable way. Miranda Priestly is no angel; but she is not a monster, either. I think too many people are too quick to judge, like I once was.
Q: So, the moral of your story is...
A: To have the courage to stick by your beliefs, your dreams, but to not be disappointed when they are tested, and found lacking. To be open to change, and new experiences, and to throw yourself into any commitment you make 100 percent, otherwise you will never know if there is something vitally important that you have missed. To not live your life thinking 'I could have' or 'I wish I'd', but to think, 'well, at least I tried.' With anything.