Featured photo via: BOF
Who is Jessica Diehl you may ask, and what does she do? Well, Jessica Diehl is a highly successful career woman who we all admire here at CGD. She’s only the fashion and style director at Vanity Fair – no biggie.
If you don’t ask you don’t get
Although she has succeeded in becoming a hugely powerful magazine director, being at the top is something Jessica had to earn. She first started in the magazine industry interning for Glenda Bailey at Marie Claire – Diehl met Glenda whilst working in a bar in New York. She saw the editor and asked if she could intern at her magazine – and she took a chance on Jessica and accepted.
It’s ok to change your goals
After moving to Allure magazine, Jessica then went back to Marie Claire to work for the companies stylist. After three years working with stylist Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele, Diehl realised she didn’t want to be a stylist, but an editor in chief – quite a steep goal, and difficult job to achieve! It’s not as if you can submit your CV for a magazine’s top position, you have to work your way up, and quite often it takes a long time.
You can move on if you don’t think it’s going anywhere
With this in mind, Diehl then transitioned to Vogue magazine as an assistant for three years, then as Sitting’s editor for another three. After this six-year span her friend Grace Coddington, who got her the job at Vogue, suggested it was time for Jessica to move on and “broaden her horizons.” It wasn’t as if Anna Wintour was – or is – going anywhere!
Coddington introduced Diehl to the then fashion and style director of Vanity Fair, Michael Roberts. Diehl was offered the position as style editor, and after Roberts left the magazine, took up her current position as fashion and style director.
Jessica’s progression is impressive – her pure determination and will to succeed is what has landed her a hugely envied job by many people across the globe. Working with actresses, models and actors on the daily? Hello! Diehl is a pure inspiration to us, and shows us that no matter where you start you can always reach the top – as long as you fight for it!
If you need more doses of career inspiration from great ladies check out Deborah Needleman or see what we learned from these super successful women that stepped down from their companies!
