Jordan Porter is FASHION Magazine’s fashion market editor, helping to select and style all of those gorgeous looks in the magazine.

Her themed outfits and fashion picks are always a source of inspiration for our wardrobe, not to mention super fun. Jordan’s sense of style and playful creativity combined with her down-to-earth sensibility always produce pages in FASHION that give us ideas and looks that are equally dreamy as they are attainable. 

After traveling for a year, she truly does bring a world of fresh thinking to Toronto’s style scene. 

What does a typical Thursday look like for you, starting from when you wake up – to heading to bed? 

Mornings in my apartment require stealth-like ninja skills so as to not wake my night owl boyfriend. I usually wake up pre-alarm, around 7:45am thanks to a wall of windows in my bedroom that let the sun pour in, and slip into the main area to get ready. I always pick out my outfit the night before, too much choice too early in the am spells disaster! I mix myself a berry/almond milk/hemp protein shake, kiss my now semi-awake handsome man and I’m out the door by 10 after 9 and into the office by 9:30am to return any overnight emails before our weekly editorial meeting at 10. After the team meeting I check in with our Assistant Fashion Editor to gossip and confirm any media previews or market appointments for the day. From there it’s anything goes, usually dependent on our editorial calendar and what issue we are currently producing. It can be anything from scouring lookbooks, visiting showrooms, calling in merchandise to shoot for my pages or writing copy. I always bring a healthy lunch and eat at my desk while catching up on fashion news and checking in on my favourite blogs and websites. Afternoons are usually reserved for working on fashion market content for FASHIONMAGAZINE.com, either for our daily steal, FASHION Plates or one of our Style Session Videos. I usually leave the office around 6 and if I don’t have an evening work event, I always hit the gym for an hour on the elliptical or a hot yoga or pilates class. Groceries are picked up post-workout and my boyfriend and I will cook together, play scrabble or relax with episodes of Community (our current obsession) before bed around midnight. 

What was your first job out of school?

Literally the Monday after my last exam at Queen’s I started as a summer student at GMR, a live marketing company that handled accounts for P&G, Unilever and Honda to name a few. After a brief hiatus to travel through Europe, I came back to GMR as an account coordinator. I learned so much in the role but in the end, cars and deodorant just didn’t quite do it for me.

What are the 3 skills you require most to do your job well?

The most obvious are fashion sense and creativity, but a lot of people think my job is all about playing with clothes and being fashionable, and that is so incredibly far from the truth – those people drive me crazy! In any given day I can be developing page layout ideas, dealing with a lost fedex package, filming a tv spot, writing copy, attending media events, and the list goes on, so the ability to juggle a zillion things without dropping the ball is huge. People skills are also high up on the list. On average I attend 3 to 4 events a week and relationships – with labels, PR, retail etc – are a big part of my job. Talking about the weather gets really old really quickly, and if you can’t connect with people in the industry on a more meaningful level you’ll fall off the fashion radar.  

What do you love most about your career?

I love the creative process and seeing the end result each issue. I get so excited every time that new issue lands on my desk! I also couldn’t ask for a better team, it’s so fun to come into work each and every day. 

Do you have any warnings?

Just because you love fashion does not mean you’re cut out for a job at a fashion magazine. Also, if you’re looking to get into the industry prepare to work your buns off for a lot of time with no pay. It’s not ideal but the reality is that unpaid internships are a right of passage in fashion, I worked for a full year doing absolutely anything and everything I could – no task was too big or small – before I landed a paying gig.

If you could try a different career on for a year, what would it be?

Banking… so I could actually buy all the amazing luxury items I see and that taunt me everyday!