Miriam Nehring, Senior Editor at Vogue, Germany – It was the perfect programme for me
Miriam Nehring reflects on how the Vogue Fashion Certificate took her from the field of psychology to becoming Senior Editor at Vogue, Germany.
When Miriam Nehring came to London in 2016 to study at Condé Nast College Fashion & Design, where she was enrolled on the Vogue Fashion Certificate, she wasn’t exactly the average student.
Aged 36, and already a psychology graduate with several years of senior management experience in different industries – from banking to conferences – her career had been somewhat interrupted. Not just by having her first child, but also by the arrival of triplets shortly afterwards. “For two and a half years I could barely leave the house,” she says, “because with four children who are all very young, there’s so much to do, it was crazy!”. However, this also gave her the opportunity to reflect on her career and her next steps. This was where the idea to move into Fashion came into play and what decisions she had to make to not only go back to work after her maternity leave, but totally change the industry.
From Psychology to Fashion
“People might think psychology and fashion are worlds apart,” she says, “but I realised that feeling good about your appearance can have a tremendous impact on your state of mind. Fashion is often regarded as superficial, but what we wear and how we present ourselves can be really important in influencing how we feel. When the triplets were born, I used to get up at three every morning, take a shower, and then put on makeup and stylish clothes, even if I was not going anywhere. I truly believe that the way we dress has a big impact on how we feel about ourselves.”
“Some of the articles I’ve written that have been most positively received have been about just this. The psychology behind how the way you dress can affect both yourself, your mood and the way other people see you.”
Miriam’s Role at Vogue
Miriam is now Senior Editor at Vogue, Germany, but even at such a high level, she says that what she learnt at Condé Nast College is still useful and relevant to her today.
“It was a perfect programme for me – a beautiful time,” she says, “and I remember it so well. There were thirteen of us on my course from lots of different countries and from so many different backgrounds. Of course, I was the oldest, but I still found I could connect with people from different generations. That year was the centenary of Vogue which was a very exciting time.
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From the first day we were seeing all the supermodels and meeting fabulous people from the industry. The thing was that whatever we saw or studied, in every field the College had an expert. That’s one of the things that makes it so special. There are people who know everything about magazines, about shooting and styling, writing, creating powerful websites – everything. We created three projects; we had to produce a website, a magazine (including the shoots) and do a business-focused project. And we had to pitch everything as well.”
Miriam says she’s still in touch with the cohort of students she went to the College with , and although they all had to work incredibly hard, the experience was so rewarding.
Developing an eye for aesthetics
“One thing I’ve learned,” she says, “and the College played a big part in this, is how beauty can be in everything you do. You develop an aesthetic eye, and you come to recognise what would work for Vogue and what wouldn’t. What’s the right look for GQ and what isn’t. You learn the tone of voice. All these things are so important in the industry. Everything we did was linked in some way to our future careers and we had help improving our CVs. We learned how to present ourselves, and of course we made fabulous industry connections thanks to the strength of the Condé Nast brand.”
Miriam says she has no hesitation in recommending the College to anyone who is considering studying . “You should definitely do it. For me, I wanted to change the industry and the short course was perfect. But it’s also a great place to start with your Higher Education because you know you’ll be learning from the best. That Condé Nast name means something important, and can open so many doors for you. Going there was one of the best decisions I ever made.”
Find out more about our Vogue Fashion Certificate programmes