Welcome to ALMANAC, a newspaper that celebrates the work of graduating students from the MA in Fashion Journalism.

Phew. Now we’ve got the introductions out of the way, let’s introduce our concept. Traditionally, an Almanac is an annual compendium of writing that’s loosely grouped around a particular subject or theme. In this issue, we’re celebrating our bodies with all their physical and emotional bruises. So, whether you’re a narcissist, an individualist, an exhibitionist (or just simply prejudiced) we hope we’ll inform and entertain you.

If you’re not inclined to read us (shame on you) Almanac also contains plenty to please the eye. Not only are our graduates full of good ideas; they learn to style, shoot and art direct too. After all, they’re entering an industry where multitasking is now the norm and not the exception.

Ah, the industry. To the proud parents who’ve supported their precious offspring throughout this experience, we’d like to say, ‘thank you’ for trusting your kids to pursue their dreams (and paying for it too). We’ve done our best to equip each one with enough commercial nous to make their way in this highly competitive sector -- however, unless Anna Wintour happens to be a distant cousin, it’s still an uphill struggle when you first start out. So please continue to have faith in their endeavours - the world of fashion journalism is tough, but it can also be one of the most fascinating and rewarding careers possible.

To prospective employers reading this, give these guys a job! Don’t populate your organization with unpaid interns. Invest instead in graduates who’ve spent most of 2024 honing their craft: from writing to styling, design, layout and exploring the vagaries of content creation. AI may be cheaper and doesn’t answer back but boy, is it predictable.

Without exception, everyone included in ALMANAC worked his, her or their damnedest to successfully complete this course. Our reward to them is a well-deserved master’s level qualification - but it’s over to you now.

We’re proud of them.

Andrew Tucker, Course Leader MA Fashion Journalism

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