The fashion industry is one of the most international businesses out there. Designers, supermodels, and event organizers travel to and from all corners of the world to showcase the latest fashion trends. But with so many languages and cultures coming together, the need for language services like interpretation is unavoidable at events like Fashion Week. So how does an interpreter work at fashion week?
Fashion week interpreters and translators help models and designers deal with clients, reporters, photographers, and everyone else in between. While translators are tasked with translating written content to produce commercials, articles, and marketing materials, interpreters are there to facilitate real-time discussions on the scene.
We all know that fashion shows are all about the here and now. So fashion week interpreters must keep up to date with current lingo, trends, and attitudes. These interpreters work hard to convey the original meaning of messages from source to target language while keeping cultural considerations in mind. Naturally, this means that they need to be culturally competent. Not only in the source and target language. But also in the culture of the fashion industry.
Fashion Week Interpreters Might be Invisible, But They’re Invaluable
There’s a very high probability that you’ll never even notice the interpreters and translators among the crowds at Fashion Week. Unless you work with them directly. However, they’re always in close proximity to the designers, models, and producers that are center stage. They’re like the invisible link in the chain that holds the designer’s vision across languages.
Fashion interpreters must be very meticulous with their work as words can emit emotions and associations beyond their literal translations. When designer brands want to express their identities to the audience, the tone, language, and word choice is of critical importance. They need to consider the brand and the recipients of the message, and this can be trickier to do than you might think!
Understanding the Language of the Industry at the Fashion Week
English still rules the roost when it comes to the languages used at Fashion Week, regardless of whether it’s the London, Milan, or Paris event. However, the need for fluency in other languages is expanding at a rapid pace.
You might be able to connect to others at the Milan or Paris event in the English language, but you can’t communicate with them on a deeper level without speaking their native language. And naturally, addressing someone in their mother tongue instantly opens up doors for forming new relationships.
Ask any big fashion house, and they’ll tell you that language skills are essential for any brand that wants to establish ties with international brands and overseas suppliers. Thus, being multilingual can help you make the best of the opportunities within the fashion world, and this is why an interpreter plays such a vital role in this industry.
What Challenges Do Interpreters in the Fashion Industry Face?
Fashion is a global enterprise that is a melting pot for a wonderful mix of cultures and languages. And when languages vary, fashion designers and their teams rely on professional interpreters and translators to accurately convey messages across the language barrier. Selling fashion on the global market requires cooperation with local retailers and suppliers, and of course, someone who understands the local language and cultural nuances.
Fashion week interpreters, therefore, need to understand the specifications and procedures associated with the fashion industry. This ensures that they’re able to accurately and precisely interpret conversations while eliminating misunderstandings.
What Skills Do Fashion Interpreters Need?
As with any interpreting field, fashion interpretation is a specialized role, and linguists must be trained and experienced to work on-site at these events. Here’s a look at the basic skills every fashion interpreter needs:
Outstanding Foreign Language Skills
First and foremost, an interpreter needs expert knowledge of the languages they interpret. This one sounds like a no-brainer, but it’s not always the case. Interpreters don’t have access to encyclopedias and dictionaries when they’re working on events, so they need an extensive vocabulary and excellent verbal communication skills in the second language or all languages if they work with more languages.
Interpreters must speak just as well, and even better, than native speakers of the target language. They need superior grammatical knowledge and the ability to interpret idioms, nuance, and metaphors in conversations to facilitate smooth communication.
Expert Knowledge
As LCI Barcelona Master in Fashion Marketing, Communication and Event Planning teaches us, the dynamics of this industry are changing at a staggering pace. The professionals in the fashion field take care of steering a brand through the conceptual universe guided by its values, messages and personality. Most linguists work in specific industries and fields, and the same rings true for fashion interpreters. These professionals need specialized knowledge in all things fashion to be successful communicators. A fashion designer’s business correspondence and press releases at an event like Fashion Week are mission-critical, and without a professional linguist at hand, the messages might get lost in translation.
Accreditation
Accreditation or certification from a reputable institution shows that an interpreter has solid skills and experience along with the necessary credentials to get the job done. Professional fashion interpreters have an in-depth grasp of the fashion industry language requirements and work according to the interpreting code of ethics.
Soft Skills
The best fashion interpreters are far more than linguists who boast language fluency. They are also compassionate listeners who have excellent empathic skills. Interpretation scenarios can be intimidating for non-native speakers, and interpreters are there to make the new language experience as comfortable as possible in this event.
Another soft skill that these interpreters have is the ability to connect with a variety of diverse people. They need to form valuable connections with a variety of people to do their job as well as they possibly can.
Cultural Competence
Not only are fashion interpreters well-versed in more than one language, but they also have expert knowledge of the culture tied to the languages that they work with. Cultural competency is about detecting nonverbal cues and customs that are specific to certain cultures and geographical locations. And when you’re culturally competent, you’re able to better convey what non-native speakers might not be saying in words.
Need a Fashion Interpreter for Your Next Big Event?
In the modern, globalized world of fashion, translation services and interpreting has become one of the most in-demand yet most complicated linguistic services. It’s the interpreter’s personality (and not the brand’s) that your foreign partners perceive as the principal source of information. So, when choosing your interpreter, you’re essentially selecting a central participant in your event.
If you’re looking for interpreters with high levels of language competence, presentable appearances, excellent communication skills, and expert knowledge of your industry’s nature, Day Interpreting has the solution.
Our certified and experienced interpreters are here to help facilitate smooth communication and effortlessly convey your message to the world, regardless of the different languages and cultures you’re presenting your ideas too! Get in touch with us today to find out how our interpreting and translation services can help you transcend the language barriers!
Seldean is a multi-skilled content wizard that dedicates herself to writing content that goes beyond merely sparking interest in the audience.
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