Amy Odell stopped by to be on The Public Library with Helen Little to talk about her debut book Tales from the Back Row: An Outsider's View from Inside the Fashion Industry. The author and editor of Cosmopolitan.com spoke about her inspiring career trajectory that led her to publishing her book. From feeling like "a piece dumpster trash blown in off the street" as a young reporter covering high end fashion shows to being one of the most respected members of her industry, Odell has clearly come along way personally and professionally.
Odell revealed she feels that she went into journalism for a reason, telling Helen that she "loved to write" and that there's "something pleasurable and satisfying about writing something you feel proud of." She decided to take the next step in her career and write her first book because she felt there was a "gap in the marketplace for it and mostly what we see is the front row life, you know, the Instagram influencers who sit front row at Paris fashion week and are always getting photographed for street style. That's not most people. Most of the industry isn't really like that."
Odell's refreshingly honest look at such a glossy industry is smart and laugh out loud funny all at once. She takes you inside celebrity filled after parties, the beginnings of her own relationship, and straight into the iconic Anna Wintour's office. (You can even hear Odell read a snippet of her meeting with Wintour during her appearance on the podcast.) This is a book you definitely won't want to miss.