Fashion Lexicon

Carnet: A Carnet is a customs document that allows the temporary duty-free and tax-free import of goods (i.e., clothes, accessories, and equipment for shoots) into foreign countries for a specified period of time.

COB: Center of book– the most prestigious pages in a fashion magazine, wherein a reader would find the heartiest features, most full-page images, and longest fashion stories.

Confirmations: From the extensive list of ‘requests’—pieces an editor asks each house to lend for a given story—these are the items confirmed for the shoot.

Credit: A full look or fashion item photographed to satisfy a brand’s advertising placement in the issue. The prominence of credits varies based on ad buy size, page positioning, and the depth of the brand’s relationship with the magazine etc., etc.

First Option: Optioning is the process of booking specific elements of a photoshoot. We “option the time” on all creative leads and talent. Options begin with checking availability and gauging interest, both of which determine the level of option granted. A first option means the talent or creative is available and willing to hold time for the client. A second option means they may have conflicts, prefer to wait on other projects, or need more time before committing.

FOB: Front of book - the preface to the meat of the issue, comprising of smaller written features, news snippets, portrait photography, and generally more digestible stories.

Girl: This is often used synonymously with “muse,” in theory, this is the type of woman who a designer envisions when designing their collection. They are an abstraction that embodies the visual identity of a specific collection, or the general aesthetic of a fashion house.

HMU: Hair and Makeup, also known as Glam.

Main Fashion: the key fashion stories that are prioritized for fashion confirmations, second only to cover stories.

Sample Set: The samples shown on any given runway that are trafficked and circulated by a brand each season. Brands often only produce one sample set. In rare cases, a brand will have regional samples or duplicates.