On November 6th, I attended the Careers in Fashion Event presented by Villanova’s Business of Fashion Society in the Curley Exchange. This event consisted of a panel of 7 women in the fashion industry, VSB alum and non alum alike. The women who made up this panel ranged from senior buyers to merchandisers to recruiters and even entrepreneurs.
The variety of roles represented in the panel allowed the audience to gain a true understanding of what a career in fashion would look like. Personally, I always knew I was interested in fashion but never thought of myself as a particularly creative person. Therefore, I did not think that a career in fashion would be possible for me. However, after becoming involved with the Business of Fashion Society and attending this panel, I realized that is not the case.
Many people see a career in fashion as a trivial pursuit. Sometimes individuals who say their interest is fashion are dubbed as materialistic or unconcerned with the greater good of society. In my opinion, they are very wrong.
Just like other art forms, fashion is a way for people to express themselves. With this self expression comes a more diverse society who is willing to embrace differences. Therefore, the fashion industry is a worthwhile industry to pursue a career in.
In addition to being a forum for creative expression, at its foundation the fashion industry is a business. According to the Joint Economic Committee within the US Congress, “fashion is a $1.2 trillion global industry, with more than $250 billion spent annually on fashion in the United States, according to industry analysts. Fashion and apparel industries employ 1.9 million people in the United States and have a positive impact on regional economies across the country.” A powerhouse industry of this magnitude deserves attention and respect. With this size business comes the need for many different experts. Fashion labels could not exist without finance, accounting, marketing and so many other integral business disciplines.
The women of the Careers in Fashion panel emphasized the importance of a business background in their roles in the fashion industry. Keynote speakers and VSB alumna Brooke Richardson spoke about how her VSB education allowed her to reach her current role as Senior Director of Buying at Michael Kors. Initially, she did not have interest in the fashion industry, thinking she would take a position in finance at a large bank in New York City post graduation. However, she soon realized that traditional finance was not her fashion, causing her to tailor her business education to the fashion industry. Specifically, she spoke about the importance of learning a skill, such as excel, during your time in college to make yourself marketable to companies.
After hearing the advice of Brooke and other panelists, I became more comfortable with the idea of entering into the fashion industry. Prior to this event, it seemed like an unachievable dream to me. However, hearing that women who were once in my shoes successfully took steps to enter the fashion industry made me realize that this is a goal I could actually achieve.
The biggest pieces of advice I will take away from this event are to network early and often, take advantage of your opportunities, make yourself stand out and don’t be afraid to make your dreams reality.
Industry statistics courtesy of: https://maloney.house.gov/sites/maloney.house.gov/files/documents/The%20Economic%20Impact%20of%20the%20Fashion%20Industry%20--%20JEC%20report%20FINAL.pdf