Personal Statement - Fashion Marketing and Promotion

Fashion Marketing and Promotion Personal Statement

I very often get my motivation to start the day from the anticipation of the outfit I have planned. I also find inspiration in observing the extremely interesting and diverse ensembles we are treated to in this metropolis that is London, particularly Covent Garden. From classic outfits with a modern twist, to those with an unconventional mix of colour. However I find myself visually tweaking a colour or cut that I believe would enhance the person's complexion or figure.

Taking this interest in fashion to an academic level is something I have wanted to do for many years now. My career has mainly been administrative roles within financial and IT consultancies in central London. Both my children, now six and three years old, will be in full time primary school by September 2009. I will then have a chance to fulfil a long-term ambition - to obtain a recognized qualification in fashion promotion. I am excited about the buying of ranges and how they are positioned on the shop floor, but also how to make the customer feel valued and in doing so, acquiring and maintaining brand loyalty.

I enjoyed working within corporate administration. My roles at Sucden (UK) Ltd. included consumables management, liaising with the IT department on behalf of the traders, and managing the performance of maintenance companies to ensure the best cover obtained for critical IT systems. I then worked at IBM (UK) Ltd. as an Emergency Contracts Administrator where I was responsible for authenticating customer credit, invoicing contracts, and updating and maintaining a customer billing database. Preceding this, an opportunity arose to apply for the position of Exec Secretary within IBM. Here I worked closely with an Executive, to provide day-to-day support as required on a personal and departmental level, for the smooth running of the organization. I brought this previous experience from a non-fashion background into my first and recent position within the fashion industry at The Australian Design Store. (www.australiandesignstore.com) My work experience at ADS during the past year, i.e. 2008, has only proven that the fashion industry is where I am most excited, and the one I truly enjoy and aspire to.

At The Australian Design Store I was able to link my business background with the fashion and home-wares departments to great success. I was involved in the buying and promotion of all the lines, from the usual office tasks through to customer interaction at trade-shows. Preparation for trade-shows was particularly interesting, I was able to use my research skills to source prospective customers, prepare databases and manage invitations. The preparation of stands and promotion of the various products was invaluable experience which I believe, can be transferred and applied to fashion based study. Having formal knowledge of the concepts that achieve the promotion of a product for monetary profit, where domestic and global factors have to be considered is truly exciting.

I currently subscribe to The Appointment and Drapers, and my must-reads include Grazia, Vogue and Instyle magazines. I wish to pursue this course as I believe it provides practical knowledge of how to market fashion, with a trusted qualification that is attractive to employers. I am interested in the development of analytical skills, within a fashion marketing context. I also think the public relations unit is vital to a career within fashion promotion for networking purposes. In future, I hope to work initially for one of the small independent retailers within the Oxo Tower. So far I have approached two of these retailers with the prospect of obtaining further work experience.

Universities Applied to:

  • London College of Fashion - Offer Firm