Since most of the blogspot.com is all about fashion and style, I will give my opinion and my "linkage"/background to the fashion world.
My first interest to fashion happened when I was approximately 11-12 years old. Where I grew up, Kyiv, Ukraine, and for that time, there weren't many sources where one could check out fashion collections, look at style sections, find out about designers, etc. Or perhaps, there were sources, but they weren't available to me. My mother had some magazines at home which had some fashion related sections, that I could probably even now recall after looking at them so many times. Seeing little pictures of designer outfits was a big holiday and inspiration for me.
I always wanted to be a fashion designer. I remember drawing girls wearing different outfits and thinking of how they can be different from the designs I've already seen somewhere. So, that dream of being a fashion designer lived until approximately June 2004.
Oh yes, and by the way when I was 13.5 my family and I moved to Toronto, Canada.
In 2004, in Grade 11 when I was 17 I took a Co-op placement class and was lucky to get an internship at Pat McDonagh Couture Inc. It was a fabulous experience, one of the best internships I've ever done. I don't think I've learned as much anywhere else then at Pat's studio.
2004 was also the year when I saw my first real fashion show at Loreal Fashion Week. It was mega exciting at that time :)
The same year, when I was in Grade 12 already, I really wanted to be in the "fashion world" of Toronto, so I found opportunities to volunteer at different events like LFW, TFI, and a magazine "Conscious Media". Those were great experiences, however I always felt that I could do something more important. Everyone who volunteered at such events would know what I mean. On the other hand, I understand that it was almost the only way to at least get to know people and learn about event production, and of course practice and enhance your communication skills. Moreover, the same year we had the End Of School Cultural Show, where me and and another student showcased our own fashion collections (not very cultural :)).
Oh yes, I forgot to mention, that in late 2004 I decided that I no longer wanted to be a fashion designer, but wanted to deal with the business yet creative side of fashion. Thus, I applied for a business program called Fashion Arts at Humber College. After already having some experience in the fashion atmosphere, I decided that that program had a great and useful selection of courses.
Finally (2005), I was excited to be studying something that I had passion for. I worked hard to get my well-deserved honour roll. Also, I took up some volunteering at LFW of course, and maybe a couple of other events.
In our 2nd year (2006), it was a time to get our internships/co-op placements. With a lot of hustle, sweat, TTC money spent, time spent, resume editing and sending, I got an internship at Holt Renfrew, Bloor location. But it was all because of my instructor, who recommended me to someone important at HR.
The scoop: I was super excited to be interning at such a nice dep. store at that time ! I was beyond and above fascinated! There was this great team of talented people working with me. However, that department wasn't for me. I just didn't feel that with already 1 year of school and 2 years of doing volunteering and other placements, I had to be doing what I was doing there. Sometimes, I even had tears filling up my eyes from self pity. I couldn't understand what I was doing there!!!! I so wanted to get a placement at HR, and now it was my worst nightmare of some sort.
And of course, as most "fashion students" know it's very rare to have a paid internship in fashion, whereas other professions already pay their students $21/hr. I guess employers in other careers understand that students are already : 1)Paying for the Co-op class, 2) Bring their own lunch, 3) Spend money on transportation/parking, 4) SPEND THEIR TIME. Once again, I understand that you can't be paying someone to do a job that they are not familiar with, but if they have experience and good at what they do - the companies have to at least cover their transportation expenses. Students are not rich (restrictions apply).
Furthermore, what really irritates me seeing LGFW right now and the volunteers. Once, I saw a girl who might have as well worked as a waitress or a bus boy....but for money. She was carrying a huge bag of ice on her bag, and you could see that she wasn't happy... Also, there are girls who pick up dirty napkins, carry heavy stuff, oh yes collect beer bottles that are so popular at the long shows breaks. They probably wouldn't even get a paid job like that if they were offered. Yes, once again, I understand that they get a scoop of the fashion industry and everybody starts somewhere, but not when you are doing it for free!!!! SCOOP: To apply to be a volunteer for this event you have to : 1) send you resume, 2) send a letter why you are a good candidate, 3) come for an interview (I believe). So, yes, there is a selection process for a Fashion Position (greeters, napkin pick-ups, waitresses, beer bottle collectors, chair carriers, etc.)
Soooo, after finishing my co-op placement at Holts, I was looking for another fascinating, actually "learning experience" and "where I will feel I contribute" placement. In 2007, I got! I got a placement and was an Event/Marketing coordinator at Fashion Rocks Canada. This one was the funnest and greatest co-op placements that I've done! :)
I was working on marketing materials, poster creation, sourcing & scouting of talents for the show (hair, make-up, models, photographers, volunteers), media releases, ticket sales, event promotion, etc. Shortly, I was one busy woman and it felt spectacular. Around 4 months me and James and Paris (FRC) worked on this baby. The event turned out to be very cool and fun :)
By the end of April 2007 the school was over. I graduated as a student who belonged to the Nerd group (honours) and was told by many students and instructors, that I won't have trouble finding a job.
I did... Either I looked too young for my age, maybe it was my accent...but I couldn't get a job! I was smart, experienced, with education, good marks, good presentation - but I just couldn't get a job!!!! Even a $12-$15/hr ones. By the way, that pay range really depressed me since I was making much more as a bartender at that time. I didn't understand why I had to spend so much money on education + books + supplies and plus spend 2 years in school in order to do important work and earn almost as much as a retail or drug mart employee. But once again, I understand we all have to start somewhere.
During the first month of summer, an event organizer (I should have a disclaimer, that I won't mention any names in this blog) contacted me to co-operate on fashion show project that was going to happen at Hummingbird Center (Sony Center). I was co-event organizer. In mere of 2-3 days, we met up with the designers/boutiques, scouted and selected models though an audition, got make-up & hair people, photographer, etc. Since, we were so short on time, I had probably an hour or so to come with the logistics of a fashion show. Let me say, it was a bit challenging since there were 2 models coming out from different sides of the runway at the same time, and at the end of posing they had to go to the opposite sides then they came from. Thus, organizing outfits, designers (who always had suggestions...not irritable at all:)),models, and most importantly timing was hard...but I did it! Or we did it! That was quite learning event production experience as well.
Soon after, I got a job at INDIVA boutique on Bloor St as a Personal Shopping Consultant. I figured that I never worked in retail and if I was going to be a buyer, I definitely needed some retail experience. It was an interesting experience, I liked selling and working with people. My confidence always went up when I did good sales, or when I was #1 in sales for a day or a week. I felt very important when older women or celebrities would trust my taste and ask me for opinions and go with them. It felt amazing to use the professional terms I learned in college and just to understand how the business runs. Moreover, it was electrifying to see your clients come back to you.
I was hired as a P/T but was promoted to F/T just a week after. Later I got to do some window displays, jewellery displays, store re-organizations, dress mannequins,sales etc. It felt great. Nonetheless, at the end of the year I had to leave INDIVA and do something else, since working in even a fine retail store wasn't something that I wanted to do. Plus, I felt I knew so much (look at the show off! :)) in regards to fabrics, fit, merchandising, and plus I always knew who was who (main fashion people in Toronto) when they walked into the store....and yet there was no room to grow.
In early 2008, I began doing some freelance work like wardrobe styling, make-up, modelling (not real one :)), bartending. I wasn't looking for a F/T job since I knew I'd be going to Ukraine for a month that year (after not being there for 7yrs) and after being a hair model , my hair didn't look professional at all.
It was nice to have those freelance projects and doing something different every time, but with my "never-giving-up-that-there-is-something else" mind, I wanted a full time job. I just wanted a life with stability, knowing that you will have your pay cheque every 2 weeks. Thus, I got a job at BCBGMaxAzria. Not too fancy of a job, but it was a F/T job.
Of course, I enjoyed working with beautiful clothes, fun stuff, and interesting clients. It was interesting to see how well established brands differ from the "new to the market" brands/boutiques. Selling was much much easier at BCBG. With my mind that I have to be #1, I became number 1 in sales for several month (showing off :)). After a couple of month, I and some stuff moved to the new fancy (that's what everybody thought) Bloor location.
I quit this job at the end of 2008.
In 2009, there were many family and other events that stopped me from getting a new F/T job. I didn't know what I wanted to do, to be quit honest. Retail jobs pay nothing, and other jobs as I understood later required University education.
So, I kept on bartending, doing make-up and styling, making headbands just for fun meanwhile.
In February, I met my b/f, well I knew him long before that, we just got connected through facebook approximately in Jan'09 after seeing each other last in 2003. Consequently, this business-minded fella (I had no idea at that time, hehe) was telling me of how I should have a headband business. I laughed and just nodded as a good girl. Well, people liked my headbands, but I just did them for myself.
For a long looooong time, I procrastinated. He kept on encouraging, reminding, and pushing me towards the "headband thing". At some point, I even wrote a little business plan for the "headbands" and had a plan of action of marketing and promoting them.
Then, I made more headbands and did a photoshoot. And then there was a Fan page on Facebook, and then there was a website and the whole website creation process, and marketing/promotion, and more photoshoots, and ribbon/fabrics, etc. buying, and sales. Yes...
Currently, I am a designer of my Miss S-a Headbands label. I enjoy it very much, however I have so so so much work to do in order to get my label out there. I understand that everything doesn't happen overnight and one must work very hard in order to achieve success. I have many ideas in my head and plans for the label, just need them to come alive.
For the curious: Why Miss S-a Headbands? Well, the well-known boyfriend (friend-boy) of mine , the one who got me into doing something I truly enjoy, called me Miss S-a (because of my facebook last name I guess)...and it just got stuck :)
Concludingly, I was lucky to experience many different fields of fashion industry. I did everything one can imagine in fashion...However, I would like to stay as a consumer of it (unless I change my mind or something great comes along) for now. Oh yes, and run my own headband business :)
Best regards and congratulations if you've read it all,
Nataliya
P.S. If you want to discuss any of the topics (internship pay, volunteering, business, etc.) - let's do it! I stand strongly behind my opinion. I will probably even elaborate on those topics later on it my blog.
