Serena K.
About me
| Serena K. | |
| History of Art | |
| History of Art | |
| Undergraduate | |
| James | |
| 2012 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| Fashion buyer | |
| Burberry | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Retail and sales |
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A day in the life of a Fashion buyer in the United Kingdom
It was working as the fashion editor on the Nouse student newspaper that gave me the confidence to start looking into the world of fashion.
Briefly describe the organisation you work for
Burberry - the epitome of British luxury fashion, steeped in history and still current with its regular LFW shows
What do you do?
I started as a high street buyer in womenswear for Debenhams, then Arcadia (Miss Selfridge) and now work in a more commercial role as a buyer at Burberry.
I buy all the fabrics for my collection each season, and work with Burberry's factory partners to get the garments delivered to store on time!
Reflecting upon your past employment and education, what led you to your current career choice?
I always knew I didnt want to work at a normal desk job in an office - (although ironically my role now does involve a lot of desk and email time!) but buying roles do include lots of time away from the desk in range planning meetings, fit sessions and meeting suppliers.
It sounds silly but I have always been OBSESSED with shopping and clothes - getting in trouble for it from a young age!
Is your current job sector different from what you thought you would enter when you graduated?
I changed my mind about what to study at university about 4 times and had no idea what career I wanted when I first got to university! It was working as the fashion editor on the Nouse student newspaper that gave me the confidence to start looking into the world of fashion.
Describe your most memorable day at work
My most memorable days at work have been developing product and using my creativity. It takes a lot of confidence (that comes with time!) to stand up in front of your team and suppliers and give your opinion about product - and be prepared to be able to stand up for that view!
As a buyer you get to visit some pretty cool supplier offices and see some very cool product.
Are there any challenges associated with your job?
Working in the fashion industry can be very rewarding and exciting - but it is definitely worth keeping in mind that it is a tough industry. There is a lot of time pressure to deliver products, and a lot of pressure to choose the products that generate sales and profit! So if you fail on either account (even if it is not your fault!) you can be criticised heavily.
I would say that you have to be totally in love with fashion to be able to succeed at this role!
What’s your work environment and culture like?
The environment and culture has varied hugely in my career from company to company.
Working in womenswear fashion is renowned for high pressure and long working hours due to the volatile nature of trends always changing - and every senior person having an opinion!
Menswear and childrenswear is often (but not always) more relaxed and stable. Something like food buying is more commercial and less creative, but the working hours are likely to be better and the environment calmer.
What extracurricular activities did you undertake at university and what transferable skills did you develop through these?
Having to do a speech in front of an audience about why i should be fashion editor of the newspaper was probably the most intimidating experience at university - I was so nervous! But I was voted to jointly hold the position and it definitely influenced my career choice. We were able to attend London Fashion Week every season, and snuck our way into quite a few big shows without tickets!
I also joined a few events organising societies which i loved, and gave me a lot of confidence.
What top tips do you have for York students preparing for today’s job market and life after graduation?
Take EVERY experience you can - whether that be working in a retail store and asking the management for an experience day in head office, shadowing any contacts or asking for help through the York careers service - any experience you can talk about to show your passion for the industry will put you ahead of other candidates.
What topics from students are you happy to answer questions on?
How to break into the industry
Interview advice
Which companies to apply for
Qualifications and experience
Anything!
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?
Skills needed to work as a Fashion buyer:
Creativity and and eye for trends - for a buyer it is vital to have an eye for trends and creative mind. I developed them by constantly having my finger on the pulse for new trends, both online and in stores.
Organisation - much of buying is about organisation and delivering the range on time. You have to be able to juggle buying multiple seasons from different parts of the world at one time.
People management - from day 1 you will be managing a supply base - relationships are a key part of the role, so it is important to be able to be able to connect and work with people.
The recruitment process varies company to company - but interviews in the fashion industry tend to be more casual and conversational.
As a buyer it is always good to have visual aids to show you understand and can spot trends.
However my role now at Burberry is less trend lead and more commercial - so I spoke confidently about my previous experience in negotiations and critical path management.
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