Yesterday, the “Careers in…” series, sponsored by the Hegi Family Career Development Center, held its second panel discussion in Hughes-Trigg. The “Careers in…High-Retail and Fashion” lasted from 12 to 1 p.m. in Atrium C/D.
This series allows students interested in a particular career field to ask successful professionals involved in their prospective job paths various questions. The events are informal brown bag lunches, so students are encouraged to bring something with them to eat while they listen to the panelists.
The three speakers on the High-Retail and Fashion panel were the general manager of the Dallas Tory Burch store, an SMU graduate who started her own high fashion stationary company, and a shoe buyer from Neiman Marcus.
At the beginning of the panel, each panelist was introduced and told of their backgrounds in the retail industry. Some students had questions about whether they would be able to enter the fashion industry with non-retail majors.
Robyn Chauvin, the ladies’ shoes buyer at Neiman Marcus, answered that your major should not hinder you from entering the field because she “was a professional lawyer before she decided she hated law firms,” and loved the fashion industry.
The discussion was helpful for those seeking additional information on entering the retail and fashion industry.
According to Scott Barr, the general manager of the Dallas Tory Burch store, finding jobs in this field should not be hard since the industry is expanding at an exponential rate, especially in the Dallas area.
He commented “in NorthPark alone 40 new stores have opened and in Highland Park [Village], four new stores will open in the upcoming months.”