When most people think about a career in fashion what comes to mind is probably designer or retail salesperson. We rarely consider the many behind-the-scenes jobs that deliver a good paycheque and plenty of reward.
But moving up the ranks in the fashion biz to get to those valued roles means being willing to go beyond what’s expected.
Michelle Gault, product manager at Herschel Supply Co., is an example of someone who started on the retail floor and has made her way to the top of the food chain at the wildly successful Vancouver-based company, known for its hip-yet-accessible line of backpacks, hats, sleeves, bags, and more.
Gault’s initial career plan was to be a corporate lawyer, but when she started working on the floor at a sporting goods and clothing store, she realized how much she loved the energetic pace of retail. The life-long skier was working at Sport Mart, where she helped design a house line for women.
“This is back in the day when there really wasn’t anything in sporting goods for women,” says Gault.
Today with Herschel, Gault is responsible for design development and production. It’s a role that involves a ton of coordinating with several departments.
“We’re always making sure that product is the best it can be,” Gault explains. “You talk about somebody who loves their job, certainly I do.”
And that love has paid off. When she started with Herschel four years ago, there was a team of 12 people. Today, the six-year-old company has 122 employees and is available in 76 countries around the world.
Coach merchandiser and personal shopper Lindsay Wilkins is another fashion biz success story – proving that it’s possible to make a good living at what you love. By day, she helps create a visual feast for shoppers at Coach stores in Western Canada, and every other free hour is spent helping her hefty list of clients – built up over a decade – dress for their day-to-day lives.
As a stylist, Wilkins helps her clients detox their closet and replenish it with a well-rounded wardrobe that breathes new life into their looks.
Like Gault, Wilkins moved up the ranks, beginning her career as a student at Blanche Macdonald, where she completed the Fashion Merchandising Program, and then working in retail before joining Armani Exchange as the manager of sales and operations for western Canada. And also like Gault, Wilkins notes there is one way to stand out in retail.
“[When I speak] at colleges, I tell the students, ‘You just have to work hard, but if you are passionate about it, you are going to enjoy it,’” Wilkins says.
Local style expert Christie Lohr runs a fashion-focused job website called Style Nine to Five. Many of the most coveted jobs emerging in the fashion world involve online and social media realms. They include e-commerce managers, online customer support, development managers for online stores, social media managers, content creators for social media channels, and blog editors.
Naming a few of the current positions up for grabs on her site, Lohr notes that Vancouver retail phenom lululemon is looking for a communications coordinator and a fashion photographer.
The fashion pro says she would advise young people who want a long-term – and well-paying – career in fashion to go for a communications, marketing, or business degree to ensure they have an education that will make them more marketable in the fashion world.
Oh, and like her counterparts – all women who have been around and paid their dues – Lohr also notes that nothing is more crucial for getting ahead than a solid work ethic.
