Career progression in fashion buying, merchandising, and brand management

Personal Statement

I believe that in order to pursue a career in fashion, obtaining a background in Fashion Buying and Merchandising is essential. For this reason, I am applying to the Fashion Buying and Merchandising program at Regent\'s College. This course of study will build on the knowledge I already have, obtained through my study of Design and Management (B.BA) at Parsons in New York, and in Luxury Brand Management at Regent\'s.

Leaders in business do not arise through study of a single discipline. A great leader is someone with the ability to learn from all situations, and to apply a wide range of knowledge to their business. Seeing how the different components of business fit together is one of the roles that a leader has, in particular when it comes to formulating a great vision for the organization to buy into. This is why I believe that lifelong learning is an important part of leadership -- one must always demonstrate a willingness to add to their skillset and continue to improve, in order to inspire others.

I started my business experience at Harvey Nichols, Istanbul, as an internee in 2013. Being my first job experience, it was very important for me to understand what a corporate culture is and how the corporate hierarchy is orchestrated. Since I was responsible with client satisfaction, this was the first time when I was able to use my communication and Public Relations skills at which I always believe to be strong. With the comfort of a successful internship and with more knowledge I gained during my senior year at Parsons, I accepted a position in C24 Gallery in NY, for three months internship as sales and PR assistant. Within days into my internship, I was able to obtain and handle more responsibility than I thought I would be given. Furthermore, I moved on into organizing events and art exhibitions for the Gallery such as Irfan Onurmen exhibition and coordinated invitations for these events. In September 2014, I accepted an internship as PR Assistant at the well-known brand Proenza Schouler in NY. At Proenza Schouler, in collaboration with the other internees, I created and updated databases by using Fashion GPS, maintained the organization of the showroom and the clothing and archived press releases and other materials. Through the end of my internship, I was also given the role of training new internees, which was rewarding.

I realize that management of an entrepreneurial venture is unique from management in other contexts. In an entrepreneurial environment, there is a fluidity that simply does not exist in more stable environments. The vision for the organization may not be set. Roles can change by the week. The ability to wear multiple hats becomes critical in this environment, as you must always adapt to evolving circumstances, and you have to be able to help your team adapt as well. Management to be able to identify opportunities, drive innovation, organization resources, and find competitive advantage, all within an environment that is constantly evolving. Targets are moving in this environment. It is for these reasons that building up great breadth of knowledge, in addition to depth, is important. Given that I wish to start my own company in the future, I feel that any step I can take today to foster an entrepreneurial mindset and skillset is going to be valuable in this vision of the future.

I believe that my education, my past experiences and my motivation to succeed will highly aid in my learning and skill development. Furthermore, I believe that my previous successful education and good GPA in Parsons will serve as a proof of my future academic success. I am an independent person who can be very cooperative and constructive at team work as well. Moreover, I am very enthusiastic to be challenged by the Diploma program, which I think is a significant factor to make the best out of this experience. Most importantly, as an individual who studied abroad and worked in a country other than my home country and who likes to travel quite often, I see myself as a person with very diverse and international perspective. I believe that this aspect of my personality fits very well with Regent\'s culture.

I also believe that, as a global individual, I am well-positioned to thrive in the modern era. I am a Turkish person, who went to high school in France, and has studied in both New York and London. My global outlook aligns well with the trends in fashion, and it prepares me better to thrive in a globalized environment. I have been exposed to a diverse range of ideas and people, and this expanded worldview will serve me well going forward, as an ambassador for Regent\'s College, and a leader in the world of fashion and business.