Katherine Barker’s mom knew since her daughter was a young girl, that she would go into advertising. She used to sit on the floor, looking at all of the different magazine ads and was fascinated by them. As she grew older and eventually came to MSU, she combined her love for advertising with a passion for fashion, sales and creativity.
Barker graduated from MSU in August of 2016 in creative advertising. Before graduation, she moved out to Los Angeles and spent her summer as an LA showroom intern for BCBGMAXAZRIA, a women’s clothing chain ranging from evening gowns to workwear.
“I think I got my interest in fashion from always wanting to be put together and feeling confident in myself,” Barker said. “BCBG’s lines definitely promote confidence for women.”
During her internship, Barker experienced the inner workings of a showroom. She would check in samples from corporate, make tags for samples, steam samples and take care of other logistical components of getting the showroom ready.
Along with learning what goes into putting together a successful showroom, Barker also job shadowed in other departments, such as advertising and styling.
“It was so cool because looking at the website, I can pick out the models that I styled during my internship,” Barker said. “It was really neat because I got the whole view of the company.”
Barker also assisted with LA market week, which happens once every other month. She said the environment was creative and fun. It gave her the opportunity to connect with people from all over the world.
“I had so much fun with the people I worked with and our clients,” Barker said. “I think that’s what makes you want to work for a company – a good work environment and the people.”
Barker said she was surprised by how talented, down to earth and genuine people are in the fashion industry.
“Everyone has the idea that it is going to be like ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ or something like that,” Barker said. “But everyone in the industry has their own personalities and style, which is what makes an awesome company too.”
An internship with the corporate side of BCBG sparked Barker’s interest. She previously worked for a BCBG store for three years prior to applying. However, she said obtaining the job was more about building her relationships through the BCBG brand.
“I knew I wanted to work for BCBG corporate, so I voiced this to my district manager,” Barker said. “I think I eventually got the internship because I networked, asked to do informational interviews and formed relationships with people all before submitting my application.”
BCBG emphasizes the importance of building customer relationships and because of that Barker discovered an interest she didn’t know she had – sales.
“I am starting to really like sales, but how BCBG does sales,” Barker said. “They want you to get to know each person and form a connection, so it didn’t really feel like sales to me, it felt like one of my friends was coming into the showroom.”
Barker said her creative advertising classes at MSU helped her come up with out-of-the-box and innovative ideas. When other people that she worked with thought of weird and quirky things, she got to contribute her creativity to their ideas as well.
“If you want to go into fashion, don’t be intimidated,” Barker said. “If you start networking early, branding yourself and talking to those around you, you will be surprised at how rewarding the industry can be.”
By Meg Dedyne
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