Merchandising & Apparel
My experience in apparel began with a Bachelor of Design from Ryerson’s School of Fashion. During my time in school, I completed an exchange program with Amsterdam’s Fashion Institute (AMFI). Fashion school in Europe was a hyper-conceptual and artistic contrast to Ryersons’ overly-technical and production focused curriculum.
After graduating, I began work as a production manager for YM Inc. in Toronto. Within 4 years I worked my way up to a Buying role for Bluenotes, a denim company with 150 locations across the country. During my evenings and weekends, I ran an e-commerce business called Savannah Boutique, which sold locally produced jewellery and accessories.
Once recruited by Free People, I moved to Philadelphia to manage the wholesale intimate apparel business. This was well suited to my experience: a merchandising role that was grounded in an understanding of apparel design, fit, product development and production.
