Annex Magazin

m a k i n g
m o v e s i n
fa s h i o n
Name: Hannah Harris
Age: 20
Hometown: Breckenridge, CO
School: Fashion Institute of Design and
Merchandising
q&a:
Company: Seventeen Magazine
Title: Sales Intern under West Coast
Director of Sales
ANNEX: If you’re life had a mission statement what
would it be?
Hannah Harris: “See the beauty and euphoria will fi nd
you.”
A: What drew you to the world of fashion?
HH: Before I could even walk or talk, I refused to let my
mother dress me and was picking out my own outfi ts.
I loved fl ipping through W and Harper’s Bazaar and
started sketching and designing when I was in third
grade. While my sense of fashion, and taste defi nitely
became more refi ned, I’ve always been drawn to the
idea that fashion is life.
A: How did you snag an intern spot at Seventeen Magazine?
HH: It sounds cliché but my personality and my resume.
I am an extremely hard-worker and my perseverance
showed through during our interview. For the interview
I made sure my appearance was impeccable and my
outgoing charm was not over shadowed by my severe
anxiety and nervousness! Also, I think my boss appreciated
my “small town” honesty. Fashion and sales are
two cutthroat industries but what many people fail to
realize is that honestly might not get them ahead as
fast as they desire but will insure longevity. My resume,
although not fi lled with well-known brands, proved my
desire to learn about the industry as I had dabbled in
fashion writing, showroom interning, social media management,
etc. Finally, my specialized fashion education
made the last difference, as my competition was
mainly UCLA and USC students and my boss liked that
I was truly passionate about the industry enough to invest
in it.
A: Do you think internships are an important medium
in the industry?
HH: I think they are extremely important. They prove
to an employer how “hungry” you are, teach you so
many things, and allow you to instill relationships within
the industry you want to work in.
A: Any advice for fashionistas trying to break into the
industry?
HH: Be very amicable but do NOT be fake! It’s a small
world, and an even smaller industry, where literally everyone
knows everyone. You do not want to mess anything
up for you or your business in the future because
of some debacle in the past. That being said, do not let
anyone walk all over you. When you respect yourself
others will see that and respect you more as well.
A: What is the ugliest truth about the fashion industry?
HH: If you want the glitz and glamour and are not able
to work harder than you play, this industry is not for you.
Everything needs to be 200% effort and no task is too
little for you to do. Even with that effort, it is inevitable
that you will be exposed to a lot of critique; this industry
does not apologize.
A: What were your responsibilities?
HH: A lot of administrative tasks, contacting clients to
make sure we had their current info in our database;
sending the latest issues to our clients to instill quality
relationships; fi nding potential clients within our demographic
and target market. I also went to a lot of
lunches with my boss and our advertising clients--- in
sales and fashion- client relationships are everything.
My favorite part of the internship was creating little
notes or gifts for our clients just to know we cared.
A: Dress for success- What would you normally wear
to the office?
HH: I always incorporated power- with a fashion twist,
defi nitely a lot of blazers and collared shirts, cigarette
pants and Jeffrey Campbell platforms. My favorite outfi
t for example was a silver tweed blazer from Zara, a
high-low white silk collared blouse, black skinnies, and
Jeffrey Campbell Watchmen platform booties. They
say to dress to the position you hope to be in one day.
I may have been “over dressed” compared to many
in the more laid back environment of the West Coast
offi ces but then again, as Oscar Wilde once said, “you
can never be overdressed or overeducated”!
ANNEX : BOY 29