Name: Alexandra Suzanne Greenawalt
Job Title and Description: Fashion Stylist and Style Expert
College Major: French Language and Literature with a minor in French Film
Website: www.alexandrastylist.com
Twitter Handle: @alexandrastyle
Her Campus: What does your current job entail? Is there such a thing as a typical day?
Alexandra Greenawalt: Helping private clients achieve personal style. Some days I have to do upkeep on my site, communicate with my team, and work on PR and press. Other days I’m pulling for a client in a big store or editing a closet. I love what I do so it never gets old.
HC: What was your first entry-level job in your field and how did you get it?
AG: I sold shirts wholesale for a huge apparel company. I was a “road rep” and traveled to six states to sell to Mom and Pop stores. I learned a lot about the apparel business, which is different from the fashion business. I answered an ad in Women’s Wear Daily and got the job.
HC: What is one thing you wish you knew about your industry when you first started out that you know now?
AG: Investing in your business is the best thing you can do. Apply business principals because it is a business. You can’t sit around waiting for clients to offer or ask you. You have to seek out and find your own clients.
HC: What words of wisdom do you find most valuable?
AG: “Some will. Some won’t. So what?”
HC: What is one mistake you made along the way and what did you learn from it?
AG: Waiting around for things to happen—You make it happen.
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HC: What is the best part of your job?
AG: The thank you notes and gifts from satisfied clients who have become friends.
HC: What do you look for when considering hiring someone?
Knowledge of the industry and what is out in the markets and being prepared to work hard. If they show up in really high heels, they’re really not ready to run.
HC: What advice would you give to a 20-something with similar aspirations?
AG: Find your own niche and path. Get training in color and shape analysis and learn how garments are made and explore different aspects of the business. Be yourself. Infuse your business with yourself. Don’t copy others. Realize that it’s not just about opinion—there is science behind clothing. Be prepared to intern and work for free to get started, it’s a very competitive market.
Click here to purchase Alexandra’s book, “Secrets of a Fashion Stylist: How To Break into the Business”