Simran Singh '10

                     Simran graduated from Bryn Mawr College in 2010, with a double major in Economics at Haverford and Computer Science at Bryn Mawr. She stayed in the Philadelphia area, and currently works for URBN Inc. as an Assistant Product Development/Production Coordinator for Urban Outfitters, Women’s Knits. Economics and Computer Science may not appear to be directly connected to a career in fashion, but Simran explains her majors gave her what she “needed to potentially perform in almost any industry - be it law, finance and surprisingly, fashion.” For her thesis, Simran focused on the impact of a political/economic change on supply chain of the garment industry in the US. By coincidence, her job at Urban allows her to work directly with domestic garment vendors/factories in LA and NYC.
 
Her interest in the fashion industry peaked when she and 4 other Bi-Co students created Feathers & Fur, the Bryn Mawr College/Haverford College fashion magazine that is up and running now for 4 semesters. Then she secured an internship at Theory in New York City the summer before her senior year in production/product development. That summer was when she realized where she should be: “in an industry that I love, doing work that connects to my major and has a global impact on the economy.”
 
Especially in this economic climate, Simran is extremely lucky to have found a job working with a product she loves. One of the best parts of working with Urban is “seeing my styles on our website and knowing that I helped create it, down to what fabric we used and what color options we had.”
 
It seems Simran got a dream job right after graduation. While this may seem intimidating, she offers reassuring advice for apprehensive seniors, as well as bewildered underclassmen: not having a job lined up for after graduation is ok! She emphasizes that your first job will not determine what you will do for the rest of your life. “Each opportunity you get is an opportunity to learn - in the beginning, it is about learning how to work and deal with people in a professional environment, something college doesn't really prepare you for,” Simran said. “As you get older and gain more experience, it is about learning certain skills targeting your interest and industry.” Her suggestions for freshmen, sophomores and juniors were simpler: to intern! Interning is a great way to find out what you want to do, make connections and learn about a certain industry.

Of course I also sought out Simran’s advice on the latest trends and her personal favorite pieces. She said bohemian is back; easy, vintage inspired styles with novelty fabrics and lots of texture are especially hot for the summer. Sweaters are big right now, and you can wear them in chunky boyfriend inspired styles or try lightweight pullovers in fine gauge sweater fabrics in the summer. Crop tops are always in once the weather gets warmer as well.

Simran hopes to continue to work at URBN for some time. Lately, Merchandising has sparked her interest. This entails the buyer deciding what garments go into the stores based on customer preference and past sales. “The thought of forecasting trends or chasing into a trend we already see in the market is pretty crazy and definitely something I see myself doing in the future,” said Simran.