Name: Brandi Long-Frank
Class Year: Semester 2 Graduate Student
Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska
Major: Fashion Marketing
Why did you choose LIM to complete your graduate degree?
I chose LIM College because I wanted to learn more about business concentrating in the Fashion industry. I completed my undergraduate degree at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. The Hampton Roads area definitely prepared me for a career in Fashion but I knew New York City and LIM College would mold me into the business woman I want to be.
You have great experience in this industry! Can you talk a little about how landed your position as Fashion Editor at Good Place and what it entails?
The CEO/Creator of Good Place, LLC Jonathan Tyson is a great friend of mine. I landed the position when he was beginning to expand the company. This position as Fashion Editor was great because the whole team worked as a family. I bounced ideas off Jonathan and other members of the team. I wrote articles about fashion style, interviewed upcoming artists, and developed new ideas that turned into projects. If the team wasn’t talking about new ideas we were putting them to action.
Let’s talk about your previous internship at Nordstrom! What was that like?
I LOVED this internship with Nordstrom. I think they did a great job of planning and executing a program to prepare individuals for a career in retail. I interned in the handbags department under Miranda Staloch and Demi Nguyen and they were the greatest mentors ever. I decided to do my internship out of state and traveled to Houston, Texas to work at the Nordstrom Houston Gallery. I shadowed both my manager and assistant manager so wherever they went I did, when they worked, I worked, and I gained a new found respect for Department Managers in retail. I met wonderful people who also interned with me at the store from all over the United States and even Russia. The purpose of the internship is to leave prepared to take on an Assistant Management role and the Nordstrom Houston Galleria made sure we were more than prepared.
You recently started your own business called 90’s Nostalgia Thrift, selling vintage clothing and accessories for both men and women. Can you tell us more about it and what inspired you to pursue it?
My boyfriend Bellamy Lewis and I have an obsession with 90’s culture and thrifting. While many other couples go to the movies or dinner, we found ourselves to explore different thrift shops around the city. Creating 90’s Nostalgia Thrift just seemed like the most logical step to take. We’re starting the business on Instagram and will soon be making a website for the business as traffic increases. We hope to spread our love of 90’s music, clothing, and aesthetic to the world one day.
What do you hope to do post grad?
I love writing and vintage products. I hope to land a position working in editorials while actively growing my business in 90’s Nostalgia Thrift. Eventually, I will open a physical Brick and Mortar for the company.
Do you have any advice for students hoping to break into the industry?
Yes, intern anywhere that interests you within the industry. Ask a lot of questions and be true to yourself. Network every time you leave your house because it’s not always about competition and sometimes always about partnerships.
What else should we expect to be seeing from you in the upcoming months?
In the next upcoming months, you can expect more writing from me, a relaunch of my personal website Moodringseries.com, which contains my poetry and short stories, and more clothing to be debuted on 90’s Nostalgia Thrift.