In a world of entertainment and media, fashion has become more prevalent than ever. Do you love keeping up with the latest style trends? Or perhaps you have a passion for fashion, but you’re not quite sure what to do with it? Well, Brooke Smith is a junior here at Florida State University, and she’s majoring in retail entrepreneurship after getting her AA degree in fashion merchandising.
Her Campus (HC): First of all, what got you into fashion?
Brooke Smith (BC): Well, throughout high school I never really felt comfortable and never really expressed myself. I saw other people looking so put together, and I never thought it was something I could do. Then I realized that I wanted to be in a creative field, and fashion became a creative outlet for me, as I’m a very visually detailed person.
HC: Where would you say you get your fashion inspiration from?
BS: I get a lot of inspiration from the ‘90s, especially because I’m obsessed with ‘90s and 2000s sitcoms, so I base a lot of my looks off of those. I was obsessed with Friends and wanted to be Rachel Green so badly, so I started basing some looks off of her. From there, I kind of took pictures of her outfits and tried to recreate them as best as I could. I became more comfortable and started putting my spin on things, and now I just wear whatever I’m feeling at the moment.
HC: Knowing Rachel Green was a big inspiration for you, were you also inspired by her fashion career in the show?
BS: Yes, I didn’t know there were options in the fashion field other than design. I thought, “Well crap, I can’t draw.” Then I saw there were jobs that I could put outfits together and help with shopping, which are two of my biggest strengths. I also feel they’re both positions I would be extremely confident in because I know that I can do both of them well.
HC: So you want to be a buyer like Rachel?
BS: Yes, I think it’s such a cool job. I want to work as a retail buyer. I’ve also thought about becoming a celebrity stylist because fashion is such a versatile major and field. I kind of fluctuate between buying and styling. To be honest, I’m just going to take whichever I get an opportunity to do first.
HC: As a fashion major, do you hold yourself to the standard of being styled all the time?
BS: No! I buy clothes a lot but don’t always prepare cute outfits for every day. I value comfort a lot, so for day-to-day life, I typically wear comfy shirts. Getting dolled up takes a lot of effort, and currently, I’m putting that effort towards getting a degree, so I can be stylish every day after graduation. It’s more worth it, in the long run, to be comfortable in class and doing well than to be all dressed up in a nine a.m. class and not pass.
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