Name: Kelsey Bonacker
Class Year: 2017
Hometown: Baldwin, New York
Major: MPS Fashion Marketing
Job: I’m currently a showroom manager for a visual merchandising and fixtures company called ALU Inc. in SoHo. I do a lot of client research, meetings, and event planning.
Previous internship experience: My internship experience is all over the place! When I first decided to go into fashion, I was coming to the end of my freshman year in a business program at the University of Scranton, so the best way for me to break in was through internships in NYC. I interned with the design team at a lingerie design and production company called MAS Intimates, which was an outstanding experience that I learned so much from. The summer after my sophomore year I interned in a menswear showroom for a company called TM Fashion which gave me a lot of good showroom and tradeshow experience. My next internship was with a financial planning company on Long Island called Westco. I took on this role to see if business would be better suited for me since I was getting closer to finishing my BS in international business. It was an amazing learning experience, but it made a huge impact on my life because it showed me that the fashion industry is what I am passionate about, and where I belong.
Extracurricular Activities: In my spare time, I love to go to the gym, watch re-runs of runway shows of my favorite designers like Balmain and Alexander Wang, and write. The company I work for also owns a magazine called MiND Magazine, and I do a lot of editing and transcribing for their articles, and have written some on my own as well. I also write for HerCampus, and have my own side hustle where I edit student papers and help them with the tough parts like creating thesis statements and citations.
Why did you choose LIM to complete your graduate degree?
At first I looked at FIT, and even went as far as to take a class there during one of my winter breaks my senior year. It was amazing, but I felt I needed something that would complement by business-oriented mind and background. LIM has so many options for people in the fashion industry with a business mind, so this was a great fit for me.
You have a degree in International Business, how do you think this complements your masters in fashion marketing?
International Business was a tough major in my undergraduate university; my graduating class had less than 10 of us. We were required to take a language and study abroad for a semester, so I took advanced Spanish for two years as well as two levels of French, and then studied abroad in Spain for one semester. Being exposed to not only the inner-workings of international business, but the cultures that are involved in dealing with people on a global scale is incredibly relevant to the fashion industry. It helped me at my first internship which was headquartered in Sri Lanka, my second internship which was founded in Canada, as well as my current job which was founded and has headquarters in Italy. Knowing how to do business is good for business, but there are so many more intricacies involved when dealing with people on a global scale, whether it is with marketing or finance or any other sector. I think having socio-cultural awareness and an understanding of the global market is a great way to be successful in any industry, especially fashion, and my two degrees have helped me attain that. Clearly this is something I am passionate about!
What is your dream job?
That’s a tough question. My internship experience has been so varied that I would love to do anything from merchandising to marketing or event planning, especially for an international company. Instead of focusing on the actual job, I have the tendency to focus on the corporate culture of the company as a whole. International companies that are domestically based are perfect for someone like me who wants the international aspect but still be able to take charge and make decisions. Two great examples of this are Opening Ceremony and John Varvatos, both of which I am obsessed with.
Above all, the corporate culture has to be stellar. I am constantly reaching out to people on LinkedIn and asking them about the social environment and overall happiness of the people who work for the company. It’s important for me to not only like the clothes and the message of the company, but to know that everyone who works there is truly fulfilled and passionate about their job.
Do you have any advice for prospective students?
My biggest piece of advice would be to take internships as often as possible, in as many different roles as possible. Doing this is imperative to finding your niche, as well as what you are most passionate about, even if you think you already know. Also, if you have the opportunity to study abroad, do it! I was one of two people who studied abroad in Spain from my college at the time that I went; it was terrifying at first but it was one of the most eye-opening and enriching experiences of my life.