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It’s true that fashion has evolved very much in the last couple of decades, but with style blogs, Pinterest, and other social websites, it seems that it has become difficult for people to obtain their own original style. Living in the ecclectic city of Austin, however, you will find many diverse styles around town; from the punk rock to the classy look. It’s all here.
Last week a group of UT students flew over to the Empire state to participate in New York Fashion Week and get their foot in the door of this great industry and show off their own unique style. From the fabulous group, Noemi Rodriguez, is pursuing a distinctive career path that is could serve as inspiration to other dashing individuals out there that are interested in the fashion industry beyond designing, modeling, and photo-shoots. Because of the complexity of the industry, many may overlook a vital aspect of the industry, business merchandising. Â
Rodriguez, a retail merchandising major in the School of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas, started pursuing a career in fashion just a few years ago, “In high school, I was in the Global Marketing team and during a state finalist trip to Austin, someone noticed my style and told me I should pursue fashion marketing. So here I am.”Â
She has a long history with fashion, however. As a child, Rodriguez would make clothes for her dolls out of old shirts and her silky pajamas. At the same time her grandparents, who were involved in the textile industry, stressed good quality clothing and taught her the basics of elegant dressing, which became her signature style.Â
Because of her experience, Rodriguez already feels comfortable in the industry, “I know that I have a keen eye for the fashion industry and really want to be involved in the business side of it.” She also stresses originality and change, which she proved during her trip to NYC. “Contrary to many people, I love change,” she says. While her fellow acquaintances in New York shared similar looks, she tried to always have something different to stand out and be unique.  Â
Although she has a passion for fashion, Rodriguez knows that the industry can be harsh at times; “It is also very competitive and you have to keep up with the changing trends, not follow them, but just to be informed and knowledgeable in an industry that can be very unforgiving if you don’t know about the new Chanel boots.”
For aspiring fashionistas, Rodriguez suggests to definitely network, which is key to make it in this booming industry and economy.