When Rosenthal Tee graduated with a Management Economics degree from Ateneo, she knew she wouldn't have the traditional career path of her peers. It was a risky choice. After all, Ateneans were notorious for taking safe jobs in big multinational companies. Eventually, Rosenthal found herself in London, where she took up a master's degree at the Instituto Marangoni and short courses at the London College of Fashion and at Central St. Martins. For three years, she learned her craft and the ins and outs of the industry. “London taught me how to be a collaborator; as a visual, the city is so vibrant with different fashions and cultures that definitely give you an appreciation to explore,” she says in a Preen interview.
Today, Rosenthal is one of the country's most sought-after bridal designers. Fresh off her stint at this year's Metrowear, she's also launched exclusive collections at Greenbelt's Myth and at AVA, the Globe-backed online retail platform for young designers and independent brands. And if those weren't enough, Rosenthal plays an active role in educating the next generation of designers as an instructor at SoFA, the country's leading fashion school.
Rosenthal's point on collaboration is spot on. Contrary to the widely-held belief that fashion is all about the creative genius, charm, and glamour of individuals, the fashion industry unsurprisingly requires strong collaboration among talented people from diverse fields. The fashion industry is made up of a variety of professional skilled not only in the creative fields but also in areas such as publishing, merchandising, and business.
There is rarely a straight path towards any career goal in fashion. Choosing your niche means not only finding the career that piques your interest, but one that matches your skill set as well. Most people in the industry start in one of three fields: design, media, and business. We call this the Fashion Trifecta.
Design involves creation - from the fashion designers to pattern makers and production specialists. Media is all about bringing fashion to life, from photography and styling, to publishing and merchandising. Business, meanwhile, is all about understanding how to turn a small collection into a scalable and profitable enterprise, often with the help of e-commerce and social networks.
So to help young fashionistas out, we’re bringing you a workshop on Fashion Careers 101, where professionals from the three areas of the Fashion Trifecta, will share inside advice on how to break into the fashion industry. Rosenthal Tee will be talking about how she started as a designer and entrepreneur, the skills one needs to make it in the industry and the struggles she faced when she was starting out. Venturing into the new avenue of e-commerce, she recently released her first street wear collection with and exclusively sold at AVA. Both believe in giving local designers access to the online market, and that its customers are ready and eager for what they have to offer.
Joining her is Filipino-Japanese celebrity stylist Ryuji Shiomitsu started out as a freelance stylist who decided to build his career in the Philippines. He has since gone on to style for the countries leading publications like Scout, METRO, Grid and Mega. He now has his own styling team, is the head fashion stylist of ETC and styles for major local fashion brands. He'll be talking about how he built his career and his brand in the Philippines today and the opportunities the local fashion industry presents. Also speaking is Oliver Segovia, an alumnus of Harvard Business School and the founder and CEO of AVA. For four years, Oliver was based in Singapore where he worked with Procter & Gamble Asia. In a regional marketing strategy role, he spent possibly the most interesting year of his life: selling Whisper feminine care pads. No, he didn't have to test the product. Oliver's also the first Filipino author to publish a book with Harvard Business Review Press.
Fashion Careers 101 is good for: Students taking up Clothing Technology, Merchandising, Multimedia Arts, or Marketing Students who want to break into styling, photography, or merchandising. Students who want to pursue further studies abroad in fashion, fashion history, or merchandising People in digital media, publishing, and advertising who play a key role in bringing the local fashion industry to life. Mid-career professionals who want to switch from a boring desk job to an exciting career in fashion, whether on the design, media, or business side. Designers and entrepreneurs interested in how to use e-commerce to scale their emerging fashion business.
This session is designed to give you industry insights on: The different career tracks one can pursue in the fashion industry, the skill sets & attitudes needed in pursuing a career as a fashion designer, stylists, and entrepreneur, first-hand accounts on starting your own fashion business, common misconceptions about working in fashion, the challenges faced by fashion entrepreneurs and freelancers, how to grow your fashion career from being freelance to professional, balancing creativity with technical and financial knowledge.
There will also be on-the-ground selling of select pieces from the Rosenthal Tee x AVA collection at the event. Payments can be made either in cash or credit card via Globe Charge.
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