The Journey to Becoming a Fashion Buyer

I catch up with my longtime friend and former fellow model and unpack how she turned a small-city start into a corporate fashion career as an assistant buyer at Neiman Marcus. We get honest about rejection, unexpected detours like selling power tools, and what buying really looks like behind the scenes. 
• Early inspiration for modeling and getting started through local shows and classes 
• Moving from agency modeling to thinking about fashion as a business career 
• Choosing a marketing major to keep both creative and corporate options open 
• Internships, moving to Dallas, and using a non-fashion role as a bridge job 
• The Neiman Marcus executive development program and the month-long interview process 
• What buyers do and what assistant buyers handle day to day in Excel and reporting 
• How product decisions work across stores, online, markets, and customer behavior 
• When retailers decide to drop a brand and why profitability drives tough calls 
• Other fashion industry roles beyond buying, including PR, marketing, finance, and legal 
• Practical advice for networking on LinkedIn and staying consistent after rejection 

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Transcript

Early Modeling Spark In Juarez

SPEAKER_01 0:06

Hi, and welcome back to That's the Bee, where we talk about fashion, fashion people, and opportunities in the creative industry. Today I am with a really, really good friend of mine. Oh, we've been friends for forever. A very, very long time. And ever since we both modeled. So we met each other through modeling. And now she's an assistant buyer at Neiman Marcus, which is the coolest thing. Still in the fashion industry. So we're gonna talk about how you made it all happen. And first, um what inspired you to be a model or wanted to be like in the fashion model industry?

SPEAKER_00 0:57

Okay. Um, I think ever since I was a little girl, you know, like watching movies and stuff, I've always been fascinated with the whole like New York fashion. I don't know, it just always caught my interest. Um, and then I mean, obviously being from a small city, I was like, there's just no way for me to like find those opportunities here. Um, but as I went through like school and stuff, um, when I was in middle school, my um one of my friends was like modeling in this um venue that we have here in Juarez that's called Nubo. And one of the, I don't know if he's still the owner, but back then he he was one of the owners and he did like um what we call expobolas, which is where all of the vendors who are in charge of, you know, whatever you need for a wedding or a quinceanera, they'll show like at those events, and then they had like a fashion show with um bridal and quinceanera dresses. Um, so that's kind of like what got me into modeling. I started going to classes there, not very like professional at all. It was very casual. Okay. And then um when I went to high school, I saw this girl, like Friends in Common, that um she was modeling in El Paso, and I was like, oh, that sounds like interesting. And back then the agency where we started was Willomina Bazaar.

SPEAKER_01 2:25

I love that it was part of Willomina.

SPEAKER_00 2:28

Yeah, yeah. Like it was so cool. Yeah, because it's one of like the largest agencies in in the US. So um it was I was like, oh my god, this is so this is so fun, this is so cool. I'm I'm interested in joining. Um, so I spoke to her, she directed me to the I guess like what do you call like agent?

SPEAKER_01 2:46

Like agent, yeah.

Joining An Agency And Going To New York

SPEAKER_00 2:47

Um, she put me in contact with him and I met with him and made my parents drive me to El Plaza for this meeting. And you know, we talked through all the things, and um shortly after I started classes, we used to go to regular classes like every I think Saturday or Sunday or or only Sunday, I can't remember. Um but yeah, that's how I that's how I started, and I was probably modeling up until like my college years, yeah, and then slowly started like drankling down as obviously life got easier, but yeah, work and marketing stuff and ALA stuff.

The Long Road To Neiman Marcus

SPEAKER_01 3:25

I love that. I I don't think I ever asked you how like you started because it was very much like we were in the same agency and it was just like okay, friends, and then uh we just like kept doing the same things, and I think that's why we bonded so much because we both have like a passion for fashion, and I think it's so cool that you were like the first, or you were the first person actually to go that I got to go to New York with. Like I love that I share that experience with the thing, which was almost 10 years ago, yeah, which is old. We're not I don't understand. We're younger. Um, but yeah, I love that we both have experienced New York together, and I know you've gone back after the fact as well, and now you're in Dallas. So what I know you would talk to me about like wanting to do something in like fashion marketing, and we both wanted to do something like that. Yeah. Um, but how was like the process to become an assistant buyer at Neymar Marcus? Because that's like I feel like that's huge for Riven, like the company and the brand and the brands you get to work with rather than just like one brand.

SPEAKER_00 4:49

Um, okay, I'm gonna try to make this story not as long. It's okay. Um, but I started working um when I was in college, I started working at Guess, which is just like a you know, the at the mall. Yeah. And I remember having a conversation with one of my um managers who later became one of my friends, and she was like, she was also studying marketing to give a little bit of context of why I went into marketing, because I I think um in my mind it gave me the opportunity to go either the creative route or the more businessy, um, which at this point I'm still grateful for. Like, I wouldn't change the major I did. Um, so yeah, she was also studying marketing, and we were talking like, okay, so what's your plan after graduation? Where do you want to work? All that stuff. And she told me, like, I would actually love to work for like a corporate, like a guest, but corporate. I would like to work for corporate. And I was I honestly never thought about it that way because when you think of like fashion, you think of designers, you think of photographers, but you don't really think about like the business side of things that much. Um, so I was like, you know what, that sounds interesting, and that kind of just like put something in my mind. And then um I started applying to like different jobs, not only in Dallas. Obviously, I need I I had to get out of El Paso because those opportunities didn't show up as often here, unfortunately. So I applied like everywhere I applied to Scottsdale, Phoenix, um, even Miami, Dallas, and then um I did a couple summer internships for Target, but Target like the store, not necessarily corporate, but in my mind, I was like, well, maybe I can work store for a bit and then work for corporate. Oh yeah. Yeah. Um, that was kind of like my plan. And um I did those internships in Dallas. And while I was in Dallas, I was kind of researching which companies had their headquarters there. Um, and I saw that like Fossil has their headquarters there, JCPenney, like a bunch of like fashion companies. So I was like, oh my God, I think yeah, I think this is a good place for me to be and to start. And again, my plan was to go start working with Target, but when they made me the offer post-graduation, it really didn't make sense for me, like living there. Um, just with like cost of living and everything. Um, so I applied to a different job, um, which was completely different than the fashion industry. Yeah, it's it's a tool. So you drove trucks. Yeah, I sold power tools. So not glam. Yeah, not glam at all, but it got me to move to Dallas um because the company does like give you some financial assistance. And uh back then, I don't know if still they still do it. Um, but yeah, that's what got me to Dallas, and I in my mind I was like, well, this is what's gonna get me here, and I'm just gonna wait it out, get some experience, and then hopefully in the future I can apply to these other companies because before I graduated college, I did apply to um like different positions and internships in Eamon Marcus fossil, and I always got rejected. Um, I even had my like first interview with Floamingdales in New York for the same program that I did later on with Neiman Marcus, and I didn't get it. So in my mind, I was just like, okay, I'm just gonna get this experience, move to Dallas, and then we'll go from there. Um, and then after a year of working at that company, I quickly realized that obviously selling power drills was not my calling.

SPEAKER_01 8:41

Like I thought it was gonna be a passion.

SPEAKER_00 8:44

Yeah, no, I mean I never thought of it that it was gonna be a passion, but I thought maybe I will work corporate for this company. Um, but obviously didn't see myself doing that. I still was very passionate about fashion and the industry. Then I kept like connecting with people on LinkedIn, recruiters especially, and I saw um one of the recruiters for Neiman Marcus post, like, I am hosting an infosession for the executive development program, which is what you start as when you become an assistant buyer. Pretty much at any major retailer, like Bloomingdale's Macy's, they each have their own version of this program. Um, so I was like, okay, perfect. I'm gonna attend this info session. I remember I was like at my previous job working while waiting online for the simple session, like to join you. Yeah. Um and I didn't get a chance to speak to the recruiter then. Um so I just shoot her like a LinkedIn message and I told her, hey, um, I'm interested in the positions at Email Marcus. This is my resume. And she said, can you just email it to me and then we'll we'll set up a call or something. Um so I just emailed her my resume and then after that got the interview, and it was probably a month-long process of several interviews. I had to go through an assessment program, and then ultimately ended up getting the offer to be to start in the ADP program, the executive development program, to become an assistant buyer.

SPEAKER_01 10:19

Wow, what a process!

SPEAKER_00 10:21

Yeah, yeah. It was it was a long process, but it was uh rewarding for sure.

SPEAKER_01 10:27

And I know we spoke for like three hours the other day and talked about like all the things and how you're like very happy in the position you're in now. So I'm just so happy that you're happy and that you still get to do something in the fashion industry. Um, did you know? I know you kind of got or discovered the assistant by your position kind of later in college life or the retail life. Um, but it was that like a goal, or do you know if you want to do something like bigger for the company, or even if it's not for that company in the passion industry, is there like a goal that you wanna get to?

SPEAKER_00 11:12

I mean, honestly, before being an assistant buyer, I wasn't even aware that this was a career path. Um, and I discovered it because I was actually listening to a podcast and the girl the host was interviewing, she did the sales part of what my job is. So she was a sales work for a fashion brand, and um, she was explaining like her side working with buyers, and I was like, oh, that sounds interesting because selling realize it's not my thing. I sold like clothes, I guess, when I work at the mall. And then I sold power tools, obviously, um, for this other job, and I really didn't like it. So I was like, oh, maybe I should go to the like the buying side.

SPEAKER_01 12:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:01

Um, and I started researching what the position entailed, and that's how I, you know, um decided that it was something that I was gonna apply to. And now working and being in this role, I see the career path and I feel like it's what I was meant to do and what I really like. Because I didn't know what it was. Yeah, I just didn't, yeah, I didn't know what it was then. I didn't know what it entailed. I really wasn't aware of the position, but now um it's something that I really enjoy. And obviously, yes, my goal would be to grow to become a buyer, and then after that, it's like a whole new like oh Neiman Markson. Yeah, be the CEO. No, but yeah, you never know. Yeah, you never know.

SPEAKER_01 12:45

Like life is weird. Um so what is an assistant buyer?

SPEAKER_00 12:50

I I was prepared for this question. Like, yes. Um, okay, I'm gonna explain what a buying does a buyer does. So if you go to any store, it can be Target, Dillard, Macy's, and you see whatever product is presented to you, someone chose that product to be there. And that's what the buyer does. So they decide what we're gonna sell either at a store online for clients. And this is based on like um analyzing trends, reports, looking back at history, and then also predicting future trends as well. So it's a little bit of a mix of both. Um and what I do as an assistant buyer is pretty much just assist the buyer in their buying process. So I pull reports. Um, you said right now, like glamorous. I would say it's not very glamorous. I'm pretty much 90% of the time um working in Excel. Yeah, looking at reports. But for me, I really enjoy it, and I enjoy it because it allows me to um exercise the part of my brain that's very like analytical, looking at numbers, but I also really like looking at the product and what the new collection is gonna be, and then deciding what we're gonna sell at whatever location we're looking at. Obviously, um, you also have to be very strategic because you're not gonna sell, I don't know, very like heavy for winter coats in a Miami store. Like you also have to know your location or your market and also know your customer what what their shopping trends are. Um, so yeah, that's what a buyer, a buyer does.

Dropping Brands And Profit Decisions

SPEAKER_01 14:31

I feel like it's such like uh underminded career because uh like I heard it throughout the years, and like even like one of my fashion clients, I know she works with assistant buyers, and she's like a buyer herself for her clothing boutique. So it's cool to see that side of things and how products get selected. And do you all ever like decide if you need to drop a brand?

SPEAKER_00 15:02

Yeah, yeah, and that's that's a tough conversation to have, obviously. That's what my buyer is there for. Um, obviously, we always, at least in in my role in my company, we always try to make it work as much as we can. Um, but at the end of the day, obviously we want to make sure that the brand is profitable, um, that the company is profitable as well. Um, so it it had there has been situations where we have to drop a brand just because we see that it's not resonating with the customer. I remember um when I was working in even Orcas, but in the home division, we had like a very exciting, fun uh collaboration with Dolce and Gabbana. And we were like, oh my god, this is gonna be a hit because it's such a big brand, right? Yeah, and it didn't really do well. Um, unfortunately for like the home division, it wasn't doing well, so we had to drop that like collaboration. Um, which obviously you care about the brand, you care about the partnership, you want to maintain that partnership, but at the end of the day, it's a business. Yeah. Um, so if it's not making sense for us, we don't want to waste anyone's time, right?

SPEAKER_01 16:13

Yeah. That's I feel like people don't realize all the process that goes behind all these brands that we see in Neiman Marcus or yeah, like Sachs, Bloomingdales. Yeah. I guess I was just gonna comment on the fact that I mean Neiman Marcus has so many brands that you guys work with. Um and so is there just like one main buyer for the whole entire division, or do you guys have more than one buyer?

SPEAKER_00 16:42

No, we definitely do have more than one buyer just because we have a lot of departments. So there's like home, shoes, beauty, even within like beauty, it'll be different subdivisions. Um, so we like each division gets a buyer. So there's multiple buyers in the company, it's not just one. Um, and then obviously beneath the the buyers are there assistant buyers, and there's even more plan.

SPEAKER_01 17:09

Is there like any other fashion roles or like yeah, I guess roles in like the like your company or that you've seen in other companies in the like fashion related industry, aside from like a system buyer that call your attention or that you know of that I don't know, like that people don't really know about.

SPEAKER_00 17:33

Um I mean, at the end of the day, it's a business, so there's like obviously a lot of different parts. There's like the legal aspect, um marketing, uh finance, accounting. So there's like a lot.

SPEAKER_01 17:51

Everything in fashion.

SPEAKER_00 17:53

Yeah, everything but in fashion. I would say that interests me, um, probably PR and marketing, just because I see, you know, the the outcome of what they do, and it's like this is so fun. Um, but I feel like at this point I really am happy where I'm at. Um, and I'd like to continue growing in that, but I'm not opposed or close to um exploring other fields within my company.

Practical Advice On Networking And LinkedIn

SPEAKER_01 18:28

And I mean, I feel like there's just so much opportunity, so you can definitely like move around if you wanted to. Yeah. What is advice that you would give to anyone who wants to become either an assistant buyer or a buyer?

SPEAKER_00 18:41

I would say um not necessarily specifically for assistant buyer or buyer, but you know, if you're interested in working in the fashion industry, again, coming from a small city, you think there's just no opportunities for me here. And instead of having that negative and really like limited mindset, um work with what you have. So for me, I knew that I wanted to work in fashion when I was uh in college, but I didn't know how to get there. So I started like researching and I thought, okay, if I study marketing, then that gives me like a little bit of experience that can be applied in the fashion industry. Um, okay, how can I get more um fashion experience working at a retail store? Um, I would say like taking those baby steps with the resources available to you. And then as you, you know, growing your career, graduate and maintaining connections. I feel like it's very important. Um, like I said, I started connecting with people on LinkedIn, uh, looking for recruiters for X company that I wanted to work for, making the connection, sending either like a little pitch, my resume, and probably most of the time you're not gonna get an answer, but it only takes one yes to make it. Um so I would say use your resources available for you. Yeah, um you're LinkedIn. Um, and then you know, keep keep close track of your connections.

SPEAKER_01 20:28

Yeah, I love that because it's true. I feel like connections are everything. And you know, I know in the past I've heard other people who have like positions that they want in the passion industry where stories were well, they didn't hire them back then, but then they hired them in the future just because they remember that person.

SPEAKER_00 20:48

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:49

So keep like bugging people.

SPEAKER_00 20:51

Yeah, but like here. Yeah, and again, when I applied to this company before I graduated college and I got rejected. Um, and then it took for me to move there. Obviously, hopefully it doesn't take that for many people, but it took for me to move there, get experience in a completely different job. And I remember in the first interview that I had with Neamanwork, they asked me, like, okay, how are you coming from power tools to this? And I told them, like, no, this is literally my calling. That was just a sidekick. But I guess they were curious, they were curious and they were surprised with okay, how is this girl gonna bring that experience into this role? And um, I mean, I did some of things that are can that can be applicable to this role, like negotiation with um key people in the retailers that I work with. Um, so I feel like that played a lot into the experience that I now get to share in in my current role.

Closing Thanks And Sponsor Message

SPEAKER_01 21:50

Very cool. So I feel like I mean, experience overall will always add into if not in the moment. Later to whatever you want to apply to. And you just like made me want to update my LinkedIn because it's like not update it right now. But uh, I feel like in corporate world, you definitely have to have a LinkedIn updated and be on top of things and make those connections. And I know like my boyfriend's definitely more of a corporate man, yeah. So he's always talking about LinkedIn, and I'm just like on Instagram, making reels, just not like sharing all the things, yeah, but like you say, creative or like being in the fashion industry is not just being uh like I guess like creative with the things and like social media and signing and beauty, but also the business, yeah, and how to be part of that, yeah. Anyway, I think that's all the time we have. Perfect. Thank you so much for being here. Thank you so much for having me. Thank you so much. It's always so great to catch up and talk for three hours. Yes. And now for the world to to listen and see and learn a little bit more of what other roles there are in the fashion world.

SPEAKER_00 23:15

Yeah, yeah, no, I love that. Thank you. Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_01 23:19

Thank you so much. Bye. Thank you for tuning in. Make sure to follow at That's the V podcast on all platforms for more fashion content. And a big thank you to our sponsor, Jagremere Advertising Agency. If you're looking to get on platforms like Hulu or Netflix, check out the link in the description.