Alumni
Alumna & Buyer Caitlin Conlee Returns to Campus as Guest Speaker for PMG
It was standing room only when Merchandising & Marketing Alumna Caitlin Conlee visited the Los Angeles campus recently as a guest speaker for the Premier Merchandising Group (PMG), an elite group of students who qualify for special opportunities such as this one.
Caitlin started out at REVOLVE as an executive assistant, then she was promoted to buying assistant. Over the six years she’s been at the company, she’s moved her way up and is now a Buying Merchandising Manager for Alliance Apparel (which is owned by REVOLVE). Alliance develops and produces in-house labels including Lovers + Friends, Tularosa, and NBD.
Caitlin gave a little history about the company and explained her role in the organization. As a buyer, she works closely with the product development and design teams. Their SKU count is growing, as is their team. They go to market and trade shows. She explained how they bridge the gap between REVOLVE and Alliance.
They are all hard workers and a tight group. Caitlin brought with her two coworkers, Angie Michail and Hailey Means, who shared their stories and provided insight to the fashion industry as well.
Supply chain knowledge is part of the job. Pricing and margins are key. Construction affects overall costs, they explained. And they have to keep in mind fabric minimums and vendor capacities. In their special role at Alliance, they have an opportunity to engage on a more creative level than many buying positions offer. “I learned a lot from my textiles class,” Caitlin told the students.
Every team at a fashion company has different personalities, they explained. On one side, there is design, and on the other (less personal) side, there is the analyst team. In the middle is the buying team. They have to constantly focus on hitting their buy plan and their dollars.
They get 1200 SKUs in a single week. They meet over sketch reviews and line guides, and approve color strike-offs and prints. If they bomb on a trend, they learn from it and move forward.
As the meeting came to a close and questions were answered, the buyers left the students with one parting thought: “Do internships!” They are currently hiring, and looking for grads willing to do what it takes to go above and beyond what is asked of them.
Categories: Fashion Design Merchandising & Marketing Los Angeles Campus Alumni
