Seven For All Mankind Product Development Manager Ancy Baby Visits LA Campus
Ancy Baby, Product Development Manager at Seven For All Mankind, was invited to the Los Angeles campus today as a guest speaker for the Premier Merchandise Product Development Group, an elite group of students with special access to unique opportunities such as this. Ancy shared with the students her industry story, fielded questions, and offered some advice for landing an internship at Seven.
Ancy’s first job in the fashion industry was in production at Angel Sanchez, the New York-based custom gown designer who created Eva Longoria’s first wedding dress. “The good thing about working at a small company,” she said, “is you gain a lot of experience.” She recommended to the students that they start their careers in production. “By working with factories and getting experience with knowing what they need, you’ll become a better product developer.”
She left Angel Sanchez for a product development position at Marc Jacobs. After that, she spent the next four years at Tory Burch, then left New York to return to her home state of California to work at the Lucky Brand headquarters in Los Angeles.
She now works as the Product Development Manager at Seven For All Mankind, which is located just blocks from the Los Angeles campus at 7th Street and Alameda. She told the students that the thing she loves the most about product development is that it’s the perfect blend of the creative and analytical worlds of fashion.
At Seven she does the fabric and trim sourcing, and manages ready-to-wear, knits, sweaters, some denim, and tees. Her team of three is responsible for lab dips, strike-offs, the communication process, tracking and receiving of garments, cutting styles, and an entire production calendar based on global sales and markets. Product development interfaces with most of the teams at Seven, including design, merchandising, testing, logistics, and finance.
“Success is preparation meets opportunity,” she said. “Show up 100%. Be willing to learn. Ask questions. The relationships you build will help you throughout your career.” She also said that proficiency in Excel is essential, as well as being clear and detailed in all communications. “Stay curious. Read the news. Read books. Engage in self development.”
Seven is currently looking for interns. She encouraged the students to connect with her on LinkedIn and follow up with her with any questions.
Categories: Merchandise Product Development Los Angeles Campus
