Alumni
Grad Works at an Influencer Talent Agency and Runs Her Own Online Boutique
Born and raised in California’s East Bay, Nargis Bahaduri first heard about FIDM while attending Clayton Valley Charter High School in Concord. She received an A.A. degree in Communications from Diablo Valley College prior to transferring to FIDM’s Creative Industry Studies, Merchandising & Marketing Core B.A. program with an emphasis on Fashion Marketing. Since graduating in 2020, the FIDM Alumna has gone on to work with influencers as an Associate Talent Manager at Image is Everything and she recently launched her own online boutique, Nargis. We caught up with Nargis to learn more about her journey to FIDM, working in the industry, and entrepreneurship.
When did you develop an interest in fashion? I developed an interest in fashion at a young age when I realized the power it had in making me feel more confident in my own skin. I grew up in a predominantly white neighborhood where people tend to ignore you if you were a person of color. This added on to my own insecurity issues and I found that dressing up and learning more about fashion was the only way I would feel confident and that's when I truly understood the power it held and the psychology behind it. From there, I always knew I wanted fashion to be part of my career.
How did you first hear about FIDM? I first heard about FIDM my freshman year of high school. I knew I wanted to move to LA and get into fashion, so I looked up all the fashion schools that were in Los Angeles. At the time I didn’t know which side of fashion I wanted to go into so I remember taking the Career Quiz on FIDM’s website and it helped me decide that fashion marketing was what I was most passionate about. What really caught my attention about FIDM was all the famous alumni, great alumni network, and annual Job Fairs. I really felt like FIDM would help me land my dream job in the fashion industry because I knew I would be surrounded by equally motivated people, which I was!
What’s an important lesson you learned at FIDM? Taking your projects and coursework seriously because nothing is just busy work. All of my projects and coursework geared me toward my career path and helped me learn real-life skills that I find myself using often.
Tell us about your current position: My current job title is Associate Talent Manager for Image Is Everything, an influencer talent agency focused on promoting inclusivity in the beauty and fashion industry for women of color. My day to day is to be kept a secret, but in summary, I am the intermediary for a group of influencers and their paid advertisements on social media. I’m so happy to be part of a company that works toward representing women of color, something I'm very passionate about.
You also run your own online boutique, Nargis. Why did you start your own business? I was always passionate about being my own boss and being able to give back.I always loved the idea of owning my own boutique and picking out clothing that I think is trendy yet affordable. This is only the beginning but I hope to incorporate a lot more creative ideas into my business in regards to proper representation and having a brand message of giving back to communities in need.
What do you enjoy about working for yourself? I love working for myself because I get to have creative control over my small business. I am able to start from scratch, which is very terrifying, but I am able to watch something grow and know that all my efforts and hard work paid off. I also get to decide where a percent of my profits will be donated so that's really nice as well. Picking your own schedule really motivates you to stay on top of your priorities.
What advice would you share with FIDM Students? Make connections with your professors and classmates! Everyone at FIDM is there because they know what they want to do with their life so you never know when you might need the help of a fellow classmate. Also, remember to enjoy your time at FIDM because time flies by!
Is there anything else you’d like to share? I devoted my entire career and future into doing what I am passionate about and waking up excited for my everyday life, but also remembering to help communities that are in need. I always define my idea of success by being financially stable enough to support myself and family, but also giving back to communities in need. I think it's important for our generation to remember to support others when possible and use our platforms to promote important issues.
Visit Nargis online at shopnargis.com and on Instagram @shopnargis.
Categories: Creative Industry Studies Merchandising & Marketing Alumni
