Vanessa Young is a real fashionista. In her role as Fashion Accessories Executive for luxury label Swarovski Atelier, she’s worked with the likes of Giles Deacon, Christopher Kane, Jonathan Saunders and Erdem, and gets to attend high profile events such as the London Design Awards. We had a chat with the lucky lady to find out how she shaped her uber-fashion career…
Name: Vanessa Young
Age: 27
Where do you live? Fulham, London
Job: Fashion Accessories Executive
My job involves…
Developing an exclusive collection of crystal accessories (handbags and jewellery) designed by cutting edge fashion designers each season for Atelier Swarovski. We work with the designers and take their sketches through prototyping, manufacturing, PR and marketing, and on completion we sell during Paris Fashion Week to boutiques and department stores worldwide.
I chose this profession because…
It allows me to be creative whilst also using analysis and my written skills. I also get to travel a lot and meet people from all over Europe.
I knew I was in the right job when…
I met my director and my team. The office is very upbeat and positive. Everyone really works together here.
On a day-to-day basis my job is...
Exciting, busy, varied.
To train for this job I…
completed a four month placement at Nicole Farhi in their head office and on their sales floor in Bond Street after I finished uni. I then lived in Italy and worked for a fashion company in Florence. A really important part of my job is communicating with designers and sellers, so having an extra language is really helpful, whether you speak one fluently or have a GCSE language.
The qualifications I have are…
2:1 MA in Philosophy and Religious Studies. I also attended Cordwainers at London College of Art and took modules at Edinburgh College of Art in printing and textile design whilst I was doing my degree. I also speak French and Italian, which I learned in school and picked up again through my job. These are incredibly useful as I deal with French fashion contacts almost daily.
The best thing about my job is...
that every day is different and I get to meet very interesting and creative people - I look after a wide range of areas from sales to design and manufacturing.
The worst thing about my job is…
it’s hard to leave at the end of the day as there is so much happening!
The advice I would give to someone starting out is…
Use any contacts you have and make sure you gain experience on the shop floor if you want to work in Fashion – it gives you a great understanding of the consumer and the way the retail industry works. Fashion is an international industry, so having language skills is also a real plus. Focus your time and energy; gain as much experience as you can in the areas you think you want to work in and take every opportunity you are given.
A common misconception about my job is…
That I work for the Swarovski stores. Swarovski has at least 11 brands within the company!
My ultimate career ambition is…
Currently to make Atelier Swarovski a success. For the future I have thought about designing myself and managing my own company. At the moment I am very happy and I love my job!
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