Live. Love. Loft.

Live.  Love.  Loft.


Flash back to approximately ten months ago, and I was preparing to return to Drexel as an incoming sophomore after my first, last, and only summer vacation as a college student--that is, if working 40+ hours a week at an internship in North Carolina counts as a vacation.  After my work-filled summer, I had discovered a newfound love and appreciation for retail and working and began to consider options to carry this over part-time in Philadelphia.  Considering my options, I was interested in applying to mostly to locations convenient to campus, where I both live and attend classes.  However, I was still hesitant as to whether I could balance class and work together and if I would have to work a demanding amount of hours each week.

Luckily, I remembered I knew older girls whom worked at Loft and Gap not too far, located on Penn's campus.  I was able to contact them and ask about their experiences with the balance and how realistic it would be to manage both.  The girl who worked at Loft, an older girl in my sorority, an incoming Design and Merchandising senior at the time, and overall a role model to me, talked me through her experience.  She had began working there as a sophomore, like I would be if I applied, and had been able to balance it through sophomore and junior years, as well as co-op.  I immediately applied to Loft on 36th and Walnut Streets and heard back from them not much later.  My process included two group interviews spaced apart by a few weeks, an exciting phone call hiring me (which I still have saved on my voicemail today), and four hours of training videos (a tad less exciting).  Finally, I was on the team.

As I had mentioned before, there were two prime reasons that helped me get to Loft: wanting to work in retail and the convenient location.  Despite my exciting summer, I went in knowing that it would be a job, and more so it would be work.  Little did I ever foresee how much I would love the brand and my fellow teammates.

Flash forward--this time to present day.  I am not who I thought I would be when I began working last October.  I find myself longing to work, using it as a therapeutic getaway from schoolwork, and most ironically working in the two Center City locations often, mostly the 17th and Walnut Streets location to be specific.

It turns out that the reasons I came to Loft and the reasons I have stayed at Loft could not be more different.  When beginning my new job, I always held an optimistic attitude, but I never would have guessed that I would be itching to return to work on school breaks or nearly begging to work at two different locations multiple times in a single week.

I think it is safe to say that I "Live. Love. Loft," and I could not be luckier.

New City, New Internship

Hey Bloggers!
I am back in the same time zone but cannot say I am too happy about it! I miss Ireland! I have started my new internship in Manhattan. I am a fashion intern at Krupp Group, a public relations firm. As expected, my experience is already completely different. I work at an office with about thirty, if not more, employees. There are about seven interns that rotate daily.
My daily tasks include making clippings of our clients press recognition, pull pieces from our closet to send out to magazines, and compose pullsheets for those selected outfits. The first day was very slow but as I gained enough knowledge to handle these tasks by myself, it made the day more enjoyable.
The office culture is laid back in terms of dress code but the pace is anything but. Once an email comes in, people are running around the office until the items needed are sent out. I found it very interesting and surprising that exactly what was in the job description is exactly what my daily intern life entails.
I will let you know what this week brings! 

Bridal Bliss

Hello Readers!

The bridal trunk show at Nicole Miller at the Bellevue this weekend was a whirlwind of stunning silhouettes, fabulous vendors and fashion fun!  We had lots of appointments for brides looking for a Nicole Miller signature style and we did not disappoint!  New collection pieces were a hit and the classics never fail to please the sophisticated and fashion forward bride.  Our vendors knocked it out of the park with their gorgeous displays and top of the line services.  Please see some images below of our wild, wedding weekend!

A gorgeous NM gown on the 19th Floor of the Bellevue!

Every Philly bride needs this picture on their big day!

   

Leaves of Grass displayed beautiful arrangements for everyone to enjoy!

   

Ann's Cake Pans showed off their show stopping cake designs!

DollFace Studio also captured some great shots of our weekend and we are looking forward to posting them soon!

Thank you to all of our vendors, our team members and, of course, our brides for making this weekend a success!

- Josie

Brides! Brides! Brides!

Hello Readers!

Beginning Friday, June 20th, Nicole Miller will be hosting a seasonal bridal trunk show at the Bellevue!  Nicole Miller Philadelphia hosts a bridal trunk show once each season because weddings are consistently booked throughout the year and we want to give all brides equal opportunity to see the new and gorgeous styles that we are bringing in!  For the trunk show, we feature the new bridal collection samples to give the brides a jump on the upcoming trends.  It is also an opportunity for the NM team to get some feedback on the looks before permanently bringing the styles into the store.  We have a good amount of appointments ready to go for this weekend and we can't wait for our store to turn into a bridal paradise! We will be featuring vendors to compliment the shopping experience and provide brides with personal information from top wedding professionals in the area.  Leaves of Grass Floral Designs will be showing off their beautiful arrangements alongside delectable treats from Ann's Cake Pans.  The Bellevue Salon & Spa will be representing the building with stunning hair and makeup options and DollFace Studio will be here to capture the unforgettable moments! We also will be offering 10% off all bridal trunk show pieces!  If you are a bride, don't miss out on this amazing opportunity to get an elegant and memorable gown that you will always love!

If interested in setting up an appointment, please call 215-547-5007!

Check out our amazing vendors!

http://www.leavesofgrassdesigns.com/

http://www.annscakepan.com/

http://www.bellevuesalonandspa.com/

http://dollfacestudio.com/
Also, stayed tuned for a follow up of the trunk show in next week's post as well as details regarding an upcoming SALE at Nicole Miller at the Bellevue!

http://mkdandassociates.com

- Josie

First Half Recap

Hey there readers!

This week marks the halfway point of my co-op at Nicole Miller at the Bellevue!  At Drexel, students that are in class are taking their finals and heading home for a week or two for a short summer break.  Then, they will be heading back to class to begin the summer term in the last week of June.  What will I be doing?  I will be continuing my co-op in Center City as I still have 3 exciting months ahead of me.  I thought it might be interesting to write about some of the things I have learned at Nicole Miller over my time as an intern!

- Event days are the longest days and require the most work but they are the most rewarding.
- I am a project oriented individual and love crossing tasks off my list at the end of the day.
- You never know which Philly celebrity will walk through that door next so it is important to always bring your "A game".
- When in doubt, ask a question.
- I can multitask more than I thought I ever could, but I still have to write everything down.
- The city is filled with successful businesses and individuals, use that as an advantage.
- I am improving my sales techniques and perfecting how to speak intelligently about the NM collections.
- Cooperation between multiple store locations is key.
- Finally, fashion is fun and always changing!

Needless to say, I am looking forward to the rest of my co-op at Nicole Miller and am positive I will continue to learn as time goes on!

Thanks for reading!

- Josie

Thanks a Million, Ireland!

Tomorrow is my last day interning at Wild Poppy Concepts. I cannot believe how quickly this all came and went. Dublin has been my home for the past ten weeks and I have gotten to know and love a completely different culture. My job has been nothing I was expecting in the most postive way possible. My boss has made a huge impact on my life and I know I am lucky to have this one on one experience. It will be comepletely different when I start my internship in New York City but I am so gad to have had this relationship whiie abroad.
I will be attending an event tomorrow night that our company has helped organize. Every detail was carefully planned out and I cannot wait to see it in action. The attention to detail shocked me. The process goes way beyond what appears to the guests on the surface. Event planning is an interesting area of this field but I can rule that out of my future plans.
I have to say, that is what I have gained most about this half of my internship. I have definitive plans and possibilities for my future and on the opposite side, I know exactly what I do not want my future to include.
This is my last weekend to finish up all my sight seeing around Dublin and then I head to Spain! Very excited to mix up the cultual experience yet again!
I hope to keep reading all your posts for the next ten weeks!
Cheers!

Already half way there?

I cannot believe I am more than half way done my coop at QVC. I have less than two months left working because I leave to study abroad in August! Reflecting back on my first few weeks working, I feel that I have grown professionally in ways I would not have in class. Not only have I learned tremediously, my relationships with my coworkers are growing stronger. I am now given more responsibility. I am given more tasks to work on throughout the day. This is a very crazy time in the office beacause of our Holiday event happening in two weeks. I really enjoy being busy in the office. Sometimes I even think there are not enough hours in the day to get all my work down. Between photo shoots, pitchs, organizing products, shipping products.. my day is very busy. I feel very confident in the tasks that I am given. I also feel pride when I do a job well done. Last week I got a "Rock Star" award, which is basically a certificate. But it is really nice to feel that I am doing a good job here.

I am excited to see what the next few months bring. It is hard to believe that so much time as flown by. Before I know it I will be off to Paris!! That is if I can figure out how to get my Visa in time! QVC has been an amazing company to work for. Everyday I am amazed about how many people it takes to run such an incredible company. Here I am- at headquarters. QVC is in seven different countries. Broadcasting live 24/7 and everyday except Chirstmas. This place never takes a break- never slows down. I am so grateful to learn from it.

As I continue to learn over the duration of my coop I want to take in as much as possible. I want to really learn about the company inside and out. I am able to meet with different people that work in different departments. I am in the process of setting up meetings with them. I think I want to learn more about the Merchandising and International side of the business.

It has been an amazing 10 weeks here. I cannot wait to see what more QVC has in store for me.

Reflecting on the last ten weeks

As finals week begins for students in classes, I decided to take some time and reflect on my first ten weeks interning. There have been some great days and not so good days, many friendships made and a lot of learning. Over the course of the last ten weeks I have learned so much about what I want out of life. I have learned just how capable I am of keeping up in an extremely busy work environment and how to balance.

Balancing has become one of the most important aspects of my life. Without balance it would be easy to get overwhelmed with interning, working retail and maintaining friendships and a social life. I know it's not going to get any easier as I get older so I'm happy I'm learning now.

Working for Creative Services has given me an insight into the type of career I can see myself having after graduation. I had thought I was interested in a creative field within fashion but now I am more sure than ever. 

This Friday is the big move to NYC. I'm anxious and excited to see where the next term brings me as I'm sure I'll learn even more about myself from living in the City. 

The most exciting day at work so far!

This week at MK has been a crazy one to say the least. Last week we were invited to be a part of the Resort 15 presentation. At the time we weren't really sure what that meant or how involved we would actually be. I didn't even understand what the presentation was to be honest. The presentation was June 5th so I had time to wonder over the weekend. I spent last weekend working at the Loft, and moving out of my apartment. I was crazy busy and not getting enough sleep so of course, with my luck, I woke up sick as a dog on Monday. I spent the day working and then crashed for the afternoon and ended up taking Tuesday off to catch up on sleep and try to recover for the presentation that was taking place on Thursday.

Luckily I felt good enough to go into work on Wednesday and definitely healthy for Thursday's exciting day. I woke up early, dressed all in black and felt ready to face whatever was thrown my way. The day went like this.

When I arrived the showroom was transformed into a studio. There were two photographers, one from MK and one from WWD photographing the collection the MK photographer was documenting the looks for our internal look book. Until Thursday the collection was under tight wraps and I hadn't seen a single piece. Seeing the clothes lined up was magical. The fabrics were a contrasting light organza and silk to shearling and leather. Pink and purple floral patterns were whimsical. I spent the morning helping dress and undress the models for the look book shoot. After lunch were the presentations. There were three presentations to all of the major fashion magazines editors. Yes, I as in the same room as Anna Wintour and Grace Coddington! Ken Downing was also in attendance. Michael Kors then talks about the collection to the private group of guests and presents his inspiration and though process. All the while, we are dressing the models to particular specifications.

The day was long but I had a great time. I got to talk to the designers about how they design, as well as the models about what it's like to be that tall, leggy and gorgeous. The two models I talked to were my age!

If you haven't had a chance to check out the Michael Kors Resort 2015 collection, you can see it here!

Open Bar at the Barre!

This week Mary Dougherty and the Nicole Miller team continued celebrating 20 years in business with the fitness gurus at Pure Barre!  Pure Barre is a class style workout that targets areas that women struggle with the most.  It focuses on building a long, lean and strong physique through strengthening and stretching sections.  Our team tried it and we must say…we are hooked!

Mary Dougherty and Noelle Zane, owner of the first three Pure Barre locations on the east coast, decided to team up for this event as a way to celebrate successful business in Philly while also taking in the Pure Barre experience.  Delicious sushi was served with fabulous cocktails as VIP guests mingled throughout the unique studio on 17th and Walnut.  Gift bags were stocked with Nicole Miller make up bags and other goodies as well as Pure Barre socks that were used in our brief workout!  Needless to say, we had a ton of fun the entire night as everyone enjoyed good friends and good food…as well as a little muscle burn!

Keep following the MKDA blog for updates on special events that we are participating in as we continue to celebrate 20 years in business!

http://mkdandassociates.com/blog

Don't forget to check out Pure Barre for a unique and effective fitness experience!

http://purebarre.com/pa-philadelphia/

Thanks!

- Josie

Photo Shoot

Whenever I thought about a photo shoot, I would always picture super glamorous sets and beautiful models. However I have been working on product photo shoots all week. My team has to get over 300 products photographed in to weeks.  I am consistently amazed at the amount of work and preparation go on behind the scenes in every aspect of business. I have been introduced to people who have jobs I never knew existed. People style food, bedding, electronics, kitchen ware, and of course clothing. The amount of time it takes to photograph products is truly amazing. A shirt is showed to a buyer, then bought, then shot and itemized. Later the shirt comes to PR where we shot and itemize it. Then finally it goes on a model and is once again shot and put on a website. Throughout all these steps, there are multiple people contributing. A photographer, a photo shopper, a buyer, a publicist, a stylist, multiple managers who approve items, and of course me- the intern. I love being a part of the this whole process. I love the opportunity to be able to be so involved in my work place.

The End is Too Near

This sounds cliché but time flies when you are having fun! I have only four days left with my first co-op job. Wild Poppy Concepts has been a dream to work for. I got a lot of creative freedom and learned about so many diverse companies. From a Credit Union to a Bridal Shop, I have covered social media, press releases, and website designs. The knowledge I have learned sitting in the Urban Building combined with the reality of the Industry, I feel like I have applied so many concepts we learn in our Design and Merchandising major. Through spending so much time with my boss, I have also learned many other social norms throughout Ireland that I would not have been exposed to if I were with a big corporation. 
My latest project was to write content for a child psychologist's book (32 pages with images, not a novel) working from her existing website. It was a bit challenging because I have never raised kids (thankfully) but building around Joanna Fortune's advice was very rewarding. The project was solely in my hands from the layout to the press release and the feedback I received was so positive and appreciative- minus the normal American spelling and phrases. The best part about this project was organizing Meet and Greets and promoting the book. I will not be writing a book any time soon but I would love to promote more! 
I have a couple more things to check off my to-do list around Ireland before returning to New Jersey but I have mostly experienced everything I came here to. Living in a different country is a very interesting timeline of emotions. Excitement is definitely the most prevalent and frequent case but then living day to day is just as I live in Philly. I have my routine down, I cook, I do laundry (unfortunately), I work out- all the normal activities but then the weekend comes and I can travel and experience cultural/historical divides. From never being outside of the States to living in a different country, I have learned a lot about myself and I would not trade these realizations for anything! 
Before I do return home however, I am spending a week long holiday in Ibiza! College student friendly destination hotspot to get some sun!  
17 more days of my first European travels! I need to savor it!

Waving with a semi-normal size wrist again!