[AT WORK]
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Sarah Nordwall >> As a fashion consultant, I work with women to achieve their own special look, coordinated especially to take advantage of the strengths of each individual. Fashion Consultant
I am one of a hundred fashion consultants for a New York-based designer women's clothing line named Carlisle. There are only three of us in Hawaii -- and I am also the district coordinator. Customers can shop when the spring, summer, fall, and holiday collections are in town.
My job is to team up with a customer to build a basic, complete and sophisticated look so she is well dressed for any occasion. Most of my clients are too busy to shop and coordinate their wardrobe, so that's where I come into the picture. We do all this in a private setting. This includes fitting, ordering and delivering the merchandise, then assisting the client with an alterations person and a dry cleaner to properly care for the garments. I also provide the client with an accessory guide on color schemes for hosiery, shoes and handbags for various outfits.
As a fashion consultant and confidante to each client, I am in a unique position to customize her look. I also challenge her fashion comfort zone. For example, I'll ask, "Have you ever made a statement in red?" Or, "Are you ready for your first pair of leather pants?" Or, "Let's think about an elegant sequin look for the Holidays."
My clients often tell me about their experiences wearing the clothes I've helped them select. When a woman's outfit is well matched, she tends to turn heads and get compliments. I had one client relate an experience about how she was stopped at an airport in Germany by three men in the European clothing business. They asked her what brand she was wearing because they could see the quality of fabric and design in her outfit.
Some people think that because the collections are shown just four times a year that I only do this work part-time. Not so. This is my business, and servicing my clientele is a year-round effort. It's important for me to know about my customers' work, lifestyle, and personal tastes -- that's an important key to being able to select the right items for them from each collection.
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