Day 13 - My First Job

February 2003, 1 month in the industry and already attending my first REAL fashion show in Bryant Park!  Was I really invited?  Well, kind of.  I had to work backstage.  Are you kidding?  I actually get to dress the models and watch the entire 12 minute show from behind the scenes?  Oh my God, I was on the inside!  I was officially in the fashion industry. 

The next 1 year and 3 months were spent learning the lay of the land, really digging in, rolling up my sleeves and getting down to the nitty gritty.  I spent my days running in and out of buildings throughout the infamous NYC Garment Center. Up and down the elevators, rushing fit samples and patterns, slopers and markers, swatching fabric rolls, creating cut tickets, visiting the cutting room, ordering trims, counting trims (one by one or yard by yard), meeting factories, building relationships, negotiating production costs, shipping to customers, hiring assistants and, most important of all, ensuring that production shipped with perfect quality and ON TIME!  Likely, one of the most challenging feats for any designer. 

I learned very quickly the importance to deliver product on time and at the very best quality standards.  Lack of effort most definitely would result in late delivery and rushed construction with the end result being shoddy workmanship, pissed off clients and end customers, returns, chargebacks, cancellations and, ultimately, the business could suffer dramatically, potentially critically. 

Well, not on my watch.  I thrive on challenges.  I love making the impossible happen.  As did everyone in that office, I worked my ass off.  Anything asked of me, I did.  Nothing was beneath me and every new task was a learning experience, one more challenge to teach me time management skills, accuracy, accountability, reliability. 

We were young, energetic, motivated and ready to rock & roll, working long hours and weekends to pull it off.  The result?  Hard work, team work, strong work ethic, pride = SUCCESS.

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