A Fashion Buying with Marketing student from De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) has been able to combine her passions for travel and fashion with an international placement opportunity at a global brand.
Third-year student Liana Bryant is currently on a placement year in South Holland as an intern with well-known clothing and lifestyle brand O’Neill.
Liana said: “One of my reasons for wanting the placement was where it is based. I really enjoy travelling and I’ve been able to see some other cities while I’ve been here, like Amsterdam, Gent and Rotterdam.”
As well as exploring Europe Liana has picked up valuable experience within the fashion industry while carrying out lab dips, where a swatch of fabric is test dyed and checked against the Pantone shade.
She has also worked with systems and purchase orders for the retailer and has been on shopping trips to find inspiration for new season trends.
She said: “They give us a lot of responsibility, much more than I expected. It’s a really nice company to work for and this placement has taught me a lot more about the role of a buyer.
“Some stuff I learnt at university and can now put in to practice, and some things you just have to learn on the job and every company would do things differently.
“I’m working directly under senior buyers, which means that I won’t have to work up from the lowest level in the future.”
Liana’s placement will last just over a year, and although she has already been asked to stay on longer, she has planned to go travelling during the summer.
She got the position through the ADH Placement Team at DMU, which has an established connection with O’Neill, and Liana is part of the fourth group of students to gain experience with the brand.
Liana secured the role while on a #DMUglobal trip to the Netherlands when she was able to meet the team she would later work with.
One of the highlights of Liana’s experience has been her involvement with a fashion show where she helped to dress the models and gave a presentation following the show. The event included a party with an ice rink outside the office, as well as a number of food and drink stalls.
Liana also admitted that the sample sales were a bonus, adding: “I’ve got so much O’Neill stuff now, it’s half my wardrobe!”
Posted on Tuesday 10 January 2017