A Student’s Look Behind the Fashion Curtain
For decades, young people bitten by the fashion bug have longed to travel to the promised land, New York City. With its fashion weeks, fashion magazines, and stylish characters like Carrie Bradshaw (“Sex and the City”) or Miranda Priestly (“The Devil Wears Prada”) strutting around, it has become a symbol of endless possibilities. Many dreams of visiting this utopia may never come true, but not all.
Skylar Sharkey, a current Fashion and Textile Management major of North Carolina State University, recently turned her dream into a reality. After taking a high school sewing class, Sharkey’s dream of being in the fashion world was born; leading her to a job at a local bridal boutique, Bella Bridesmaids. This later evolved into an over two-year investment as a stylist, that paid back in more than just dollars.
“We are a franchise so we are given the opportunity to go to New York [Bridal Fashion Week] and meet with designers yearly in order to decide what dresses we will carry in store,” explains Bella Bridesmaids Raleigh owner Rachel Harrell.
After proving herself through hard work and strong communication of her goals, Skylar was rewarded with a dream come true. Her boss, Rachel Harrell, recognized Sharkey as a good representative of the brand and a key stylist who would benefit from the journey to New York for Bridal Fashion Week. She would return with insight into merchandising a store, how to buy for new lines, budgeting concerns for purchasing samples and how to establish connections with designers to further her own career.
“If you’re not getting what you want out of your job, ask for more,” Sharkey says, “Squeeze every opportunity for what it’s worth.”
From boarding the plane, to the moment she got to her hotel the excitement flowed through her. She was finally in New York City for the very first time, like the main character of her own movie. For three days she would hustle to meetings, build relationships and soak up every waking moment.
Sitting and watching the models float down the runways, Skylar was reminded of how far she’d come. Only two years ago she was helping orchestrate her school’s fashion club runway show in the auditorium. To be in the presence of real designers, models, and wearable designs felt like a culmination of all her efforts.
“That was a really fulfilling feeling,” she remarked later.
Going from meeting to meeting can make things blend together. Who was that person? What colors do they offer? Which designs did we want? Yet through the blur, other things can stand out, like a ship in the middle of the ocean. Sachin & Babi, a family-run brand, was that ship for Skylar.
One conversation among many, with Bella Bridesmaids’ representative at Sachin & Babi, Cole Morgan, assured that Sharkey’s connections had a real impact on her future. When told to sit down and pull up her LinkedIn on the spot, she did. An encouraging talk followed, wherein she fixed her profile and was assured that not only would she be remembered for later internship opportunities, but was reminded to keep putting herself out there.
“You never know what networking or other opportunities will present themselves just by doing your best at a given job,” said Rachel Harrell.
Later, in the Sachin & Babi showroom, Skylar felt her passion for her chosen profession swell during a seemingly small moment. The upper floors are where the bridal dresses lived and even though Bella Bridesmaids does not carry full wedding dresses, she was allowed to explore the designs and speak with the individual designers. Upon speaking with those whose main purpose that day was to sell their designs, something struck her.
The way they spoke about their work was so full of excitement and positivity, even when she began the conversations by saying she was simply admiring the work and unable to buy. The warm energy that filled the room was one that she would never forget and could hardly begin to describe.
“It was really impactful,” Sharkey said, “it just showed how much they loved what they did, which inspired me to want to continue to pursue that.”
When coming home from a whirlwind experience it can take a person a while to really sift through all their emotions. After taking the time to sit and reflect, Skylar came away with a few conclusions: she came away with pure knowledge of what she would continue to sell in store, making her a better salesperson and stylist, her future career felt more alive than ever before, after successfully networking with her dream brands; and she finally saw what is possible by simply asking questions.
As Sharkey says, “No question is a dumb question,” and, “ask for more.”
With one major fashion capital now under her belt, the journey continues, as she has flown across the Atlantic to Florence, Italy. Spending a whole semester abroad in Florence, one of Italy's fashion capitals that emerged in the Renaissance and had a resurgence in the 1950s. Skylar has taken her New York Bridal Fashion Week knowledge to Italy where she will continue to learn and make the most of every opportunity.