I am so thankful and honored to have received the NTC Dean’s Grant, sponsored by CELT, as a reimbursement of the commutation costs incurred during my Summer 2018 internship at Adrianna Papell Group. Adrianna Papell Group is a fashion company that specializes in evening gowns and upscale dresses. I interned specifically with the merchandising and business planning team. I had the incredible opportunity to intern in New York City’s exciting garment district and participate in the making and merchandising of Adrianna Papell’s Spring 2019 line.

Throughout my internship, I learned a lot about the merchandising and fashion market and had a very hands-on experience by being completely immersed in the apparel industry. Specifically, I learned how to utilize varying merchandising strategies to reach goals and maximize profits. I got see how fashion merchandisers must combine analytical business knowledge with a creative intuition for fashion trends. I used analytical software such as BlueCherry and MicroStrategy to combine all relevant historical data for my team to use when merchandising future items and to support management decisions. Without learning valuable skills like analyzing data and utilizing new software, I would not have the same diverse skill set I have after completing my internship. I also learned how industry professionals are able to forecast sales and successfully merchandise different garments. I am very appreciative for this internship because I got to learn and work in an industry I am really passionate about, and this grant was a huge help in making my goals more achievable.

Further, fashion is not a major or area Tulane offers, so the opportunity to learn more about something I am so interested in was an opportunity I could not pass up. I was able to connect the fashion world with my background in finance by applying my quantitative financial analysis skill set to a qualitative field like fashion. Without this internship, I would not have had the distinct opportunity to explore possible future career paths and delve into my creative passion for an academic area not offered at Tulane. Further, without the grant, I would not have been able to complete this internship and learn about a new career path.

Below are pictures from one of the show rooms in the New York Adrianna Papell office where I worked.

Written by Sarah Hellmann, recipient of a Dean’s Grant sponsored by CELT, 2018-2019