Friday, November 21, 2008

How The Fashion Industry has Suffered From the Housing Market

As the housing market remains weak in many parts of the country, home builders are looking for a light at the end of the tunnel. The latest statistics on housing starts gave them only the faintest glimmer of hope. While there are some pockets of strength, it’s too soon to know when the industry will hit bottom, homebuilders and economists say. This, in turn, has had a negative effect on the fashion industry and limited shopping sprees among millions of people to. With so many families focusing all the energy on selling or buying a new home the fashion industry has seen it's negative effect. Not only are people spending less and less money these days, they are also spending less time shopping and spending their money on frivalise things such as purses and designer shoes. The industry of accessories as declined as well for this very same reason. Families are not willing to spend their hard earned money on designer clothes and accessories when they have a mortgage to pay and a house to sell that just doesn't seem to attract buyers. When houses aren't selling, home owners result to lowering their price on homes and in turn wind up receiving less than the actual house is worth.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Presenter: Elyse Mullis

English being her major throughout her college career, she dint realize until her junior year at UNCG about the Consumer, Apperal, and Retail Studies program. Elyse Mullis became interested in the program and minored in the program. Once Elyse graduated from college she started an internship at Westminster Fabric company as an assistant of sorts. Even though there wasn't much to the job and she didn't get payed, she realized that she really liked this for a career and started to become interested in graphic design. Elyse decided to take graphic design classes at the coliseum and shortly there after was offered a permanent job at the company. If it weren't for her roommate in college she would have never have gotten the internship at all. Her roommates father was the head of the company and Elyse asked her to give him her address and the rest is history. Elyse Mullis gave us some very good advise today and that is that getting a job in the real world doesn't require a certain GPA or high grades, it requires connections in the fashion industry. It's all about networking and the people you meet in college that can help you get to where you want to be in the long run. Another helpful piece of advice that Elyse gave us was to take the opportunity to go on the Spring break, New York trip if we get a chance before we graduate from college. Because whenever she went her junior year she made out 20 resumes and passed them out all over New York City and actually got a call back from a major lingerie company. Even though she decided that her job at Westminster was more important and right for her at the time, if it weren't for the NY trip she would have never known that she was capable and living in the fashion capital of the world. That to me is a big deal and reason enough to get me excited to go on the trip myself and make the most of my time her at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro.