Photos by Ibnu Aswan
How did you get into a job as specific as visual merchandiser?
I have always loved fashion; I have been reading fashion magazines since I was young—I’m talking about magazines like Rias, way before Glam came into our country, before fashion news was as accessible as it is now. Growing up, I have always known this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. So when I graduated from high school, I dove straight into the retail industry, which eventually led me to where I am right now, seven years into my position as regional visual merchandiser.
How do you stay inspired after seven years in the industry?
I suppose, it helps that I am in charge of multiple brands under my position; I used to take care of La Senza and Guess, but right now, I work on more luxury brands such as Céline, Rebecca Minkoff, Loewe and Marc Jacobs. Because of that, I don’t feel stagnant and jaded overtime, and I can keep things fresh rotating amongst the different brands.
How much of your own style goes into your job scope?
I would say about 50/50, because half of the time, we have strict guidelines from the principal offices on how to go about the styling for the store fronts, you know, so that we don’t stray too far from the brands’ fashion philosophies. The other half of the time, it’s all about making a brand’s image more palatable to the local market, and that’s when I get to stretch my creative muscles.
How would you describe your own personal style?
It goes hand in hand with my job, as I do a lot of legwork every day; I have to move around a lot, and climb up and down ladders, so what I wear can’t be too restricted. Minimalistic and casual is my daily style, I would say, but I do put on something less casual – something as off-hand as throwing on a pair of slacks – to make the overall outfit look more sophisticated and smart.
What do you do when you’re not styling up the window displays at the stores?
We are at an age when we have to take good care of our health, even though we are still relatively “young”. It’s not until recently that I started on a healthier regime for my lifestyle. Contrary to popular belief, it’s actually not that hard to adapt to this new lifestyle, in my opinion; it’s more of what you believe you can achieve. For example, greens have never been on my diet, and when I told my consulting doctor it’s not my thing, he told me that it’s all in the mind. Once you have the persistence to want the change to happen, your mind and your body will fall into formation for this new lifestyle. Mind over matter, as the saying goes. Now, I can’t get enough of vegetables!