Wonderful, knowledgable, fashionable people

I had another GFW day of meetings yesterday.  I met with Erin Mullaney, Buying Director at Browns, along with Jemma Dyas, Buyer for Browns Focus and then moved on to a meeting with Fred Uribe at Burberry.

When I left I was feeling very poorly (I have been rather ill and that has damaged my spirit slightly....I didn't even think I'd make it to London) and unsure about myself.  I even went as far to tell a friend I was having an identity crisis.  An Identity Crisis.  Slightly dramatic?  Me?  No!  Never!  Well anyway...my future career is between buying and marketing.  I keep swinging to buying because that's more accessible in terms of graduate schemes.  Essentially though marketing was the reason I went to university.  I went in order to learn how to promote brands.  Hence getting a BA in Fashion and Brand Promotion.

Erin and Jemma wooed me with stories of emotional catwalk shows, this emotional response you get to clothes, amazing parties, people, models, designers...general amazing things that happen if you do well within buying.  Fred on the otherhand blew me away with knowledge.  He appealed to my logical side, the side that loves brands and how they tick...the side that strategically plans every detail of what could make a business good from a martketing point of view.

From branding to digital media he chatted away and I just sat there and soaked it all in.  In fact, I desperately clutched my diary and a pen to make notes whilst all the others just sat and looked at him.  Call me silly, an overachiever, whatever...but I didn't want to forget anything I might need in the future.  They could, of course, have just been blown away with his charm.  The man could charm the arse off anyone I'm pretty sure of that.  We all walked out and said: "Wow."

Needless to say, marketing is at the forefront of my mind once more and so I am desperately trying to find local businesses that will give me work experience.  As much as I would love to swan off to London, stay in a hotel and do an unpaid placement it's just not going to happen.  I will find my place though.  Eventually.  In the meantime I dream of having Fred's job in ten years time and referring to the next Christopher Bailey by their first name only.  "Well Chris came in and pretty much designed the way the interior of Horseferry House would work..."

Oh and Horseferry House, Burberry's London HQ, is amazing!!  Seven floors of pure, unquestionable amazement.  I really wish I'd been there when it was raining to hear it bang of the dual ceiling and watch it from the open central area.  "I think this building was once an MI5 building."  Oh really Fred...wow.  Again.  Wow.

Burberry's Horseferry House