So many kids dream of one day becoming a fashion designer, yet are told that dream is out of reach. Now, online retailer Zulily is making that dream a reality for a few talented kids this back to school season! Six kids between the ages of 5-14 will win the opportunity to help design their very own clothing collection for Zulily’s new Back-to-School Shop… plus $6,000!
So, if you have a stylish son or daughter, they can channel that fashion sense into the opportunity of a lifetime. Encourage your kid to showcase their style – whether through an outfit they put together, a design sketch, a collage, or whatever their creativity inspires them to do, and then post it as a photo to your public Instagram with the hashtags #zulilycontest and #UniquelyZu.
When I was a kid, my wardrobe was made up of hand-me-downs from my sister. I loved fashion, I even ended up working in fashion at the beginning of my career, but as a kid, I didn’t feel like I had as much choice over my wardrobe as I wanted to. Now things are different! A survey of 1,000 kids nationwide that was curated into a trend report by Zulily reveals that kids today are more passionate about expressing their personalities through their clothes. Parents agree – in the survey, almost all parents said it’s at least somewhat important to involve their kids Back-to-School purchasing decisions.
And the wardrobe decisions don’t end after the purchase is made. The survey showed that 70%) of kids say they add personal touches to articles of clothing to make them feel more unique. Kids are using glue guns, bedazzlers, scissors and more to personalize their clothes into one-of-a-kind creations. So, its not surprising that Zulily has taken this information to heart by creating a fashion design competition for the kids.
Sheila Nugent, Director of Merchandising for Kids Accessories and DIY at Zulily, shares, “We’ve seen significant growth in the DIY category over the past year, which is no surprise since kids want to demonstrate their individuality. You’ll see this trend of personalization when it comes to kids’ top three essential needs for school success: new supplies, shoes and backpacks.”
Now, Zulily’s new competition will help kids not just lend their creativity to their own wardrobe – but other kids’ clothing options across the country! Their exclusive capsule collection will highlight fresh design ideas from six winners through the Back-to-School #UniquelyZu Contest. The contest is open until July 31, 2021, and is easy to enter. After your kids create an inspiring look (outfit, mood board, whatever shows their creativity!) parents can submit the picture as an Instagram post on behalf of their kid. In addition to the six winners that will receive a $6,000 Back-to-School prize package, there is also a bonus opportunity for the winning parents and their children to participate in a design session with Zulily. During that design session, they can provide the creative inspiration for a capsule collection that Zulily will launch next year.
For details on the contest, how to enter, and full terms and conditions, visit Zulily.com.
To get inspiration for the Zulily Back-to-School #UniquelyZu Contest, check out Zulily’s latest Back-to-School Shop. You and your kids can mix and match custom outfits, showcasing unique style. The Back-to-School shop will be live on the Zulily website through September 15, 2021.
I’ve been asked a lot how I managed to break into the elusive world of fashion at the beginning of my career. I wasn’t a designer, for one! Fashion is a trillion-dollar industry (yes, with a “T”) and there are a lot of jobs in fashion outside of fashion design. And just because you aren’t a designer doesn’t mean you’re stuck working at your local mall!
I got started by writing a fashion column for my college newspaper, the Duke Chronicle. These days, I would suggest perhaps starting your own fashion blog or social media accounts dedicated to fashion.
Next, I got a summer internship at a fashion PR company in Los Angeles. The internship was unpaid, as are most fashion internships, but offers valuable experience and a great addition to your resume as you begin to look for paid, full-time jobs in fashion. Internships in fashion are one of the best ways to break into the industry, but it is not just about showing up! During your internship, try to find a mentor at the company. When you ask questions, don’t just ask about how to correctly do your tasks, but ask about how the leaders in the company got to where they were and for their advice to an aspiring fashion executive. Most importantly, request more responsibility! Many fashion interns get immediately discouraged that the day-to-day fashion industry is not as glamorous as they had assumed. Set yourself apart but offering to lend a hand at all aspects of the work, not just the fun and exciting opportunities.
Senior year of college, after my internship, I applied to Abercrombie & Fitch corporate headquarters and got a job following graduation! I was a merchant, which might be another job you have never heard about in the fashion industry. A merchant straddles the creative and the business sides of fashion. They are similar to a “buyer,” which might be a term you’ve heard before. A merchant works with a fashion brand to develop products from design all the way to the store. A buyer has a similar role in working with both the creative and business sides of fashion, but they more often work with stores that sell many different brands (like Nordstrom, for example) and they are responsible for choosing what brands and styles they will feature in the store.
There are many job opportunities in fashion, the best way to begin exploring them is to get involved in the fashion community, like through Zulily’s Back-to-School #UniquelyZu Contest!
