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Externship 2009. Lisa Elston Assoc. Faculty Saddleback College Fashion Design and Merchandising Quiksilver Huntington Beach, CA . Externship performed March – May 2009 15202 Graham St., Huntington Beach, CA 92649. Externship Goals:.
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Externship 2009 Lisa Elston Assoc. Faculty Saddleback College Fashion Design and Merchandising Quiksilver Huntington Beach, CA
Externship performed March – May 2009 15202 Graham St., Huntington Beach, CA 92649
Externship Goals: • To continue to update the student’s industry skills and bring those to new and existing Fashion classes at Saddleback College. • Bring specific industry tasks and job responsibilities such as tech packs and updated information on how the merchandising team works. • Provide tools and outline skills students will need for the merchandising job market.
Externship Description • QS Boys, Kids, Toddler & Infant Program • To work with the merchandising team creating a “history” book for the department in power point form to include the following information: • Create Consumer Profile • Retail Segmentation • Product Segmentation • Line Plans • Wholesale/MSRP pricing strategy: good/better/best
Job Shadowing • Regularly I met with the following people: • Suzanne Ecker, VP QS Merchandising • Kelly Dinh Ho, Director, QS Youth Merchandising • Deanne Yap, Executive Assistant • Stephanie McDonald and Nancy Diaz, QS Boys Merchandisers • I attended production and merchandising meetings to review lines, costing, and sample delivery.
What is a merchandiser? • Merchandisers work within larger manufacturing companies between designers and production departments. • As described by the VP of merchandising the merchandiser is a “hybrid” position: 51% creative, 49% business /critical thinking. • Merchandising positions have increased in the recent years. At Quiksilver, after their recent reorganization, there were less design positions and more merchandising positions.
Merchandising Duties: • Market research • Line planning and analysis • Cost analysis • Skills and computer software required: • Excel • Power Point • Microsoft Office • Garment construction • Textile knowledge • Marketing • Business Planning & Development
PLM (Product Life Management) • PLM is computer software being used in the apparel industry to track the status of a product from design to production. • I was able to sit down with the Quiksilver PLM on-site specialist to get a review of the software and how it works. • Currently PLM is not being taught in colleges, but would be a highly desirable job skill to have upon graduation.
PLM cyle: • Development Process using the PLM system • Merchandisers create a line plan. Within PLM system, a way to organize styles. • Designers request pattern/body from technical department. • Technical designer creates measurements for style requested. • Designer creates BOM. Designating fabric, trims, etc. • Tech pack is then created by merchandiser. Includes sketch, BOM and specs. • Sourcing logs into PLM system to request a sample request from vendor. • Vendor acknowledges receipt of request and updates status of sample. • Receive first proto and have first fittings. • Fitting notes and changes are sent to vendor with any updates to BOM and spec changes. • Once proto approved, then on to pre-production, size set (run) and then T.O.P.
End Result • Using Power Point and Excel I created a 24 slide presentation for the Boys, Toddler and Infants Division. Topics Included: • Customer Profile • Division styles by size • Product Mix breakdown and chart • Pricing breakdown by “good, better, best” categories • Pricing strategy by style and department • Core and vertical competition pricing charts • Distribution strategy from customer data analysis • Distribution by outlet • Retail strengths and opportunities • Market research results QSBY MERCHANDISING STRATEGY
For the future: • I will be sharing this information in the following classes at Saddleback College: • Fash 260 Children’s Clothing Construciton • Fash 235 Designing for the Fashion Industry • Fash 289 Special Topics: AIMS certification • Fash 289 Special Topics: Pre-productionTechniques
Thank you to everyone who helped me with this invaluable experience! • Jen Barrios, Senior Merchandiser, Quiksilver • Suzanne Ecker, VP Merchandising, Quiksilver • Kelly Dinh Ho, Director, Youth Merchandising, Quiksilver • Deanne Yap, Executive Assistant, Quiksilver • Stepanie McDonald & Nancy Diaz, Boys Merchandising, Quiksilver • Lindsay Fox, Department Chair, Fashion Design and Merchandising, Saddleback College • Penny Skaff, and Tracy McConnell, CTE Saddleback College