Meet the Team Behind Fashion Club: Senior Web Designer Marianne Leoncio

Marianne graduated from FIDM with a degree in Graphic Design, and started as a work-study intern on Fashion Club in 2004. She’s been with us ever since. Score! She also art directs our fashion photo shoots!

Tell us a little about yourself: I started working as soon as I turned 15. I've had various jobs ranging from a Production Assistant at Kinkos to a Manager at a Swimsuit Store. My best job by far was interning here at FIDM. I learned so much as an intern. My mentors taught me everything from photography to coding HTML. My experience as an intern gave me a playground to determine my career direction. I graduated with a Graphic Design degree from FIDM, but through my internship fell in love with Web Design. Now I've been working on the FashionClub.com site for eight years! Time flies when you're having fun! :)

Tell us a fun fact about you that not many people know: Marianne's Fun Fact #682: I was briefly on an episode of MTV's TRL with Carson Daly. I had to introduce a video on their top 10 list. Looking back at it now, it was pretty embarrassing!

What inspires you? Everything inspires me! It could be the colors of a beautiful sunset or the latest Marc Jacobs collection. I could be taking a walk or browsing through my favorite fashion magazine. For me, inspiration comes in different forms. It's when you least expect it that you'll find it. I think that's what I love most about my job. Those "AaHa!" inspiration moments, where your vision meets creation. As a designer, it's a wonderful feeling.

What is your favorite thing about working on Fashion Club? Working with the most supportive and talented team. Everyone on our team has a voice and embraces each others strengths. Our monthly Starbucks brainstorm meetings usually start off with laughter and end in the same way.

What is your favorite FC article or section? My favorite section is FIDM Street Style. Alexis does a great job chasing down the latest trends from FIDM Students. I get so many fashion ideas from that section alone!

Share your secret fashion or beauty trick: At the beginning of every season I create a dream list of key fashion items I would like to purchase. This helps me to do less impulse buying. I am a sucker for a good sale, but what usually ends up happening is I end up with something I don't really want or need. By having a pre-set list, I end up with staple pieces that can last me a few seasons. Some of the items on my spring/summer 2012 list include a lucite clutch and anything leopard.

If you could be any fashion designer in history, who would it be? Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. She may not have been a fashion designer, but she definitely was a fashion icon. Her timeless style and sophistication has carried on through years. From A-line dresses to her signature large round sunglasses, I loved her style!

Check back soon for more stories from the team behind Fashion Club!