San Francisco Student is President of Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society

Name: Paulette Moutal

Campus: San Francisco

Major: Merchandise Marketing

Age: 23

Hometown: Mountain View, CA

Tell us a little about yourself: I'm in my fourth quarter at FIDM right now, currently interviewing for internships, and I just started a new job as a sales associate at Anthropologie. I am also totally and utterly obsessed with cats! Whenever I've got spare time I love exploring San Francisco with friends (especially the Mission!) or learning something new.

What is one of your proudest accomplishments? The person I am today. I used to be extremely shy and never really thought I could do anything as cool as work in the fashion industry. My experience at FIDM has really changed all of that for me and little by little I'm finally turning into the person I've always wanted to be, doing the things I've always dreamed of doing!

Tell us about Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Socieity (PTK) and your experience as President: It's been a lot of fun! It's given me so many opportunities to network both in and outside of FIDM. Aside from that I've also been able to develop my leadership skills by working closely with the rest of the PTK board and running our meetings. It's even given me event planning and PR experience. Right now PTK is heading Cotton's From Blue To Green Denim Drive and we're brushing up on our PR skills by contacting local press and media to garner more coverage. I would recommend PTK to anybody; it's such a great thing to have on your resume.

Who is your style icon and why? Bebe Zeva! She's a blogger with incredible style. She's extremely versatile. One day she'll be drenched in studs, sky high platforms, a leather jacket, and a beanie, and the next she's decked out in Ralph Lauren, looking ready to hit the runway. Not only that, but she's a crusader for fashion as an intellectual endeavor and means of empowerment for women. That's way awesome in my opinion.

What’s in your wardrobe you can’t live without? Currently it's my black beanie, Gustav Klimt "The Kiss" leggings, and my moon pendant necklace.

What fashion websites/blogs do you love? Lookbook.nu, Fated To Be Hated (Bebe Zeva), and Jean Greige (Madeline Pendleton) are my top three.

How did you hear about FIDM? I think it may have been that someone at my high school ended up going to FIDM and the name stuck. I chose it primarily because it is a fashion and design oriented school where I would be taking classes that relate directly to the industry I want to be in.

How did you choose your major? I always knew that I didn't want to design anything but I still wanted to be involved in the fashion industry. I'd also gotten experience in the purchasing department at my job and loved it so I figured, why not do it for fashion? The Merchandise Marketing major is great for that.

What’s your favorite class at FIDM so far? I love all of my buying and trend forecasting classes. Merchandise Buying is great because I get to work with spreadsheets, do math, and use my analytical side. I love all of that kind of stuff! Trend Forecasting adds a nice balance to that by allowing me to show my more creative side. The best part about both of them is that you're given projects that are just like something you would do on the job. Everything from creating a six month buying plan to interpreting and identifying mega trends.

What are your career goals and how is FIDM helping you get there? My dream job is to be a trend forecaster but I would also love to be a buyer. FIDM has helped in so many ways already! You're given so many opportunities to get involved in the fashion industry. The Career Center always posts job leads and they connect you with potential internships. Our Student Activities Coordinator, Marcellina, is really great as well. She knows anything and everything about what there is to do in the city and is always posting volunteer opportunities for fashion events. Aside from that, the curriculum is completely on-point with what's going on in the fashion industry right now. By getting to know the staff and participating in school events, I've been able to build up my resume and experience so that I've got much more than just my education backing me up when I go into interviews. So far, employers have really liked that.

What advice do you have for someone thinking about going to FIDM? I think a lot of people have a misconception about fashion school. They figure it will be easier than traditional college but FIDM is a lot of hard work and in some cases, it is even harder than going to a traditional college. It's extremely fast-paced and it will require a lot of time and dedication, but it is also extremely rewarding. Aside from that, I cannot stress enough how important it is to get involved on campus. I know that it often seems daunting because students' schedules are so packed, but it is so important to get to know your peers and the staff and faculty. You make so many more connections and gain valuable experience. Plus, you get to have some fun and social interaction which will be much needed come finals!