New Interview with FIDM San Francisco Student Brittany Kilborn

Name: Brittany Kilborn

Major: Merchandise Marketing, Professional Designation

Campus: FIDM San Francisco

Hometown: Bloomington, IL

Tell us a little about yourself: I am from Central Illinois and I received my Bachelor of Science Degree in Business/Marketing from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. I took a couple of years off to figure out where I wanted to go with my life, living in Chicago and Fort Myers, FL. I decided I wanted to work in the fashion industry because fashion has been a part of my life and a big inspiration since I was young. I figured I could incorporate my business degree and fashion by becoming a buyer. Going back to school to get a fashion merchandising degree at an accredited fashion college was the best choice for my career path, so I moved to San Francisco on my own to reach my goals. 

What is one of your proudest accomplishments? My proudest accomplishment to date was becoming State champions my senior year of high school in girls golf. I took 11^th individually and it was our school's first year winning State.

What fashion sites do you love? I have several fashion blogs and websites I frequent every day. One of my favorite sites to see a variety of fashion and get ideas is Pinterest. I go to style.com to view the latest fashion shows that have hit the runway. I have recently become very into online shopping. I shop at ASOS.com, Nastygal.com, Tobi.com, Topshop.com, and a New York site called Pixiemarket.com.

How did you hear about FIDM and what made you decide to go here? I was going to the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and wasn’t happy at the school.  I didn’t feel like I was getting a good education and my money wasn’t being well spent on school. I started researching FIDM and visited the school. I instantly fell in love and wanted to transfer. I could get my Professional Designation degree faster than my Masters and have a better opportunity to find a career after school through FIDM.

How did you choose your major? I already had my Bachelors Degree in Marketing and knew that the business side of fashion was what I would be best at because I am better with numbers and statistics than the creativity of designing. I knew learning the business and marketing side of fashion would put my previous degree to get use. Also, Merchandise Marketing is the best major for learning to become a Buyer.

What's your favorite class so far? My favorite class so far has been Merchandise Math, because I am a little bit of a nerd and math has always been my favorite subject. I am currently taking Merchandise Buying where we create a 6-month buying plan for a store; I think this will end up being my favorite class.

What are your career goals and how is FIDM helping you get there? My career goal is to become a buyer. I am also interested in the PR side of fashion as well. Currently, in my internship I am in charge of social media and PR for the company, so I am getting good experience.

Tell us about your experience at the FIDM Career Connections event: I thought the FIDM Career Connections event was helpful and informative. The biggest thing I learned from the alumni is to use the Career Center to my advantage and stay on top of them. They will be biggest asset and resource to getting a job after I graduate. It was great to see what jobs women had been working in since they graduated from FIDM. Many had become allocators and said it is where a lot of job opportunities are now. The person I enjoyed meeting most was an alumna who had started a lingerie business in Paris. She did most of the designing and hard work of creating the line. It was great to see someone become successful, especially in Paris across the world.

Any advice for someone thinking about going to FIDM? I think FIDM is a great place for someone who knows exactly where they want to go in their life. It is a lot of hard work and takes dedication. 

Anything else you'd like to share? I have really enjoyed my experience at FIDM so far. A Professional Designation degree in Merchandise Marketing is the perfect degree for me to finish in three quarters and head out into the real world. The people and connections you make at FIDM are key to being successful in school and after you graduate.