ABOUT ME
My career in fashion started on the export side of the industry, working with a garment exporter and getting an early look at how product moves from factory production into the hands of buyers. I became interested in the details that shaped those decisions, from fabrication and finish to fit, pricing, color, and overall retail appeal. That early exposure led me deeper into off-price fashion. I began learning how buyers read merchandise, how assortments are built, and why certain styles have stronger sell-through potential than others. I spent more time studying product, visiting markets, understanding customer preferences, and developing an instinct for what felt commercially relevant.
As my experience grew, I moved into buying and consulting, working across different sourcing markets and developing a broader understanding of women’s and men’s apparel. Along the way, I worked with merchandise from well-known national brands, private-label programs, and inventory that needed a new direction after cancellations, overruns, or shifts in demand. My work eventually brought me to New York, where I now consult for Empire Apparel LLC. Over the years, I have worked with product destined for major off-price and value retailers including Burlington, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Gabe’s, Bealls, Macy’s Backstage, and other retail channels across the United States and international markets. Working with different retailers has taught me how much the customer, price architecture, store environment, and assortment mix can change the way the same product performs.
Working with recognized national brands has been another important part of my journey. It has given me experience reading brand handwriting, original retail positioning, fabrication, fit standards, logo value, and customer recognition, especially when branded merchandise moves into the off-price channel. Nearly two decades into my career, I still approach fashion through product first. I pay attention to what is happening on the selling floor, which fabrics and silhouettes are gaining traction, where price resistance is building, and how buyers are reacting to shifts in consumer demand.
My journey has taken me across countries, factories, showrooms, buying offices, and retail markets, and each stage has shaped the way I work with fashion today.