Manifesting A Career In Fashion Merchandising with Celeste Munoz

For this week’s Manifesting with Industry Leaders & Influencers profile, we have Celeste Munoz, associate merchant at Victoria’s Secret. Celeste has previously worked at Chloe, The Doneger Group and Club Monaco. For those of you who are unfamiliar with fashion merchandising, Celeste is breaking everything down for us!

MM: Okay so for those of us who don’t know-what is merchandising?

CM: Merchandising is the selection process of the collections that ultimately are sold in stores and online! It’s a role that is half creative, choosing the product and creating merchandise stories, and half analytical as we are responsible for knowing the sales data of what was most profitable last year to apply to collections this year. 

MM: How did you get your start in merchandising?

CM: I’ve always loved fashion and applied to Parsons for Design and FIT for business. I ended up choosing the business route and graduated from The Fashion Institute of Technology with a BS in Fashion Business Management specialized in buying planning! 

MM: Can you share a little bit more background on your career path?

CM: Of course! My first internship was at Chloe, working with their New York Wholesale Team, this was the first time I really saw what working in fashion was like! Back then we used to get paid with a gifted bag and class credit (which at the time was more exciting than a paycheck). 

After Chloe, I had 2 internships in Trend Forecasting which I would say is my true passion in the industry. It’s a small field and very competitive, not super financially stable, although the work is so inspiring. I would spend hours reading about culture and combing through runway shows to identify the top trends, colors, and consumer habits of the season! 

Post College, I was hired at The Doneger Group, which is a unique business that helps other retailers plan their merchandise collections in terms of key items and trends! There I was working on accessories, Handbags, Intimate Apparel and Jewelry!

My Next Role was an Assistant Merchant at Club Monaco, which is a mid-luxury brand owned by Ralph Lauren. There I was working on dresses, skirts and our pants assortment! Club Monaco was such a great foundation for me in Merchandising directly for a brand!

Currently I am an Associate level Merchant at Victoria’s Secret! I am on the Accessories and Handbags Team, I started in January so I am fairly new, but loving it so far! Accessories and bags are categories that I have the most experience in and I love that those businesses are so fashion/trend driven!

MM: What is your typical day like at Victoria’s Secret?

CM: Everyday is different! We are working on 2-3 seasons at a time, so part of the day is tending to milestones regarding future seasons whether that is choosing items that we will have in store, matching colors and details to silhouettes with our design team, or even making sure that the goods will be delivered on time. The other part of the day is diving into current business and combing through excel files (aka what is currently selling best in stores, and why), and reacting to the business that you are reading. (can we run a promo to help XYZ sell better?) (can we transfer products to a more productive store?)

MM: Three characteristics that make for a stellar merchant? 

CM: Being a Leader- Merchants are the point person for all other teams in terms of the assortment. We make the decisions and lead changes and processes. Being a wealth of information around the assortment and being able to communicate to all teams is the most important.

Problem Solving- As business is unpredictable, Merchants need to be solution oriented and have ideas up their sleeves to solve issues whether that be items not selling, or not being able execute ideas in the design process. Always having a back up plan or an alternative idea is important.

Well Rounded- Merchants are most successful when they can utilize both left brain and right brain functionalities. Finding that balance between creativity and business/analytics is crucial in creating an inspiring and productive assortment. 

MM: What are some challenges you have faced in your role as a merchant and how did you overcome those challenges?

CM: Currently my biggest challenge is learning the assortment and calendar process at my new role. Coming into this position there are so many collections already in place that I need to learn the whats and whys of! I’m making sure I’m taking my time when looking at old collections and noting all the styles so that I am able to learn before they go live! I also am a big fan of writing notes to help with memory!

MM: Describe working in fashion in three words?

CM: Fast, creative, smart

MM: What are your best tips on networking?

CM: Be kind and informed when speaking to anyone, the industry is so small and connections you make can follow you to other roles and companies. People won’t always remember what you say or what you accomplished but they will remember how it was working together whether it was easy, pleasant and efficient or unorganized. Another tip is to always tell people you work with what you appreciate about them! Validation is so important especially for millennials and Gen Z in the workforce. 

Don’t be afraid to ask questions or ask for advice! People love to talk about their careers and the path that got them there. I have always had amazing mentors at each of my roles and It’s important to me to pay that forward! So if anyone reading this has questions please reach out!

Find a common ground- For example, when interviewing at Victoria’s Secret, I spoke to how my first job in retail was at Victoria’s Secret in College! Showing that you are interested and invested in the brand or person you are talking to goes a long way! 

MM: Let’s talk about your instagram feed because it is absolutely fabulous!

MM: Take us through your content creation process.

CM: On weekends I try to shoot Fashion content, these are photos of my own personal style, not sponsored, just myself and my form of expression and creativity! I usually shoot with friends or my boyfriend so that I do not have to set up tripods and carry them around the city. I try to do at least 2 outfits and at least 1 filler photo or detail shot to spread out content through the week.

I always prepare with inspiration photos, I save mood boards on both Pinterest and Instagram from all of my favorite accounts and interpret in a NYC way! I plan outfits out on Sundays for the full week Working full time from home it's hard to find daylight to shoot, so if I ever have a moment on my lunch break I need to have an outfit ready!

MM: Any tips on shooting your own content/self timer photos?

CM: I love a good self timer photo! I always look at tiktok for tips and tricks! Purchase a nice ring light/tripod from amazon and a remote clicker! I usually take a few with the front camera to practice, and then switch to the back camera for better quality!

MM: Where do you find inspiration for your feed?

CM: All of my mutuals! Small creators are often more creative than the biggest bloggers out there. I love that I can scroll through insta, comment and engage with other accounts and also gain inspiration! 

MM: Who is your style inspiration?

CM: I love @paudictato @brittanyxavier @chrisellelim 

MM: Three of your fashion must haves?

CM: DENIM! In a black, light wash and dark wash, all straight leg 

Oversized Blazer- so versatile and chic

Statement pieces- I’m a big fan of a girly statement piece in dresses or skirts.

MM: Current favorite fashion brand?

CM: Gucci Always. 

MM: What are you manifesting for yourself in 2021?

CM: Learning how to monetize my instagram in a more strategic way! Curating a feed I am proud of and feels like me! Also, being more organized!