How I Got Here: The Iconic’s buyer Amelia Lee on the power of persistence
IMAGE VIA @BADGALAMMY/INSTAGRAM
WORDS BY LARA DALY
“I kept in contact with the team and management weekly to show my eagerness to rejoin.”
Have you ever stalked someone on LinkedIn and wondered how on earth they managed to land that wildly impressive job? While the internet and social media might have us believe that our ideal job is a mere pipe dream, the individuals who have these jobs were, believe it or not, in the same position once, fantasising over someone else’s seemingly unattainable job.
But behind the awe-inspiring titles and the fancy work events lies a heck of a lot of hard work. So what lessons have been learnt and what skills have proved invaluable in getting them from daydreaming about success to actually being at the top of their industry?
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Welcome to How I Got Here, where we talk to women who are killing it in their respective fields about how they landed their awe-inspiring jobs, exploring the peaks and pits, the failures and the wins, and most importantly the knowledge, advice, and practical tips they’ve gleaned along the way.
This week, we hear from The Iconic’s Category Buyer, Amelia Lee, who looks after a portfolio of women’s fashion from both local and international brands. While she’s always had an interest in fashion, becoming a buyer for one of Australia’s leading online retailers was a “slight fluke”. After interviewing for an operational role – which she didn’t get – she was encouraged to apply for an entry level buying role at The Iconic, where she started out doing admin and processing orders.
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Once Amelia had her foot in the door, it took a lot of hard work, relationship-building and persistence to climb the ranks to her current role. “I don’t think it is necessary to have a fashion degree to start in buying, just a strong set of admin and problem-solving skills as well as a strong desire to learn and grow into the role,” she says. “Fashion can be an inherently selfish industry so you need to work hard at creating your personal brand and make yourself stand out.”
When Amelia tells people that she’s a fashion buyer, they often think she gets to shop for a living – a common misconception. “There is a lot of data-driven decision making and a lot of Excel sheets,” she says. “Looking at collections and making product selections is maybe only five per cent of the role.”
Establishing her career in an industry she loves has come with plenty of challenges, like learning to juggle priorities, adapt to different roles and say yes to opportunities even if they seem outside of her interests. With this in mind, she’s now bursting with valuable insights for anyone looking to work in fashion.
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Hi Amelia! Tell us a little about who you are and what you do.
I’m the Women’s Trend Apparel Buyer at The Iconic and my official title is Category Buyer. I look after a portfolio of ‘Trend’ brands across both local and international wholesale, and I account manage our ‘Marketplace’ brands.
Take us back to when you were first starting out. Did you study to get into your chosen field or start as a junior and climb the ladder?
I did a Bachelor Degree of Branded Fashion at Billy Blue College. The way I ended up at The Iconic was a slight fluke. My old manager in customer service, [from] when I was working part time while studying, moved to The Iconic and landed me an interview there, in more of the operational side of the business. When I spoke to the HR team, they suggested my skill set would be more suitable for an entry level buying role. I started in a Buying Admin role, helping with processing orders, managing stock deliveries, sorting invoicing and delivery issues and worked my way through the levels to my current role as buyer.
I don’t think it is necessary to have a fashion degree to start in buying just a strong set of admin and problem solving skills as well as a strong desire to learn and grow into the role. You will find that many people in Buying have many different backgrounds and not just fashion.
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What challenges have you faced getting to where you are now?
Something that was really difficult for me was when Covid hit. Like many others, unfortunately I lost my role after a few short months. It was a really devastating time as I felt like I just had my foot in the door and [was] on the path to a career I really wanted. I tried to look for other positions but as you can imagine, nobody was hiring due to the uncertainty of the retail world. However, I kept in contact with the team and management weekly to show my eagerness to rejoin. After some persistence, I was able to come back to The Iconic once there was more certainty in the business. It was a really challenging time and I’m grateful I maintained relationships with the team during my time off.
What do you want people to know about your industry and role?
The fashion industry may seem easy and glamorous, but it is a highly competitive field, filled with a lot of driven and talented people. You cannot succeed in this industry without a lot of hard work and dedication. It is also such a small industry in Australia that everyone knows everyone so I advise people to always work hard, be kind and lead with your best foot forward.
What’s the best part about your role?
There are so many fun things about my role as a buyer. Seeing products or brands that you believe in and backed up resonate with the customer is an amazing feeling. Another special part is building strong relationships with the brand teams, who I get to work with closely on a daily basis.
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What would surprise people about your role?
Buying is not just about intuition and picking what you think looks the cutest in the collection, as much as it seems like it is. There is a lot of data-driven decision making, and a lot of Excel sheets and looking at numbers, sales history, financial forecasts and budgets. Surprisingly, looking at collections and making product selection is maybe only five per cent of the role.
What skills have served you well in your industry?
Having strong social skills and an extroverted nature has helped me build relationships that have been key to my success. Always being friendly with everyone in the business and with brands is such an important part of the role. Putting myself out there by vocalising ideas, thinking outside the box, helping with training and building relationships with people in the business outside of your department is so important. A lot of being in fashion is about making connections and creating opportunities for yourself. Fashion can be an inherently selfish industry so you need to work hard at creating your personal brand and make yourself stand out.
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What advice would you give to someone who wants to be in a role like yours one day?
Say yes to opportunities even when you think they might not be in your specific field of interest. Learning about other parts of the industry is so important to grow your career. It gives you a broader understanding and also shows to future employers that you are willing and able to adapt to your role.
What about a practical tip?
Time management skills are so important to have and develop. The industry is often extremely fast-paced, with tight and ever-changing deadlines. It’s super important to be able to juggle all the different balls you are expected to do, as well and being able to prioritise what is important for your role. Don’t forget to reach out to your team members for support, you aren’t alone and there are people willing and able to help.
Read the rest of the How I Got Here series here.
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