Statement of Purpose for the WOBI Application The dreams and aspirations of today’s generation are colossal. If you are lucky, you will have figured yours out at an early age which is great because, it gives you a head start on making that dream of yours a reality. For the rest of us that have not been able to achieve that, we can agree that it will make your life a little less easy. Suffice to say, I fell under the latter. I was never a science girl, was terrible at numbers, and I was not every artistic either. What I did have however, was an incredible passion for fashion. Vogue was my textbook and Anna Wintour was my mentor. I soon realized that a line in fashion would be what I wanted to do with my life. Eventually, I was lucky to find that Pearl Academy had a course in Luxury Brand Management; the content of which suited me to a T―I had officially found my calling. I took a big risk by applying to no other college except for Pearl Academy. I was extremely driven to get into it because that was the first phase of reaching my goal. After I received my acceptance letter, I was over the moon. Settling in to my new life at college was not a walk in the park. To put it bluntly, I felt like a fish out of water. Things however got better inevitably because I began to enjoy what college had to offer. The course I had chosen demanded four years of study with the first being a foundation in fashion and business. ‘Foundation Business’ was in every way a stepping stone. I was introduced to the world of fashion in the most professional aspect. In the process, I had made radio advertisements, became Photoshop and MS Office proficient, compiled my first integrated brand report and put together my very own coffee table book. I gained immense confidence thanks to the numerous juries and presentations. I also got selected to join the college’s organizational society, ‘Plan Clan’ which was another bonus because the work was giving me good exposure in event planning. Thus concluded my first year at college and I was now ready for the real game to start: Luxury Brand Management. I was officially a luxury brand student the following summer. Based on what on what my new faculty had to say about the course, I knew I would love every bit of it. Learning about Chanel and Louis Vuitton, having etiquette classes and studying things like the history of fashion brands? It was a dream come true. We have modules like Brand Studies, Aesthetics and Styling, Consumer Behavior and Research, Marketing Management, Luxury Goods and Services, Accounts and the like. The modules basically cover everything that has to do with luxury and brand management. The first set of assessments were challenging. I was given a detailed case study to not only assess but to come up with solutions as well and an integrated project based on the brand Roberto Cavalli. All this only enhanced my growing interest for the course and I put in everything I had into these assignments. My hard work was not in vain because I was amongst the toppers in class as the semester ended. I was also beginning to get more engaged with Plan Clan as well, by assisting our coordinator and the heads with organizing various college festivals and activities. The start of the next semester meant new classes and a new set of assignments. During this time, I also sought out internships and began working with Inka Homecrafts for the next three
months. Soon after, I was given the post of the treasurer at Plan Clan proving that all the extra miles I ran for the college paid off. As I continue my second year of college I can safely say that the amount I have learnt so far is varied and numerous. By the time I graduate, I am certain that I could pass of as an advocate for luxury. As far as my future plan is concerned, I envision myself as a merchandiser, working for a high end luxury brand, preferably in one of the fashion capitals of the world. Towards this goal I am willing to work sincerely and consistently till I realize my dream. From the beginning I have known that there may be bumps along the road in the form of competition and even rejection, but I feel that the world is my oyster. Submitted by:Shaunessa Nongrum Course: Luxury Brand Management Level-1 Cohort:2014-2018