My Most Significant Experience and Why it was Meaningful

( Admission Essay )

Introduction

Sometimes the most trivial experience turns out to be the most significant ever for a person. It can be so significant that the seemingly common and ordinary experience can radically change how a person looks at others, himself or herself, and at life in general. This is my story.

From Shabby to Chic

The most significant experience I ever had was when I first watched a fashion show. I was barely in my teens wearing a terrible shirt, loose jeans, and a pair of sneakers crying out for wash. I was a hesitant audience. My mother had two tickets for a fashion show downtown and she had no one else to kowtow but a daughter who did not have a fashion sense and even tomboyish at that. That I was bored as I entered the hall was an understatement.

But when the models starting sha-shaying on the catwalk, I was mesmerized. The lithe models were like fairies gliding on the ramp, their unsmiling faces with pouty lips looked mysterious, and they looked very fabulous with the clothes they were wearing. The clothes, although these were just casual getups, looked so put-together. The colors were very vivid and the cuts were very practical yet fabulous. The fabric moved with every swaying of the models’ hips and every movement of their bodies. It was a breath-taking and exciting sight.

From then on, I looked forward to every fashion show. My understanding also broadened from mere doll-like models to cosmetics to fragrances, accessories, and poise. When I got a little older, I found that my strength was on clothing.

This was the reason why I enrolled, and later graduated, my AAS in Fashion Design and Merchandising. School was a challenge for a working person like me, but I enjoyed it so much because of many new things I learned. My learned skills and acquired knowledge were also validated in school.

The skills, knowledge, and experiences I obtained from school helped me in my jobs in various companies such as LTB- Jeans by Littlebig, Boy Meets Girl, Spy Zone Collection, Couture Concept, A line from Paris, and ED Hardy Jeans. Every episode with each company was a learning experience and the gold nuggets of wisdom were highly treasured. I can say with great confidence that whatever I learned from school and work were very helpful for me.

With regard to work experience, I have tried almost every aspect of the industry. I began with sales, where I learned how to make the merchandise more saleable and attractive to customers, dealers, and distributors. I was trained how to maximize the purchases of buyers, suggesting products that look promising in the market and those that have shown brisk sales.

I likewise learned the rudiments of meeting customers face to face when I was assigned in customer relations. My personality and character were honed in this phase because I had direct interactions with customers. I learned their preferences, tastes, needs, wants, likes, and dislikes. All the things I discovered from customers were useful inputs in developing and launching new products and new lines. Moreover, my experiences in participating in many trade shows gave me a macro view of the industry, where it is going, where it is strong, where it is weak, and how I can help to make it grow.

I can not say I am already successful in my profession because success is a subjective term. But I can confidently say that I have achieved what I originally wanted to achieve.

However, I realize that the industry still has enough room for hopefuls like me.

Conclusion

With all the training, education, skills, and knowledge I have gained through the years, I

feel I am ready for more challenges that a university education brings. I have grown more mature in both outlook in my personal life and approach in my profession. The fashion industry is the world I want to grow with and succeed in. And this I came to realize from that one trivial experience that turned out to be my most significant experience so far.