In this monthly series, IFA Paris alumni share how their studies at IFA Paris have paved the way to land their dream job. This month, we sat down with Beatriz Orozco, graduate of the MBA Fashion Business, here she tells us how studying at IFA Paris has given her the right tools for her job.
Get to know:
Name: Beatriz Orozco
Nationality: Mexican
IFA Campus: Paris
Program studied: MBA Fashion Business
Beatriz Orozco
Favourite course: Contemporary fashion context, we were able to learn brand strategies that might not be obvious at first sight, but helps you understand a brands’ success or failure.
Current project: Research on the impact of the pandemic in the fashion industry
Fashion inspiration: I have always been passionate about how, through history, social movements have influenced fashion and vice versa. Fashion is a bigger part of our life than we actually realise.
Tell us a bit about yourself and your background – who you are, where you come from and what got you interested in studying fashion.
My name is Beatriz, I was born and raised in Mexico. I have a background in leather goods design and development, I knew I wanted to work in fashion since I can remember. Before moving to Paris I lived in Los Angeles and Italy, which gave me international perspective of the industry, as well as language skills in English and Italian that now I use at work every single day. After living in 3 different countries I decided to establish myself in the fashion capital Paris. I found IFA Paris, one of the few universities in the world that offers a specialized MBA in fashion and I knew that was exactly the course I was looking for to increase my knowledge.
Beatriz Orozco
What are you currently doing and what’s most exciting about it?
I am working as a product developer for a fashion brand based in Paris, the most exiting part of the job is being able to be involved in every stage of the collection, from the inspiration to the production, participate in campaigns and photoshoots and finally seeing it come to life in stores.
What skills did you learn at IFA Paris that helps you in your current role?
Commercialization and distribution strategies for specific products in different international markets. Being in a multicultural environment and working together in projects has definitely given me soft skills that are needed when working in a city like Paris. Understanding fashion from a business perspective.
In four words, describe your IFA Paris experience:
Growth, confidence, challenging, life-changing.
What words of wisdom do you have for current and any future IFA Paris students?
Take advantage of all the extra curricular activities and workshops IFA offers you, learn to speak French, learn as much as you can from your professors and your classmates, they bring experience from all areas in fashion and all around the world. Be nice to people, you may need each other in the future or even end up being colleagues. And most important, enjoy as much as you can, this is a unique experience!
If you could choose three things to include for an IFA Paris “survival toolkit”, what would they be?
- Coffee
- Fashion books and documentaries
- Good attitude!
Beatriz’ top tips for: Paris
Cheap eats: Falafel from le Marais
Place to hangout with friends: Bars on La Seine in summer
Getting around: Expositions and cultural activities
Relaxing: Reading your favourite books in one of the many famous gardens in Paris
Favourite word in local language: “ça va”, you can basically use it for everything!
Find more information on program pursued by Beatriz: MBA Fashion Business
It is now also available online for distance learning – find more information on our new platform : IFA Paris – Learn Online: MBA Fashion Business
If you are an alumn and would like to be featured, or know someone who should be, don’t hesitate to let us know at [email protected]