Meet Ashley Hernandez!
BA Merchandise Marketing & Management '16 Alumnus of Wade College, Assistant Buyer at Jared's, and Owner/Operator of Ivy Reina Boutique Clothing Brand
Tell us a little bit about your job.
As an assistant buyer for Jared, I work with vendors and my buyer to create new designs and modify classic styles to come up with beautiful collections for Jared. I also dive into the sales data to determine trends in styling, price points, and markdown opportunities. I work with visual merchandising to create displays for my collections, as well as the photography, marketing, and web teams to make sure my jewelry can be easily accessible. I even get to send jewelry to celebrities for red carpet events.
How did your education at Wade College help prepare you for what you are doing today?
Everything about my experience at Wade College was extremely helpful in my current career. Even the portfolio project was helpful as I literally do concept and design presentations on a quarterly basis. Those Buying classes were also perfect lessons for my current role.
What opportunities, decisions, or events shaped your professional life?
I’ve worked in retail since I was in high school. I even was the manager at a Perry Ellis while I attended school at Wade. 2016 I was ready to leave retail and get into the corporate side of the business. 2016 was a tough job market and that led me to ultimately becoming a teacher for 5 years. I never quite let go of the fashion bug in opened an online boutique while working. After 5 years I decided I wasn’t happy as a teacher and left. I joined the merchandise training program at Signet Jewelers [where I] learned all about jewelry and earned certifications in diamonds, gemstones, and jewelry essentials from GIA. Once I finished their program I got a job within the company as an assistant buyer at Jared.
What are some of your proudest accomplishments?
I love my online boutique, it’s a passion project and it brings me so much joy. But also accessorizing celebrities like Tyla, Quinta Brunson, and Coco Jones has been so fun.
Where can we find you online?
Website - https://ivyreina.com
Instagram - @ivy.reina
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleymccloud/
