This week we meet Plyska Genova, a UCLAN graduate who showed at GFW 2018. Now, she’s the PR and Marketing Manager for vegan footwear brand Koi, and has some great advice for the class of 2020: Trust your own journey and don’t look at other’s paths and compare them to your own. Read on to learn about Plyska’s journey from GFW to Koi Footwear PR & Marketing team!
Which university did you attend, and what is the most valuable thing you learnt there?
I graduated from the University of Central Lancashire with a BA in Fashion Promotion.
My path was a little different to most students, as I transferred from UCLan’s affiliate university in Thessaloniki, Greece. I began my third year with a whole group of people and teachers I didn’t know, alongside the usual pressures of being the final year. It was amazing to see the passion we all had for the course and the dedication to turning challenges into an opportunity to learn. The most invaluable lesson I took away was being able to use the creative methods we had learned and apply them to any brief/task.
Which area of the industry have you chosen to pursue, and what informed this choice?
After graduating and taking part in GFW, I decided to steer myself towards PR and marketing, where I could apply my love for creative marketing planning. The beauty of this industry is the collaborative nature of the different disciplines, and working in marketing allows me to see all the different channels (whether creative or analytical) to pull together the overarching idea. Whether this is assisting in photoshoot planning, researching brand collaborations, planning email campaigns or contacting influencers.
Tell us a bit more about your career journey since showing at Graduate Fashion Week. How have you found life in the industry?
I began as a PR Assistant, mainly focusing on social and influencer marketing. I learned a lot from that role, and how to be part of a team at a start-up. I learned very quickly how varied the industry is, and found it really interesting working with lots of different people from lots of different backgrounds. Like most graduates, I wasn’t exactly sure where I saw myself thriving but I’m so glad I dived right into a graduate position. The industry, especially in Manchester, is a lot smaller than I expected, which allows for a lot of professional opportunity.
Do you explore any political, social or historical notions through your work? If so, what messages do you hope to convey?
Yes – working for a vegan brand we are massively aware of our voice, and what that means to our customers. I think it’s important to use our platform for good, and listen to what priorities our customers have when shopping.
My FMP really set the tone for this for me personally, as I looked into societal problems and how larger corporations can use their influence for good. Beyond “corporate responsibility” there’s an ambient importance of looking at the larger picture and how able we are as society to help each other out.
Where are you hoping to be in five years time?
In five year’s time, I am hoping to be running my own business and still be as passionate and creative as I am today. I’m hoping I will be in the position to use my business or work to help people, and create a better future for our planet.
I’ve learned that a lot can happen in two years, so I’m excited to see where things go in five!
The industry is undergoing a huge change, with sustainability, diversity and responsibility becoming huge themes. Do you have any opinions on these movements?
I think these are not trends, but are the driving factors of how customers will shop. More and more we are seeing customers taking more informed decision on where they are putting their money. The importance of a brand image is a necessity, and customers will see through falsely claimed or marketed initiatives.
I think we are seeing the importance of these themes more than ever in the current economical climate. It will be interesting to see how retailers are adapting to changing their marketing message to fit inline with the situation, if it’s a general part of the brand image, or if it’s just a crisis management strategy. Either way, the customers will decide.
Lastly, to any students that are reading this in admiration of your career-what advice would you give to the students hoping to showcase this year?
Trust your own journey— don’t look at other’s paths and compare them to your own. My journey has been completely different to my colleagues or my classmates, but we are all finding our own way. Any experience is good experience as through the different jobs and journeys you will find where your passion lies, and use it to apply to your ‘dream job’. Even if you don’t know what your ‘dream job’ may be at this time, any experience along the way will help when you get there. Keep being inspired and helping each other.