Erica Matthews

erica.matthews@hotmail.co.uk

www.ericamatthews.co.uk | www.ericamatthews.tumblr.com/visualmerchandising | www.step-stostyle.com

With over 7 years experience working in the fashion industry,

I am a self-motivated and confident individual who is enthusiastic

about Styling.

Profile: I’m Erica! I’m a fashion enthusiast and style specialist. I live and breathe fashion, styling, beauty and have a real eye for visual production. I have 4-5 years of consid-erable experience in visual merchandising which includes innovative design, styling and dressing of mannequins and displays within a store window, shop floor or at photo shoots and fashion shows. Alongside working with store guidelines, I can take inspiration from my surroundings and bring my own flair to projects. I make it my lifestyle to understand and keep up to date with catwalk, street style, ‘pop culture’ and trends then interpret it into my work and everyday life.

I am Currently Working Full time as a Visual Merchandiser/Window Dresser for H&M, where I Work as Part of the Management team. I execute inspirational and commercial Window schemes, mannequin styling and product placement (through floor moves). But most importantly, I am always ensuring that the customers are delivered a good shopping experience by merchandising fresh, on trend, fast fash-ion.

Living in an ‘ever-changing’ modern environment, I am computer literate and I strongly believe organisation is the backbone to any successful job. I am also open to new opportunities to grow in my role and expand my knowledge. I offer excellent customer service skills in a work environment and understand the importance of creating a rapport with clients, work colleagues and most importantly management. I enjoy working as a team member but I also have the ability to use my initiative and team lead or tackle jobs independently if the opportunity arises.

Visual Merchandising clients: H&M Chanel Lancome House of Fraser (incl. home brands) Clinique Thierry Mugler Gap & Gap Kids Hugo Boss Levi’s All Saints YSL Estée Lauder Coast

Employment History: H&M: March ‘15 – Present Visual Merchandiser

Experience Gained: • I have gained further experience dressing and styling Male, female and

Kidswear mannequins (baby - 14 years) within the company’s commercial guidelines, on the shop floor and in the store windows. This has also given me room to show my personal styling flair when commercially chosen prod-ucts were unavailable by using appropriate S.W.A.T. (selling what’s available today) items.

• I have expanded my experience in installing full window schemes for differ-ent seasons, Departments and store promotions.

• This Position is a Management position so I communicated with both the store and department managers weekly about store figures, commercial plans, biggest orders etc. I also reported to my Area Visual manager weekly for updates and feedback.

• I truly believe by working with another company’s planner, it has strength-ened my understanding of the different ways I can help drive sales which has helped to shape my own sense of merchandising and styling further.

All Saints: November ‘11 – January ’12 Sales Advisor

Experience Gained: • I have furthered my customer service skills and by working in the Menswear

department I have more experience working with male customers. • I now have more experience in working in a fast paced Flagship store, espe-

cially working towards daily targets.

House Of Fraser Croydon: June ‘10 – March ‘11 Visual Merchandiser

Experience Gained: • I have learnt further variations of how to dress and style Male and female

mannequin forms within guidelines for the shop floor and for the store win-dows.

• I have furthered my experience in installing full window schemes for differ-ent seasons, brands and promotions.

• I have gained competence of how to manage a whole shop floors visual mer-chandising, which includes regular meetings with department managers/su-pervisors from menswear, Womenswear, Accessories and Beauty depart-ments.

• I have gained experience in graphic techniques such as PVC Floor board cov-ering, vinyling, decaling and creating decals using computer software. I have also gained experience in working with a different company’s guideline man-ual which has helped to shape my own sense of styling further.

GAP Wandsworth/Croydon: September ’09 – June ‘10 Sales Associate/Visual Support

Experience Gained: • I have learnt further communication and customer service skills, and by

working in the kids department I have now worked with a wider range of cus-tomers meeting different needs and requirements.

• I have broadened my styling skills and knowledge in denim as well as other items of clothing and accessories.

• I now have an even deeper understanding of how important it is in customer service, to create a rapport with customers as an individual and meeting their needs accurately and fast.

• I have also learnt how to dress and style male and female mannequin forms in both the adult and kids department. I am now competent in following Gap visual guides and assisting floor moves as well as building walls for different collections.

Topshop Oxford Circus: March ’08 – August ’08 Sales Advisor

Experience Gained: • I have learnt further communication and customer service skills by working

with an even wider range of customers from different social classes, ages and even sexual preferences.

• I have a deeper understanding of how important it is in customer service to get to know the customer as an individual and do all I can to meet their needs and allow them to not only enjoy their time shopping within the store but leave the store with a good impression.

• Working in the oxford street branch helped I learnt how to work in a faster paced environment, under pressure on the tills and the shop floor. I found myself coming across a lot of different problems and questions and feel my problem solving abilities has improved a lot more.

• I also developed further merchandising skills in the accessories department, working with supervisors to put out new products and performing floor moves.

Education: London College of Fashion: February 2011.

Certificate: Styling In Media Roehampton University: 2006 – 2009.

Degree results: I gained a degree in Psychology and counselling (Bsc) combined.

Kingston College: 2004 – 2006. A level results: I Gained three A level Qualifications in; Art and design, Theatre studies and Psychology.

Riddlesdown High School: 1999 – 2004. GCSE Results: I received nine ‘A - C’ Grades.

Interests: In my spare time I work as a Freelance Fashion Stylist working with Celebrities, edi-torials, Lookbooks and commercials. With this love of Fashion I also run my own successful Fashion blog and Social Media platforms. Because I love expanding my knowledge and working in a challenging environment I have also Interned with Styling, Fashion PR’s, Fashion Week and casting days.

References and Portfolio Are Available Upon Request