Does anyone here work at Alo Yoga?
I am very interested in getting my foot in the door in sourcing, tech design, production or design.
I have no connections there and am at a mid-senior level in all areas.
Any leads would really be appreciated. I only see assistant level openings but no one will consider me at that level since I have over 20 years of experience.
I lost my design job the year BEFORE COVID and was looking for a year and then lockdown compounded the extended unemployment and now I feel completely locked out of the industry and need help getting back in. I have an online portfolio and have worked for many well known contemporary retail fashion brands on the design side but am happy just to get back into the industry working in a parallel department using all of my skills and knowledge.
Never worked at Alo, but as someone who is also a “veteran”. I would say to pick a lane and focus on it hardcore. Most designers are wanted at assistant level so they can be highly moldable and at a brand like that have a youthful point-of-view. I would say the best bet is if you want to focus on fitness brands in SoCal, come in as the full of wisdom wonder woman knowing how to get things done in technical design and development. Focus on how you want to bring THEIR visions to life. Show tech packs, technical sketches, BOMs - size run comparisons, bra fittings- anything technical you can !
Hi, I totally agree with MrsB. Our strength as veterans is strong technical knowledge and getting the young designers visions to life. The newcomers have great ideas and vision, but sometimes they lack the knowledge and expertise in technical design. That’s the blank space we vets can fill. Good luck with your job search. My tip is also to network like crazy, I have found most of my freelance jobs by word of mouth.
Reach out to them. Do a “cold call” email, or if you have a phone number, call and ask to speak with whomever is in charge of the design team (creative director, senior designer, etc.). I have gotten most work over the past ten years by doing just that; reaching out! Most of the best jobs are never listed anyways, so give it a try. Introduce yourself, ask for an email address so you can send a link to your website or if you have a PDF of your portfolio, send them that. It honestly doesn’t hurt to try.
My mentor works at Alo, she is the type of person you hope to meet in the industry, so kind, and knowledgeable, but she also will respectfully let you know if something isn’t right. Alo from what I have gathered through interviewing there and her experience is similar to what you think the fashion industry is like through movies like The Devil Wears Prada. The company culture is pretty toxic with a work-over-life type of balance and is not inclusive. I hear they pay well and if you identify with the clientele, it may be a good fit for you. I would recommend getting back into the industry with another company. Seeing as this is an old post, I hope everything went well and you found a great company to work with.