#SoaringToSuccess: From Classroom to Customer Insights, Alexandra Stilo Dives into Fashion Retail

Alexandra Stilo ’26, an Elmira College Business Administration major in the Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Business School, listened closely when fashion icon Thomas J. Hilfiger gave some sage advice. Speaking two years ago as part of a virtual panel discussion, he encouraged aspiring Fashion Business students to start as sales associates to gain a customer-focused perspective as they advance in the industry. Taking his words to heart, Stilo completed an internship at Mixology in Rye Brook, New York, that opened her eyes to the many facets of store management and fashion marketing.

“When I first started working at Mixology, I wasn’t sure if starting at a store was the right step, but it really is true, you need to learn the full business,” shared Stilo. “I want to be a buyer at a fashion business or work the runway shows so I need to first learn about fashion retail.”

After working at the store for a couple of months, Stilo turned that opportunity into an internship. She found the environment special and was eager to learn about the inner workings of the company. She approached her manager and they worked together to create the internship role.

“I got to learn a different side of the business,” explained Stilo. “Mixology has its own computer system, which I had stayed away from but had to learn as an intern. I also shadowed my managers to see how they advised customers and paired clothing for them. I learned a lot about providing better customer relations.”

Stilo got first-hand experience managing the store from back to front. She learned how to decide what items to put on display and how much stock to have on hand versus what to keep in storage.

She used skills learned in her EC marketing classes to create a social media marketing campaign for the store. She made TikTok videos and posted Reels to Instagram. For one video, she worked with a coworker to give tips on “matching without matching,” referencing the cultural icons and fashion designers Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.

“I made ‘fashion hack’ videos sharing different ways to wear a bodysuit and how one shirt can be worn three different ways. Customers said they saw items on Instagram and came in because they wanted to ‘buy that skirt.’ I got to see first-hand the correlation between the social media marketing I did and the outcome to the store,” remarked Stilo.

While Stilo learned store management she attended a six-week course presented by Mixology’s chief executive officer. His Zoom sessions painted the bigger picture about how the company worked, bringing buyers and vice presidents on to speak about their areas of expertise.

This behind-the-scenes view gave Stilo an appreciation for how all of the business components work together.

“One of the things that stuck with me was how much data you can access about the website. You can see every click a person makes. The first items people view are t-shirts. That ties into the marketing.”

Stilo is grateful for the small peek into fashion retail the internship provided and is now even more committed to following her dreams of working in the fashion industry. At the same time, she continues to weigh the steps she wants to take following graduation.

“Retail has such a wide variety of options to pursue. It would be nice to get a job straight out of college but I would also like to get a master's degree,” she shared.

No matter the route she decides, Stilo wants more retail experience and may pursue a similar internship this summer.