EHE News
Senior Vice President of Elizabeth Arden teaches Textiles & Clothing 275 how to navigate a fashion career after OSU
Laurie Dowley
Students in Textiles and Clothing 275, The Business of Fashion, received a special lecture during autumn quarter on the impact of the beauty industry from an expert and alumna of the program, Laurie Dowley.
Lecturer Julia Cooper, Department of Consumer Sciences, was eager to offer her students the exceptional opportunity to learn from Dowley, who is senior vice president of Elizabeth Arden.
"This course attracts students across campus interested in business and fashion," Cooper says. "It is a very straightforward introduction to fashion design, production and retail industries. Dowley's insights, as a veteran, helped tremendously to bring that world to life, especially since she is an alumna of our Textiles and Clothing program. She had a delightful rapport with the students, and they, with her."
When Dowley, a native of Columbus, graduated with a bachelor's degree from Ohio State in 1977, she was offered a job selling Estee Lauder cosmetics behind a department store counter in Detroit. She thought, as a college graduate, she was overqualified for direct customer service, and so turned it down. Within a few months, she realized that she had made a mistake and asked for a second chance.
"Don't be afraid to start at the bottom, even if you think that is not your ultimate interest," Dowley said. She explained that exposure gives you time to strategize. In her case, she took the time to plan how to launch a career in New York.
Earlier, an internship in New York through the Textiles and Clothing program made her realize, "I had to go back! I'm a city girl." As a first step she made sure her employer knew her goal. Later, as a manager, she would witness talented people leaving the company without expressing a desire for a change or a promotion. In part because she made her aspirations clear, three years later, she was transferred to the Big Apple.
Thirty-five years later, she makes an impact on the entire industry, both as a senior vice president of Elizabeth Arden and as a member of the Board of Governors for the Cosmetic Executive Women Foundation.
After more than 20 years with Estee Lauder, Dowley joined the executive team at Elizabeth Arden. Part of her current role includes traveling throughout the United States to oversee Elizabeth Arden sales teams. Before her visit to the Columbus campus, she made a point to stop at the Polaris Fashion Place Macy's to talk to customers and sales associates.
For the 150 students in Cooper's class, Dowley explained that one key to EA's success is its multisegment marketing, from prestige to midline to mass merchants. The company has a product line for every budget, and in 2008 its products were sold in more than 90 countries with estimated annual global retail sales in excess of $1 billion.
She explained that the cosmetic industry is different from other fashion industries because fragrance and beauty products are based on research and technological advances. For example, even though yellow was everywhere a few years ago, her gut feeling was to go with a blue perfume bottle. "Since the fashion industry is about time-to-market, we made a [quick] decision," she said. Research backed her decision, confirming that the blue packaging was more appealing to consumers.
She then gave the class the benefit of a sneak preview of a no-mess package concept designed for mineral makeup products that came out in early 2009. For instance, the company developed a portable grinder compact to release fresh foundation for each application.
One student asked, "How important is my GPA to getting hired upon graduation?" Dowley responded that some companies use GPA data for job consideration, but she stressed that passion is what she looks for in an employee.
"In this course, we are focusing on the breadth of the fashion world from every stage and channel," Cooper says. "I am glad to have a speaker who represents a niche area of fashion, so students see that it is all around us, and in everything we produce and buy."
Textiles and Clothing 275, The Business of Fashion, exposes students to possible avenues they can pursue in their fashion and retail careers. Dowley admitted that she wasn't the best student in draping class, but when someone suggested cosmetics, something clicked for her. Her advice to students: "Trust your gut."
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