Alumni Spotlight: Arion Wheeler
Q&A with FSF Alumna, Arion Wheeler
1. How would you describe your personal style in three words?
I would describe my personal style as fearless, comfortable and elevated.
2. Can you tell us about a project you’ve worked on recently that you are particularly proud of?
A project that I recently worked on was here at my current job. I am a Visual Merchandiser Associate at Macy's Perimeter mall and one part of my job is that I have the opportunity to create and execute visual merchandising concepts and activations (called Pavilions). From the beginning planning stages of deciding on the product assortment, dissecting the layout, to dressing and styling the mannequins and to visualizing how the merchandise will work for the concept. The outcome of these Pavilions is giving the customers a Macy’s experience by bringing to the spotlight a holiday, theme or even new brands. With the guidance of my leadership and manager throughout the entire process, these Pavilions change every month with a new theme and create an experience for the customer as they enter our doors.
3. Who or what has had the biggest influence on your fashion journey so far?
I could name many people that have had an influence on my fashion journey. A few of my favorites are Wayman + Micah who are stylists, Tenicka who is a digital creator and shares her love of fashion and color, Rhianna who is a fashion muse with impeccable style, Kolin Carter who is a phenomenal stylist, and Bryon Javor another fabulous stylist. From each person that I named, their work and what they create is overall inspiring and to see what their creative mind can do is beautiful.
I would also like to speak on a woman in entrepreneurship whose name is Mia Ray. Mia Ray is a Detroit native who is the founder and CEO of Glamaholic-Lifestyle who creates and designs glam totes and exclusive travel like a G travel sets. She is the face of her brand and definitely has created her own lane for the everyday girl who likes to be chic without breaking the bank. Her line now includes cosmetic bags, wallets, travel accessories and a lot more. Mia Ray has been in business for over a decade and I admire her work ethic and the way she carries and creates for her business. I really admire who she is in entrepreneurship and who she is as a person.
4. What role do you see mentorship playing in the fashion industrys future, and how has it impacted your career?
I see the role of mentorship playing in the fashion industry as a huge role! Mentorship is very important in this industry and especially to me because there are young individuals like myself who are aiming and grinding to plunge their foot in the door. There have been individuals who have helped me get to where I am and those who have inspired me and gotten me in the certain doors and I am truly grateful for every opportunity and room that they entrusted me in. God has his hand all over me. Sometimes this industry can be very viel and unwelcoming and other times I feel like it’s difficult to enter yourself into the fashion space. And my hope is that there will continue to be more genuine people in the fashion industry who want to guide and support us young creatives working to get our foot in the door. When you find your way through the grit and hustle and all of the work you’ve done and it’s paid off you feel like you’ve accomplished what you set out to do. With hard work and dedication and most importantly my faith that’s where I pray to land. In the right doors.
5. As a social media strategist, what do you see as the biggest trend shaping the future of social content creation for fashion brands?
As a social media strategist the biggest trend I see today is AI. AI is the most popular platform right now for creators because it’s giving them more efficient ways to create their story and then allowing them to tie their hands to other projects while giving time to other things. As a strategist I am learning more about the different platforms and ways to simplify my work. Whether it be using Chat GPT or Grammly. The second thing I’ve noticed that is shaping the future of social content creation for fashion brands is the brands themselves working to be more inclusive and responsive. Creators have a true connection with their audience and now brands are realizing they are also having to build a more genuine connection with their audience and customers.
6. What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned while studying fashion?
The most valuable lesson I have learned while studying fashion is that there is no linear line, fashion is whatever you want it to be, the work you put in will pay off in the long run, and lastly, it’s okay to pivot. Pivoting is a part of the course!
7. Any upcoming projects you’d like to plug?
Yes! There are projects I would love to plug. I am a part of the Macy's Style Crew program where I stand as one of hundreds ambassadors to create fashion and beauty content for Macys on my Instagram. I also am the CEO of my Social Media Marketing Agency, Fearless Agency where I provide social marketing services to individuals and businesses to create a visual story for their brand. Whether it be social media marketing, content creation, planning and the understanding of marketing.