What is your background?
I went to Miami University of Ohio. I had an amazing three years and immediately came to work for AE.  AE recruits at Miami, which is how I got my job.

What does your job at AE entail?
Currently I’m the Manager of Direct Business Strategies, which means I’m responsible for managing the way our marketing partners show our product and how it’s outfitted.  I work for both AE and Aerie, ensuring we have the right product highlighted on the website through marketing, trend guides and overall outfitting in our photo shoots & photo studio shoots. It’s a pretty sweet gig! I landed this role a few months ago.  Previously, I was the Manager of Women’s Business Strategies and prior to that I was on the Women’s Merchandising team as the Sr. Assistant in T’s and Polo’s.

Lauren celebrated her birthday last year at our Spring photo shoot in Palm Springs!

What is your favorite part of your job?
I love that I get to work with different people and everything is a team effort.  Don’t get me wrong, I have my sole responsibilities, but at the end of the day everything we do around here is usually done as a team.  Being at a company with people my age helps me get through some of the demanding challenges I face. Retail is crazy, so it’s nice to have a little fun relief throughout the day.

What is the coolest place you have traveled for your job with AE?
Not Costa Rica, not Alaska, and not Palms Springs… I’d have to say Nashville!  I met a lot of great people on that shoot, including my boyfriend!

Lauren and her boyfriend, who she met on our 2011 Back to School photo shoot in Nashville, TN.

What was your role during the Back to School shoot?
I was responsible for building outfits with the stylist and managing those outfits on location, ensuring we capture the looks and product shots necessary for the season.  Shooting on real people in that many different locations meant changes and reactions to our situation, so I had to be there to make decisions based on those challenges.

What was your favorite part of the Back to School shoot?
Meeting so many new people was the best part.  Obviously hanging out in fun cities for a month was a perk, too.

If you weren’t working at AE, what would you want to be doing?
Teaching myself how to cook and working on my watercolors.

How would you describe your personal fashion?
Awesome. Or… a little flowy, loads of jewelry, grown out highlights, and great shoes.

Where do you find your inspiration?
I love Pinterest.  It’s so great to get different ideas from so many people, instead of one resource.  I could look at it all day:  style, food, crafts, decorating… it’s endless.

Lauren’s dog, Lottie Moon.

Do you have any cool interests or hobbies?
My dog, antiquing, under the sea creatures, my new apartment, Parks & Rec, unsuccessfully baking, shopping, driving to Ohio, watching terrible movies (thanks to my boyfriend, Drew) and telling great jokes.  Have you heard this one?

Why was the baby blanket sad?
…It was a little down!

What is your background?
I grew up in Columbus, Ohio and went to college at Parsons School of Design in NY. From there, I went from design house to design house before becoming a stylist. Working as a stylist is the best job in the world! I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

How did you get your start in styling at AE?
I started at AE after being hired for the Holiday 2011 photo shoot and look build. I have met some amazing people since my start at AE and have done many amazing things. AE is a really fun company to work for!

What is your favorite part of working at AE?
I actually have two: playing with all the new clothes every season and getting to work with cool new people and places all of the time. I love having a non-routine life.

What cool places have you traveled to while working at AE?
My first shoot with AE was in Anchorage, Alaska. I had never been there before and I really loved it. There was a sled dog camp that was set up right by where we were shooting and there were hundreds of dogs and puppies there. It was unreal.

A sled dog from the AE Holiday 2011 photo shoot in Alaska.

What was your favorite part of the Back to School shoot?
The Back to School shoot was really rad. My favorite part by far was the awesome crew I got to work with. By the end of the month long shoot, we were family.

If you weren’t working at AE, what would you want to be doing?
If I wasn’t with AE I would be traveling around touring with bands or traveling the world. I’m a sucker for world culture.

Where do you find your style inspiration?
My style inspiration comes from all random things. Dreams, old black and white films, record covers, friends, and art.  It changes daily.

One of Katelyn’s inspirations – old black and white movies.

How would you describe your personal style?
My personal style can be described in one word, black. It’s all about texture, print, and pattern for me. Maybe I’ve been in NY too long!

Whose style do you most admire (celebrity, bloggers, historical figures, etc.)?
I admire Musician’s style the most. I really get inspired by music documentaries and old live recording performances. The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus is a classic. It never gets old to me.

Do you have any cool interests or hobbies?
I spend a lot my time traveling. I love getting lost in new cities and finding cool record or vintage shops. I have a weird obsession with buying old record players. My favorite record player that I own is from the 60s and I bought it in Ireland. Blogging takes up the rest of my time. I have three blogs: KatelynMooney.blogspot.com, funandmentalequalsfundamental.blogspot.com and houseresearch blogspot.com.

Katelyn bought this old record player while in Ireland.

What is your background?
I went to school for graphic design & communications at LaRoche, it’s a small private school in the North Hills.

How did you get your start at AE?
I knew an intern here and he got me an internship. I was hired full time right when I graduated as a graphic designer in 2004 and I’ve been here ever since. I was a graphic designer, than senior designer, then art director, then senior art director and now creative director.

Right now I manage all of the teams that own all the creative for the website for both AE and Aerie – basically, I’m hanging out, shooting a nerf gun, riding a scooter, having fun.

What are your favorite projects that you have worked on at AE?
The launch of the Times Square billboard was pretty cool. There’s so many, it’s like a blur.

The AE Billboard in Times Square

What would you tell yourself at age 18 to help get into a creative role?What are your favorite parts of your job?
That I can show up every day in jeans and a t-shirt and work with cool people and do what I like.

I would tell him that he needs to be passionate about what he does and be honest. It needs to be a little piece of you that you can’t turn off. It’s not 9-5. Every little piece of you needs to be about design.

Where do you find your inspiration?
Everywhere.

What are you most excited for with the BTS campaign?
We did this casting page that has bios of every kid. I’m pretty pumped about that. I’m also excited about the contest letting the customers take over our brand.

Do you have any special interests or hobbies?
I like to cook. Everything is better when it is cooked on an open flame.

What are your favorite places in Pittsburgh?
PNC Park, there’s a little shaved ice shop called Yia Yia’s Ice on the North Side (you get shaved ice for a quarter), and the Strip District.

Brandon and his family at Yia Yia’s

You’re a new dad. Tell us about your daughter.
She’s radical. She’s the coolest little person ever. She makes everything better. Everything that used to be a priority is not, in a good way. And she laughs when she farts
.

Senior PR Manager Laurie Z. works with her team to form relationships with fashion editors, celebrities, and other influencers to help build awareness for AE. We chatted with Laurie to find out more about her, her job at AE, and how to get you can get your foot in the door in the PR industry. 

How did you get your start in PR at AE?What was your first job in PR like?
My first job in PR was at GUESS Inc. and was an incredible learning experience. It was with a very small team so I was lucky enough to be involved with all aspects of the department. I formed many relationships with fashion and accessory editors that I still maintain today. It was definitely challenging since everything was so new to me but it was all so very exciting. I didn’t really have anyone to hold my hand and guide me through the day to day projects so I had to just jump right in and give it my all.

I happened to see a job opening listed online for a PR position at AE and jumped on it instantly. I had been a big fan of the brand and knew it would be the perfect fit for me. I sent my resume, interviewed with the team and the rest is history.

What tips do you have for someone who wants to break into the PR industry?
You have to enjoy a fast paced environment, be great at multi-tasking, and enjoy working with people. Fashion industry relationships and connections are very important in PR, but so are relationships in the worlds of art, music, beauty, and celebrity, so I would definitely recommend getting out there and networking. You never know who you might meet and where it might take you, so don’t be shy. Internships are a great way to break into the field; they really help you get an idea for the business and the strategies behind the day to day decisions. I would also recommend looking for a position within a company that you truly believe in and are excited about. Passion and enthusiasm go a very long way.

What are your favorite parts of working in PR?
I love working with the editors and forming new relationships, I love seeing the results of my work appear on the pages of magazines (it’s very rewarding) and I love working with everyone on the AE PR team!

Gwyneth Paltrow wearing AE Jeans in Vogue, August 2010

Have you traveled anywhere cool with your job?What has been your favorite part of the Live Your Life campaign?
I truly enjoyed one of the most recent stages of the campaign which was sending out the national press release and officially announcing the campaign and contest to the world. It was so exciting to be able to finally announce what we have all been working so hard to accomplish. It was such a huge team effort, everyone from all departments rallied together to make so many components align and it was just a great feeling to be able to share it with the public.

I would have to say the most interesting place I traveled to for AE was Cancun, Mexico for Spring Break. I thought my spring break days were over after college until I had to bring the AE experience to the beaches of Mexico. It was quite an interesting experience, I must say.

What is a typical day like for you?
I’m not sure I can say that I have a typical day: when it comes to the press, anything can happen. You just never know when the next fashion emergency might happen! However, the fundamentals of my job that take place pretty much every day involve corresponding with editors and press, pitching trend pieces for upcoming fashion features and stories, holding market appointments in our PR showroom, analyzing coverage/clips, brainstorming events and partnerships, and developing strategies for new ways to generate brand exposure.

How would you describe your personal style?
I would describe my style as boy meets girl or tomboy chic. I enjoy wearing feminine girly girl styles and mixing it up by adding some rugged elements. I love dainty details but I’m a tomboy at heart.

Laurie and her sister, blogger NYCPretty.

What is your favorite fit of AE jeans?
I live in AE denim! I have two favorite AE denim fits: Boyfit and Skinny. I wear them all the time. In the summer I sport my AE Shorties.

Do you have any fun interests or hobbies?
Running! After work and on the weekends you can usually catch me running in Central Park. My favorite spot is at the Reservoir. On a clear, crisp evening with the NYC skyline in the background and the sun setting – it’s the perfect place to be! I also love traveling with my husband. I’m a beach lover so my favorite destinations are usually tropical of some sort. Some of my recent trips include Costa Rica and Jamaica, but the place I love visiting most, and have a slight obsession with is Hawaii. I think I might have been Hawaiian in my past life.

Laurie in Hawaii

Do you have any cool summer plans?
Sun and Fun in Jamaica and Montauk!

How did you get your start at AE?
I started at the front desk. When I came here I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, so working at the front desk is a great way to get your foot in the door. From there, I’ve acted in AEO TV episodes, worked in recruiting, and there are lots of projects here and there that I do, so it’s really fun.

What does your job entail?
I am one of the on-boarding partners during every new employees first 90 days. I take them to new hire events and tours. I do a lot with associate recognition as well – High Five Awards, Eagles Elite and service awards. I manage the AE Recruiting Facebook page as well.

The AE Recruiting Facebook Page Addie manages

 
What are your favorite parts of your job?
Getting to meet everyone that comes to the Southside! I get to meet every person on their first day, which is fun. I like the one off projects I get to do from time to time, like AEO TV or setting up for corporate events like the Halloween party or Teammate cookouts.

If you weren’t working at AE, what would you want to be doing?
I would want to be a professional wander luster – I want to travel around the world! Or I’d want to be singing in a band or own my own candy store.

Where are your favorite places to travel?
I’m going to Cape Cod on Wednesday and that’s my absolute favorite place. We have a house in Chatham. I love the Bahamas, too. We used to go to a ranch in Montana called the Bolder River Ranch which was amazing, too.

Oyster Pond in Cape Cod, MA

How would you describe your personal style?
Vintage prep with a bohemian twist.

Do you have any cool hobbies or interests?
I play guitar, I ride my bike and I love photography.

Addie playing guitar.

What are your favorite spots in Pittsburgh?
Shiloh Grill in Mt. Washington is really awesome – their menu is fun to read and their food is great. Hartwood Acres is one of my favorite places to go and take a walk or go to a concert. Tamari is one of my favorite places to eat, too.

How did you get your start at AE?
I actually started out at AE as an executive assistant in IT in 2007. My boss knew marketing was my background and passion and where I wanted to go. Everyone was very supportive to help me on that path. I worked in PR at AE prior to being in the marketing department as well and worked with the SVP of International at that time on press releases announcing our global expansion, which got me interested in the international part of the business.

What is the most fun part of your job?
Learning all the different cultural and consumer behaviors of different markets and being able to work with people from all over the world. The other day we were on a conference call here in Pittsburgh with our team in NY, and partners in Poland and the Middle East. 

What is a typical day like for you?
It usually starts pretty early with conference calls. We have a weekly call with each of our international partners in all of our markets. The calls are early in the morning to accommodate the time difference.  Prior to the calls, I review all of the emails that came in through the night since most of our partners have completed a full day of work, or close to it, by the time I come start in the morning.

What tips do you have for someone who wants to be in international marketing?
Having a passion for where you work and an acute attention to detail are important.  Equally key is the desire to learn about other areas of the world and the ability to think outside of the domestic retail business.

Do you have any special interest or hobbies?
Definitely travel.  I love to travel whenever I get the chance. I like doing different home decorating things that I find on Pinterest. I also like to cook a lot. 

Stephanie’s wedding Pinterest board for her upcoming wedding.

Where do you find your inspiration?
Like most, I’m a huge Pinterest fan. I’m getting married in August, so I’m always on there looking for wedding ideas and often find myself with new recipes, style inspiration and home decor. There’s a lot of really great stuff on there. I would say I’m addicted!

If you weren’t working at AE, what would you want to be doing?
I would want to still do something in marketing, particularly brand management or consumer behavior. I love putting all the pieces together and working to build a brand identity. I received my undergraduate degree & MBA in Brand Management.  I also find it very interesting how people react to marketing and why they do or don’t want to purchase a product based off how something is marketed.

What are you most excited about for the future of AE internationally?
Bringing the brand to new markets and having them learn about what we have to offer in terms of denim, lifestyle, a great assortment of product and seeing that growth and being a part of it.

Where are your favorite travel destinations – domestically or internationally?
One of my favorite cities is Prague. I love that it is so old world and that it looks like it is completely from a fairy tale. Personally, I’m hoping we open stores there at some point! I also love anywhere in the Caribbean or by the beach!

Stephanie during her trip to Prague

How did you get your start at AE?
Being from Pittsburgh, I always knew AE was an awesome company to work for.  I landed an internship here in college and fell in love with the idea of buying. I had no idea I could have such a creative and colorful job in the corporate business world.

What is the most fun part of your job?
I love getting to work with so many different people every day. There is never a day that I just sit and stare at my computer. On any given day, I’m on the phone with people in New York at our design office or e-mailing someone in China. I get to work with such a diverse group of people.

How do you choose which graphic styles to buy?
I just try to get inside the customer’s head – I imagine I’m her. Then we pull these trends from fashion inspiration and translate them for our customer.  Some examples are neon and ethnic/tribal prints. The goal is to always keep it fresh and exciting each season!

The AE Vintage Crop Tank is one of our favorite graphic pieces from Summer!

What are you most excited about for the Back to School season?
I was so excited when I saw the new marketing campaign. I love that we are following real people who have interesting and diverse lives.  I love that accessible, relatable feeling as a direction for our brand. It feels authentic.

How would you describe your personal style?
I try to stick to the basics then “funkify” them by incorporating vintage pieces or updated trendy accents. Since we’re in the heart of the summer concert season, I’m going through a hippie phase! I’m loving everything that feels like ‘70s Woodstock!

What tips do you have for someone who wants to be a buyer?
I would tell them to make sure they love both sides of buying – trend shopping and the business/numbers aspect.  It’s definitely a balance of both skills.  I’d also tell them that not many jobs allow you to use both halves of your brain at the same time! It’s an awesome industry that will teach you A LOT right out of college.

Where do you find your inspiration?
A few different places – I get a lot of trend ideas from celebs and gossip mags, but I’m also lucky enough to work in a super trendy office. I look to my coworkers to see how they interpret trends to suit their own personal style.  I’m also always thinking about how people styled clothes over the past few decades – they have a lot of the answers if you just go back in time and find them.

What are your favorite fashion blogs?
The Sartorialist is my favorite because it features real people all over the world. I also love Atlantic-Pacific and Sincerely Jules.

Do you have any special interest or hobbies?
I love to travel – this year was France, next year is Bolivia. I try to pick a new country every year. Aside from travel, I love antiquing. That’s where my vintage love comes from. I love finding cool antiques to decorate my apartment or my wardrobe!

Rachel snapped this photo on a trip to Tanzania.

If you weren’t working at AE, what would you want to be doing?
I would have my own boutique in some adorable beach town. Oh – and I’d be a yoga instructor on the side! Sounds tempting…

How did you get your start at AE?
I jumped around a lot before I came here. I worked in a lot of journalism-based jobs, a lot of PR. I was looking for something new and heard about an open freelance copywriting position here. It was something I had never really done before and I thought it would be a good challenge for me so I gave it a shot and now I’m here full time.

The view from Dan’s desk.

What is your background in writing? Did you always know you wanted to write?
I was a huge film nerd growing up. I went to school for film making for the first two years. Halfway through I started getting into journalism and creative non-fiction writing and ended up majoring in journalism while still studying film. I always liked telling stories and finding different ways of doing it, whether it was writing, film making, whatever. It was something I always connected with and something I wanted to do. What I do now is basically help tell the story of the brand, season, and product..

What are some of your favorite projects you’ve worked on?
At the beginning of every season I write a long story for it. No one ever really sees it, we just pull lines and ideas from it throughout the season. That’s something I’ve always enjoyed writing – there’s a lot of freedom with it and there’s no pressure or limit to what or how much I write. That’s where taglines for the season come from a lot of the time.

Part of the Summer 2012 story

Where do you find your inspiration?
There’s not just one thing I get inspiration from. I like watching movies, reading magazines, or reading short stories and novels. Even song lyrics are cool to look at sometimes. Another cool thing is listening to the way people talk, the way they have little idiosyncrasies. I think speech patterns are interesting. The way people talk is usually a lot more interesting than the way they write.

Dan’s copy from AE Holiday 2011

What is a typical day like for you?
Reading a lot of e-mails from people requesting different lines of copy while making a lot of revisions. It’s really busy work but it’s really rewarding when you see the end result that has your words and your voice in it.

If you weren’t a copywriter at AE, what would you want to be doing?
I probably would still be writing in some way. I’ve always liked traveling and I love food so maybe I’d be a food writer or restaurant reviewer or a travel writer. That’s my favorite thing to do – go to new cities and try new foods and new restaurants.

A seafood boil at Tubby’s Tank House in Savannah, GA

Where are your favorite places to travel?
Anywhere on the coast is awesome because I love seafood. Anywhere you can get a good seafood boil near the beach.

Do you have any cool hobbies or interests?
I like to golf, and I run as much as I can. I like movies, reading and weird pop culture stuff. I haven’t had a lot of time for hobbies lately though because I just bought a house, so I’ve been spending all my free time learning how to take care of it.

Dan, second to left, ran the Pittsburgh Marathon on a relay team with his sister, father, godfather, and friend in May

What is some of your favorite writing?
Nonfiction: Hell’s Angels by Hunter S. Thompson
Novel: Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk
Short Story: Bicycles, Muscles, Cigarettes by Raymond Carver
TV Show: Breaking Bad by Vince Gilligan
Film: Glengarry Glen Ross by David Mamet

How did you get your start at AE?
During and post-college I was working in a retail store near the AE Home Office while trying to find my ideal job. Fortunately, AE recruiters were near and brought me in for interviews. I began my career shortly after as an Assistant Buyer and eventually worked my way up becoming the Women’s Denim Buyer. My claim to fame was buying AE’s first pair of stretch denim and it was actually my first buy!  As I continued my career with the goal of diversifying myself to have a broader scope of the business, I moved into Merchandise Planning to understand the business more while rotating through Men’s, Women’s and Aerie then eventually landed where I am today which allows me to bring all my experiences together. 

What’s your favorite part of your job?
Driving the business! I love to identify little nuggets within the business that have the potential to explode, then strategize on implementation and ultimately measure the success.

What are some of the cool projects you have worked on?
One of the coolest projects I do is “in-home” focus groups. With the constant effort to stay in the pulse of the customer, we visit high school and college students at their residences (dorms, apartments, or homes) where they bring their close friends to participate in a group discussion. We “raid” their closets to gain insights on what they are purchasing and why. It’s amazing to hear the dialogue they have among each other and see their excitement when talking about clothes. It’s great to observe them in their own environment where they are relaxed, comfortable and willing to share shopping experiences. The most unexpected part when I first stared doing the in-home focus groups was seeing how excited the guys were when it comes to presenting what they wear!

What is the coolest place your job has taken you?
Sticking with the above, I have visited many great locations but would have to say the most memorable after a long six week road trip of doing “in homes” across multiple markets, the final group was conducted in a beachfront home with a priceless view. 

Where do you find your inspiration?
Everyday from everyone I am in touch with at all levels within the organization. You can learn from every person whether it’s an intern bringing a young fresh, new idea to the table or leadership communicating their vision. I love how accepting and encouraging it is to hear everyone’s ideas and to know it adds value that is received when an idea or opinion is given. It’s totally a collaborative team approach and it is highly motivating and competitive in a good way and ultimately a feeding frenzy of inspiration.

What is a typical day like for you?
You have your schedule for the day, anticipating, prepping as much as humanly possible and it can change or evolve very rapidly once the day begins. A typical day, to sum it up, is crazy passion and unexpected all at the same time. What’s fun about it is that there is no typical day and the days are never the same.

What is your favorite place in Pittsburgh?
My favorite places in Pittsburgh are wherever there is a good restaurant. They are spread throughout the city and have diverse offerings. Current faves: brunch must-have is Meat & Potatoes and I’m a sucker for good margaritas and tacos at Cantina.

What is your personal style?
My personal style can be summed up as scrambling to make a decision of what to wear in the twenty minutes prior to leaving for work at the beginning of the day.

If you weren’t a working at AE, what would you be doing?
I’d have my own store – doing the same thing! I love retail in general and have a passion for the business. I would incorporate all of the things I’ve learned throughout my career – a love of clothing.

Do you have any cool Summer plans?
Sun and fun in Turks and Caicos.