Name: Ansley Deaton
Class of: 2022
Major: Fashion Merchandising
Hometown: Nashville, TN
Current Position: Marketing Brand Manager for Genesco Brands Group in Nashville, TN
Previous Position: Brand Marketing Associate for the Olympics and Sports Partnerships at Ralph Lauren in New York, NY
Tell us about your day-to-day as a Brand Marketing Associate for the Olympics and Sports Partnerships at Ralph Lauren.
Our team manages all partnerships and sponsorships with athletes, Team USA and the US Olympic and Paralympic properties. We oversee everything from the Olympic campaign strategy to the details of the photoshoot and which athletes from Team USA are participating, to hospitality events – we get super granular, even down to what the athletes are wearing on the flights. A couple of years before the Olympics start, we'll work with our design merchandising teams to determine the product offering and send samples to the athletes, press, PR teams, etc.
We outfit all of Team USA for the opening and closing ceremonies, and we’ll have more of a close working relationship with specific sponsored athletes. In return, they’ll be featured in all of our photo and video assets and promote Ralph Lauren through their posts. I’ll be traveling to Paris for the 2024 Olympics, and it’s still really wild to me. Growing up I would always get excited for the Olympics, so it’s been very cool to be a part of that and hover around both the sports and fashion industries.
In what ways did Belmont prepare you for what you’re doing now?
We work with design and merchandising all the time, so having the O’More fashion background and an understanding of aspects such as clothing construction and other design details that others who work in marketing may not necessarily have has been very helpful in this cross-functional role. The fashion program teaches you so many different parts of the industry that all intersect, whether it’s marketing, design, merchandising, planning or buying. I also think the liberal arts education really enhanced my experience, especially taking classes outside of the field. Being able to communicate with coworkers is so important, and courses like public speaking really helped prepare me.
What was it like going to college in Nashville?
Nashville has a small-town feeling, despite being a bigger city. Belmont professors are so connected, and they do a great job of bridging those connections to industry professionals with students. Nashville is also just a safe space to freely express yourself through your projects. You can take your vision and run wild with it, and being inspired by other people at school is a big piece of that.
How would you describe the environment at Belmont/in O’More?
Creative. Homey. Since our class sizes are so small, you get to know everyone on a personal level, even after a year or two of school. Some of my very best friends are people that I met O’More. Especially if you're coming from out of state, having so many people support you makes it feel more like home.
The professors are that way too, it’s not just the students. Your professors really get a chance to invest in both your career and your education, but also you as a person. They’re generous with their time and great at giving good, honest feedback. They also still want to be in touch with you after graduation, which is so unique. The relationships that professors have and the ones you develop with your classmates are truly long-lasting.
Any advice you’d give to students who want to pursue a career in the fashion industry?
Have fun! You have so much freedom with what you’re working on to do whatever you want, and that also gives you so much opportunity to start building your portfolio early on. Since you start fashion classes as a freshman you have four whole years to really get going on what you want to do long-term. Take advantage of the time and enjoy it! Do as many internships as you can, because it really helps to get those experiences under your belt before you graduate.
What were some of your favorite experiences at Belmont?
I transferred from a state school to Belmont in the second semester of my freshman year after my brother, who also went to Belmont, convinced me to come visit. He told me that they had just renovated a really cool fashion building. I totally fell in love with it! I wasn’t sure if I was going to study fashion, but I took an intro to fashion class that gave me a good look at what the program was all about. One of the coolest projects we did was designing something from unconventional materials. I made a raincoat from a shower curtain and it ended up getting displayed at the fashion show. I also took a fashion event management class where we basically got to plan the fashion show, which was amazing and really made me want to pursue fashion long-term.
You’re still connected to the O’More fashion program. What has that been like?
I’m working with a group of students in the merchandise simulation class. Each group is assigned a company to create a marketing plan and revenue stream proposal for, and they’ve got Ralph Lauren! We keep in touch, and anytime they want to ask me questions about the company that you may not be able to access on the internet, we’ll meet up to discuss it. They’re doing such an amazing job and I’m so excited to see how their project takes shape.