FCS grad finds fun and fashion in new career

09/30/2011 12:52 PM

By Tim Belter ’13

Just a few months ago, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences alumna Jenna Hari ’11 was sitting in class, learning about famed fashion designers like Nigel Barker and Michael Angel. At this year’s Fashion Week in New York City, she got to see them in person.

Hari is the marketing and public relations coordinator for J/Hadley Jewelry in New York City. She pitches products to magazines and blogs, photographs the jewels and handles the company’s Facebook, Twitter and blog. She got the job almost immediately after graduation, accepted the position in June and moved to New York in July.

J/Hadley is a small company founded only a little over a year ago, but it’s already making an impact in New York’s fashion world. The designer and founder, Ashley Gilroy, took a trip to India and came back inspired, creating designs that mix traditional Indian styles with a modern flair. Hari’s recent entry into the working world made her a great fit for the young company.

Hari’s deep involvement with Bradley prepared her well for her new profession. She was a member of Gamma Phi Beta sorority and Fashion Focus and worked as a Bradley student admissions representative. She also studied abroad in London twice, taking courses in fashion styling and marketing, and she interned for the British clothing retailer Selfridges & Co. In summer 2010, her connections at Bradley helped her obtain an internship at Glamour in New York.

Fashion Week was a “dream come true” for Hari. She attended shows for designers and companies like Michael Angel and J. Crew and spotted celebrities like Kim Kardashian. Seth Meyers of Saturday Night Live even served her a drink at the Coach party.

Life in New York is much busier than her former homes in the Minnesota and the Chicago areas. “It’s a lot of work to get done every day,” said Hari. “It would be helpful if there were more hours in the day.” No matter how hectic her days at J/Hadley, however, she hasn’t forgotten her time at Bradley.

“The whole time at Fashion Week I was thinking of the FCS department and how much I wanted them to be there!” she said.