Inspired by Streetwear Culture and Driven to Succeed
Some of Brittaney Bautista’s earliest memories are of streetwear and sneaker culture. That’s because her father was the co-founder and owner of one of Los Angeles’ first brick-and-mortar streetwear stores and, as a child, Brittaney and her sister would often find themselves immersed in fashion — longing to dress the mannequins, arrange the shoe displays, and play dress up in everything that they saw in the store.
These childhood experiences, however, never really register with Brittaney beyond simple playtime fun. “I was just a kid who loved being in my dad’s store,” she said. “It wasn’t until I got older that I realized that because of my father’s influence, streetwear and sneaker culture had become a significant part of my own life.”
When it came time for college, Brittaney initially decided to major in kinesiology at Cal State Northridge. “I wanted to become a physical therapist for athletes because I enjoyed sports and wanted to work closely with athletes,” she said. “I liked the major, but when I was about to finish my first year at CSUN, I recognized that I couldn’t see myself having a career in that field.”
Brittaney spoke to a counselor at CSUN and they discussed what she really wanted to do with her life. “After about a month of meeting with her once a week, I said to myself ‘what am I thinking…I’ve always been inspired and influenced by fashion. That should be my focus.’”
But Brittaney knew that she didn’t want to be a designer. Her advisor suggested the perfect option: fashion marketing. After looking at the options available at a couple of different schools, Brittaney scheduled a meeting with the chair of Woodbury’s Fashion Marketing program, Wendy Bendoni.
“When my mom and I met with Wendy, I was convinced that this was the right program for me,” she said. “I’m so thankful that my parents have always been supportive of my decisions.”
During her time as a student in the Fashion Marketing program, Brittaney has also been sharpening her skills in the real world as well. Not long ago, an opportunity presented itself to her when some friends of her family launched a streetwear-inspired golf brand called Malbon Golf. “I knew very little about golf,” Brittaney said. “But I was excited to become part of this small team of entrepreneurs working to change the industry.”
She’s had plenty of opportunity to gain valuable experience. “I’ve been asked to write press releases, assist in photoshoots, create social-influencer packaging, and monitor customer engagement,” she said.
Eventually, additional opportunities to work in brand marketing opened up, including a chance to work on customizing Nike products for marketing activations — customer experience events designed to raise awareness of brands. Brittaney has customized shoes for the Creed II movie release, executed and operated the 2018 World Cup Jersey Suite at the Nike Store at the Grove, and she has worked alongside the LA-based artist, Steven Harrington, as part of the promotion for the NBA’s All Star Weekend in L.A.
With graduation approaching, Brittaney is planning to use her range of experiences to build upon her work in market activations and beyond.
“Being in the Fashion Marketing program has pushed me to think critically and creatively beyond what is expected of me,” she said. “Wendy always tries her best to provide us with a learning experience that isn’t available elsewhere. For example, one of my current electives is to create a ‘futurist report ‘of what consumers will want in 2022. We’re not only learning marketing fundamentals, we’re also thinking about how we can provide insight for the future in our own interests.”
Brittaney’s experiences — both inside and outside the classroom — have set her up for success.