Interview with Fashion Stylist, Dawn Del Russo

What is your title? 

On-Air Fashion Expert, Owner Belladawn.com and Author. 

When did you realize that you loved fashion? 

From when I was very young playing with Barbies and wanting to make my own clothes for them. I would cut up old pieces of fabric and make dresses and skirts for them.

Did you have a fashion major in college? 

I went to school for business management and received my bachelor's degree and then took classes at Parsons, when I graduated, in fashion design and merchandising.

How did you get your first job in the fashion industry? 

My very first job in high school was at the GAP. I applied for a job during the holidays, which taught me the retail side of the business. In my last year of college, I had an internship with a company called JUMP who did private label clothing for companies like Victoria's Secret. I was able to learn pattern making and design while working there.

How did you start Belladawn.com? 

I have always been obsessed with fashion. I always dreamt of opening my own boutique. After graduation from Wagner College in Staten Island with a B.S. in Business Management, I spent two years working on a business plan. I opened my first store in Verona, NJ when I was 24. Quickly after opening the brick and mortar location, I knew I needed to have a website to sell the items I had to people that were not within driving distance. I enjoyed working with customers, giving them tips on what to wear and they would tell friends about my products and services. Since some of the people they were telling were in other states and even other countries, having the online store was wonderful. This lead to more opportunities for products to be featured in magazines and more exposure for Belladawn.com.

What are the pros of your job? 

I set my own hours (although long) and I get to shop almost daily for new trendy items for Bella Dawn. I love meeting new designers and industry people and seeing people shopping at Bella Dawn and buying gifts for friends is very rewarding. TV segments and magazine exposure is exciting too.

What are some cons? 

Having to wear all hats in your own business: you are an accountant, attorney, secretary, shipping department, publicist, cleaning crew and manager. Even though you may hire some to do their jobs, as the owner you must know how to do them yourself at first. Finally, you have no one to blame but yourself. They're are all learning experiences so not always a con.

What has been your biggest hurdle? 

Always being able to reinvent, have new items and keep sales up. Having enough money for start up and managing it can make or break your business.

What has been your biggest accomplishment? 

Having Bella Dawn products on national TV like Fox 5 and NBC and being featured in all the top fashion magazines from InStyle to Us Weekly.

What advice would you give aspiring fashion moguls? 

Believe in your dream, visualize it everyday and then write a plan to make it happen. Have goals in mind, and learn everything you can about your field from designing to being a store owner.

What are three things that teens can start doing now to pursue a fashion career? 

• Read books about fashion, there are so many available. 
• Find a part-time job in the industry working at a local boutique, or start a blog to get your name out about fashion. 
• Find a mentor, someone that is in the industry and willing to spend time with you to teach you the steps to take and introduce you to the right people.