After graduating from Holy Trinity in 2024, Molly Mullen packed her bags and headed off to New York City to pursue her dream of working in fashion marketing. Studying at LIM college, a school dedicated to the business of fashion, Mullen has gotten to intern with and work for luxury brands, meet some of the fashion big names, and watch models strut the runway in the fashion capital of the country.
“I had always been obsessed with Harry Styles and his iconic sense of style,” Mullen said, but her passion sparked when the world was quarantined during the COVID-19 pandemic. She spent her time at home watching model interviews and lifestyle videos, and the infamous Vogue magazine’s behind the scenes segments on Youtube.
Although the hustle and bustle of the city can feel overwhelming coming from Melbourne, Mullen had already acquainted herself with the fashion industry. “I used to think about what my dream job or project would look like,” Mullen said, “and I kept coming back to things that blended business and creativity.” Along with having worked a small retail job, Mullen had attended pre-college programs in both fashion and journalism. She took classes in fashion marketing and the business of beauty at Savannah College of Art and Design, feature writing classes with Indiana University’s High School Journalism Institute, and went to a sewing camp at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. These courses gave Mullen the confidence to dive into the professional world of fashion knowing she was doing what she loved where she loved it. “I always knew I wanted to be in New York,” Mullen said. “I had been preparing for a long time, so the move wasn’t as big a shock to me as it was for some of my other friends.”
In the heart of Manhattan, Mullen blends her background of both marketing and journalism majoring in fashion marketing with a focus in public relations. “I love the business side of fashion because there’s a lot of creativity involved,” Mullen said.
Outside of classes, Mullen has been working to get hands-on experience in the field. Her first job in New York City was working in hospitality for Ralph Lauren’s flagship store. “It was my dream job,” Mullen said. “It’s pretty much a landmark. I applied for eight different positions at Ralph Lauren, just trying to get my foot in the door.”
People who work in public relations are dedicated to curating the image of brands, companies, and individuals, and the way they are presented to the public. “There are two sides to PR,” Mullen said, “there is media based where you are talking with influencers and celebrities, and there is the side where you work with publications and journalism to announce new launches and work on other promotional projects.” Surrounded by professionals in the industry, Mullen has made sure to seize the opportunities the city has to offer by interning with two of the biggest public relations firms in the world: Purple PR and KCD Public Relations. “My first internship at Purple PR confirmed to me that this is truly what I love to do,” Mullen said. In these internships, Mullen has gotten to work on the writing side of public relations as well as behind the scenes at fashion shows. Between arranging seating cards, handling photographers, arranging guest lists, and escorting VIPs, Mullen has had no shortage of excitement. “I’ve seen Anna Wintour and Keke Palmer at shows, but my favorite experience has got to be escorting Jordan Chiles at the Prabal Gurung show,” Mullen said.
Mullen describes that the biggest culture shock moving to the City was all the planning that’s required in day-to-day living. From subway navigation to budgeting, the New York lifestyle is not always simple. “Carting all your groceries around can be really hard,” Mullen said. “You get good at finding loopholes though, I got to see The Great Gatsby on Broadway in the front row for only $40 by buying rush tickets.”
Fashion is just one of the countless art forms that have profound impacts throughout history on culture and the way we express ourselves. “I want people at Holy Trinity to know that you can do something creative, do what you love, and make a good living at it,” Mullen said.
