alumni in focus

lindsay sarnoff

mid mid-lowbottomfrom start to finish

FIDM graduate Lindsay Sarnoff has a high-flying career
in Product Development with the contemporary women’s
label Tibi!

For alumna Lindsay Sarnoff, going to FIDM was like second nature. The Sherman Oaks, California, native was exposed to the college her entire life. Her mom worked in the Office of Community & Educational Affairs and later as an Admissions Advisor. “I worked at FIDM almost every summer while I was in high school,” says Lindsay, who attended Montclair College Preparatory High School in nearby Van Nuys. “It was just natural that I went to FIDM.”

After receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Retail and Consumer Studies from the University of Arizona, Lindsay applied to the International Manufacturing & Product Development Professional Designation Program at FIDM’s Los Angeles campus to further her interest in Product Development and Design. “After talking to my mom and doing a little analyzing of the different majors, I felt like it would be the perfect opportunity for me,” she explains. “I liked the international part of it and the opportunity to travel and get to know the industry.”

While at FIDM, Lindsay was hired for a paid internship with Guess?, working in Product Development for the Accessories Department. She later worked in the Buying Department and upon graduating in 2001, she took a position with Charles David, the famed footwear company, to work in Product Development. After working at the Los Angeles shoe company for a year and a half, Lindsay was ready for a change and headed to the East Coast to pursue her love of this field in the fashion industry.

Today, Lindsay works for the New York-based, five year-old contemporary women’s label Tibi, which is sold in over 200 specialty stores and at Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale's and Neiman Marcus. The colorful, feminine designs have been featured everywhere from Elle and Teen Vogue to US Weekly and InStyle. Working in Product Development, Lindsay’s day-to-day responsibilities include looking at sketches and samples and translating them to production. She also orders all of the fabrics and trims and deals directly with the factories overseas.

“The best part of my job is being able to work on the creative end and seeing a final product going to stores,” says Lindsay, who works with factories in Asia and fabric suppliers in Italy. “On-time deliveries, dealing with samples, and the communication with Asia can be a challenge. We’re doing everything over email and translating what we’re saying can be hard.” While Lindsay misses her native California, she reports that living and working in Manhattan for the last year has been “exciting and different and a whole new world.”