About Kara Hamalainen
My name is Kara Hamalainen, and I am a May 2023 graduate of the University of Delaware. I earned my Bachelor of Science double majoring in Fashion Design and Product Innovation & Fashion Merchandising and Management. While studying at UD, I was very involved with the Impact Dance Company and Synergy Fashion Group. I have a strong passion for the costume industry because I grew up as a dancer, and it is the perfect way to link my two most prominent interests of fashion and the entertainment world together.
After graduating from UD, I was accepted into the Disney Professional Internship program and began my role as a Disney Live Entertainment Costuming Buyer Intern. I had the most incredible experience as a Professional Intern for the Walt Disney Company, and luckily, my time with my dream company did not end after my internship. I was offered a full-time Associate Costume Buyer role, and I get to continue making magic for thousands of people every single day! I currently live in Orlando, Florida and have been in my full-time ACB role for about six months.
Sheng: As a costume buyer for Disney, what are your primary job responsibilities? What does a typical day or week look like for you? Which part of the job do you find most exciting? Were there any aspects of the position that surprised you after you started?
Kara: The primary responsibility of a costume buyer under Disney Live Entertainment is to have the right costumes at the right place, in the right quantity, and at the right time. Buyers are responsible for placing orders for costume pieces, garments, and accessories and ensuring that delivery dates for products ordered are closely monitored. By achieving this, we can create and enrich the experiences of our guests and cast members worldwide. Our work can be seen at the Disney theme parks, resort hotels, cruise ships, and numerous other locations around the globe, which is truly a special and unique opportunity.
I am an Associate Costume Buyer under our Character Programs & Development (CP&D) replenishment team. In this role, I mainly replenish existing products but may assist with new developments as needed. My main responsibility is facilitating the purchase of various hard and soft goods for our character costumes. I assist a few buyers on my team with their orders while managing my own orders and vendor relationships. I also facilitate conversations with domestic vendors across the U.S. to get high-quality products on time and within budget. Additionally, I issue fabric and notions requests from our warehouse to get materials stored in-house and sent to our outside vendors for production.
The most exciting part of my job is witnessing how my work behind the scenes impacts people every single day. Whenever I go to the Walt Disney World theme parks, I watch guests interact with their favorite Disney characters through meet & greets and parades. It is heartwarming to know that I get to contribute to something so special to somebody and allow them to have that memory for the rest of their life.
An aspect of my role that surprised me the most was how complex and detail-oriented every single element of a character’s costume is. It may be as small as an earring or a buckle on a belt, but each costume component is treated equally. Attention to detail is an extremely crucial element to Disney Live Entertainment Costuming to ensure the power of storytelling comes across to all guests.
Sheng: What does the buying and sourcing process look like for costumes? What factors do you typically consider in your buying and sourcing decisions? What are the unique issues or challenges involved in costume buying and sourcing?
Kara: The buying process for character costumes begins with our CP&D inventory planning team, which monitors the inventory of our costumes in terms of sizing, assortment, and quantity. The inventory planning team determines optimal inventory levels and all costume issue locations in the warehouse. They are also the team that will receive specific requests from costuming leaders and sites regarding inventory status and demand for a certain character costume. Once the inventory planning team has decided what character costume piece will need to be ordered and the ideal quantity, they will notify the buyer to place an order.
Once the buyer has been notified of the new purchase request, they will email their vendors to notify them of the new order. It is essential to inform the vendor of the item, quantity, and due date to confirm that the order can fit into their current production schedule. The buyer will also confirm pricing with the vendor. As soon as the vendor confirms that the new order will fit into their production schedule, the buyer writes the official purchase order. For all soft goods, this is the point in time where the buyer will notify our patternmaking team to send the tech pack and samples to the vendor for production. If necessary, the buyer will also ensure that fabric and notions requests are made for the order. Once the buyer takes these steps, the outside vendor will successfully produce the order.
When production is completed, and the order is delivered to our warehouse, a detailed quality check process will be performed. Every item goes through inspection, is counted for quantity accuracy, and is measured to ensure that sizing is to spec based on the tech pack. If there are any discrepancies, there are multiple ways in which the issue can be resolved so the items can ultimately pass the quality inspection. Most importantly, the buyer will be notified and communicate the issue to the vendor so it can be prevented for future orders. If there are no noted issues with the order, then the order will be received in the system and marked for completion.
A challenge frequently arises involves orders with a “hard due date,” meaning the costume piece is needed for a specific project, show, or cruise ship. These hard due date orders do not have flexibility with their due dates as a regular replenishment order would, so it is crucial to make the vendor aware of shifting order priority if necessary. Sometimes, these hard-due-date order requests come in with very little notice, so the buyer will confirm with the vendor that they can turn in the items quickly and successfully meet the due date. If a hard due date order becomes impossible to meet, the buyer will communicate with the inventory planning team, which will work on finding a viable solution.
Sheng: As a costume buyer, how do you collaborate with other departments and teams at Disney, such as designers, product development, and sourcing? How about external stakeholders, such as your vendors?
Kara: For the CP&D Procurement Buying team, one of our main focuses is our communication and relationships with outside vendors. It is extremely vital that we build and maintain strong relationships with our outside vendors so our business can continue to run successfully. The buyers are in constant contact with their assigned vendors, communicating daily via email and phone about both current and new costume orders. It is also important that we get our work onto their production schedule in a timely manner to avoid scheduling conflicts with other customers they may have.
Regarding other teams at Disney, my buying team often collaborates with the project development buying team. This team is responsible for buying and sourcing materials for new character costumes that the designers are currently developing. Once the development process has been completed, we hold transition meetings where the development team goes over everything the replenishment buying team will need to know about the new character costume for future orders. This includes elements such as raw materials, fiber content, vendor information, and price per costume piece.
Sheng: Do you see any innovations changing the future of costume buying or production, particularly due to factors like technology, AI, and sustainability?
Kara: The Walt Disney Company commits to environmental sustainability, implementing several goals to achieve by 2030 related to emissions, water, waste, materials, and sustainable design. Specifically for Disney Live Entertainment Costuming, we focus on sustainable materials, manufacturing, and zero waste management. Fabrics and raw materials will be resourced to contain at least 25% certified sustainable content or lower-impact alternatives. Plastics will also need to contain at least 30% recycled content or a lower-impact alternative material. Manufacturers of raw materials and garments must provide one or more approved sustainable certifications and confirm participation in the Higg Index.
As a buyer, it will be our responsibility to work with our outside vendors and ensure they are closely following our company’s sustainability efforts. As some vendors source their own materials rather than use Disney-supplied materials, they must shift toward using recycled, sustainably sourced, or lower-impact alternative textiles and raw materials. Additionally, any vendors specializing in plastics and other hard goods will have to figure out ways to make their materials more sustainable without affecting the quality of the costume piece. Our current outside vendors must also maintain a sustainable manufacturing certification and provide proof of their sustainability practices. Suppose this is not possible for some of our current vendors. In that case, I imagine we would have to identify new vendors who can maintain production on a sustainable level that is ideal for our business model.
Sheng: What advice would you give to students interested in pursuing a career in costume buying and sourcing? What skill sets are most valued in this role? Are there any specific experiences or opportunities at UD and in the FASH program that you would highly recommend for our students exploring their career paths?
Kara: I would highly recommend taking advantage of internship opportunities during your time at UD. Internships are a great way to gain hands-on experience in the day-to-day responsibilities of a particular role while allowing you to strengthen your understanding of the textile and apparel industry from a real-world perspective. It is also an extremely effective way to network and make valuable connections in the industry. Don’t be afraid to start conversations with your FASH professors about your goals and interests, as they are always willing to help and will likely have strong connections to the industry as well.
Additionally, having an open mind is extremely important going into the industry. Your first job out of college may not be your dream role, but know that you are gaining valuable industry skills that can be applied to a number of different positions. For example, I know that I eventually want to work my way into a more creative and design-driven role. While my current position as a costume buyer may not be focused on design and creativity, the communication and organization skills I am gaining can still translate to various positions in the industry.
Lastly, follow your dreams! It might sound cliché, but you never know what will happen if you put yourself out there and give something a shot. I faced multiple rejections from Disney before getting accepted into the internship program. If I had not decided to persevere and keep trying, I would not be where I am today. I also owe so much of my successes to the UD FASH program, as I am so grateful for the opportunities it provided. Good luck to all of you!
–The End–
FASH455 Global Apparel & Textile Trade and Sourcing 
I really enjoyed this interview and found it to be very interesting. Being a buyer, or anyone involved in costume production for Disney, were jobs that I never knew existed. I always just assumed the actors got there costumes somehow, but never thought to ask how. This interview was very eye-opening and showed me yet a different side of the industry. The only side of Disney we ever hear about is the magical part, never behind the scenes. Therefore reading through the interview and getting to learn about a not as glorious side of Disney was very enlightening. I liked the part where Kara discussed Disneys sustainability efforts. I think that is a very big issue in the industry right now and it is important that all companies are addressing it. I feel like Disney is often overlooked when considering the contributing factors to the fashion industry’s impact because it is not regarded as a major, well-known fashion brand. However, this interview reminded me that there are companies, including Disney, that are part of both the problem and the change that the fashion industry has been trying to address for so long. This interview made me question how long the costumes are good for and how often buyers need to order another one. I think durability and longevity of these costumes is another component to think of, rather than ensuring the use of recycled textiles.
I enjoyed reading about this interview. It was fascinating to learn about the behind-the-scenes role of costume buyers at Disney, especially the level of detail and difficulty involved in sourcing and purchasing. This resonated with me, as buying is something I’m considering pursuing after graduation, and learning about it from a different perspective was incredibly valuable. Kara’s insights on sustainability efforts were also particularly interesting. It’s easy to overlook the impact that companies like Disney have on the fashion industry, and this interview underscores the importance of considering sustainability at every level. The challenges Kara mentioned, such as dealing with “hard due date” orders and managing vendor relationships, highlight the complexity of the costume-buying process. It’s not just about creating costumes but about contributing to a larger, immersive experience for guests.
Kara Hamalainen’s journey is inspiring and shows the varying paths available within the fashion industry. Her experience as a costume buyer for Disney gives such a unique perspective on what goes into creating and maintaining Disney’s iconic character costumes. One part that stood out to me is her view on sustainability. Disney’s commitment to using sustainable materials and working with vendors who uphold these values was surprising to me, as Disney is not a brand that I think to be particularly sustainable, so it was inspiring to hear that they are trying to make some efforts toward sustainable practices. It was also interesting to hear how Kara’s role as a buyer includes working with vendors to meet these standards.
I really enjoyed reading this interview that was more focused on aspects that are associated with merchandising and found that many actually applied directly to design as well. Designer’s are heavily impacted by the supply chain as we have to consider the textile we use and the manufacturing processes during the design process itself. Understanding the complexities of sourcing, production timelines and vendor relationships mentioned in the interview is also crucial to designers to make feasible and successful designs. Therefore, designers do need to also build relationships with suppliers and manufacturers to understand both their capabilities and limitations.
Her interview made it clear that understanding theoretical frameworks and real words examples like the USMCA and CAFTA-DR agreements can help me, as a designer, make informed decisions regarding material selection and where to create my apparel. Rules of origin like the yarn-forward and fabric forward requirements also heavily impact my design process and they can determine where i source my materials while still adhering to trade regulations. Overall, this interview served as a reminder to stay open and informed on the various roles within the industry in order to gain a broader perspective on how the supply chain impacts my design decisions.
As many of my classmates have stated, it was interesting to hear about the behind-the-scenes aspects of how these well-loved costumes come to life. I found this interview especially impactful as someone who has been on the receiving end of such themed dress; my last job was spent serving at a theme park, and I got a glimpse of the mass of inventory and moving parts in the company’s wardrobe department. Outfitting uniforms (and I consider costumes under that term) relies heavily on ensuring that production deadlines are met in order to provide employees with new costumes and to repair old ones. I remember a particular instance where the buttons on my jacket were damaged and there was no available replacement for the next few months. I also found her comments on her collaborations with the project development buying team interesting. I remember discussing how companies can strategically select the fiber makeup of their goods in order to best utilize any trade agreements in effect. With the possibility of heavy tariffs in the upcoming years, I’m sure that Disney’s teams will continue to be in communication with their suppliers (or possibly shift certain suppliers to be in or near the US) in order to meet their deadlines and minimize disruptions in profit and procedure. The interview helps demonstrate that shifts in trade agreements and trade policy affects more than just big name apparel companies, but any company utilizing specialty apparel or uniforms.
This interview with Kara Hamalainen was incredibly inspiring and insightful, especially as a graduating senior from UD. Kara’s journey highlights valuable lessons for students preparing to enter the industry.
One key takeaway was the importance of communication and collaboration. Kara emphasized building strong relationships with vendors and working closely with teams like inventory planning and product development. Her role as a costume buyer shows how teamwork and attention to detail are critical in such a dynamic field. I also found it exciting to learn about Disney Live Entertainment’s commitment to sustainability and how buyers play a role in adapting to these goals. This reflects broader trends in the industry and the importance of innovation in achieving environmental responsibility.
Kara’s advice about internships and perseverance really resonated with me. Her story reinforces the value of gaining hands-on experience, building connections, and staying persistent in pursuing your dreams.Overall, Kara’s journey from UD to Disney is both inspiring and empowering, showing what is possible with hard work and passion for the field. It is motivating to see a fellow Blue Hen thriving in such an impactful role!
I also liked hearing her advice on how to gain experience through internships. I think it would’ve been cool to hear her previous experiences as well as what courses helped her the most in her career.
Hi Victoria!! I also loved hearing Kara’s advice. One that specifically stood out to be was to maintain an open mind. With job searching right now it is difficult to find one that shares immediate career values with me. She taught me that although roles that may not exactly align with me are an opportunity to grow and learn skills that I can use anywhere!
This interview was very interesting to me because I study fashion and also grew up a dancer, so I liked hearing that she found a job that combined both of her passions. I thought it was interesting that she has more communication with vendors and other buyers around the country, perhaps even more than the project development buying team. She mentions talking over the phone and emailing vendors daily to make sure she can meet her hard due dates for costume pieces. Another thing I liked that she mentioned was sustainability regulations. I think it’s important to implement sustainability guidelines, especially for a company like Disney that is worldwide and very influential. Requiring vendors and textile suppliers to confirm certain sustainability certifications as well as reducing the amount of harmful material used in these costumes by 25-30% is a great way to set a standard for other companies as well. One thing I wished I could’ve heard more about was the average turnover or production time it takes for the most popular/ intricate costumes. The ordering, production and manufacturing process is very detailed from the techpack designs to the warehouse. I think it’s cool that she is in charge of maintaining relationships and assembling these costumes that play a huge role in people’s lives. She talked about the smallest details being just as important as the big ones; I would love to see how she decides what to buy and how she balances so many orders at once.
This interview with Kara was extremely insightful and exciting to read! Her explanation of how her work behind the scenes affects guests daily experiences especially when they get to interact with their favorite Disney characters. The amount of work and attention to detail that goes into each costume to make sure the narrative feels genuine and enchanted is incredible. This was a great detail to include in the interview because it demonstrates how even the tiniest details can leave a lasting impression on others, which is a really meaningful way to support the industry of entertainment. It’s really inspiring to see how much Kara loves what she does!
This interview was so interesting in seeing Kara’s journey is truly inspiring! It’s amazing to see how she seamlessly combined your passions for fashion and entertainment into such a meaningful career. The role of a Disney Live Entertainment Costume Buyer sounds incredibly dynamic and rewarding, especially knowing that your work contributes to the magic that guests experience every day. It’s fascinating to hear about the behind-the-scenes efforts, from managing vendor relationships to ensuring timely deliveries, that make those magical moments possible. I can see the dedication and enthusiasm shine through the interview and it must be so fulfilling to see your contributions come to life in the parks and a career!
I thoroughly enjoyed this article. I found it very interesting and inspiring how she combined all of her passions into one career. This speaks directly to what I want to do, so it is very refreshing to hear someone do the same. What was most compelling was how she spoke about the costume buying process. It truly is magical being able to experience how every single detail behind the scenes affects a guest’s experience. As a fellow design major with a minor in merchandising, I loved how she is able to be involved in both the designing of new products and the merchandising/buying side of the costumes as well. It surprised me how focused on sustainability Disney is. I always assumed the Disney parks were very unsustainable and that they wouldn’t care about things like zero waste designs. It is so nice to hear that what we study and research really is making a difference! Additionally, it is reassuring to know that big companies will want to hire students like us, who spend so many classes learning about different sustainability aspects in the industry. Kara’s persistence is inspiring and reminds me that if you keep pushing yourself, you will get your dream job. I would love to hear more first hand experiences like this in the future!
Learning about Kara’s role as a costume buyer for Disney was extremely interesting! My favorite part of being a fashion student is learning about the atypical roles in fashion, and how far reaching the industry truly is. I had never thought about Disney’s relationship with buying, or the fashion industry in general, and absolutely loved getting to know more about it. Kara highly emphasized her and her team’s communication with vendors, which brought up a lot of questions for me. Assuming her vendors are international, are tariffs often discussed among her team? Depending on where they are located, what trade agreements directly affect her job process? Are all costumes shipped to Orlando, and then allocated to the hotels, cruises, etc.? It is so interesting that her team, as well as the costume design team, and I’m sure many others at the company must be constantly aware of trade agreements and the supply chain each and every day. I never would’ve thought the trade agreements that we learn about in FASH455 would relate to a role at a company like Disney. I also appreciated Kara’s emphasis on Disney’s sustainability efforts. A company with such impact has the ability to make a substantial change. It was also great that Kara connected this goal back to her own team, relaying that if her vendors don’t use Disney-supplied materials, they must use recycled, sustainably sourced, or lower-impact alternative textiles and raw materials. Their commitment is admirable, especially that they are willing to find new vendors if their current ones do not align with their goals. Overall, this article really opened my eyes to how prominent trade is in the industry, even in ways I might not have realized. Kara’s interview furthered my understanding of how trade agreements we learned about in this course, such as the CAFTA-DR and USMCA, are important to understand for any role in the industry. I’d love to learn more about Kara’s direct interaction with these trade agreements as well. A final thought- I always assumed that Disney had tailors/seamstresses to create the costumes that Kara buys, and I wonder if it would be easier for the company to do this, rather than use outside vendors. It would definitely take the price of tariffs off the table, and eliminate concern for rules such as yarn-forward or fabric forward.
Kara’s journey into costume buying with Disney Live Entertainment provides connects directly to core concepts learned in FASH455. Her role as an Associate Costume Buyer shows her learning process in textile knowledge, supply chain management, and sustainability efforts. The processes she describes such as coordinating with vendors, managing inventory levels, and ensuring quality control are direct correlations to ideas we’ve discussed in class, like global sourcing and supply chain efficiency.
Her emphasis on working with vendors aligns with our discussions on trade regulations and sourcing strategies, where maintaining reliable vendor relationships is crucial to meeting production deadlines and quality standards. Kara’s role also ties into the growing emphasis on sustainability within the industry, a topic we explored throughout the semester. Disney’s 2030 sustainability goals, such as using textiles with at least 25% certified sustainable content, highlight the shift toward more environmentally responsible practices. This directly relates to our discussions on sustainable textile sourcing and the challenges of balancing cost, quality, and environmental impact.
Overall, after learning about Kara’s journey with Disney it inspire’s me as I move forward. Not only to potencially obtain a cool internship like hers but also to continue to learn more about the industry.
Kara’s job as a costume buyer sounds like a lot of work with a lot of reward. Hearing about all of the specs that are taken for each detail of a character’s outfit down to the size of an earring is a lot to keep track of. I would have thought that working on a replenishment team would just be reordering from the same suppliers over and over and that was it but from Kara’s insight there is actually a lot more going on behind the scenes. Dealing with so many characters and costume specifics is a lot to manage. I was also surprised by her response to Disney’s sustainability initiatives and that seems like sourcing and working with existing vendors about adapting to sustainability practices is a big part of her job. I wonder how buyers keep good relationships with vendors as she described this as an important detail. Is it through continued business or through communication channels?
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Kara’s interview, as someone who is not just interested in a role in buying, but also interested in a role with the Disney company, I found this information extremely useful and insightful. Seeing how this role requires all the skills we have spent our time learning while simultaneously incorporating new and different aspects really showed all the benefits this role has to offer. She dealt with all the typical buyer responsibilities such as staying on top of inventory, meeting deadlines and maintaining vendor relationships while also working closely with other departments to ensure their goals and plans are aligned and will be successful.
I also thought it was really interesting to read how important sustainability is to a behemoth of a company like Disney. They are dedicated to zero-waste and ensuring that their products are made with materials containing at least 25% recycled materials. This helps pave the way for companies behind in the sustainablity shift, showing that it is possible and it is important.
Overall, Kara’s story is what my ideal path looks like post grad. Not only would I like to be a buyer and would love to work for Disney, I also was a dancer before college and I always regretted not doing more with that. Seeing that there is a way to incorporate all my passions within my career is inspiring. Knowing that if I work hard and continue to pursue my passions I will find something that makes me happy and successful, the way that Kara did.
This blog post was very inspiring to me. It shows that persistence in your field of choice and the ability to adapt to new places in competitive industries like these will pay off immensely. It is essential to strike a balance between both creativity and logistics in a role for a company as well-known and well-oiled as Disney. Disney works with so many clients that need to be handled with respect and care through professional practices like thorough communication and timeliness. It’s also essential in a role like this to conduct your end of the business in a way that exemplifies the brand’s goals. Disney has stated that sustainability is a large portion of its brand mission, on top of the more obvious components like entertainment and creativity. The sustainability aspect in a role like Kara’s is even more important than in other aspects of the business. The costumes being produced and utilized not only have to fit the part of the characters in the Disney world, but they need to be ethically sourced and made with quality textiles. Experiences like this are invaluable, as hands-on opportunities to develop an understanding of sustainability in the real world will allow someone to foster these positive relationships in their current jobs as well as future positions.
After reading the interview, I think that Kara’s role is very fascinating because there are so many different aspects that go into this specific role, such as creativity, technical precision, and logistics within the entertainment industry. As someone who is interested in buying, I found her explanation of the buying process very insightful. However it also showed me how tedious the whole process is from start to finish, and how connected and involved every role (inventory planning team, pattern making team, project development buying team) is during the process.
Something that stood out to me most was her insight of the buyers responsibility to make sure that their vendors qualify with Disney’s sustainability efforts. Before reading this interview, I didn’t know much about buyers responsibilities when it came to sustainability. In regards to Kara’s role, I believe that Disney’s efforts to improve sustainability with costumes could shape the future of the costume industry. Costumes sometimes require some extra features and materials to tie the costume together that involve plastics and other non sustainable material. Disney’s initiatives and Kara’s role in making sure vendors follow Disney’s sustainability guidelines could be the start to a change for costume sustainability. Overall, I found this interview to be quite inspiring.
As my classmates were saying I also really enjoyed this interview and what Kara had to say. Throughout my time at UD I really have come to realize how many niche categories are within this industry because I personally never would have thought of costume buying for Disney as a career path. I really liker her discussion about the sustainability initiatives that Disney is planning on implementing by 2030. Throughout my time taking this course it has become very apparent that places such as the EU have been very positively impacted by sustainability and ethical initiatives, but it also has highlighted how places such as China are negatively impacted because of their lack of implementation. Overall, her discussion of the position and the moving parts of it were very insightful and it is very evident that Kara cares deeply about her role and the impact it has on Disney and the magic at Disney.
Kara Hamalainen’s journey from the University of Delaware to her current role at Disney Live Entertainment is truly fascinating. After graduating, she joined the Disney Professional Internship program as a Live Entertainment Costuming Buyer Intern, which eventually led to her being offered a full-time position as an Associate Costume Buyer (ACB) at Disney Live Entertainment, based in Orlando, Florida. As a student exploring my path in the fashion industry, her story provides valuable insight into alternative opportunities within the field. I found it particularly interesting to hear about the challenges she faces in her role. Kara emphasized the intricate and detail-oriented nature of the design and production processes, as well as the level of precision required in costume buying. From collaborating with vendors to ensuring timely production and maintaining quality standards, her responsibilities underscore the critical importance of attention to detail and strong communication skills. While many aspects of her journey resonated with me, her story especially highlights the importance of perseverance and maintaining an open mind, even when faced with complexity or challenges. In all, it leaves me curious about how costume design and production might continue to evolve in the future, especially with the rise of AI .
When scrolling through these blog posts this was the first one to really catch my eye and interest me. I believe part of the reason is that as I graduate this May I am becoming more intrigued about post college job life. As I reflect, I want to first point out how unique and great this job actually is. The fact that Kara got to put her two passions together- fashion and theatre, and in such an amazing environment, it really is inspiring. It’s fascinating how Kara’s responsibilities such as inventory planning and buying work alongside so many others teams like the patternmaking team, project development team, and outside vendors. A main takeaway was definitely how many different groups, all with different responsibilities, have to work together to get the job done efficiently. I think this blends with our class discussions about how truly intertwined the fashion industry is, and how many people are involved in the many steps from sourcing raw materials, to transportation, then manufacturing, etc. In addition, I think this is an industry where you really don’t know anything about it or any of the steps that go into sourcing, merchandising and buying unless you take a class like FASH455 or are majoring in fashion. I’ll use marketing as an example where I believe people can have a good idea of marketing and you can notice it all around you without majoring in it, but in fashion everyday people and consumers shop and purchase clothes without even thinking twice about the process it took to get them there. In this case these people are the Disney guests, and it is people like Kara who are behind the scenes of it all making it possible giving Disney guests extravagant costumes to admire.
Hi Abigal! I love that you used marketing as an example when showing that everyday consumers overlook the process. This was super interesting to think about!
This interview was very insightful on the buying industry. As I come closer to graduation I have been expanding my horizon in job searching due to competitiveness in the industry. I grew to enjoy the buying industry and have applied for jobs relating to that so it was interesting to learn about the responsibilities of the role from a first hand buyer. One of my favorite topics to discuss is sustainability and the impact that it has on the industry due to the crucial impacts it has on the economy. I never thought about it but the buyers play an important role in making sure vendors align with the sustainability goals Disney promotes. It was also insightful to hear that big companies care about having eco-friendly goals because from a consumer perspective it often seems like big companies tend to overlook sustainable practices. I also found it intriguing when Kara discussed the challenges of the buying process. One that stood out to me was the tight deadlines for specific projects, which shows the importance of having clear communication with vendors.
I really enjoyed reading this interview. It really resonated with me as I am interested in bug or procurement in the industry. I found this interview eye opening as it gives perspective of the industry and how important even the small details like an earring or a button is for buying. From working with vendors to ensuring quality, her experience shared during the interview showcased the importance of attention to detail. As someone approaching graduation, it is inspiring to see someone from the Fash department working in a different capacity than what is normally shown to us. It shows that there are many opportunities out there and we need to be willing to search and find that perfect combination of our education and interests.
I found this interview and article to be inspiring and insightful into the different types of jobs you can have within the fashion industry; it provides me with more hope that there is a job offer out there waiting for me. As Kara is living out her dreams as an assistant costume buyer for Disney Live Entertainment, it is obvious that she loves what she does. I can only hope that one day I will be as fortunate to love my career. Kara’s role provides unique opportunities, like being able to bring her chosen costumes to life with each Disney character or ensuring that they remain and practice sustainable and ethically sourced. Even the smallest details like fabrication, fabric color, or accessories like a buckle or hat contribute to the magic of Kara’s job at Disney. I find it fascinating how involved she is with her position and hope to be in a similar hands-on job like this one day. The costume industry is complex and comes with many responsibilities where creativity must balance out with strategic planning and environmental accountability. One of the takeaways that stuck with me was the emphasis on building strong partnerships and vendor relationships. In the future, I aim to embrace obstacles while attempting to apply for different career opportunities.