In Conversation with Anne Whiting

Tell us about your background:

Hi! I'm Anne Whiting; I am a writer/copywriter and storyteller passionate about sustainable fashion. I am currently a copywriter for SKIMS and Good American.

Over the last decade, under that umbrella of sustainable fashion, I have worn a few hats, such as—
— AmeriCorps fellow with the NYC Dept. of Sanitation Foundation, working on advocating all things citywide waste management and sustainability awareness, particularly textile waste diversion initiatives refashionNYC and ReFashion Week

— Freelance journalist on the topic of sustainable fashion; my thesis at J-School—titled “One Man’s Trash Is Another Man’s Trash,” about how secondhand clothing exports are littering developing nations’ shores due to unsustainable surplus and shaky waste management infrastructures—had the amazing honor of winning a grant to research textile waste and microplastic (via polyester) pollution in Accra, Ghana

— Showroom Manager and Marketing Copywriter for ADAY (a minimalist start-up that made capsule collections out of seaweed and recycled plastic bottles); Marketing Manager of Bhoomki, a WOC-owned store featuring only ethical and sustainable brands

— Founder of my own sustainable womenswear brand, Anne James, which won “ReFashion Week Designer of the Year” from the Sanitation Foundation (which is how I got connected to DSNY!). Using deadstock fabric, I designed timeless, go-to pieces for working women, then pivoted to making made-to-measure clothing with the hope that perfectly tailored outfits would be the least disposable, least mass-market approach to apparel production. I also sold vintage, and now enjoy upcycling vintage and secondhand pieces into more modern, artful, one-of-a-kind garments

— Sourcing Director for start-up menswear brand Sean & Val; Product Development and Production Associate at ATM Collection; Production Assistant at Maiyet

Prior to development, production, design, sustainability, textile waste, and journalism, I started my fashion journey in marketing and copywriting, with a degree in Fashion Marketing from Parsons School of Design. While there, I interned in marketing for household name Perry Ellis and renegade sustainability startup ZADY, getting the lay of the land for both major fashion corporations and small, disrupting startups. Also while at Parsons, I was exposed to the need for a more sustainable and ethical fashion industry, so I pivoted from marketing to manufacturing. I pursued internships in production, and actually turned down a full-time post-grad internship opportunity with Milk Studios, where I was excelling as a copywriter and social media assistant for its editorial platform, events, and New York Fashion Week

Now deeply informed in knowledge of supply chain and sustainability strategy with a strong background in communications and writing throughout, I’m back to helping articulate these initiatives to make a more positive fashion experience for everyone.

I’ve joined the Co-Lab because I am looking to build a sustainable, full-time career in copywriting, storytelling, and brand marketing.

In short? I am a clothes-obsessed copywriter via Columbia Journalism, NYC Dept. of Sanitation, and New York Fashion Week. I'm looking to repurpose my passion for (less) waste and sustainability into a more sustainable, long-term, in-house career path. With a love for recycling and upcycling and—before that—good quality, my work is anything but trashy.

What do you wish you’d known when you started out?

Join the Co-Lab immediately! That and, just get started putting yourself out there—blanket the world with your expertise and assistance. I think I did this only accidentally, and I could adopt a lot more fearlessness when it comes to marketing my skillsets for hire.

Best career advice you've ever received?

Your network is everything.

What leadership qualities are important to you?

Empathy, being even-keeled, attentiveness, and having a breadth of knowledge about what your associates are working on—and what their passions are outside of work.

What has been the biggest challenge in your career so far?

Stable jobs with benefits — such is the classic freelance fashion tragedy; add "sustainability" and "buy less" advocacy to the mix and it's... low paying!

How do you define success in your career, and how has that definition evolved over time?

I really can honestly say that I do what I love, love what I do. I get to meet amazing people every day be it because I'm writing their story, helping market their business, buying their product (fabric, buttons, trims), hiring their tailoring services (geniuses!). But as an advocate for sustainability, I now also agree that success in the form of sustaining income also needs to be just that: sustain-able. Freelance isn't always sustaining financially. That's ok when you're young and single, but I'd love to explore stability in my next chapter.

How has networking contributed to your professional growth and success?

Networking is key! Not only does it lead to roles, but it's FUN because it's people-based. It makes work and the workplace more of a community. And it really does help HR/hirers mitigate the noise of thousands of applications.

What are your top networking tips for building strong connections in your industry?

Being present, being persistent, being honest, and remembering that behind the Instagram shield everyone is just a person trying to figure it all out — so go ahead, be bold, reach out.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-whiting/

Website: www.annewhitingpr.squarespace.com

Instagram: @anne_whiting_