BGSU fashion merchandising alumna lands dream job at West Elm in NYC

Alumna Aliya Sharp ‘21 credits BGSU for providing the foundation for her career

Bowling Green State University alumna Aliya Sharp ‘21 has a prominent role today as a buyer with West Elm, a global entity in the modern furniture and home decor realm.

She lives in Manhattan and works out of the company’s New York City offices, focused on the markets in Australia and the United Kingdom.

It wasn’t all that long ago that the Ohio native’s zest for fashion was testing the dress code at her Dayton-area high school. She wears those disciplinary moments as a badge of honor.

“You do what you have to do, all in the name of fashion,” the 2021 BGSU graduate joked. “From a very young age, I enjoyed throwing together stuff from my closet and coming up with wacky outfits. I was just being creative, and I did get voted the ‘best-dressed’ in my class.”

Sharp also had a serious curiosity about the history of fashion, the origin of certain styles and the impact fashion has on everyday life. She said the fashion merchandising and product development major at BGSU was the ideal place to develop and hone her skill set. From her perspective:

• The program empowers students to work very closely with their professors, a unique opportunity to receive one-on-one support.
• The education fosters leadership skills, essential in the fashion industry.
• There are opportunities to get involved in the retail and buying community and gain valuable experience.
• Students learn about the wide range of careers this degree field opens.

Sharp was active in the National Retail Federation Student Association’s Bowling Green chapter, serving a term as president and one as treasurer. Sharp also worked as an assistant to Professor Marian Zengel.

“I feel like during my time at Bowling Green, my leadership skills just skyrocketed,” Sharp said. “The professors really believed in me and pushed me to take advantage of every opportunity out there.”

Following graduation, Sharp worked as an assistant buyer for Arhaus in Cleveland, specializing in lighting, wall décor and jewelry, but Sharp’s vision for her career was targeted elsewhere.

“I had always dreamed of moving to New York,” Sharp said. “I knew I was made for more.”

She landed a job as a buyer for a skincare company in the Big Apple, before moving on to what Sharp calls her “dream job” with West Elm.

“I’ve found out that I love home furnishings and interiors more than I love fashion, so I am truly in my home space,” she said.

Sharp, a first-generation college student, said immersing herself in her major at BGSU showed her that college can be as much about pursuing a passion as it is about going to school. She credits her instructors for having a significant impact on her career.

“During my time at Bowling Green, my love of this field consumed my life in the healthiest way,” she said. “I came from a small town in Ohio, and now I am working in New York City, one of the fashion capitals of the world. Bowling Green gave me the foundation for where I am today and showed me that it doesn’t matter where you start. There’s no limit on where you can go.”