Over the past summer, Simran Khemlani (‘24) was browsing through fashion posts on social media when she stumbled across a program mentioned in a TikTok comment section: the Nordstrom Ambassador Program. 

The program aims to “build an inclusive digital community for young adults, ages 14-22” by offering mentorship experiences, supportive peer networks, and monthly virtual meetings. 

Intrigued, Khemlani applied for the program and was accepted in July 2022. She attends monthly meetings on Zoom with over 100 other teenagers, learning about the fashion industry and meeting different executives. 

“I learned about marketing and networking, like (how to make) an elevator pitch and what that entails, and how to present yourself to other people when you’re trying to get something, something I feel like that translates into everything,” Khemlani said. 

She appreciates how the program allows students like her to explore new and different careers in fashion. 

“It’s pretty cool how I can tune in every month and gain connections. (The program) allows you to experience something over a period of time that you would never really have gotten unless you went to college or were in the industry,” Khemlani said. 

Khemlani’s passion for fashion stems from her childhood when she already had an eye for stylish outfits and a love for flashy clothes. As she grew older, she found fashion as a way of expressing herself. 

“When I dress, I put together the pieces of my personality. When I just wear random jeans and a hoodie, I don’t feel like I am myself. When I wear clothes that I like and that make me feel good about myself and that I resonate with, I feel like I can put that into my identity,” Khemlani said. “I feel like everyone should be able to be who they wanna be and feel like themselves you know?”

However, her original dream of designing and creating clothes later conflicted with her growing interest in sustainability. 

“I had contradicting thoughts because of the wasteful impact the fashion industry has on the environment. So I felt like if I created another brand and put more products into the world that could be turned into waste, I wasn’t benefitting anyone,” Khemlani said. 

This made her realize she found the business and marketing aspects of the fashion industry more exciting than designing, which led her to become a Nordstrom Ambassador. 

While the informational meetings have helped her gain more insight into how the industry works, Khemlani found the Zoom setting difficult for working with mentors and making strong connections with her program peers. 

“I don’t know if (the program) was that effective personally. I feel like if it was in-person, maybe I could’ve talked to the other kids, and I would’ve gotten a lot more out of this,” she said. “After all the meetings for our session are over, I don’t think I’m gonna reapply–just so I don’t take somebody else’s spot, because I think it’s kind of repetitive.” 

Khemlani also wants to delve into digital animation, but her ultimate goal for now is to keep “constantly creating” and savor the process of making art. 

“I like how I really get tuned into what I’m doing and everything else gets blocked out and I just get in the zone. It can take weeks or months, and I don’t ever like the final product because I always feel like there’s something I can change to make it better,” she said. “As of right now, I don’t have a particular style, I’m just exploring what I feel I identify as.”