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WORK WEAR DIARIES: VICKY VELASCO

Fully Booked’s window dresser is a stunner herself.

By Nikki Santiago Sep 2, 2010

Window displays redefine everything we ever thought about window shopping. Those eye-catching art installations stop us in our tracks, and perhaps unconsciously, compel us to enter the stores. Same is true with Fully Booked’s whimsical store windows. One day it’s bubblegum-colored flower cutouts, the next it’s paper airplanes made out of book pages.

Interestingly enough, there’s a young lady behind the book shop’s eye-catching window displays. Visual Merchandiser, Vicky Velasco, gives shoppers and mall-goers an experience of the store even before stepping in. But while she dresses up these store windows that can stop pedestrian traffic with her out-of-this-world, compelling concepts, Vicky herself dresses up with panache—a stunner in her easy cool style.

Read on to get to know Vicky Velasco more and click on the photo gallery to see more of her style.

What exactly do you do?

I'm the Visual Merchandiser for Fully Booked.  I've been making their window displays for a few months now, and just recently, they've hired me full-time to handle everything else in the store that you see.

How did you get into this career path? Is this something you've always wanted?

I was a production designer and stylist for two years, making sets, props and costumes for videos; and window displays were always something that interested me since I was a student.  While I was in production, the prospect of actually being able to create them wasn't so far-fetched anymore. Last year, I finally got the guts to really look for this job.

What's your daily routine like?

I wake up at around 8:00 or 9:00am and get to the office before 10:00.   If I was setting up new displays, I'd have to start my day much earlier, probably getting to a branch at 7:00 or 8:00am, then going to the office after.  

My day then consists of checking up on the different branches, coordinating with our suppliers, having meetings, and designing and brainstorming for new display ideas. I also do store visits; I can spend a whole day hopping from one branch to another.  I get out of work around dinner time, and right now, I go home to work on the next display.  My house is flooded with materials for them! I work on that after dinner, and squeeze in some reading before I get too tired to continue, and just sleep.

What do you do on your spare time? 

Crafts! Somehow, even if I do those kinds of things for work, that's also what I like to do in my spare time.  I also love watching movies, and I could spend a whole day looking at design blogs! 

What do you do after work?

After work these days, I just work on my next display project.  When I don't have one to work on, I like seeing my friends and watching movies.

What do you do on weekends?

Same things as after work and in my spare time—work on the display, see friends, catch up on some reading, watch movies.  If there's an interesting event or exhibit to go to, the weekend is when I attend. That's also when I get to shop!

What are your other interests? Hobbies?

I love anything art and design related, and as I've mentioned, I dabble in as much crafts as I can.  I started a blog, The Art Department, about my adventures and mishaps with crafts and try to chronicle that part of my life.  I also take pole dancing classes.  I love it! It's the only form of exercise I've successfully stuck with.

What's your personal style like?

It really depends on my mood—whether I feel girly or lazy, one thing I always think of is that I don't want my outfits to match too much.  I like mixing browns with blacks and greys in the same outfit, or making one accessory a different color than the rest!

From a style perspective, do you find anyone particularly inspiring, living or dead?

I just love how Sienna Miller dresses.  She always looks great even if she wears some outfits that might look weird on other people.  I also like the Olsen twins, Alexa Chung and Emmanuelle Alt! 

Is there any fashion item you collect?

I think I unconsciously collect blazers and plain white or black tops.  The blazers, I don't know why. I'm always just drawn to them! And white and black tops, I love them! They're so basic.   

What's your favorite item in your closet?

I love my black bandage skirt! I think it's what I wear the most from all my clothes. I can wear it on a casual day with a loose top tucked out and with flip flops, and I can tuck in a black top and wear sandals, have a whole other outfit that's much dressier!

Where do you shop for work wear?

We don't have a very strict dress code in our office, so I can pretty much wear everyday clothes.  But of course, there are times when I want to feel all dressed up, so I wear my "work clothes," which are mostly from Zara.

Click on the photo gallery to read more about her style.

Photo GalleryPHOTO GALLERY
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