Department of Fashion Merchandising senior Jacob O’Neal is interning this summer at Paradies Lagardère.
Department of Fashion Merchandising senior Jacob O’Neal is interning this summer at Paradies Lagardère, a leading North American travel retailer and restaurateur renowned for delivering engaging traveler experiences.
O’Neal will work closely with the buying, planning and replenishment teams to assist with purchase order management, product testing, vendor relationships and tracking for new stores.
“It’s a unique opportunity, as hundreds of millions of people pass through airports every year,” said O’Neal. “I’m excited to learn how airport retail differs from street retail.”
In his role, O’Neal will participate in weekly and monthly vendor meetings, interview each executive to learn about their journey and spend time each day training in different functions. Each week, he will be responsible for a project or deliverable, such as line review analysis, competitive shopping and monthly reporting.
Q&A with O’Neal
What made you want to study in the Department of Fashion Merchandising?
Fashion is something that was always important to me. When I was growing up, I was very into what was “hot” at that moment. My dad is a car dealer, so I’ve always been interested in retail, and I was able to learn a lot from him about the operations of a retail business.
Jacob O’Neal ’24
How have your studies and time at TCU prepared you for this role?
Learning about the industry from professors with real-world experience is incredibly beneficial. They understand what it takes to be successful and have guided me by setting expectations—just as they would in future roles. Learning about every side of the industry—design, marketing, production, and merchandising—has provided me with the necessary knowledge and a deep understanding of every step of the fashion cycle. The professors care, are supportive and are always willing to help.
What are your future career goals?
I would like to be a buyer or planner for an international company. The ultimate goal is to have my own denim brand, as jeans are my favorite thing to wear, and I love collecting vintage denim.