As an associate copy director at Madewell, Tiffany Bolton, Advertising and Marketing Communications ’11, plays a key role in shaping Madewell’s brand voice, crafting creative copy across all platforms.
FIT Newsroom: How did you find out about FIT, and when you got here, what brought you into the EOP program?
Tiffany Bolton: I was born and raised in Ossining, a town in Westchester County. From a young age, I had a passion for fashion, influenced in part by my mom, who was also drawn to fashion and interior design. She would often say, “You know, there’s a college in Manhattan that specializes in fashion.” As a teenager, I set my sights on that dream, and when I received my acceptance letter, I knew it was meant to be.
I reached out to the school trying to figure out my financial roadmap, and I fit the criteria to be part of EOP.
The EOP provided stability and security to my family, who knew I was safe and in great hands. I regarded Ms. Orange as a family member. The EOP provided financial assistance, but that was just a drop in the bucket compared to everything else they gave me. No problem was too big or too small. I was never turned away. Ms. Orange, Professor Lampley, Ms. Cayenne, Monica, the entire EOP staff made sure I didn’t fall through the cracks. They held me accountable the second I walked into FIT, which is something I’ve carried into my personal and professional relationships.
How did you break into copywriting?
I worked my way through college, managing the inventory, product descriptions, and copy for the kids category at Gilt Groupe. After graduating, I continued in the role and grew with the company. It was a big achievement for me, especially coming right out of college. Even though I was overworked and underpaid, I took a lot of pride in that role. I was there for about two years before I was poached by Barneys New York as a copywriter.
I’ve been with Madewell for about four years now. I manage junior and senior copywriters, who are responsible for creating all our written assets: store signage, emails, e-commerce site copy, and social messaging. A great copy director has a passion for creative writing, marketing, and management and is able to quickly pivot based on the industry’s forever-changing climate.
Do you have any advice for current EOP students?
Tap into your resources. And I’m speaking beyond finances. The EOP offers so many tools, the success rate of people who go through EOP is incredible, they really ensure that their students succeed, graduate, and go on to do great things.
—Dana Flores, Advertising and Marketing Communications ’22