By the time most of us are sipping our first cup of coffee, Kendra Cetrone has already been scanning trend reports and cross-referencing color forecasts. For Cetrone, fashion isn’t just about clothes, it’s about instinct and a passion that started when she was a little girl.
“I always knew fashion was my spark,” Cetrone recalled. “Even as a child, I loved creating looks for myself and for others.”
Little did she know that early fascination would become the beginning of a career spanning more than four decades. Her path began to take shape at the prestigious Tobe Coburn School in New York City. One of her earliest experiences, working inside the legendary Gianni Versace showroom, offered a front row seat to the glamour and grit of the industry. From then on, she knew she wanted to be the one shaping what would eventually land in customers’ closets.
“I always leaned toward the wholesale side of retail,”she explained. “Whether it was buying or being a sales rep, I loved the idea of curating collections and styling merchandise. That’s what sealed it for me. I wanted to be a buyer.”
Though many imagine a buyer’s life as one long shopping spree, Cetrone is quick to dispel the myth. “People always say, ‘Oh, how fun that must be,’” she said. “But being a good buyer isn’t just picking pretty clothes. You must be decisive, fast with numbers and have a strong instinct for what will sell, and above all, you must know your customer.”
Her day often balances the art of fashion with the science of retail. She studies major designers and big city runways to identify the next big thing. Cetrone notes everything from silhouette lengths to fabrications. From there, she builds a seasonal collection strategically, starting with timeless basics before layering in bold statement pieces, accent colors and trend-driven items.
“It’s about telling a story through clothes,” Cetrone said. “And your customers follow you because they trust your taste. They know you’ll lead them to the right pieces, but it always begins with listening to what they want.”
When asked how she predicts what shoppers will crave six months down the road, Cetrone doesn’t flinch. She reads, watches and listens to fashion newspapers, trade shows and trusted sales reps to feed her intuition. At the end of the day, her instinct, honed over 41 years, is her sharpest tool, and no, she doesn’t feel the pressure of being ahead of the curve.
“If you’re doing the work, the trends will reveal themselves,” she said with a shrug.
What fuels Cetrone isn’t just the thrill of spotting the next hot ticket item, it’s the way those pieces transform people.
“By far, the most rewarding part of my career has been helping people look fabulous and feel great,” she said warmly. “When a client thanks me for finding the perfect piece, or I walk past a store and know everything inside came from my choices, that’s what makes me proud.”
Her passion for styling extends beyond the showroom. Personal shopping, closet makeovers and reinventing wardrobes are all part of how she keeps fashion personal.
“I love pulling out old items, mixing them with new and showing someone an entirely fresh look. That’s magic,” Cetrone said.
For anyone hoping to break into buying, Cetrone offers a dose of the truth.
“Start at the bottom and work your way up,” she said. “Learn every piece of the retail puzzle from steaming clothes to selling on the floor. Go to a big market show and see if you can handle the pace, because it’s nonstop, 24/7. Fashion doesn’t sleep and neither do buyers.”
Four decades after she first walked into the Versace showroom as an intern, Kendra Cetrone’s passion for fashion hasn’t dimmed. She still wakes up ready to uncover what’s next, to spot the silhouettes and shades that will soon dominate wardrobes, and most importantly, to make women feel confident in what they wear. Because for Cetrone, buying has never been just about clothes. It’s about transformation, trust and the thrill of knowing she helped someone step into the best version of themselves. Today you can check out what Cetrone has picked for the season at Lavish, located in the Eastwood Mall in Niles, Ohio.
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Hi! I’m Hannah Planey, A Magazine’s editor-in-chief. My staff and I are committed to bringing you the most important and entertaining news from the realms of fashion, beauty and culture. We are full-time students and hard-working journalists. While we get support from the student media fee and earned revenue such as advertising, both of those continue to decline. Your generous gift of any amount will help enhance our student experience as we grow into working professionals. Please go here to donate to A Magazine.
