Meet Buffalo Exchange Associate Manager:
Jessica Leising What brought you to Buffalo Exchange? I had recently graduated from Indiana University with a Bachelor’s in Apparel Merchandising and an Associate Degree in Costume Construction. I moved to Albuquerque with my best friend because we wanted to go somewhere new and completely different than Indiana. When I realized there was a Buffalo Exchange in Albuquerque I knew I wanted to work there instantly. It seemed like a perfect fit for me and encompassed everything I already loved. Getting to use my knowledge of clothing and fashion. What is your favorite part of the job? I love getting to see all the amazing clothes that come through, but I also love getting to talk with the customers. Working at the buy counter you get to interact with people on a deeper level than in any other customer service experience. I really enjoy learning the history behind garments, getting a glimpse into the life a piece of clothing had before it gets to our store. What do you like about Buffalo Exchange as a company? I had shopped at the stores in Chicago and Austin and already knew I loved the company. I respected the philosophy and history behind Buffalo Exchange. I had worked here for a while before I realized that a lot of why the company is run so differently than others I had worked for was that it is run by women. They really love their employees and treat them with respect and dignity in a way I had never seen at any other retailer. Tell us an interesting fact about yourself. I am one of ten children. This probably has a lot to do with my appreciation for secondhand clothing. I was the seventh child and mostly got hand-me-downs. My mother introduced me to thrifting and making someone’s old clothes new again. I have always been obsessed with fashion and clothes, and spent a lot of time trying to cut up and sew together items to make them my own. I started sewing my own clothes when I was ten.