THE MR ADVISORY BOARD: TINA ANIVERSARIO
Rounding out our introductions to the MR Advisory Board, today we hear from Tina Aniversario, VP/DMM Men’s Apparel for Nordstrom, learning a little about her life, her love for a great white T-shirt, and her wise approach to our industry.
Tina has spent the past 32 years at Nordstrom in multiple roles. Starting in the stockroom in Southern California, she worked her way up via various positions in stores and merchandising. Today, based in Seattle, she is vice president, divisional merchandising manager in men’s apparel.
She describes the most gratifying part of her job as “building a strong merchandising strategy and seeing it resonate with customers. Trends can be challenging to forecast, and the industry and customer are always evolving. While it’s not without risk and uncertainty, I’m energized by anticipating customer preferences. I thrive on the everchanging nature of this industry. Working with high-heat brands is also a unique and exciting challenge. I love working with our partners and teams, brainstorming how to present new launches, and how to deliver unique experiences to the customer, both in-store and digital.”
Tina believes the menswear industry is all about relationships and integrity. “I prioritize building strong relationships both with vendor partners and with my team. Whether the news is good or bad, my partners know they can trust me, that I’ll be honest and transparent with them. Also, my favorite mantra is ‘This too shall pass…’”
Her prediction about men’s fashion: “We’ve seen a shift in what men are looking for over the past few years. Today’s customer expects his wardrobe to go further and to function for multiple occasions. While it’s impossible to predict the future, we’re seeing a younger customer who’s attuned to brands and prioritizes elevated dressing for his own self-expression. I look forward to seeing how the customer continues to evolve while we work with our partners to deliver the most relevant assortments.”
Asked how her personal style has evolved, Tina admits that if she could, she’d wear jeans and a white t-shirt every day. “It’s what I wore almost every day in high school. When necessary, I do embrace a more elevated work wardrobe but, more often than not, I gravitate to classics and basics. Styling a great pair of well-fitting jeans with a t-shirt never goes out of style.”
When she’s not at work, Tina loves spending time with her husband, her daughter, and her dogs, enjoying both tropical beach vacations and skiing.
