The Women at Dior & UNESCO Mentorship Program was founded in 2017 as an international mentorship to motivate and empower young women who are students or graduates. Mentees also receive personalised support from their dedicated Dior Mentors as they navigate the early stages of their careers and embark on professional exploration.
One of the final year BA(Hons) Fashion Business Management with Professional Experience students, Allison from the University of Westminster, shared her valuable insights and experiences with the Dior Mentorship Programme.
What motivated you to apply for the Women of Dior Mentee Scheme?
I saw Sally had posted about the scheme, and my friend and I decided to apply together! It sounded like a great opportunity to network and meet some people within LVMH.
Can you describe your experience during the mentorship?
The mentorship is split into three parts: online learning, mentoring, and the Dream for Change project.
During the summer, we worked on the online courses at our own pace, which covered wellness, sustainability, inclusivity and creativity courses taught by women around the world! At the end of the courses, we took a quiz and wrote an essay.
During my mentorship sessions, I would meet with my mentor (who I was matched with based on my career goals, location, personal goals and compatibility) and we would discuss anything I needed help or guidance on!
Lastly, I worked on the Dream for Change project with 5 other members of the program. In this section of the mentorship, we had to come up with a solution to a problem for women in our area. We created a proposal for women’s only fitness classes based in London.
What was the most valuable part?
I loved attending networking events and meeting new people based in London!
How has the scheme influenced your personal or professional development?
I’ve met and made loads of connections in Dior and made friends with peers my age here in London, which has definitely been the best part!
Were there any challenges you faced during the program, and how did you overcome them?
The biggest challenge was that most in-person events for the program were based in Paris, as it’s the Dior headquarters, so unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend the main events that occurred, such as the UNESCO conference and a fashion week event.
How do you see this experience impacting your future career goals?
Having the connections to Dior and having made friends with a bunch of highly successful and motivated women will be really helpful going forward, especially if I work in the luxury market.
What advice would you give to future applicants of the Women of Dior Mentee Scheme?
Be yourself during your application! They are looking for driven and passionate women who want to build a better world!
