Jenny H. Kim

“As a designer, it's critical to express your thoughts in a concise, clear manner and no matter how brilliant your ideas are, it all comes down to the presentation.”

#WomenWhoBuild meet Jenny Kim,

Jenny is the Associate Director of Store Planning at Celine. Since completing her Bachelor of Architecture at Pratt Institute, Jenny has worked at top tier firms including The Durst Organization, Saint Laurent, and FXFowle. We spoke with Jenny about her journey in Architecture, her biggest takeaways from her time at Pratt, what her current role as Associate Director of Store Planning entails, and how she manages motherhood and an active career.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your journey in Architecture? What initially interested you in the field and what made you want to pursue it as a career?

I was born in Seoul, South Korea. Back in the day, LEGOs were hard to come by but thanks to my dad who used to travel a lot for work brought me sets of LEGOs. It was fascinating for me to be able to create and build things out of nothing. Ever since I found out there's a profession called an Architect, I knew it was my calling. 

You had studied at Pratt Institute. Tell us a little bit about your experience? What are the biggest takeaways you had from your time there? What class impacted you the most?

Located in Brooklyn, I had endless resources to experience New York. Having access to great architecture around the world was amazing as an architecture student. As a first year freshmen, I was required to enroll in Representations Class. The course emphasized on significance of visualization and interpretation of graphic representations. 

As a designer, it's critical to express your thoughts in a concise, clear manner and no matter how brilliant your ideas are, it all comes down to the presentation.

You started your career at FXFowle. What drew you to the company? What was something you looked for in your first job out of college?

FXCollaborative (FXFowle) was a firm that had a strong presence in NYC. It comprised of various studios working together. I enjoyed collaborating with different studios, sharing different perspectives and thought processes. Also, FXCollaborative had a great mentorship program encouraging growth and leadership for all staff. It was a great company that promoted within. 

You are an Associate Director of Store Planning at Celine. Tell us a little bit about this role. What does your day to day look like?

The Store Planning team is responsible for executing the design team's vision into a reality. It's our team's responsibility to make sure all the shops in North America embodies the core value of the fashion house and the creative director's design. Luxury retail's core value is 'image' . When clients are visiting the stores, they are not only purchasing the goods, but they are also paying for the elevated experience within the built environment. 

As an Associate Director, I establish standards and process for the department. I work closely with the Paris headquarter to establishing budgets and schedules for the region for all store openings. Typically, I start my mornings with a meeting with Paris and architects to review on going/ future projects, ensuring all projects are within budget and on schedule. A lot of my time these days is spent planning for the next 3 years - planning resources and reviewing lease terms. 

What has been the biggest challenge in your career? What has been your greatest accomplishment?

The biggest challenge was transitioning into a project manager role. Having gone thru architecture school studying design, my early days of career was design focused. Having worked in typical architectural design firms, I quickly realized I thrive when collaborating with other trades and large team. I wanted to expand my career into Project Management. I had a chance to work as a Project Manager at a small real estate development firm in NYC developing condominiums. I was exposed to legal, budgets, procurements, and other fields that I had limited experience. It was very challenging at first but with the help of the design team, we were able to break grounds after 2 years of hard work. It was the most memorable moment in my career. 

How do you manage motherhood and an active career?

Having two toddlers at home, I've learned to prioritize my time to maximize work hours. Also, knowing kids grow up fast, I try to be more present at home as well. It has enabled me to establish as healthy work-life balance. 

What is one piece of advice you have for young students entering the industry?

Don't be afraid of trying new things. I have always wanted to try new career within the realm of architecture. Having gone thru various fields and meeting new people, I became a stronger manager.