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SEMO alum Jory Rapps is hanging out at the Dior Cafe in Miami, Florida. Rapps works as Senior Manager Training for fine jewelry and watches at Dior in New York City.
Photo submitted by Jory Rapps
Dreams are a funny concept, aren’t they? They are just a figment of one’s imagination until they happen to come true, if one works hard enough. SEMO alum Jory Rapps followed every step to reach his dream; working in fashion in New York City.
Rapps graduated from SEMO in 2013 with a degree in interdisciplinary studies. This degree is designed for students who want to study in different fields at the same time. Rapps studied fashion merchandising, interior design and business.
Like many college students, Rapps changed his major several times before finding the right one. Although fashion was something he admired, he had previously not considered it as a possible career option.
“I was watching home design shows and I liked the shopping and luxury aspect and all that and it was fascinating, but I never thought of it as a career,” Rapps said. “And eventually after quite a few big changes, it landed there.”
Rapps began building his resume in the fall of 2011 as an intern working for Donna Karen in New York City. An old connection made this internship an opportunity for Rapps by putting him in touch with someone who worked for Donna Karen. Rapps took a semester off from SEMO for this opportunity, which became his turning point. He said he fell in love with the city and vowed to find his way back there one day.
On Rapps’ return to SEMO, he enrolled in MG301 Principles of Management. Here he met Dr. Erin Fluegge, a professor in the department of management.
“He’s dressed all in black, he came out and shook my hand, and I always remember people shaking my hand, it just takes a certain type of person to do that,” Fluegge said.
Fluegge became Rapps’ advisor for the business area of his interdisciplinary degree. She also became the person who helped him choose the next steps to achieve his desired career in life.
In May 2013, Fluegge and Rapps worked together on an independent study; Fashion Friday. Rapps was responsible for the promotion and coordination of this event. There were vendors, live models and places that allowed Cape Girardeau boutiques to sell their inventory.
After Rapps graduated from SEMO, he decided that New York wasn’t in the cards just yet, but St.
In St. Louis, Rapps worked for Tory Burch, Louis Vuitton and David Yurman. These positions were not given to Rapps, he worked hard to earn each of these positions being confident in each interview. After several years working on the retail side of these brands, Rapps was moved to New York City by David Yurman.
In New York, he moved to Yurman’s new store on 57th Avenue, known as Billionaire’s Block because it is filled with name brand stores.
David Yurman is not the end of Rapps’ journey. Covid-19 struck and caused him to lose his job, like many others at the time.
Rapps then worked for two well-known brands; Micheal Kors and John Hardy before landing the position he had always dreamed of.
After working for five different name brands, in two different cities, Rapps could finally say he landed his dream job working with Christian Dior. He started in September 2022 as a senior manager, training in jewelery and watches.
“I say it took me seven years to move to New York. And it took me 10 years to get into corporate because it was another three years before I got into the corporate side,” Rapps said.
Rapps is proof that with persistence and determination, dreams come true. He decided to never let people’s thoughts and opinions stop him from what he really wanted in this world. Rapps said he wouldn’t change a thing if he could.
“It didn’t happen in the fictional timeline I had set in my mind,” Rapps said. “It took all those experiences gathered to land me my dream job that I have now teaching other people how to sell luxury and fine jewelry. I needed those experiences and I couldn’t rush it [it].”
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