Fashion Forward
Hafiz Azly, BS’09 (Metro)
By Sara Campione
A pair of Air Jordan sneakers, a gift he received at age 8 from an uncle, set Hafiz Azly, BS’09 (Metro), on his life path — shoes.
“Growing up, I’d read about Air Jordans and other sneakers in magazines like Time. I was always enamored with footwear. They’ve always meant something special to me since I was young.”
Azly was born in Athens, Ohio, where his parents, both educators, attended Ohio University. After graduating with their bachelor’s and master’s degrees, they returned to Malaysia.
Ten years later, Azly’s family returned to the United States so his parents could earn their doctoral degrees at Teacher’s College, Columbia University.
Azly continued to gravitate toward shoes. In high school, he started an online business customizing and reselling sneakers. “My favorite was a pair of Nike Air Force that I painted to match an Orlando Magic jersey. It was an intricate design, all done by hand.”
In college, Azly took a part-time job at Nordstrom in the Garden State Plaza mall, minutes from campus and his home in Teaneck, N.J. “I started out selling jeans and then I sold shoes. The salespeople in the shoe department were always dressed up and I thought, ‘I kind of want to be like them.’
Azly held several positions at Nordstrom after graduating and going full-time with the company. He was promoted from the sales floor to department manager and then into larger roles, first he was assistant buyer for men’s shoes for Nordstrom.com — which moved him to Seattle, Wash., where Nordstrom is headquartered. A year later, he was promoted to assistant buyer for designer and luxury men’s shoes, covering stores and online.
Then came a stint as an assistant product merchandiser for Nordstrom Product Group, its in-house private label, starting with men’s accessories. Then he worked in tailored clothing, and eventually dress and casual menswear. From there, he landed the coveted role of product merchandiser, for Nordstrom Made men’s footwear, and eventually kids and active brands.
“I went from sales to buying, which was rewarding, but when I had the opportunity to create products for Nordstrom Product Group — that’s when I truly discovered my passion — to create something from nothing, benefiting people in a real way.”
By this point in his career, he had created products for about 30 product categories, covering head to toe menswear.
Eventually, Azly decided to move back to the East Coast, leaving Nordstrom after 17 years, for a role as director of product merchandising at a well-known American footwear and accessories brand, to grow their men’s dress and casual business.
The brand he currently works for holds deep meaning for him — he wore dress shoes from their line when he needed to suit up in his early days at Nordstrom.
His educational experience at FDU benefited him both at Nordstrom and now in his current role. “I look back at all the courses at FDU and continue to realize the positive impact they had on me,” he says.
“Every time I see a shoe that I had a hand in on people’s feet, it makes me feel proud. That’s what fuels me.”
FDU BOUND
Before transferring to FDU, Azly attended City College of New York and Montclair State University. He chose to enroll at FDU as a marketing major after taking a summer course. The small class size made him feel more engaged.
‘SHOE DOG’
A term of endearment in the footwear industry, referring to someone whose career primarily revolves around shoes.