Tanner Puzio began his A&F Co. journey with an internship during his junior year of college. After accepting a full-time position as a designer on the Abercrombie Men’s Brand Design team, he moved from Chicago to Columbus and has been with us for four years.
Learn more about Tanner below—including his favorite A&F Co. memory—then watch what his Day in the #LifeatANF looks like over on Instagram.
If you’ve been enjoying Abercrombie’s latest NFL Collection, it’s roles like Tanner’s that help make those products possible. Interested in a licensing position with A&F Co.? We currently have two open roles:
Marketing Manager—Global Product Licensing
Associate Sourcing Specialist – Licensed Product
Tell us about your role and what you are responsible for at A&F Co.
Graphic Design is responsible for everything that gets applied to a garment, whether it’s a printed graphic, embroidery, applique, or a logo waistband on a pair of underwear. My role is a little different since I run Men’s Licensing Graphics. Because of that, I work with a lot of different people day to day. Fleece, Tees, Outerwear, Wovens, Accessories, ah! It is great to work with so many different faces and learn so many parts of the business.
What has your career path been so far?
I started my career in healthcare design, which I found extremely boring. In 2020 I was let go from my position as a designer at an insurance company and decided to take the leap to a full-time position with ANF. (I had done an internship with ANF my junior year of college.) I moved to Columbus from Chicago and have been with the company for about 4 years.
I love the freedom to create that I get at ANF and getting to experience physical product. To hold what you created is such an amazing feeling.
What does success look like in your job?
To me, success is when I am at a coffee shop and I look up from my drink and see someone wearing the shirt I helped design. To know that someone who doesn’t know me or the history of designing that tee went into a store and liked it enough to spend their income on it will never cease to put a huge smile on my face. That is just amazing to me, and that is when I feel the most successful. It can be so fulfilling, and that is something that I was not getting out of my pervious jobs.
What is your favorite thing to do outside of work
Okay. So. I recently joined a cover band and that has been taking up most of my time outside of work. I am having a blast getting to hang out with other musicians and play music so often. I am a creative, and like all creatives, I think we just need to stay busy creating or learning at all times. I am never not watching a YouTube video on a new niche skill or trying my hand at some form of artistic expression.
Do you have a favorite personal story about A&F Co. or one of our products?
What immediately comes to my mind is an interaction I had with my dad when I was younger in a Hollister store. One important note is that I am a nepo-baby of graphic design. My dad and mom were both graphic designers. So growing up there was always talk about art and fonts and brands. My dad and I were in Hollister looking at graphic tees and after a while my dad turned to me and said “How cool. Imagine designing these. Who gets to spend their life making tee shirts? How do you get to do that?” It wasn’t something I thought much of at the time or until recently when I realized that I made that moment a reality. And he was right. How cool.
