Fashion merchandising and design student Adam Naylor interned at Tiffany & Co.’s flagship store this summer.


Adam Naylor may be the first North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University student to intern at Tiffany & Co.’s landmark store, but he hopes he won’t be the last.

“That is my goal,” said Naylor, who graduated this month with a bachelor’s in fashion merchandising and design from the College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences. “I really want to be able to help the next gen of fashion students here to be able to have the resource. I don’t want to open up the door and then it falls shut again.”

The 24-year-old became interested in the fashion industry after his grandmother, who quilted, began teaching him how to sew as a little boy.

“The wisdom and knowledge and skills that she instilled in me at such a young age — and that my parents and peers were able to nurture and develop — has gotten me here. I don’t think she would have ever imagined that,” the Winston-Salem native said of his grandmother.

“She knows the shy little boy I used to be, that was scared to even interact with family at family reunions,” said Naylor, who signed with a modeling agency two years ago and was recently profiled in THEME. The fashion magazine described him as “more than just a model — he is a presence” who carries an “energy that feels both timeless and distinctly modern.”

Naylor started out at Western Carolina University but didn’t feel like he fit in — and the COVID pandemic made him feel even more isolated. So he transferred to A&T in the fall of 2021.

Becoming an Aggie transformed him into someone who is outgoing and loves being around people, he said.

“The right nurturing, the right guidance from my professors and my advisors and other peers — it’s really just showed me what I can be and what I can do,” Naylor said.

Naylor’s mentor, Elizabeth Newcomb Hopfer, Ph.D., associate professor in the Fashion Merchandising and Design program, said he initially struggled when he came into the program.

“And then, I think he just decided, ‘I can do better than this,’” she said. “He’s very talented, but he has that drive and determination, and just resiliency.”

After interviewing Naylor, Newcomb Hopfer said Tiffany & Co. managers were so impressed they created a position specifically for him on the creative visual merchandising team at Tiffany’s Midtown Manhattan store.

“I was in charge of all nine floors, doing all the jewelry case lines and all the window displays and setting up for high-value clients,” Naylor said. “At any given moment, I would be moving stuff around — it would be like $12 million worth of just diamonds.”

Bachelor’s degree in hand, Naylor looks forward to using his creativity in whatever he does.

“I’m really aiming for roles where I can use my eye for design and storytelling — whether that’s creative visual merchandising at Tiffany & Co., runway and modeling opportunities, content creation or other creative direction and branding,” he said.

Gallery

A silver plaque featuring an engraved building design, with the text "THE LANDMARK CVM SUMMER 2025" and "Tiffany & Co. Ag 925 ITALY" at the bottom. The background is a blue fabric.

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Adam Naylor, a senior Fashin Merchandising and Design major at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, interned at The Landmark at Tiffany & Co. in New York City during the past Summer. He was the very first and only intern to ever work on the Creative Visual Merchandising team for the flagship store. He will graduate this Fall 2025. Naylor was photographed October 17, 2025, at Benbow Hall.

A person with light skin and braided hair gestures while speaking in a sewing studio, surrounded by garments displayed on mannequins and fabric samples on the wall.

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Adam Naylor, a senior Fashin Merchandising and Design major at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, interned at The Landmark at Tiffany & Co. in New York City during the past Summer. He was the very first and only intern to ever work on the Creative Visual Merchandising team for the flagship store. He will graduate this Fall 2025. Naylor was photographed October 17, 2025, at Benbow Hall.

A person with braided hair poses between two dress forms, showcasing a white draped design and a blue embellished top. Behind them, a colorful collage of fashion sketches and designs decorates the wall.

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Adam Naylor, a senior Fashin Merchandising and Design major at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, interned at The Landmark at Tiffany & Co. in New York City during the past Summer. He was the very first and only intern to ever work on the Creative Visual Merchandising team for the flagship store. He will graduate this Fall 2025. Naylor was photographed October 17, 2025, at Benbow Hall.

A person with braided hair leans against a dress form adorned with a shimmering blue top, wearing a colorful sweater and multiple rings, set against a blue background.

10_17_2025_Adam Naylor 005 – resized

Adam Naylor, a senior Fashin Merchandising and Design major at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, interned at The Landmark at Tiffany & Co. in New York City during the past Summer. He was the very first and only intern to ever work on the Creative Visual Merchandising team for the flagship store. He will graduate this Fall 2025. Naylor was photographed October 17, 2025, at Benbow Hall.

A young person with braided hair smiles while holding a large book titled "Tiffany & Co. THE LANDMARK." In the background, another individual appears focused on a work table.

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Adam Naylor, a senior Fashin Merchandising and Design major at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, interned at The Landmark at Tiffany & Co. in New York City during the past Summer. He was the very first and only intern to ever work on the Creative Visual Merchandising team for the flagship store. He will graduate this Fall 2025. Naylor was photographed October 17, 2025, at Benbow Hall.

A young person with braided hair sits in a chair, holding an open notebook filled with handwritten notes and drawings. They wear a colorful sweater and distressed jeans, with their hand resting on the notebook.

10_17_2025_Adam Naylor 010 – resized

Adam Naylor, a senior Fashin Merchandising and Design major at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, interned at The Landmark at Tiffany & Co. in New York City during the past Summer. He was the very first and only intern to ever work on the Creative Visual Merchandising team for the flagship store. He will graduate this Fall 2025. Naylor was photographed October 17, 2025, at Benbow Hall, with a souvenir Tiffany book, which many of his coworkers signed with good luck wishes.

A young designer poses between two dress forms, one dressed in a white fabric drape and the other adorned with a sparkling blue bodice. Behind them, a colorful collage of fashion sketches and designs decorates the wall.

10_17_2025_Adam Naylor 007 – resized

Adam Naylor, a senior Fashin Merchandising and Design major at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, interned at The Landmark at Tiffany & Co. in New York City during the past Summer. He was the very first and only intern to ever work on the Creative Visual Merchandising team for the flagship store. He will graduate this Fall 2025. Naylor was photographed October 17, 2025, at Benbow Hall.

A young person with braided hair leans beside a dress form. They wear a colorful, patterned sweater, with a white garment draped on another nearby dress form. Art pieces decorate the background.

10_17_2025_Adam Naylor 012 – resized

Adam Naylor, a senior Fashin Merchandising and Design major at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, interned at The Landmark at Tiffany & Co. in New York City during the past Summer. He was the very first and only intern to ever work on the Creative Visual Merchandising team for the flagship store. He will graduate this Fall 2025. Naylor was photographed October 17, 2025, at Benbow Hall.

A young individual poses between two dress forms showcasing a sleek black gown and a sparkly blue top, set against a backdrop of creative fashion samples and design notes.

10_17_2025_Adam Naylor 006 – resized

Adam Naylor, a senior Fashin Merchandising and Design major at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, interned at The Landmark at Tiffany & Co. in New York City during the past Summer. He was the very first and only intern to ever work on the Creative Visual Merchandising team for the flagship store. He will graduate this Fall 2025. Naylor was photographed October 17, 2025, at Benbow Hall.