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HOW A DATA SCIENTIST (WHO STUDIED ASTROPHYSICS) ENDED UP IN FASHION

In our long-running series, "How I'm Making It," we talk to people making a living in the fashion industry about how they broke in and found success.

When you visit Lyst and accidentally misspell a designer name or the word "mules," the website will pull up a page autocorrecting the error, or if you start typing "high waisted jeans" in the search bar, Lyst.com will predictably fill out the rest of your query before you do, like a fashion-conscious Google. All of those minute, convenient details are thanks in part to data scientist Sandra Greiss, who's been with the company's engineering department since 2014.

With Greiss's education — a bachelor's degree in physics from Paris, and a master's and Ph.D. in astronomy and astrophysics from the UK — a path towards academia or a job in finance seemed like the safest bet career-wise. "I never thought I would end up in the fashion industry," says Greiss. "Most physicists don't and to be honest, it's very frustrating. It's great that we're trying to make a point that there's so much you can do with your skills."

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