New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) 
and 92nd Street Y today announced the inaugural class of NYC Fashion Fellows, and the start of a 
year-long fellowship program for these rising stars in fashion management. The twenty fellows will receive 
executive-level mentoring, networking and community-building opportunities and 
continuing education and career advancement workshops with industry 
professionals and their peers. The 
program will help fellows achieve the next stage of growth for their careers, 
increase their value to their current employers, and strengthen New York City’s community 
of fashion professionals as a whole. 
 
Over the next year, NYC Fashion 
Fellows will have the opportunity to attend relevant programming at 92Y, 
including the StyleCaster State of Style Summit; the Fashion Icons series with 
Fern Mallis; and Captains of Industry, a series of interviews with business 
leaders. Throughout the fellowship, fellows will also participate in educational 
seminars and skill-building workshops as well as breakfasts with fashion 
industry CEOs.
 
“We are excited to welcome the 
members of the inaugural class of NYC Fashion Fellows who, through this program, 
will develop skills that will help accelerate their careers in fashion,” said 
New York City Economic Development Corporation President Seth W. Pinsky. “These 
fellows will have the unique opportunity to receive one-on-one mentorship from 
some of New York City’s top fashion executives, 
positioning them well to become the next generation of leaders in this 
bedrock 
City industry.” 
 
“Building community and sharing 
knowledge are at the core of 92Y’s mission and mentorship has long been a Jewish 
tradition,” said Sol Adler, Executive Director of 92nd Street Y. “We 
are proud that our values and our programming are able to support these 
promising professionals.”
 
“The NYC Fashion Fellows program is 
such an exciting way to empower and mentor rising talent in the fashion 
industry. I am thrilled to join my colleagues in an effort that I know will not 
only secure and improve the future of the industry in New York, but also 
strengthen individuals, giving them all the tools they need to become leaders in 
the fashion world,” said Advisory Committee member Diane von Furstenberg, 
Chairman and Founder, Diane von Furstenberg Studio L.P., and President, Council 
of Fashion Designers of America.
 
All selected fellows have at least 
five years of work experience and currently work at NYC-based companies or 
internationally-based companies with US headquarters in NYC. The NYC Fashion 
Fellows Class of 2013 includes: 
 
- Sarah Adelson, CEO 
and President, Sally LaPointe 
- Jon Alagem, CEO and 
Founder, Trendabl 
- Jessica Begley, 
Manager of College Relations, Bloomingdale’s 
- Yvonne Botchey, 
Founder and Chief Principal, YYB Luxury Brand Consulting 
- Annie Chen, Senior 
Manager, Global Merchandising for Handbags, Coach 
- Jenel Chesley, 
Director of Operations, Tucker by Gaby Basora 
- Hillary France, 
Vice President of Sales, Merchandising, Operations & Marketing, Kimberly 
Ovitz 
- Melissa Hall, 
Founder, The Emerging Designer 
- Alison Jonas, 
Strategy Associate, LF Beauty 
- Tracy 
Kennard, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Lauren 
Moffatt 
- Alice Kim, Asia 
Pacific Retail and Wholesale Director, Diane von Furstenberg 
- Priyanka Sen 
Kundu, Product Development Manager - Handbag, Coach 
- Amy 
Levin, Founder and Creative Director, College Fashionista 
- Leah Macdonald, 
Senior Manager, E-Commerce, Alice + Olivia 
- Kate Nadolny, 
Account Manager, Men’s Sportswear, Furnishings and Kid’s, Lacoste Wholesale 
- Stacey Nathan, 
Manager Japan Merchandising, Tiffany & Co. 
- Guilford Robinson, Vice President of Finance 
and Operations, PVH Corp. - Retail Management Division 
- Kapil Sehgal, 
Associate Planner, Ralph Lauren 
- Vivian 
Weng, Senior Associate, Corporate Finance Practice, 
McKinsey & Co. 
- Travis Wright, 
Global Buying Manager, Warnaco/Calvin Klein Jeans 
 
Each fellow will be paired with a 
mentor from a pool consisting of 20 top executives from across the fashion 
world. Mentors for NYC Fashion Fellows-Mentors Class of 2013 
are:
 
- Gaby Basora, 
Founder and CEO, Tucker by Gaby Basora 
- Jeff Blee, 
Divisional Merchandising Manager, Brooks Brothers 
- Konrad Duchek, 
Founder and CEO, The Chief Trunk Company 
- Karen Giberson, 
President, Accessories Council 
- Lynne Hiriak, 
Founder and CEO, Cardigan 
- Jarret Kerman, 
Commercial Director of the America’s – Wholesale, Brooks 
Brothers 
- Ella Kim, 
Consultant, Coach 
- Ed Mandelbaum, 
President, Designers and Agents 
- Joy Marcus, Venture 
Partner, DFJ Gotham 
- Uri Minkoff, 
Founder and CEO, Rebecca Minkoff 
- Henry Roth, 
Designer and Managing Director, Michele Roth and Henry Roth Bridal 
- Daniel Schultz, 
Co-Founder and Managing Director, DFJ Gotham 
- Michele Sodi, CEO, 
Versace USA 
- Marty Staff, 
President and Founder, Marty Staff Associates LLC. 
- Yolanda Wardowski, 
Managing Director, Avalon Group LTD 
- Gary Wassner, 
Co-CEO, Principal, Hildun Corporation 
- Bennett Winick, EVP 
Wholesale, Versace USA 
- Rony Zeidan, 
Founder and Chief Creative Officer, RO New York 
 
Mentors and fellows will meet at 
least four times throughout the program for one-on-one executive-level 
mentoring. Mentors will provide fellows with relevant industry insights as well 
as guidance on how to achieve their individual goals. Mentors will also offer 
insight, knowledge, feedback, and alternative perspectives and expose fellows to 
their network of contacts.
 
NYC Fashion Fellows is supported by 
an advisory committee who reviewed the final selection of fellows, recruited 
mentors, and will host sessions for the fellows throughout the next year. The 
advisory committee includes Diane von Furstenberg, Chairman and Founder, Diane 
von Furstenberg Studio L.P., and President, Council of Fashion Designers of 
America; Terry Lundgren, Chairman, President and CEO of Macy’s, Inc.; Fern 
Mallis, President, Fern Mallis LLC; and Andrew Rosen, CEO of 
Theory.
 
NYC Fashion 
Fellows is one 
of six initiatives that resulted from Mayor Bloomberg’s Fashion.NYC.2020 plan, 
which is designed to sustain and grow the fashion industry in New York. The fashion 
industry employs 173,000 people in New 
York City, accounting for 5.7 percent of the City’s 
workforce, and generating nearly $2 billion in tax revenue annually. In 
addition, the City is home to one of the world’s largest wholesale fashion 
markets, which attracts more than 500,000 visitors a year to its trade shows, 
showrooms and retail stores. The Fashion.NYC.2020 initiatives address the 
industry’s challenges in two ways: by further positioning the City as a hub of 
innovation for emerging designers as well as specialty and multi-channel retail, 
and by attracting the next generation of design, management and merchant talent. 
The industry chairs for Fashion.NYC.2020 are Diane von Furstenberg, Chairman and 
Founder, Diane von Furstenberg Studio L.P., and President, Council of Fashion 
Designers of America; Terry Lundgren, Chairman, President and CEO of Macy’s, 
Inc.; Andrew Rosen, CEO of Theory; and Kevin Ryan, CEO of Gilt 
Groupe.