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.