Participants of Inaugural Class of NYC Fashion Fellows

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.