President of Fashion@Brown

As president of Fashion@Brown for over two years, I revamped the organization, quadrupled membership to 135, increased university funding by 20X, donations and sponsorship funds by 10X, and event revenue by 8X from $1,500 to $12,000 through the implementation of a strategic marketing plan, database collection, email campaigns, and creative blockbuster events.

At Fashion@Brown, we planned and executed a year-round speaker series, fashion workshops, evening soirees, and designer runway shows . . . and in the process, Fashion@Brown became one of the most celebrated student organizations on campus. 

Brown Fashion Week was the organization’s major annual event but when Covid struck, bringing extreme isolation even on college campuses, I had a vision of creating a transformative Brown Fashion Week 2021 that would spread inspiration far and wide. Launching an innovative outreach campaign, I spearheaded the recruitment of high-level speakers and inspirited a star-studded lineup of twenty-six renowned individuals to join us, including:

• Sarah Jessica Parker, Gwyneth Paltrow (my interviews with these two amazing women are below), Stella McCartney, Olivier Rousteing, Emma Chamberlain, Kenneth Cole, Steve Madden, Olivia Palermo; top CEOs including Francesca Bellettini of Yves Saint Lauren, Patrice Louvet of Ralph Lauren, Isabelle Guichot of Maje (ex-Balenciaga and Cartier); renowned journalists Vanessa Friedman of The New York Times, Chioma Nnadi of Vogue, Samantha Barry of Glamour; Academy Award-winning costume designers, a bevy of supermodels, and many others.

Sarah Jessica Parker – Headlining Brown Fashion Week ‘21

Sarah Jessica Parker is not only a brilliant actress but also a crackerjack businesswoman who continuously topped my interview wish list for Brown Fashion Week. But after years of emailing, snail mailing, and trying to find an assistant to sweet-talk, I wrote again last fall without much hope of receiving a positive response.

So imagine my astonishment upon glancing at my phone a few days later to discover an email from Sarah Jessica herself declaring that she would love to join our mission of spreading inspiration and regretted not being available in prior years.

To say that Sarah Jessica was a joy to work with would be the understatement of all time. And her appearance at Brown Fashion Week shattered all attendance records and nearly took down Zoom.

Gwyneth Paltrow -- Brown Fashion Week ‘21 Grand Finale

Gwyneth Paltrow, another actress-turned-powerhouse CEO whom I longed to interview, proved to be a good lesson in the power of perseverance.

I had spent the prior year working contacts and networking my way into Goop, even exchanging hopeful emails with a high-level manager, only to have the trail go cold. But last fall, I again meticulously maintained a flow of friendly messages until I eventually found myself talking to the Goop inner circle—and the rest is history.

Goop was also a lesson in dealing with a highly structured organization and I was in frequent contact with the Goop legal team and Communication manager to work out the terms of Gwyneth’s appearance.

Orchestrating the Annual Runway Show, Parties & More

Before assuming the presidency of F@B, I held the position of Event Manager, heading a team of 20, leading the negotiation and contracting with 50+ venues for 20-500-person events. I managed budgets, created event timelines, calendars, and venue data collection; processed invoices and approved payments.

I also oversaw all aspects of event production from advertising to execution, as well as ticket sales, list production, venue décor, check-in, staff assignments, and safety protocols.

A highlight of the year was creating the look and feel of our Annual Runway Show, which showcased the collections of the club’s 20+ student designers from Brown and Rhode Island School of Design. I was also responsible for the production of the printed program, coordinating with the graphic design, editorial teams, and the printer.

Brown Fashion Week ‘20

Brown Fashion Weeks have traditionally been held on stage at Brown in front of a live audience with speakers often spending the night in Providence.

As club president, I acted as the host on campus, meeting speakers upon arrival at the hotel or train station, arranging campus tours, student hospitality, and hosting dinners with the Fashion@Brown leadership team. I negotiated with the Providence Graduate Hotel to be our host hotel and upgrade our guests to suites; I also stocked their rooms with local food specialties and organized a gift bag of Rhode Island goodies.

Our 2020 speaker programs included (scroll down)….

“Powerhouse Women in Fashion: The CEO Fireside Chat” anchored by Sandra Campos, CEO of Diane von Furstenberg, leading a discussion with women at the helm of fashion and beauty companies. Also including Liz Lange, Brown alumna and fashion pioneer who dressed every pregnant celebrity from SJP to Paltrow; millennial founder and CEO of The Newsette newsletter for women, Daniella Pierson, named a Forbes 30 Under 30 in Media;  Brittany Lo, CEO and founder of Beautini beauty service; Sterling McDavid, co-CEO/co-founder of the fashion label, Burnett New York.

“From Brown to the Top of the Fashion Industry: Alumni Chat” featuring Brown alumni Marc Karimzadeh ’96, the iconic Editorial and  Communications Director of the CFDA; Patricia Herrera Lansing ’96, Special Projects Director at Carolina Herrera Ltd; Nicholas  Picchione ’98, ex-Senior VP and Global Chief Merchandising Officer of the Ralph Lauren Purple and Black labels.  

Stuart Weitzman Joined Fashion@Brown

One of F@B’s favorite guests of all time, business and fashion icon Stuart Weitzman spoke to a sold out auditorium at Brown, holding audience members spellbound for over an hour as he discussed his unique approach to building a brand.

Speaking on Halloween, Mr. Weitzman further delighted students by handing out bags of M&M’s customized with the words, “Happy Halloween to the Most Fashionable Students in the Ivy League,” a distinction once bestowed on Brown students by WWD.