A breakthrough for the University’s business and fashion scenes, The Michigan Fashion Media Summit (MFMS) will be hosting their first annual conference on Apr. 13, 2018. The student-run, 40-person team is sprinting to the finish, prepping for the event’s debut, one that will transform the Ross School of Business into an impactful fashion mecca. High fashion does not even begin to describe it. Wolverines, you do not want to miss this one.
The day-long conference entails a never-before-seen grouping of speakers from the fashion industry. Attendees of the event — hosted by Amy Levin, founder and executive director of the global fashion community College Fashionista — can look forward to talks from fashion industry geniuses, including Gary Sheinbaum, CEO of Tommy Hilfiger Americas, and David Cho, Director of Partnership Activation for Adidas.
Anxiously awaiting the arrival of the event, the confident, savvy and, of course, highly fashionable founders of MFMS spoke of their inspiration for the creation of an event of this caliber.
“What was really important to me is teaching incoming Wolverines, and also current students, about the importance of networking, and just how rewarding it is to form an event that touches every part of business through a fashion channel. That’s really why we’re filling a void, we are putting a different spin on what fashion organizations currently exist on campus,” said MFMS President, Founder and LSA senior Ali Gropper.
The void that MFMS is filling has caught the attention of industry titans, such as Rachel Zoe, who has expressed immense support of the organization’s work. Truly unique to Michigan’s campus, MFMS aims to reach students in all corners of the University.
“Every person who cares about what they wear, who has an interest in brands, who knows what’s cool, who knows what’s trending, who is on Instagram and scrolls… we touch every single inch of any industry through this channel of fashion but really it extends so much further than that,” said Kinesiology senior Rachel Roth, who is also the co-founder, creative director and chief marketing officer of MFMS.
With an emphasis on networking and the inner workings of the fashion industry, MFMS is merging the best of both worlds to present a conference that is multi-faceted, fabulous and, above all, high-fashion.
Drawing inspiration from the Michigan Sports Business Conference, MFMS brings a creative twist to the traditional business atmosphere often portrayed in the Ross School of Business.
“It’s a different vibe in the two different businesses… you go into a sports office, it doesn’t matter what organization you’re working with, everyone’s in a suit and tie and it’s kind of that culture. You walk into a big fashion company, there’s no dress code. People wear whatever they want. It’s a little more relaxed. It’s more creative. It’s more fun,” said LSA senior and MFMS co-founder and chief operating officer Ryan Walker.
As Apr. 13 rapidly approaches, MFMS is certainly an event you want to keep an eye on. Aiming to reach students of all career trajectories, the opportunities for involvement in both the business and fashion worlds are endless.
To stay up to date with all things The MFMS has to offer, follow them on Twitter or Instagram and subscribe to The Stitch, the official blog of The MFMS, by visiting their website.