The Michigan Fashion Media Summit will take place Friday, April 12 at the University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business in Ann Arbor.
“Students and attendees of all backgrounds who experience The MFMS will be exposed to a day of learning from industry professionals, networking with accomplished change-makers in the fashion and media worlds, and interacting with other driven, creative individuals who are beginning their careers in the industry,” says Alisha Jennings-Olowosuko, public relations director of the summit. “The MFMS is also an opportunity for recruiters in the fashion and media industries to find great talent at the University of Michigan.”
The day will include speakers; a panel; presentations by and awards for the finalists of the MFMS Self Made Fashion Forward Showcase, college students who are innovators and entrepreneurs in fashion and media; lunch; and networking. It will be sponsored by The Somerset Collection in Troy as well as Michael Kors, L’Oreal, Jewel, Equinox, PVH, Steve Madden, SmileDirectClub, UMich Career Center, and more.
The summit was created by a group of students who wanted to form a fashion community at U-M. Its goal is to inspire and educate the next generation of fashion industry leaders.
Every year, the organizers incorporate several charitable components into the summit, including:
- An anonymous donor has allocated 100 tickets, which have already been distributed by the U-M Career Development Office, for students who are financially unable to purchase summit tickets but are interested in the fashion and media industries.
- The Runway of Dreams Foundation(RODF) is an official partner of The MFMS 2019. RODF is a nonprofit that works toward a future of inclusion, acceptance, and opportunity in the fashion industry for people with disabilities. Founded on the basis that clothing is a basic human need, the Runway of Dreams Foundation develops, delivers, and supports charitable initiatives to broaden the reach of adaptive clothing and promote the differently-abled community in the fashion industry.
- Partnered with Steve Madden to organize the Fashion Forward Showcase, which gives students at U-M and across the country who are innovators and entrepreneurs in fashion and media an opportunity to present their work at the summit.
The summit speakers include:
Jennifer Powell – Influencer, Talent Manager and Digital Brand Strategist
Dana Perlman – Treasurer and Senior Vice President of Business Development, PVH
Lyle Barns – Regional Vice President, West Coast, Louis Vuitton
Aliza Licht – Executive Vice President of Brand Marketing and Communications; the original DKNY PR Girl and best-selling author, “Leave your Mark”
Paul Rivera – President and Co-Founder, e Robot Co.; Co-Creator of HBO’s “e Shop”
John Mezzo – VP of Human Resources for Retail, Michael Kors Meredith Paley – Vice President of Public Relations, Talbots
Ashley-Brooke Sandall – Director of Strategic Partnerships, CFDA David Creech – VP Designer, Jordan Brand
Sophia Chabbott – Digital Director, WWD
Elizabeth Harrison – Co-founder and Principal, Harrison & Shriftman Lynn Tesoro – Co-founder, HL Group
Jodi Balkan – President, BOLD PR
Rachel Pietrangelo – Head of Business Development, One Rockwell
More information and tickets are available here. Tickets are $35.
