SECOND ANNUAL FASHION CAMPUS NYC a great success Career-Building and Networking Event Part of Mayoral Initiative to Sustain Fashion Industry by Attracting and Retaining Next-Generation Professionals |
New York, June 18, 2012—This past weekend, Parsons The New School for Design and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) hosted the second annual Fashion Campus NYC, a two-day, career-building and networking event to help talented students pursue fashion-business careers in New York City. Fashion Campus NYC is one of a series of initiatives that resulted from Mayor Bloomberg's FashionNYC2020 plan to sustain and grow the fashion industry in New York. Approximately 200 fashion industry interns working in New York this summer, from approximately 100 universities and hundreds of area companies, attended the event, as well as fashion industry representatives from New York-based companies, including Armani Exchange, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, and Saks Fifth Avenue. A highlight of the event was the keynote delivered by Parsons alumnus Chris Benz. “By exposing hundreds of promising students to the enormous number of career opportunities that exist within our fashion industry, Fashion Campus NYC is helping to ensure that New York City remains the fashion capital of the world for generations to come,” said New York City Economic Development Corporation President Seth W. Pinsky. At the event, students participated in “Backstage Pass,” a panel discussion with industry professionals moderated by Simon Collins, the Dean of the School of Fashion at Parsons. Panelists represented all facets of the business side of the industry, including product development, merchandising, marketing, finance, and buying. “A Tailored Approach” consisted of a series of career services breakout sessions, with representatives from major companies such as Coach, as well as professors from Parsons, FIT and LIM College. In addition, the event featured a networking breakfast with leading fashion companies. “Our partnership with the NYCEDC is a natural evolution in the role Parsons has played in developing the design industries in New York,” said Parsons Executive Dean Joel Towers. “Through programs such as our Bachelor of Business Administration in Design and Management, and of course our fashion design and marketing programs, our students and alumni are helping lead the growth of the fashion sector.” In addition to Fashion Campus NYC, Parsons also has partnered with NYCEDC for Fashion Draft NYC. Taking place for a second time this coming winter, Fashion Draft NYC selects an elite group of students from across the world for the chance to network and interview with top New York City fashion executives to earn full-time, management-track positions. From the first group of Fashion Draft NYC participants, a number have already secured jobs with companies such as Bloomingdale’s, Gilt, LF USA, Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue and Theory. The fashion industry employs 165,000 people, accounting for 5.5 percent of the City’s workforce, and generates 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. These 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. For more information about Fashion Campus NYC, visit http://fashioncampusnyc.com. To receive updates about Fashion Draft NYC, “like” the Fashion Draft page on Facebook. About NYCEDC About Parsons The New School for Design # # # |
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Media Contacts: Deborah Kirschner, Kyle Sklerov, |
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