On April 21, LIM’s Office of Career Internship Services hosted the finals Spring 2021’s Fashion Forward competition. This semester, Authentic Brands Group (ABG) partnered with the College to provide over 100 students with an immersive project-based learning experience.
ABG is a New York based brand development, marketing, and entertainment company that works with a variety of clients in the global media, entertainment, and lifestyle spaces. At the start of the semester’s project, LIM students were assigned an ABG brand and tasked with creating a partnership plan between that brand and another brand in the fashion industry.
Throughout the spring, students received project support and guidance from Nick Woodhouse, ABG’s Chief Marketing Officer, and Haley Steinberg, an LIM graduate and ABG's Vice President of PR and Corporate Communications. Based on earlier-round presentations, the top six teams were selected to present their projects to Nick.
Dr. Lisa Springer, Provost of LIM College, kicked off the finals event by wishing students good luck and nodding to their hard work and innovative projects. “Today, we’ll see how you will move fashion forward in the future,” she said.
The finalists’ assigned ABG brands were: Judith Leiber; Vision Street Wear; Juicy Couture; Tretorn; Spyder; and Tapout. Students created fashion brand partnerships for these companies based on the brand’s identity, purpose, and market. Many projects focused on expanding market, promoting inclusivity, and providing new experiences for customers. Each team received feedback and industry advice from Nick that can help students improve their business skills and develop a better understanding of branding and marketing within fashion.
The winning teams were:
1st place - Juicy Couture
Constance Kalpakis
Erika Desroches
Alexandra Unglaub
Prize: Immersive job shadow
2nd place - Spyder
Allure Crawford
Tajahnae Delts
Linaya Greene
Ciara Speight
Prize: Informational interview
3rd place - Vision Street Wear
Maryelin Ramos
Julia Payne
Amanda Asencio
Brittany Bridgewater
Prize: Resume review with HR
