If you ever wanted to get involved in fashion at the University of Wisconsin, it is now easier than ever. On the evening of March 21, The Vault held their second meeting in the Memorial Union.
The Vault: Business Behind Fashion is a student-run organization that explores the fashion industry’s connection with design, communication, technology, business and marketing. By analyzing all these assets in the field, the club seeks not only the attention of those looking to pursue a fashion career, but also those who just want to express themselves in creative ways.
During this conference, The Vault President Melina Zarboulas, Vice President Marlo Pulliam and Speaker Outreach Coordinator Ella Bartlett invited members of the fashion industry to speak about their backgrounds and how they came to be successful within the fashion industry.
Unlocking ‘The Vault’: New student group taps into behind-the-scenes of fashion industry
The three guests were ShopBop Chief of Creative Operations Loni Andreen, Chief Creative Officer AugustStore Rob Bowhan and Peacock Jewelers Chief Commercial Officer Adam Woitkowski.
Each fashion representative works in a different department of fashion, so the meeting was able to focus on a large range of fashion expertise.
The Vault directors asked each fashion representative a series of questions relating to their fashion history, giving the audience a deeper understanding of how to get further in the industry.
When asked what advice they would give for creating resumes for future jobs, the panelists all said spell check and grammar is important, and students should be concise and optimistic. They also explained how all members of a corporation should be humble, curious and efficient.
At the end of the meeting, club members were able to ask their own series of questions to the panelists that would increase their knowledge on other parts of the fashion representative’s techniques, niches and necessities for founding/being a part of a profitable fashion business.
The Vault is currently holding rolling admissions for all positions and has a growing creative team generating future events. After only two months of operations, The Vault has grown from a team of nine members to a 25-person committee with over 400 member signups. The organization encourages all students to join.
“By providing learning opportunities, hands-on experience and events bringing members together, we know that The Vault will continue to grow faster,” Melina said.