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Creating Community in a Virtual Environment

Devon Elovitz is a current Fashion & Luxury MBA, specializing in luxury marketing and business analytics. Prior to Stern, she worked at Christie’s Auction House in New York where she was a Business Manager for the Wine & Spirits, Watches, and Handbags teams. In 2020, her team launched the Streetwear collecting category. This role inspired a love of craftsmanship, storytelling, and innovative business models. 

I’ll be honest, I am not the most outgoing person and multiple personality tests have told me I’m an introvert.  So when I found out that I would begin my MBA program during the pandemic, I was nervous that I would have a difficult time finding my space and my people.  Especially considering the condensed nature of the program, I wanted to be sure I got the most out of the twelve months and a big part of that was networking, making friends and feeling connected to NYU.   

It’s never easy adjusting to a new place or routine but somehow because that “new place” was just a click away, I found that with the right tools and outlook I was settling in and finding my way in no time. I firmly believe that experiences are what you make them and this rule applies to virtual business school as well. For me, I’ve found that being engaged, actively reaching out to others and creating a dynamic experience that combines work and play has allowed me to find my footing and engage with the broader NYU community. Here are some key tips and takeaways from my experience thus far:

  • Don’t get lost in the zoom grid 

Unlike being the new girl in school (I’ve been there, it’s hard), the great thing about business school is that everyone is new and on the same page. Everyone is eager to make new friends and interact so there is no reason to be intimidated. My biggest piece of advice is to make sure you’re present and engaging with others. It’s too easy to hide behind a screen and get lost in the zoom grid. Raise your hand, participate in class and turn on your camera, even if it is an 8am accounting class. I promise everyone else will have a messy bed in their background and be wearing their pjs bottoms too. Being present will not only help you absorb the information better but it is a way of putting yourself out there so that others get to know you.  

  • Engage on Social Media

Outside of class you’ll want to get to know your peers on a more personal level. Again, don’t be afraid to friend someone on LinkedIn or Instagram. It isn’t creepy, I promise. One great thing our cohort leaders did was to create a google doc where people could post their handles to different platforms. Once your friend request is accepted, you’ll begin to learn a lot more about your classmates and when you see something fun or interesting, send them a message! I discovered one of my classmates loves to cook and I followed her cooking account. When she posts something that looks especially delicious I let her know with a hand clap or fire emoji. I think it makes her feel good and it helps develop the beginnings of a friendship that will hopefully lead to many invitations to taste her homemade treats…

  • Online Yogaahhh

I am a group fitness junkie and exercise classes have always been a way for me to feel connected to a community. One of the last things I did pre-quarantine last March was go to a final yoga class and I’ve really missed the vibe that comes with group exercise. With campus gyms closed, NYU has done a great job of organizing regular fitness programs that are accessible to the entire NYU community. My favorite is MindfulNYU which offers free yoga and meditation classes. The teachers are really engaging and I’ve found that there is still a great connection made over zoom. For me, this has been a great way to engage with the wider university community.  

  • Google Sheets and Slack are your friends

Tools like Slack and Google Sheets that I took for granted before are now necessities and, when used correctly, can facilitate meaningful conversations and connections. Business school is heavy on group projects and I have a tough time imagining how group assignments happened before Google Sheets existed. This is the key to successful group work and provides a perfect collaborative space in which to share knowledge and have all voices heard.  Likewise our cohort’s Slack channel has been a lifeline for our group.  We have channels about everything, from sharing academic resources, to podcasts and news articles.  #random was blowing up on April Fools with jokes only a FLUX student would understand.  Slack is also a way to vent about tough assignments, celebrate birthdays, and share much needed GIFs after particularly stressful classes. Think about it as a communication tool for all the things you would normally talk about in the hallway while walking to your next class. 

  • Coffee Chats 

There has never been an easier time to schedule a coffee chat.  In fact it’s so easy, you don’t even need the coffee. Zoom has opened up a whole new level of networking where asking for 30 minutes of someone’s time really means just 30 minutes and not a 20 minute subway ride to a busy cafe where you can’t find a spot to sit and talk quietly.  Now, just a click away, you can dive into a rich and informative conversation with the person across from you. NYU Alumni are known to be generous with their time and are eager to engage with students and taking advantage of Zoom means you can have efficient conversations and make meaningful connections. 

While the pandemic has been rough, it has also taught us how to utilize new tools in ways that I believe are able to enrich community building, especially within the context of graduate school.  Very soon there will be a day when in-person lectures and happy hours return, in the meantime I’m happy to report that I already feel part of the NYU community and feel I have found my people and my (virtual) space. This foundation built virtually will make that first real world experience that much sweeter.

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7 Tips for Incoming Stern Fashion & Luxury MBAs

Whether you’re considering applying, you’ve just been accepted, or you’re just about to start your MBA experience at Stern, you’re likely wondering, “where do I start?” when it comes to preparing for this new, exciting challenge.

Having been in your shoes a short while ago, I’ve gathered some tips I found helpful, plus some things I wish I knew before the first day of orientation!

1. Go shopping. You’re in the fashion and luxury MBA program! Visit stores, talk to sales associates, and get a feel for what’s happening around you in retail. While you don’t have to buy anything, you will want to know what’s happening in stores. Continue this practice well into school, popping into shops before or after class. Thankfully, Stern is conveniently located just north of SoHo.

2. Get your annual doctors’ appointments out of the way before school starts. Not only will appointments be hard to schedule among classes, group projects, internships, and events, but you’ll also want to spend every “free” minute being totally free (i.e. traveling the world, not traveling back home to get your eyes checked). Plus, if you ultimately have to sign up for student health insurance, you can ensure your annual check-ups are with your doctors while you’re still in-network.

3. Set up one-to-ones with everyone in your cohort. I wish I had done this much earlier, but COVID restricted the feasibility of doing so. Make an effort to reach out individually to each person, set up a walk, a coffee, or a happy hour drink and get to know them! If you want to be an executive one day, you’ll need to know how to build relationships and work with everyone, not just your friends.

4. If you’re able, take time off. At least a week. Relax, reset, and gear up to be super busy. Knock the things off your to-do list and treat yourself to the things you’ve been wanting to do, but haven’t had time to do. For me, that was reading books, visiting The Met, and trying out restaurants on my “to visit” list.

Leisure reading, “just for fun” museum visits, and drinks with friends before school started.

5. Google Calendar will be your BFF, so start using it and referring to it now. Be smart and add dates from all of Stern’s emails to it too. Your future self will thank you.

6. Sign up for events and classes that sound a little scary and out of your comfort zone. The journey you’re about to embark on is meant to challenge you and change you. Seek out and embrace new experiences with new people. Chances are, you know more than you think you do, and you’ll learn something along the way. Plus, school is meant for making mistakes. While you may fear you’ll sound dumb, it’s better to get mistakes out of the way through practice before you do it at your next gig. 

The leadership event planned for Saturday morning? Or the class requiring multiple presentations? Sure, they sound annoying, and maybe a little terrifying, but they’ll help you push your boundaries and become a stronger professional.

7. Clubs are a great way to meet fun people and do fun things. But remember: this program is fast-paced and intense. While you’ll have time for club membership and activities, don’t feel pressured to take on a leadership role. Likely, you’ll stretch yourself a little too thin for only three words on your resume. Most alumni advise, “a club leadership position is not worth your time given the nature of this program.”

Of course, you’ll find what works for you, but keep these tips in mind as you prepare for the Fashion & Luxury MBA at Stern. You’re taking an incredible and exciting next step in your career path – embrace it!

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Mastering the Art of the Coffee Chat

Hoping to transition into the fashion industry and luxury sector, I knew Stern would set me up with the right connections to pivot successfully. Beyond the skills and industry-specific knowledge taught in classes, Stern offered a chance to regularly speak and build relationships with industry experts. In fact, Stern reminds students to set up coffee chats every chance they get!

Ahead of detailing how Stern makes these connections happen, a brief confession: before coming to Stern, “coffee chat” personally conjured an image of an often awkward conversation and was perhaps, I thought, the most “I’m Getting My MBA & Need A Job” phrase one could possibly utter. A coffee chat, or informational interview, was not something I was looking forward to doing as often as Stern recommended.

Now, however, I love a good coffee chat, and I even aim to have two or three on my calendar each week. I can thank Stern for the change in attitude. Each person I’ve reached out to – from professors to fellow students, from alumni to industry leaders – replies with enthusiasm, eager to share their experiences and offer a word of advice.

Here’s how Stern’s network showed me the importance – and the joy! – of informational interviews:

Classes, Classmates, & Professors

Many of the aforementioned connections in the Fashion & Luxury MBA are built into our classroom experiences, providing a natural channel to reaching out for a one-to-one conversation. From speakers in our Solutions course to my own classmates, I’ve been able to hear and discuss different job functions, brands, and ideas with a breadth of people. A few examples:

  • Early in the semester, I sent a LinkedIn request to a Stern alum, now working for Ralph Lauren, after she spoke to our Solutions class. Not only did she quickly accept my connection, but she offered time out of her calendar to speak – unprompted!
  • Stern professors are well-connected and take joy in connecting their students with their acquaintances. After reaching out to a professor with a question on a project, I was promptly connected by him to his friend, an expert in the area I was researching.

Stern Network

A few weeks into school, we were introduced to the Stern Network, Stern’s internal LinkedIn/Facebook for alumni. Within the platform, users can browse and connect with current students and alumni, narrowing searches by job function, company, industry, location, and more. Once set up on the Stern Network, users work through a tutorial on best practices for requesting and conducting an informational interview. As part of the tutorial, users are required to search for alumni and connect with them.

This requirement led me to an alum at Estee Lauder. Less than ten minutes after sending an introductory message within Stern Network’s platform, they had already replied, offered their time, and we secured a meeting the following week to chat for thirty minutes. This one conversation led to two more coffee chats with folks at Estee Lauder, each recommending I talk to one of their colleagues to learn more.

Thanks to the Stern Network, I got an in-depth look at one of my target companies through multiple different people and conversations.

Mentors

Stern actively connects its students with experts outside of the classroom, too, teeing up these connections as mentorships. So far, I’ve been matched with three different mentors:

  • As part of our MBA program, we are matched with an industry expert on the Fashion & Luxury Council. Here, we’re able to express interest in leaders from fashion, beauty, luxury, and more and get matched with one of these leaders to meet over the course of the program.
  • Upon starting at Stern, we were each paired with a Focused MBA Program Partner. Affectionately called our “buddy,” this mentor is a graduate of the Fashion & Luxury MBA and offers invaluable advice on classes, job searching, and more. I can best describe this mentorship as, “when you need me, I’m here.” I found my Program Partner super helpful in selecting electives and getting an overview on our professors.
  • After joining the Graduate Marketing Association, I enrolled in their mentorship program too. After filling out a brief survey focused on my goals, I was matched with a GMA alum, who also happened to be a FLUX grad! SWIB also offers a mentorship program. 

Events

Every day, there’s a different event to go to at Stern. Naturally, these events are a means of networking and seeking out my next coffee chat.

Recently, I attended an OCD event called “Cross-Class Connections.” Here, MBA 1s, MBA 2s, Focused MBAs and Langone students met in breakout rooms facilitated by OCD career coaches. Conveniently, when we were sharing our interests and goals, one of the students in my breakout room was taking a class focused on supply chain – a topic I had expressed interest in exploring. After the event, he connected me to his classmate who had experience in supply chain at a fashion brand. From there, I received recommendations on how to learn more about supply chain over the course of my time at Stern, both through classes and activities, like the Center for Sustainability and the Center for Business and Human Rights.

I also had the opportunity to listen in on a roundtable discussion at The Retail Hive’s Digital Luxury Week through Stern. The discussion was made up of eight fashion, beauty, and luxury experts, all of which I was connected with after the event. Within twenty-four hours after logging off Zoom, half of them had already replied offering their time to take the conversation further via an informational interview.

So, take it from me, as someone initially wary of the “how” aspect of networking at business school. Not only does Stern make it easy to connect with people, but they also foster an environment of openness and excitement to chat over a cup of virtual coffee.

Tips & Tricks

Like all things, practice makes perfect. After conducting many informational interviews over the past few months, I’ve not only grown more comfortable with coffee chats, but I’ve also found a few secrets to success:

  • Show up with genuine curiosity. Do your research and prepare questions ahead of time. While the conversation can go in any direction, you’ll be thankful you have a set of thoughts prepared to lead the discussion and get insights out of it. 
  • Make it research for your next assignment. During coffee chats, I often ask, “what’s one challenge your team is working through right now?” This way, I hear real-world problems companies face today. With this information in my back pocket, I can focus upcoming class projects on relevant issues to build out my portfolio for my eventual job search.
  • Be direct and specific. While it may seem polite to request a generic chat, I’ve had more success asking, “can I hear your thoughts on XYZ,” over “I’d love to set up some time to talk.” Suggest a specific time and place to keep the email ping-ponging to a minimum, saving the other person time.
  • Be human. Many of these chats are happening on Zoom, so don’t be afraid of moments of levity. Be yourself!
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My Decision to Apply to the Fashion & Luxury Program (from an Industry Insider)

If you would have told me when I first moved to NYC that I would still be here ten years later, I would probably be genuinely surprised. I moved here shortly after graduation, and I planned to stay no more than 2-3 years. However, when I started working in the fashion industry, no other city could compare to the resources and companies in NYC. Once I decided that I wanted to be a fashion buyer, I spent the next five years working for two major retailers – in departments ranging from color cosmetics to golf apparel – and learning as much as I could in each role.

As my career progressed, I noticed there was something missing in my plan when I would journal about my long-term career goals. On the one hand, I worked in a competitive field in my dream job. Some days I felt like Andy from Devil Wears Prada after her fashion makeover – why would I want to give that up? But on the other hand, I could feel the world around me exploding with new ideas and industries. I was less interested in next year’s fashion trends and more interested in the macro forces influencing each trend.

Following a trip to Morocco, I became fascinated with the Middle East – North African region, and my wheels were turning on how I could return there and work. How could I connect the dots and get myself from point A to point B? My deciding factor to apply to business school was when I was in a department meeting with our chief strategy officer, a business school graduate. We were discussing product inventory for an upcoming season, and he was talking about EBITDA strategy. I remember blacking out and not knowing what EBITDA meant, but I also remember that “my light bulb turned on,” and I realized that I wanted to be on the other side of the table, the side of the table making strategic decisions. I wanted to know more than my limited industry knowledge, and I wanted additional transferrable skills. The most fitting path was business school.

When I began my business school process, I knew I wanted to stay in the industry, so I only looked at programs that had a retail presence. I learned about the Fashion & Luxury Program through an admissions consultant and was instantly impressed by its focus and curriculum. I attended two in-person information sessions with current students, and although it was a new program, their excitement and passion were palpable.

The program had access to companies that I had always admired, and the Stern Solution courses (which act as in-semester internships) would allow me to work hands-on with these companies on a range of projects. The fashion & luxury retail industries are a lot about your network, and I loved that the program offered a mentorship council with industry executives. The opportunity to take classes that focused on growing concerns in the industry – like supply chain and corporate responsibility – was also really important. Furthermore, the Fashion & Luxury program is supported by Stern’s core classes and electives, so I could strengthen my quantitative and business acumen while also learning with classmates from Stern’s other MBA programs.

Choosing the Fashion & Luxury program was a great decision because it bridged my two passions: a passion for the fashion industry combined with a passion for continued learning. Although I was nervous about staying in NYC entering my 10th year here, being a student and seeing the city through the eyes of my classmates from Chicago and Israel makes it feel like Year 1 again. I always felt like an outsider in previous roles because I was interested in “the bigger picture,” but it is gratifying to be in a program with other fashion nerds who geek out on Women’s Wear Daily.

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Applying To Stern: My Application Journey & A Few Tips

If you’re working on your application to B-school, I was where you are not too far back. My experience with the application was spread over – believe it or not – 2 years. Since Stern was the only school I was applying to, and the Fashion & Luxury MBA was the only program I was interested in, it was an all or nothing play for me, which in hindsight is what made the entire process that much more stressful and daunting, but in the end equally rewarding.

For me, the starting point was understanding Stern as a school. The concept of IQ + EQ is in almost every Stern post because it is very much ingrained in the DNA of the school. What it means from my perspective is that along with having quantifiable professional achievements, one also needs to be self-aware and emotionally in touch with their environment and the people who inhabit it. This for me was the very foundation on which I built the rest of my application.

I did use this blog for a lot of inspiration when I was preparing my application, so I find it surreal that I am actually writing this blog post now. Talk about life coming full circle, you know! Similar posts from past students were critical in keeping my focus and conviction strong. I am hoping to pay it forward and will be thrilled if anything I write below will be helpful for you. If I can come this far, trust me, so can you!

Resume:

Coming from a design background, I wasn’t sure if my resume would be valuable to a business school admissions team. While there is the idea of a “non-traditional background,” which could have given me a few brownie points, what I felt was lacking was a demonstration of my interest/experience in traditionally MBA-related roles, eg. marketing, managing projects and teams. So I looked for opportunities in my role to extend myself into these projects. I’m not saying this is the only way to do this, but it was very helpful for me as an experiment to even understand if digital marketing or project management would be something I would be interested in doing full-time post-MBA. To me, this also showed that I was inquisitive to push the envelope of my abilities and, irrespective of my admission in the program, I would continue to explore business-related roles in my industry, cementing my genuine interest in the program I was applying to. The added benefit was that professionally, I was able to add many more feathers to my many hat which is good to do anyway, irrespective of your application to b-school. At the end of your resume writing process, your final product should actually make you feel really proud of your achievements and give you a sense of genuine confidence about your abilities and professional history.

Key Takeaway: Your resume is an advertisement of YOU and it should be written like that. All ads carry the best features of what their product has to offer, not everything, but the best. So be mindful of what you want to call out and what you want to maybe discuss in person and hence omit on the single sheet that you will upload. Quantifying your achievements is helpful as well. (Shout out to my friend Sneha who taught me all this!)

Standardized Tests:

I struggled with this part of the application the most. NYU does not have a preference between the GMAT or the GRE, so if you are feeling anxious about the GMAT, you should try the GRE. I spent 6 miserable months studying for the GMAT along with a very demanding full-time job and took it three times before I got a passable score to apply with. I took the GRE sample far later into my GMAT prep and would have much rather just prepped for the GRE and taken only that. Also, please know that the standardized test scores are only one small aspect of your entire application. Apply with the score you are most proud of and trust yourself.

Key Takeaway: I recommend taking free sample tests online of GMAT, GRE, or any other accepted exams and build from there. You might realize that you are more comfortable with one exam format than another and I feel that’s half the battle won.

Professional Aspirations Essay:

Authenticity is the highest priority in this section. If you try to use a formulaic approach to an essay, it really shows. An admissions officer is an expert at their job and can easily identify a genuine interest versus a vaguely written, generic submission. Your authenticity will show through your research and knowledge of this program, of Stern, and how it relates to your personal and professional journey. Remember the IQ + EQ value and use that as your anchor. I felt it was important for Stern to see that this was the only program that I could even think of doing and I probably read every article, news report, blog post, website page available to inform my decision. It may not be possible for everyone looking to apply to multiple programs across multiple schools, but I feel you should try to do as much research as you can because it will only make your writing stronger and your arguments more convincing.

Key Takeaway: Don’t try to fake it or be superficial. It will be very evident. Since there are limited words, value each word and ensure it adds value to your statements. There will be multiple drafts and that’s fine (I submitted draft 37, really). Once you’re done with a draft, read it line by line and ask, “Why is this important/Why does this matter?” If you can’t come up with a good answer, rephrase your statement. Once you feel you are confident about your writing, take feedback from friends, peers, mentors, anyone you trust, and reiterate till you feel your writing is most true to you and authentically represents you. The best essay is the one you feel most confident about.

Pick 6:

This was an image in my Pick 6. I love the Met Gala so I added this image along with the caption “The Costume Institute Gala is a confluence of three of my key passions: Fashion, Museums/Exhibitions & Business and continues to influence & educate me about the cyclical impact of costume on the themes chosen.”

This is the most unique aspect of the Stern application. I don’t know if any other schools have a similar personal expression essay. It really is an opportunity for Stern to see who YOU are, what you value, and what makes you YOU. I have often struggled with boxing myself into a few obvious compartments of my life like what I do for work and what I do in my free time, but this exercise made me think of all the facets of my personality. What helped me start was asking my closest friends about whatever comes to their minds when they think of me. I did this exercise multiple times with different sets of people, and received a variety of words I expected to get and then some I didn’t even think of which came up again and again from different people. It made me realize the attributes that people associated with me without me even knowing, which makes this a good exercise on self-discovery and the EQ portion of self-awareness. From all of these responses, I started to think hard about what really mattered to me and shortlisted visuals I thought best represented me and my life.

Key Takeaway: Try to have fun here. In this age of Instagram, we are all for the most part, fairly used to selecting aspects of our lives and sharing a snippet for the world to see. Which is what this is. It is a space for you to express yourself personality, so let your personality shine and be proud of who you are and what you believe in. That’s what makes you unique and that is what will make your essay stand out.

Interview:

  
If you get invited to interview, congratulations! I just needed an excuse to come to New York, so I actually flew in from India to New York for a 30-45 mins discussion. I am in no way saying that it is essential to get admission because a few people in my class who are from New York interviewed remotely (#PandemicProblems). What is essential is that your story and your passion shine through your conversation with the Admissions Officer. My interview was very conversational and made me feel incredibly comfortable to the effect that I didn’t even feel like I was being interviewed. It was like having a coffee chat (which you will eventually do a lot of during your MBA).

Key Takeaway: Revisit your application. It’s important that what you submitted is the same content you say during your interview. An authentic, true-to-yourself application will be the easiest to prepare since that is your true story. And don’t worry. The interview was the best part of the admissions process for me. Relax, be yourself, and show your passion. You’ll thank yourself later.

Closing Notes:

My final advice to you is to be very surgical and systematic about the application process. My dad kept telling me to do a SWOT analysis (he tells me to do this even today) and I pass on that wisdom to you. Do a SWOT analysis of yourself. Write down your Strengths, your Weaknesses, the Opportunities you have or need to create to either display your strengths or overcome those weaknesses, and finally the Threats that may create a path of resistance. What helped me was to look at my resume and see what I had achieved professionally and looked at LinkedIn profiles of Stern alums to see what I was missing or what were my areas of development. Then I needed to find or create opportunities where I could fill in these gaps while being prepared to tackle any obstacles along the way with backup plans. This broad structure helped me keep my focus intact.

Also, ask for help, even when you feel you don’t need it. You’ll be surprised how much value another perspective adds to your application. Have your essays read by another person, get your resume reviewed, and understand how someone else is reading what you have written. When you are so close to your own work, you forget to have a distanced perspective which is more valuable than you can imagine. I can safely say that I would not have been able to crack this admission without a strong support system.

Finally, your strongest application is the one you are most confident about. I said it before, and I really mean it. Apply to the deadline you feel most prepared with and let your hard work do the rest.

All the best and I hope to see you on campus!

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Moving to NYC: Maximizing Space in a Small Apartment

When I decided to move from my spacious condo in Chicago to my charming West Village studio in NYC, I knew I needed to downsize my belongings. Determined for my new space to still feel like home, I set out to make it a mini-version of my Chicago condo. Here’s how I did it:

Measure twice, move once. Even before I secured my NYC apartment, I had a general idea of what would fit into a studio. With that knowledge, I made an initial cut of what I needed to sell or give away. Next, I measured the furniture in my apartment that was coming with me. As I looked at apartments (virtually due to COVID restrictions), I requested floorplans and wall measurements. With these sets of measurements, I plotted my furniture on the floorplans to confirm that it would all fit.

Get creative with furniture and storage. There are many small space storage tips out there, but these are a few of my favorite learnings:

Consider a platform bed frame to save space. The area designated as the bed nook is small. To accommodate this, I kept my queen-sized mattress but bought a wood platform bed frame. The bed frame does not take up any unnecessary space, and to make up for not having a headboard, I hung a large canvas of art above my bed.

Maximize a small kitchen with creative storage. My apartment’s kitchen takes up one of the walls in the main living space. I did not want my kitchen to be visible at all times, so I hung curtains with a suspension rod to block off the kitchen area. Since my kitchen is small, it also does not have any drawers, a pantry, or ample storage for pots and pans. To remedy this, I bought a console table with drawers to store eating and cooking utensils, hung pantry shelves on the inside of the coat closet, and stored pots and pans in the same closet on some wire shelves.

Make use of that decorative fireplace. Decorative fireplaces are a common feature in many pre-war apartments. I love the charm it adds to my space, but it also takes up a lot of valuable real estate. Since I did not have room for bookshelves, I realized this was the perfect place to stack my books. Not only does it look chic, but it uses space that otherwise would have sat empty.

Don’t worry about closet space for your clothes and shoes. As someone enrolled in the Fashion & Luxury MBA cohort, this might surprise you. Let me set the record straight: I have a lot of clothes and shoes. But, I realized looking for apartments with ample closet space was a fool’s errand. Instead of finding the perfect closet, I transformed part of my entryway into a closet. I installed clothing rods and shelves and curtained the area off with a tension rod (again). This provides me with even more closet space than most of the apartments I looked at.

While my apartment is still a work in progress, moving into an NYC studio was not as difficult or restrictive as I thought it would be. It does require upfront planning and a little imagination, but do not let that intimidate you. I love my little “chateau” in the middle of West Village, and it unquestionably feels like home.

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A Designer at Business School – Why Stern? Why FLUX?

There are many posts here on this blog about why students chose Stern and this specific MBA program. Many of these stories have a few things in common about how Stern is great and the opportunities of being in New York and that is all still true even today. What these stories also have are key but subtle differences on why this was important to them. As much as a professional decision it becomes an equally personal one and, here I go adding another statistic to this long list of “Why Stern, Why FLUX.”

As a designer, in what now seems like a past life, I wasn’t thinking of applying to business school. I always knew I wanted to be in New York so my entire research was structured around being in New York. I came to New York on a holiday in 2016 years ago and was visiting design schools to look for a master’s in museum design. Through my many conversations with different schools, one thing everyone asked me was to find patterns in my background and see if there was a central anchor. When I did that self-reflection, I found that Fashion and the very concept of Luxury was something that kept coming up; in my desire to go to design school (instead of engineering or law or medicine), in my choice of studying Exhibition Design (I wanted to design Fashion Show sets and Broadway Stages), in my first job (a Set Designer for fashion events), in my choice to switch teams at Amazon (from selling books to Fashion to Luxury). It now seems obvious to look at when you write it in this sentence, but it took me a while to notice it. This is what brought me to exploring studies in Fashion & Luxury since it was evident that that is what my anchor was. I was speaking to a faculty member at FIT and she recommended I look at Stern.

“But Stern is a Business school,” I thought to myself. “Can I, as a designer really study business? Do I even have the capability to do this?” I spoke to many people, read a few blogs, and stalked LinkedIn profiles. I realized that the whole point of going to a business school is to learn how to study and apply business concepts. If you already know how to manage businesses, why would you come to business school? So, I did open up to the idea of a business school education, and what that would mean for my career. I do feel that something about getting an MBA puts people at an accelerated path on their careers, with more transferable skills, more access to opportunities, and more options. In my experience, MBAs somehow know how to navigate corporations and business structures better than those who don’t. To be honest, it meant I could be a CEO one day and I wasn’t going to let my self-doubt get in the way of that.

So, I booked an appointment at Stern with the Campus Tour group and the Admissions Ambassador took me and a group of other prospective applicants around campus. It sounds cheeky, but I do believe spaces have energies that just sometimes click for certain people. I’m as pragmatic as the next person but this is something I have come to believe. And Stern did that for me. I had been visiting so many schools in the past week but walking into the Stern building, I could see myself studying there. And when you get such a feeling, you try to not ignore it. The campus, the resources, the academic environment all of it was comforting and inspiring in a way I hadn’t expected. Which is what dropped me down a rabbit hole of New York X Stern X MBA X Fashion. I spent the next 2-3 years working on my career, building up skills, and figuring out who I needed to be then to be at Stern later. (More about my application process in a later blog post.)

 

 

This was my Why Stern, Why FLUX story. If you’ve read this far (or scrolled down) I’ll reward you with a few bullet points that convinced me that this was the right thing to do:

Why a Focused MBA? Why FLUX?

  1. Shorter – It’s a 1 Year program. You get basically the same education in 1 year instead of 2. After 8 years of working, I did not want to be a student for more than 1 year. The duration of the program was a big pull. Also, 1-year programs are cost effective! Less tuition, only 1 year of living expense, and only 1 year of not getting a salary.
  2. Specialized – It’s very focused like the name suggests. I knew I wanted to be in the Fashion or the Luxury industry and I did not want to be in a classroom studying about, for instance, petrochemical companies and their balance sheets. If I’m going to be studying accounting, it better be for Hermes. And that is exactly what the Focused MBA gives you. You are in a class of 20 other students who all have a similar interest and the professors tailor the course accordingly. If you want to be immersed in the industry you want to work in, do a focused MBA. If you are open to different industries and still exploring what you want to do, go for the 2-Year MBA.
  3. Specific – It’s all about Fashion, Luxury, and related industries. Yes, it is a business program, but it is about business in the context of Fashion and Luxury. If that’s something you want to study and do eventually, you will not find any other program in the western hemisphere like this, I guarantee it.

Why Stern?

  1. IQ + EQ – There is a general notion in the industry that Stern has the nicest, kindest, most helpful, and most collaborative geniuses you will ever come across. It seems statistically impossible, but I am experiencing it first-hand.
  2. Expertise – There is a reason Stern is consistently one of the top-ranked MBAs in the world. It’s not PR or paid advertising. It’s true. A brand name like Stern can open doors and give you access to alumni and opportunities globally and I don’t mean to say that lightly.
  3. Location – Being at the proverbial center of the world has many advantages. Stern is in the middle of the madness of New York and I say that in the best possible way. It puts you in the heart of the industry you want to be in and what more could you ask for from a school.

Why New York?

  1. Because it is the center of fashion and luxury in the Americas.
  2. Because most headquarters of most fashion/luxury brands are in New York. If you want to speak to someone from a certain organization, chances are you will find them in New York.
  3. Because it is New York

This was my story. I hope it helps you write yours!

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What to Expect in Your First Few Weeks of Classes

When telling my colleagues, friends, and family about starting the Fashion & Luxury program at Stern, many warily said, “well, I’ll see you in a year!” I thought, “huh, is school really going to keep me that busy?” 

Three months in, the answer is yes.

In twelve weeks, our cohort completed six foundational courses, plus a week of orientation. This week, we’ll tuck one additional course, Economics, under our belts and also begin Finance. Looking back, I’m impressed by the number of papers, projects, and presentations we submitted, plus the amount of learning we’ve accomplished in a condensed timeframe.  

So far, I’m having trouble picking a favorite among our classes. 

In Leadership, we used case studies to understand decision-making and leading change, first with emotion, then followed by logic. Most memorably, groups pored over a case about race cars, tasked with the decision to race or not to race, knowing we risked an engine failure at a certain temperature on race day. Fast-forward: turns out the data and situation in the case were identical to the problem presented to engineers launching NASA’s Challenger. The takeaway? Always ask for all the data before making a critical decision, no matter the risk to reputation or reward, and know when to stop, regardless of investment or emotional attachment.

In Business Communications, we learned by doing, presenting multiple times per class, and simulating a group presentation to senior executives at a company (of our choice) facing a reputational risk. This short-but-snappy course quickly got us into shape, conditioning us on best practices in presentation-making, email-writing, and public speaking.

And then there was Accounting, my first 8am course ever. Despite my personal wariness at the beginning (I don’t do numbers before noon), Professor Bonacchi guided us expertly, using the process of producing and selling chocolate cakes to walk us through income statements. Furthermore, he knew when to take a step back, more than once commenting, “I see your eyes are like a branzino in the oven…let’s take a break!” Another highlight? The CFO of Gucci joined us as a guest speaker. 💁‍♀️ Suffice to say, I have many fond memories of Accounting.

In Statistics, we tackled real-world probability concepts, once dissecting an article about MBA salaries for a group paper. Here, we learned how to identify confounding and lurking variables, understand the importance of sample size, and interpret data given to us. I walked away from this course with not only new math skills, but also an appreciation for asking questions about the presentation of data.

In Marketing, we had guest speakers from Converse and Smart Design, plus examined cases about Sephora and direct-to-consumer brands. By the end, we were able to choose a brand and string together a complete customer journey based on our newfound marketing knowledge.

On top of these five foundational business courses, we simultaneously worked and learned in our NYC Immersion course. Unique to the Fashion and Luxury MBA program, this class placed us in front of industry experts and icons, plus allowed us to get our feet wet as MBA consultants at PVH and Perry Ellis International. If we’re playing favorites, this class was mine.

Highlights included…

  • Kicking off with a presentation from the CFO and COO at Bonobos, David Sasson, detailing the types of jobs and functions we can consider in the industry
  • Hearing from a panel of our program’s mentoring council, moderated by Professor Jeff Carr
  • Pitching brand ideas to Sarah LeFleur, founder and CEO at MM LaFleur
  • Listening to Fern Mallis and PC Chandra speak to the history and future of NY Fashion Week
  • Hearing from the digital team at Tapestry about their innovations in e-commerce
  • Speaking with Revlon’s Head of Marketing in their luxury division 
  • Presenting final proposals to PVH/Perry Ellis on our consultancy projects

… plus many, many more. As someone with minimal professional experience in the fashion and luxury sectors, I found this class brought me up to speed on the challenges and trends in the space, both in light of COVID and more broadly. Now, headed into the rest of the program, I feel Stern has set us up with a solid toolbelt of foundational skills, plus industry knowledge, to guide our focuses, electives, and soon, job searches – all in just twelve weeks!

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International Immersion: Paris

After leaving Milan, we flew to Paris and experienced amazing food, culture, and learning. Just like Milan, there was no shortage of excellent dining options. The first night we arrived there, some of us went to dinner at a French restaurant called Bistrot Victoires, and a two-course meal with about half a bottle of wine per person was about 20 euros! Despite the transit strikes that were going on in Paris, there was no issue getting around. Paris is a very beautiful and walkable city, which we took advantage of by walking everywhere.

I highly recommend going to Bistrot Victoires while in Paris. It’s authentic Parisian cuisine and very affordable!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visiting Hermes

The visit to the Hermes store was amazing for a variety of reasons:

1. The store’s architecture is absolutely stunning. 2. The craftsmanship and quality of the items in the store are unparalleled. 3. The Hermes Birkin & Kelly Bags. We learned the rich history behind the Birkin and Kelly bags and the amount of time that goes into their creation. It still amazes me that the bags can retail for +$100,000. Unlike most stores, the Hermes we visited in Paris is appointment-only and has average volumes of around 2,000 visitors per day. Sadly there was no NYU Stern discount offered for students 😉

Taking a group photo inside Hermes.

We were walking on our way to the Hermes store and could not help but notice the beautiful architecture and decorations throughout the streets.

A beautiful stroll through the streets of Paris!

Guerlain: Luxury perfume

The visit to Guerlain was another eye-opening experience.  This Guerlain parlor was located on the Champs-Elysees, one of the most beautiful shopping areas in all of Paris. No different than Hermes, this store was also stunning. As soon as you walked in, you were shown high-end fragrances. A store manager was kind enough to give us a tour and brought us upstairs, where bespoke scents are created for luxury clientele. These scents could cost the customer thousands of dollars. The upstairs parlor was similarly exquisitely crafted and made you feel as if you were transported to another world.

A look at some of the high-end perfumes available at the parlor.

Versailles

On our final day in Paris, we were given the option to be able to explore the city independently or visits Versailles on the outskirts of Paris. Having already visited Versailles, I knew how beautiful it was; however, I knew that the gardens (which are much bigger) are also a sight to see on their own (even in January). Rather than spend our time enjoying the interior of Versailles, we decided to spend two hours walking through the gardens, and we barely scratched the surface! Lucky for us, the weather was about 45 Fahrenheit, which made it optimal walking weather.

The picture does not do the gardens of Versailles justice.

 

Between Milan and Paris, the international immersion was a wonderful trip that I will remember for the rest of my life!

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International Immersion: Milan

It’s been a tough time fighting the coronavirus everywhere in the world. Italy has been one of the countries that is severely suffering from it. Faced with the COVID-19 outbreak that has brought this country to a screeching halt, Italians decided that fun is the best medicine for a healthy spirit. Videos have been shared on social media that captured people singing and dancing from their balconies and windows in an attempt to boost morale during the nationwide lockdown.

This reminds me of the discussion we had in Milan during the Fashion & Luxury MBA international immersion. It was the kick-off class in the first day in Milan where Professor Thomai described the personality of Milan and Milanese as introverted. Milan has earned its reputation for aloofness, at least by Italian standards. When walking around the city, there are magnificent buildings with well designed doors that are never opened and a lot of beautiful hidden gardens that you can only wander from the outside.  But these days what has been shown in the videos featuring Milanese talking to their neighbors for the first time through windows and balconies, comforting one another, forging new bonds, growing closer — albeit from a distance, is a romantic demonstration of how introverts make the best out of the worst amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Milan is one of the birthplaces of luxury brands and has the most amazing fine food. When you look at the way Italians do business, they are focusing on delivering the best craftsmanship and making the most well-done products, instead of expanding the business commercially to the extreme. That’s why there are a lot of small businesses and many Italian luxury brands remain family businesses, versus French conglomerates. 

Our trip in Milan included classes in Bocconi Business School in both lecture and case study formats, and onsite visits to Mantero silk factory (one of the silk suppliers for most of the luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Chanel, Dior), Dolce & Gabbana and Vitale Barberis Canonico. Here are some of my key learnings:

Think deeper and wiser. We discussed the similarities and differences between the Italian luxury industry and the French luxury industry. This immersion not only confirmed some of my thoughts on this topic based on my experience working in the industry, but also deepened my understanding. For example, I used to think French brands were better in doing business globally – they are more organized and adaptive. But after this trip, I learned how to think deeply to understand why and think from different angles – history, government regulation and personality of the country. In addition, I learned to never judge something simply as right or wrong, good or bad, but to think more critically and better appreciate the good side of everything.

Manage changes. We had a case study on one of the most famous Italian luxury brands. The founder has built his luxury empire in a short period of time and done a lot of amazing jobs. But for the past few years this brand has been struggling due to lack of product innovation and unclear brand positioning. It’s a reflection of the struggles many traditional brands are facing – how do they scale and stay relevant, especially for those family businesses with highly centralized power on individuals (usually founders)?  I think changes and transformations need three things: 1) The ability to not only predict the future trend of the industry, but also visualize it into companies’ long term strategy. 2) Courage/boldness. No transformation comes from being risk-averse. It’s usually easier said than done to take risks. 3) Ability to convince stakeholders and get resources in a big corporate to implement the changes, including the grit when facing obstacles and short-term losses – remembering the goal is for long-term and it takes time to turn the changes into real positive business impact.