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Reflections upon Graduation

Jennifer Rice comes to NYU Stern with over six years of experience as a Design Director in sustainability and performance brands. After working as a designer for shoes and ready-to-wear at Zero + Maria Cornejo, she went on to start up her own consulting company in 2021, aligning new and established brands with partners across the east coast for brand development and production services. Jennifer is a Graduate Ambassador, AVP of Admissions for SISA, and admissions committee member for SWIB. 

Wow. 

That’s really the only word I can really put here to encapsulate what I feel while writing this. It’s surreal for me to wrap up our class’s Blog Posts knowing we’re signing off as students and going forward as accomplished graduates of NYU Stern Fashion & Luxury MBA (FLUX) Class of 2023.

I mean, I still need to figure out what outfit I’m putting on under the NYU purple graduation gown for crying out loud… I’m not ready for this y’all! 

But in all seriousness, this was a special class. Everytime I went to write this post, I would put it off, not because I’m trying to procrastinate, but because I think this really means our cohort’s time at Stern is coming to an end. And while I never imagined referring to myself as a “Sternie”…

This Sternie tears up like a cheeseball thinking about the past 12 months of my life. If you ask my undergrad or highschool peers, none of them would say I was a “rah rah” school spirit kind of girl, but this experience here at Stern and with these 22 other individuals has completely changed me. My theory is that when the environment around you lifts you up, time after time; a cohort who believes in you, and inspires you… you can’t help but feel immense pride and pleasure to call this MBA cohort “home.” 

I could go on and tell you about my favorite experiences, my wisdom, and hacks to your google calendar so you make it to every coffee chat and class. But, I also realize you’ve heard from me quite a lot this year: I’ve written 4 of these blog posts, had dozens of coffee chats, and spoke in info sessions and AMAs. And everytime, you would find me rambling on and on about the wonderful experience here at Stern and how much I love my classmates.

But, I thought I’d give you all a break from me and the gift of some fresh voices this time. Instead of me telling you again about all about all these incredible classmates that made me so school spirited and passionate this past year, why don’t I just have them tell you about it themselves? Their wisdom and insights are better than anything I’ll ever be able to type here.

So without further ado, here’s my inspiring peers insights to what their last year has been like and what they’ve learned:

Anna Smedsrud

“As someone who moved to New York specifically for this program, I had a lot of apprehension around making friends. I assumed that, since many in the program had lived in New York for years and had their own established lives and groups, they wouldn’t have the time or energy to forge a friendship with someone new like me. My apprehensions were proven wrong day one, and continue to be proven wrong. The individuals in this program have shown me openness, vulnerability, and a willingness to connect that I had never experienced before. My classmates’ vulnerability and openness existed both outside and in the classroom, as many spoke up in our class discussions to share profound opinions that I possessed, too, but had never been brave enough to voice. I am walking away from Stern with a newfound confidence in myself and who I want to be, fueled by the friendships and connections I made this year. My classmates are the brightest, kindest people I know and I am so proud to be a part of their communities.”

Ali Oshinsky

“I wish the ones who believe you can’t teach an old dog new tricks could have followed me to school this year. Because, although I wouldn’t say my FLUX peers and I are old, I do know that every one of us learned. Before starting at Stern, I assumed that a specialized  program would mean people in my classes would likely be into the same stuff I am. A benefit of the specialization that I didn’t anticipate is that because many of us are making career pivots, my cohort has approached classwork with a self-imposed rigor, genuineness, and willingness to fail. I’ve noticed that it takes a specific type of person to put their social life on hold and adopt a beginner’s mindset in the classroom. This year was hard! However, our small class was able to pool our resources and create the most incredible safety net. At every point this year I felt supported by my classmates. I feel truly that their success will be mine, too. Aside from accounting, econ, finance, and modeling, what I learned this year is that I am so much more capable of growth than I thought I was. I am so lucky to have gotten to witness the same transformations in my friends, too.”

Amy Lore

“Do not underestimate the power of love in your cohort. You will be spending every school day, weekends, and even holidays with the group of people in this room. You will probably see them more than you see your family or significant others in the next year. You will laugh, cry, scream, and travel together. You will celebrate highs, lows, and milestones by each other’s side and you will lean on each other in your academic, professional, and personal lives… more than you know. As you pursue this advanced degree and inevitably stress about job placement, do not forget about the value of friendship and the 20 other people who are sharing this journey with you.”

Emily Kappes

“As I look back on my year with my cohort, I cannot fully articulate the gratitude I feel towards the twenty-three people that changed how I thought: about retail, but also about myself. It’s these twenty-three people that I grew with, learned from, and developed lifelong friendships; like a sponge, I absorbed a little bit of each of them – their interests, opinions, strengths – over the past twelve months.

The reality is you will never have the opportunity to be surrounded by a group of people who care about the future of retailing – be it fashion, luxury, apparel, or beauty – like those in your cohort. They will help you learn and grow and think in a way no other place or program will ever be able to offer. For that, I am forever grateful to this program, and to each and every person in my cohort.”

Alexandra Friedman

“I’m walking away from this year with an important takeaway: the more diverse the room, the better off you are. I have loved learning about our different cultures, different industries, and different viewpoints. We all have such varied and unique perspectives, and it’s made my experience richer and more valuable.”

Katelyn Vu

“Since our cohort is small with diverse backgrounds and experiences, I learned a lot from each and every single person. I love how invested we are in each other’s success and have always tried our best to help wherever we can. I wouldn’t have done it any other way”

Cecilia Marmolejos

 “I think my learning for the year is not to underestimate how much you can learn from your peers. I think over the course of the year we’ve had some incredible exposure to different professionals within the industry. We’ve had so many different people come in and explain to us what their job functions look like and what their industries look like. They would talk to us about different market trends and give us guidance on things we should be working on personally to try and make ourselves better professionals. But in addition to that, I feel like it’s been really incredible to see just how much our cohort has become sort of like an ecosystem of shared learning. 

We’re all constantly trying to help each other. Throughout our recruiting processes and throughout just different hurdles we’ve all needed to overcome at some point, we saw each time our community came together and really tried to help each one of us and push things forward. We worked to make sure everyone’s individual goals and aspirations were achieved and honestly that’s not something that I really thought was going to come out of school. I was kind of expecting to go and pay for the education and receive lectures from different professionals that the school is providing us, but it’s been a really incredible experience to truly learn from each and everyone of our friends in our cohort.”

Cindy Wang

“Stern has a diverse range of students from different backgrounds and this advantage helped me learn from students around me with real life experiences from different industries, which broadened my horizon.”

Laura Laufer

 “If you have an open mind, you will learn just as much (if not more) from your cohort as you will from your professors. Your peers have so much to offer. We all came from different backgrounds, industries, and functions, but we all have had the same patience and compassion for each other, and have lifted each other up since day 1. Given the intensity of this program, your cohort truly becomes your family and support system. Never underestimate the love and friendship that can come out of enduring high-pressure situations together. Lean into the tough times because they develop the strongest friendships — friendships that will develop into future networks.”

Rose Soiffer-Kosins

“The FLUX MBA is a time to go out of your comfort zone and focus on things that scare you and push yourself to do things that you would usually avoid. Stern is actually a really safe place for you to take those risks because everyone is so supportive. It might not seem like it on the outside, but I learned that many others shared the same fears that I had—like public speaking, for example. I was able to develop myself alongside a tight-knit, supportive group of individuals which allowed me to focus on my weaknesses and turn them into strengths.”

Timothy Jaw

“Man what a year this has been? I can’t believe everything that has passed by. If I could pass along one takeaway, I would say it’s to be more open to spontaneity. Life is unexpected and there will always be something in your day that will make you stressed or anxious (especially in business school), but there will also be random moments (for me usually unplanned) that will bring you happiness and joy. Those unplanned moments are the ones that will maybe give you clarity and help push you out of your comfort zone. By being flexible and open to new people and experiences, you’ll have the opportunity to exchange information and it will eventually define who you are. You never know who you’ll meet or what conversations you’ll have, and that’s the beauty of it. It’s okay to take a break, enjoy the weather, grab a drink with classmates, or go shopping. You are in school and the structure will always be there if you need it. In fact, many times the structure can help you find new ways to connect. Take this time while you are in school to lean into those moments more and see how you might be inspired.”

Joey Rudee

“From the moment I received my acceptance letter to NYU Stern’s Fashion and Luxury MBA program, I knew that this would be a transformative experience. But as I walked into orientation on my first day, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of apprehension. Would the reality live up to my expectations?

Now, nearly a year later, I can confidently say that NYU Stern has exceeded all of my expectations. Not once did I look back. Not once did I question whether this was the right program for me. And not once did I question whether this program was worth my time and financial commitment. What made my time at NYU Stern so memorable were the people I met. My classmates were some of the most intelligent and inspiring individuals I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. They challenged me, supported me, and encouraged me to be the best version of myself. And my professors at Stern were unmatched in their expertise and commitment to their craft.

I know that I am leaving a better person. I am more confident in my abilities, more knowledgeable about my industry, and more committed to making a positive impact. As I prepare to graduate from NYU Stern, I’ll be proud to say I left Stern, and Stern left me, better than I found it.”

This is Flux MBA Class of 2023 officially signing off. 

We’ve absolutely loved getting to share our experiences and insights with you all and we sincerely welcome the Flux Class of 2024!! 

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My Job Application Experience

Jennifer Rice comes to NYU Stern with over six years of experience as a Design Director in sustainability and performance brands. After working as a designer for shoes and ready-to-wear at Zero + Maria Cornejo, she went on to start up her own consulting company in 2021, aligning new and established brands with partners across the east coast for brand development and production services. Jennifer is a Graduate Ambassador, AVP of Admissions for SISA, and admissions committee member for SWIB. Aside from work and school, you can find Jennifer at Washington Square Park dog run with her roommates, Meredith and Elizabeth, and their dog, Stella. 

When I began my recruitment journey at Stern, I had a pretty good idea of “what” I wanted to do, but wanted to explore all the different avenues of getting there. After exploring different avenues like Consulting, Merchandising, and even for a moment, Venture Capital, I realized that I was looking for a bit more of a holistic experience in my next role. Because of my background of being with one company for many years, to then having a consulting practice where I had multiple clients at a time, I realized my next move needed to be one where I have the opportunity to really understand a company from every angle and perspective. I wanted to see the way different departments operated and worked together, before settling into a specific vertical within a company, and a rotational program really spoke to me in that regard. Additionally, I found that I have really enjoyed the learning and mentorship environment at Stern, so I was hoping to find a program that emphasized this in order to continue that thread in my professional career post MBA.

Deciding a Path

Next, I educated myself on the different roles typically offered to Stern MBA students in retail, and immediately there was one that stuck out to me. It had everything I had hoped for: an incredible sustainable department that was looking for continued growth, a strong consumer insights team, and a really positive company culture. To really emphasize that last part: being in the fashion industry, I had become accustomed to the fact that work days would be 12+ hours and the culture wouldn’t always be friendly. I can safely say that this theory is not always the case, and that you *can* find the balance. 

The Application Process

Once the application process began, it started with me sending applications with my resume and cover letter to the companies I was interested in, which was posted on the 12Twenty careers site, available to all NYU Stern students. A few weeks later, emails started being sent out inviting me to schedule first round interviews, which typically consist of both behavioral and more analytical based interviews. I used my casing prep from the Management Consulting Association (MCA)  to get ready for the more technical interviews, and did due diligence by researching the companies and really figuring out how I would fit in and add to the community. Then, I worked with my peers on behavioral interview prep. A wonderful process my friends and I did was to ask a behavioral question (like: tell me about a time you overcame a challenge) in the group chat every morning and each person would respond back with a voice note of their answer. We’d respond back to each other with feedback and it was so helpful to hear the different perspectives! 

Interviews

Once those interviews are complete, invites are typically sent out for a final round. Given the post-covid world, some companies will do the final round virtually or in person. When it’s in person, it’s really fun meeting the other MBA students from other schools invited to the final round as well, which might sound like intense competition, but rather it feels more like an opportunity to network! For final rounds, you may be prompted to do a behavioral interview again, but you also may be asked to do a presentation on a topic, a case interview, or even a group case. I know these days can seem really stressful and daunting since you’re evaluated on so many different factors, but I noticed when I stopped viewing it as a one way street of if they were going to like me, my anxiety on the matter disintegrated. Instead, view it as an opportunity to understand if the environment and people at the company make you feel that you’ll be able to really add to the company in an impactful way and succeed. My biggest takeaway from the experience of recruitment was that you know yourself better than anyone else, so look to emulate your traits of impact in a light that’s truthful to who you are. There’s no right or wrong in your answers, as long as you stay true to yourself and identify the ways you can make a successful impact at your target company and role. 

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Career Resources & Recruiting

Cecilia Marmolejos is a current Fashion and Luxury MBA student, specializing in Luxury Marketing. Prior to Stern, Cecilia worked at Wayfair as a Site merchandiser, and as a merchant. Post-MBA, she plans to pursue a career in brand management. At Stern, she is involved in the luxury retail club, and Stern Women in Business. 

At Stern, I have felt extremely supported when it comes to my career journey. I came in with an interest in beauty, and no prior experience in that segment, and feel like Stern has given me certain opportunities that I otherwise would not have had exposure to. 

At the beginning of the Fashion & Luxury MBA, the Office of Career Development explained to my class that students have two different opportunities for recruiting. The first is called cyclical recruitment, which happens in the fall and is commonly found in large companies that can anticipate their headcount. The second is just in time recruiting which happens in the spring closer to graduation, and is much more prevalent in the fashion and luxury industries. For myself, I decided to recruit in the fall, and found the process to be manageable, despite how many steps there are, due to the career resources at Stern. Regardless of when you decide to recruit, I recommend working on polishing your resume and a draft cover letter, so when a job opens up, you have a base template that you can tailor to a specific job function. A great resource to elevate your cover letter is the Office of Career Development. 

During my recruiting journey, I utilized Stern’s portal for campus recruiting jobs, which gives students access to jobs that are specifically targeting MBA students. I applied for a job through this portal, and additionally attended on campus presentations that Stern facilitates, where students hear from company representatives looking to hire Sternies. When recruiting, it can be an extremely time consuming process. I would try to segment out weekly time, to ensure I was taking time to network within Stern’s contacts, polish my resume, and look for job opportunities. By segmenting out time every week, it made it easier for me to enjoy on campus events and balance my social calendar outside of recruiting and classes. Additionally, given this program is one year, it provides you such a unique opportunity to experience an MBA, while also preparing for the workforce in an expedited timeline. For those who chose this type of program, I recommend consistently meeting with mentors and the Office of Career Development to keep yourself accountable at all steps of the process.

For my specific process, I applied to H&M’s rotational program and received so much support from the office of career development. I worked closely with Fatim, who helped me from my resume, to crafting my cover letter, and then helped me run through a presentation for my interview. Once I received an offer, the Careers Team was also there to help me walk through the offer, to ensure I was comfortable with accepting the position. I felt personally supported by Fatim, and am beyond grateful for her help and encouragement throughout an extremely stressful process. 

In addition to the Careers Team, Stern’s alumni community is extremely supportive during the recruiting process. Stern helps connect students with alums who share their recruiting histories, and are willing to help chat with students about where they are now. There are a variety of corporate presentations led by Stern alumni, which is a great opportunity to network, and learn about different position openings. In my case, I was able to speak to alums that currently work at H&M, to understand what their day to day functions look like, and what their career trajectories would be post rotational programs. This really allowed me to get a feel for what the company would actually be like, and furthermore excited me to apply. 

Overall, Stern has made the recruiting process less daunting, and I am grateful for all the support I have received throughout this process. Post MBA, I will be joining H&M in their Leadership Training Program. I am excited for what my future holds, and am beyond thankful for those who have helped me get here.

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Learning About the Fashion & Luxury MBA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jennifer Rice comes to NYU Stern with over six years of experience as a Design Director in sustainability and performance brands. After working as a designer for shoes and ready-to-wear at Zero + Maria Cornejo, she went on to start up her own consulting company in 2021, aligning new and established brands with partners across the east coast for brand development and production services. Jennifer is a Graduate Ambassador, AVP of Admissions for SISA, and admissions committee member for SWIB. Aside from work and school, you can find Jennifer at Washington Square Park dog run with her roommates, Meredith and Elizabeth, and their dog, Stella. 

Being a Graduate Ambassador, we get loads of questions surrounding the F&L MBA. My parents always told me to live by the mantra to be curious from every angle. I.e. go down the path of research that will fulfill the questions most important to you, personally. Investigating is encouraged when looking at any MBA program you may be interested in applying to, as each program will offer a different set of unique characteristics and offerings that are catered to different candidates. So while there’s no one clear answer, I’m going to do my best to lay out the system I made for myself during my era of MBA research that helped me make my decision!

1. Attend.

Sadly, I don’t mean attending actual Stern quite yet! I mean going on our school’s website (click here) to sign up for “Ask me Anything” sessions with current students (“AMAs”), Info Sessions, and any other school sponsored events. Typically, these sessions are led by students currently in the program, Admissions Members, and sometimes even Professors teaching mock classes! You will not only understand through the presentations what Stern and the Fashion & Luxury program is all about, but you’ll also gain insight to the vibe of the community. For me, this was really important for myself to understand that if Stern was an environment I would not only be successful as a student, but also successful in feeling I could give back to the community. 

The AMA’s are great for those burning questions you may have on the student experience and what the course load looks and feels like. You are free to ask questions to a current student and hear the questions from other prospective students as well (this is something I appreciated, as I didn’t always know what to ask, so I liked the opportunity to hear other insightful questions!). 

Info Sessions are hosted by an Admissions Member and a Graduate Ambassador. This is great to understand the course schedule, recruitment opportunities, and more information on our immersion programs. Additionally, the Admissions Member will walk you through the application and its requirements. I think every applicant should attend at least one of these sessions for further insight in applying and attending the Fashion & Luxury MBA at Stern.

2. Read, listen, and investigate.

I cannot emphasize this step enough. Read these awesome Fashion & Luxury blog posts, go on other MBA news coverage websites, and watch videos posted by Stern about the program! A lot of times we get questions Stern has already answered (and answered even better than I ever could have) about the culture, scheduling, and opportunities during and after the program. When I was trying to visualize myself in the program, I took to reading about the program from other forums and news outlets to really understand the professors (and their classes offered) and the community Stern encompasses. The videos of students speaking about the International Immersion and the career placement opportunities were a quick google away (and also on the website!) and got me thinking about my own career ambitions post graduation. Just getting back from our Immersion trip in January, my experience was filled with not only meeting with inspiring international industry leaders, but also learning about craftsmanship and luxury supply chain processes. 

3. Reach out!

After you’ve done steps 1 & 2, it’s time to reach out to us! (click here). Hot tip: It’s always so impressive when it’s clear a prospective student has done their research before contacting current students. It’s clear through your thoughtful questions that you’re genuinely interested in the program, which makes our time to speak with you that much more helpful! We will always do our best to answer your questions, and can segue to our fellow incredible classmates that may be better suited to answer your questions. This is a great opportunity to get that next level of understanding of the program and professionals it attracts– fulfilling that final piece of the puzzle in your journey of understanding if Stern’s Fashion & Luxury MBA program is right for you.

4. Write it out.

Finally, after all the investigating, I took to writing out my thoughts. I weighed out themes based on how important it was to my MBA experience (i.e. Location: NYC, Score: A+, Importance: 5/5). I know, I know, this might seem excessive to some, but it helped me make my decision that much easier and feel that much more logical because I was able to balance the qualitative and quantitative aspects for choosing the perfect MBA culture for me. As I said in the beginning of this blog post, there really is no perfect way to learn more about a program, as long as you make sure you investigate from every angle, giving you the confidence in making a decision for the next chapter of your career!

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Networking with Alumni & Current Students

Cindy Wang is a current Fashion & Luxury MBA student, specializing in Luxury Marketing, Business Analytics, and Strategy. Prior to Stern, she was at Tiffany & Co. as the Jewelry Supply Chain Analyst for the High Jewelry, Diamond Collections side for the last 3 years. This role solidified her interest and aspiration to continue in the luxury & retail industry.

 

 

 

Network. Network. Network. This is probably something we’ve all heard about and have ingrained in our brains ever since undergrad. I’m sure with our extensive research of business schools, we agree with the general consensus that B School is all about networking (and the memories and new friends, of course). Located in NYC, a retail and luxury capital, I knew that Stern would, no doubt, expand my professional network to build lasting relationships with alumni and industry experts.

Alumni

The alumni network at Stern is INCREDIBLE. Just one semester in, and I’ve already met a myriad of alumni who have such interesting career paths. From the CFO of Bonobos to a Senior Manager at Accenture, our Immersion classes have been nothing short of amazing for building new connections. The process of networking is more organic and less daunting thanks to these Stern created experiences. The interactions between the alumni guest speakers and my classmates spark up interesting perspectives and allow us to have intellectual and fun conversations!

After each guest speaker, I usually connect with them on LinkedIn to build my network. They are all quick to connect and are very open to speak with you about their time at Stern and their career paths. I’ve scheduled meetings to speak with the alumni and they were all generous with their time and open to speaking more about the industry as well as school and career trajectories. They are always so intrigued with our program since it’s relatively new so it’s definitely a great conversation starter!

Our cohort was also able to set up an event with the last cohort at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was super fun to all get together to visit the Costume Institute Exhibits and hang out on the rooftop. This was such a great way to meet the alumni who graduated just before we started and to get their perceptions of the program, as well as any tips and tricks they could share with us. I would highly suggest reaching out to the program’s past cohorts to set up an event and get to know each other!

Current Students

My cohort is incredibly talented. They come from diverse backgrounds and each of them brings a unique perspective to our classroom discussions. We’ve spent the last 3 months together everyday and I am constantly learning something new. We have people from consulting, editorial, and finance backgrounds, and it’s been so fascinating to learn what each person did in their previous roles. 

I’ve gained so much more insight into the fashion and luxury industry since joining the program and a large part of it comes from my classmates.  My cohort is one of the best resources; whether it is setting up time to speak about their career or introducing me to a coworker, my classmates have offered support and opened me to more networking opportunities beyond what I imagined.

Stern will help you embrace networking–your first semester will be figuring out how to connect and learn from alumni and your classmates, but you’ll be an expert in no time! With so many opportunities to foster a natural relationship with people, Stern offers an environment of open communication and excitement through these connections. Through this supportive program, you will meet the best of the best and everyone is willing to get to know you and just have an open conversation!

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Unparalleled Exposure to Industry Execs

Ana Laura Aguiar is a Fashion & Luxury MBA Candidate, specializing in Luxury Marketing, Strategy and Management. Ana Laura holds a BA in Fashion Design from the Istituto Europeo di Design Rome and has over eight years of experience in the fashion industry.

 

 

 

 

Learning to Network

Networking really seems to be the golden rule for a successful MBA program. However, “networking”, or “cold calling” can feel overwhelming for some of us, and I, personally, was wary of how to even start reaching out to people. Last year, alumni were advising us to have at least one coffee chat every two weeks, and during orientation we were already working on our elevator pitches. It all seemed extremely complicated, but here comes one of the most amazing things about the Fashion & Luxury program —they bring the industry to you!

From our very first day at Stern, we were immediately introduced to powerhouses in the fashion and beauty industries. I remember how exhausted I was coming home after a cocktail hour where we met the NYU Fashion & Luxury Council —these people were SO interesting, you went out of your way to speak to and learn about as many people as you possibly could. Immediately after that, when classes started, we continued to be introduced to panelists, speakers and lecturers working in our dream brands or holding our dream positions. From luxury to fashion, from marketing to buying, we were exposed to different paths, opinions, and points of view. 

C-Suite Mentorship

The mentorship through the council is a unique advantage of Stern. We were each assigned a mentor, and they were each assigned one mentee, which meant they were willing to give us all the attention we needed and to really go that extra mile to connect us with their own precious networks. My peers and I have been getting all kinds of advice from our mentors, from what career path to choose to what companies they recommend we apply to post-graduation. Getting this close and having these casual conversations with VPs, C-suite or multi-hyphenate fashion experts is an experience I had not personally ever had before.

Constant Exposure

One day, I was late to my afternoon class. I am honestly never late, but because of an allergy problem, I came in rushing to my last Accounting class of the semester. I walked into Stern and made my way to room 1-70. In front of me was my Accounting professor and another Italian man. Professor Bonacchi heard my shoes clacking on the floor and looked back, he stopped, and said “This is Ana Laura, she is Brazilian but speaks perfect Italian! She is a strong candidate for you!” That’s when I realized I was being personally introduced to the CFO of the second biggest luxury brand in the world, who happened to be the guest speaker that day. This may be a silly example, but I want to illustrate that these opportunities really come to you at Stern, and not only in conventional ways. I reached out to him, and have since spoken to his HR representative in North America.

Now, I don’t mean to say it isn’t hard work or that everything is handed to you on a silver platter, but in terms of industry exposure, this program really does make meeting and networking with industry professionals as easy as it can be. Through panels and company visits, projects where you directly work with amazing brands, professors and other Stern employees, and even through your own cohort and their extensive network, the industry is at your fingertips when you’re a Fashion & Luxury MBA student at Stern.

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Community in the Fashion & Luxury MBA

Jennifer Rice comes to NYU Stern with over six years of experience as a Design Director in sustainability and performance brands. After working as a designer for shoes and ready-to-wear at Zero + Maria Cornejo, she went on to start up her own consulting company in 2021, aligning new and established brands with partners across the east coast for brand development and production services. Jennifer is currently recruiting for Management Consulting roles and is an active member of SWIB, SISA, MCA, and Gridiron. Aside from work and school, Jennifer enjoys training for half marathons and watching Love Island.

As I climbed the famous Stern stairs on my first day of orientation, my hands were perspiring, and my mind was going a mile a minute. Filled with “what ifs,” I realized I was terrified of this new unknown I was entering. Though I prepared to get into Stern, with all the resume edits, recommendation letters, and GMAT studying, I never “prepared” for the moment I would begin my business school experience. I continued to panic inside my mind, until Joey, who would become a close friend of mine, walked right up to me on day 1 and couldn’t have been kinder and more relatable. I could feel my shakes subside as we discussed our previous careers and airline preferences. I was making my first B-school friend!

This experience I just described continued 22 more times that day and the next during orientation. It gave me comfort to realize we were, as High School Musical states “all in this together.” I can confidently say I was blown away by, and comfortable with this cohort by the time our LAUNCH orientation was completed. 

What was even more incredible was the bond we all created during the next few months of our first semester. From birthdays at TAO, to summer potluck rooftop dinners, and late-night zoom study sessions, your cohort becomes, as we’ve called it, FLUX Fam. Not understanding Statistics? You’ll have an entire army behind you ready to teach you covariance until you could lecture on it. Nervous about public speaking? You’ll receive podcasts to help boost your confidence and individuals ready to practice with you. Beyond the academic help, your fellow students will support you through life changes as well. Whether it’s a breakup, an engagement, or COVID finally knocking at your door, this group will be there with care packages and hugs (virtually, of course, if it’s COVID!). 

If you’re reading this blog post, you’re most likely familiar with all the top B-schools marketing their students’ emotional intelligence acuity. During my application process, I took it with a grain of salt. But it’s true – I never experienced this level of support and high emotional intelligence in a community prior to Stern. Being a business school student and a child who set booby traps to discover Santa Claus wasn’t real at 5 years old, I had to investigate why EQ was more than a marketing tactic at Stern. From getting to know all my fellow students in the program, we noticed we had a lot of niche aspects in common. 

  1. Empathy: we all have an exorbitantly high level of empathy for others, the majority reported this was due to life experiences. You’ll learn from your fellow students how they overcame tribulations in their life through the many conversations and late night studying during your time at Stern. 
  2. Investigative/Thinkers: When I say I learn more from my fellow students than the professors themselves, this is not to undermine the incredible education and facetime you receive with the world’s leaders who teach us. The students, though, will ask the questions you never knew to ask or even think! Your perspective on topics and concepts will quite literally expand during your time here. Pretty soon, you’ll also begin to emulate this.
  3. Diverse: In every sense of the word. Different backgrounds, upbringings, tribulations, and successes have filled this 23 student cohort. Every conversation results in a new immeasurable point of view. This aspect alone has sprouted a learning environment far beyond the classroom. . One genius professor at Stern, Dr. Jared Watson, introduced us to the Kruger-Dunning Effect: a cognitive bias in which people wrongly overestimate their knowledge or ability in a specific area. Aka, the more you know, the less your ego is on the matter. This holds true for our group, we all learn from each other, ego removed. It has resulted in incredible conversations and bonding experiences.
  4. Wise: I struggled on how to phrase this one, as I don’t mean wise as in the old man in a rocking chair sharing advice. I mean – wise in the sense that these individuals understand they have so much to learn from others, and they want to share their experiences with you to help you grow..

The community in the Fashion & Luxury MBA program has given me a network of brilliant people, future leaders, and forever friends. 

Good luck and I look forward to meeting you on Campus!

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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!