During the fall semester, Ross Retail takes our club members to explore the luxury retail industry within the vibrant city of New York
New York City Trek - Fall 2023
Written by Sam Wright
Ross Retail Club had the privilege of bringing our club members to New York City to meet with various powerhouse companies that rule the fashion industry through Q&A sessions and personal tours. We had the opportunity to explore the iconic city while furthering our knowledge of the luxury fashion industry and strengthening our bond as a club.
Monday
To kick off the first stop on the trek, we were welcomed by the Louis Vuitton Fifth Avenue team. Getting to tour the Fifth Avenue store, as well as a private showroom on the 14th floor, allowed our members to gain insight into the history and culture of Louis Vuitton. It was noted that with its history, Louis Vuitton focuses on maintaining its image as a lifestyle brand rather than solely a luxury retail brand. Through direct client advising, any experience at Louis Vuitton will be catered to the interests of the customers, ensuring satisfaction at the end of their journey. With different meetings with members of their Communications and Talent Acquisition teams, our members gained insight into what it's like to work for such a powerhouse that is Louis Vuitton and how many of them were in our shoes once. Learning more about such an iconic brand as Louis Vuitton was a pleasure, and it was the perfect place to kick off our 2-day journey in the city.
Moving downtown to the World Trade Center, we were greeted by stunning views of lower Manhattan and the financial district. Conde is one of the world's most renowned mass media companies known for its iconic magazines like Vogue, GQ, Teen Vogue, Bon Apetit, and Architectural Digest. Speaking to Chet Seeram and Vanessa Salvaggio, we were delighted to hear about a different side of the fashion industry. Highlight impactful work as one of the most important assets for career readiness; Conde is known for being a successful media company across many industries. They shared with us what it's like to work for a leading company like Conde and how their employees are very proud of what they do and what the company has achieved throughout its history. During our tour, we could see some of the filming and photography studios where they film viral series like GQ’s Lie Detector, some of their podcasts, and the Bon Appetit test kitchen (which was a little unknown surprise). For our members that are more interested in a fashion media career, Conde was the perfect company to gain insight into what their futures might look like.
Tuesday
Every year, we are beyond excited and thankful to meet with the team over at Saks, which is full of Michigan Alumni who were all once in our shoes. We were greeted by a team of 6 Michigan alumni, who all had different journeys prior to coming to Saks. We learned about the shift between Saks and Saks Fifth Avenue, two distinct company parts. Shifting to a digital platform, Saks has become one of the leading online retailers from a major department store. We learned the importance of their values, reflected in their everyday work, which focuses on the customer and accomplishing those goals through others. It was noted that the company’s success is rooted in purpose, people, culture, and the Saks Brand itself. Michigan Alumni Jordyn Staff and Lillie Saperman are recent graduates in their Early Career Development Program and found their success at such an important company through hard work and dedication. Hearing from people who were once in our shoes gave many members hope and confidence in their futures in a fashion industry job.
Last but not least, we were able to tour with Tapestry, who is the parent company of Coach, Kate Spade, and Stuart Weitzman. We got the honor to tour the full facility and see what the Coach Archive Room looked like, which honored the history as well as the new rebranding of the company. Different emphasis was represented within Kate Spade (mental health) and Coachtopia (Sustainability). With their slogan being “stretch what's possible,” these three companies have all been powerhouses in the industry for a reason.
Although many of these companies are very famous and prestigious, it was refreshing to hear and be reminded that we should all be doing what we love. Iconic brands have re-emerged in the past couple of years, and seeing the history behind the brands we all know and love is an experience we will never forget. We are more and more thankful every year for our hardworking club members as well as the beautiful alumni connections that come with being a wolverine that grants us the opportunity to go on this trek every year and gain meaningful experience and connections that will set our members on the right path for successful careers in the luxury fashion and retail industries.
xoxo, RRC