New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and 92nd Street Y today launched NYC Fashion Fellows, a year-long fellowship program designed for rising stars in fashion management. Twenty fellows will receive executive-level mentoring, networking and community-building opportunities, and continuing education and career advancement workshops with industry professionals and their peers. The program will help fellows achieve the next stage of growth for their personal careers, advance their value to their current employers, and strengthen the community of fashion professionals as a whole. NYC Fashion Fellows will be supported by an advisory committee responsible for reviewing the final selection of fellows, recruiting mentors, and hosting sessions for the fellows throughout the year. The advisory committee includes Richard Darling, CEO of LF USA; Diane von Furstenberg, Chairman and Founder, Diane von Furstenberg Studio L.P., and President, Council of Fashion Designers of America; Terry Lundgren, Chairman, President and CEO of Macy’s, Inc.; Fern Mallis, President, Fern Mallis LLC; and Andrew Rosen, CEO of Theory.

“The launch of NYC Fashion Fellows will build upon the success of our Fashion.NYC.2020 plan, which is already helping to cultivate and grow New York City’s critically important fashion industry,” said Kristy Sundjaja, Head of Industry Transformation Teams Department at NYCEDC. “This program will advance these ongoing efforts by providing valuable mentorship as well as networking opportunities, enabling us to develop the City’s fashion leaders of the future.”

“Central to 92Y’s mission is enriching lives, creating community and engaging with the best and brightest minds on the cultural landscape,” says Sol Adler, Executive Director of 92nd Street Y. “We recognize the importance of fashion to the city’s cultural fabric, and we are thrilled to be participating with NYCEDC on the NYC Fashion Fellows program. It’s a perfect complement to existing programs at 92Y, such as the Fashion Icons with Fern Mallis series, the semi-annual State of Style Summit with StyleCaster, and our fashion-focused summer camp, Passport NYC. Participating in NYC Fashion Fellows gives us the opportunity to broaden the reach and impact of these programs, with an eye toward the future of this vital New York industry.”

“Fashion is an industry that thrives on a constant flow of new ideas, techniques and perspectives. Through the NYC Fashion Fellows program, designers, brands and retailers based in our city can have ready access to the very best up-and-coming talent. We can be exposed to emerging innovation from across the country and around the world. Likewise, our Fashion Fellows enjoy unprecedented access to the industry leaders here in the global center for fashion, design and retail management. This interaction will help New York City keep its edge, while providing a competitive advantage to the high-potential individuals who will lead the fashion industry in the future,” said Terry Lundgren, Chairman, President and CEO of Macy’s, Inc.

“By recognizing and supporting rising stars in fashion management, NYC Fashion Fellows ensures that the City’s fashion industry continues to be served by the best leadership talent in the decades to come, in turn preserving New York City’s position as the fashion capital of the world. I am thrilled and honored to partner with the City and my fellow industry leaders in supporting this initiative,” said Andrew Rosen, CEO of Theory.

To be considered for the fellowship, candidates must have at least five years of work experience and currently work at NYC-based companies or internationally-based companies with US headquarters in NYC. They must be nominated by a current supervisor or business associate; the deadline for nominations is September 28, 2012. Once nominated, applicants will have until October 5 to submit their resume and basic information via an online form. In addition, they will have to complete a questionnaire comprised of five short essay questions, which is due by October 15. NYC Fashion Fellows will be announced in early December 2012.

To find out more about NYC Fashion Fellows and to submit a nomination, go to http://www.nycfashionfellows.org.

NYC Fashion Fellows will have the opportunity to attend relevant programming at 92Y, including the semi-annual StyleCaster’s State of Style Summit; the Fashion Icons series with Fern Mallis; and Captains of Industry, a series of interviews with business leaders. Throughout the fellowship, fellows will also participate in educational seminars and skill-building workshops as well as breakfasts with fashion industry CEOs.

Each fellow will be paired with a mentor from a pool consisting of 20 top executives from across the fashion world. Mentors and fellows will meet at least four times throughout the program for one-on-one executive-level mentoring. Fellows will be matched with mentors who will be able to provide them with relevant industry insights as well as guidance on how to achieve their individual goals. Mentors will provide fellows with insight, knowledge, feedback, and alternative perspectives and expose them to their network of contacts.

NYC Fashion Fellows is one of six initiatives that resulted from Mayor Bloomberg’s Fashion.NYC.2020 plan, which is designed to sustain and grow the fashion industry in New York. The fashion industry employs 173,000 people in New York City, accounting for 5.7 percent of the City’s workforce, and generating nearly $2 billion in tax revenue annually. In addition, the City is home to one of the world’s largest wholesale fashion markets, which attracts more than 500,000 visitors a year to its trade shows, showrooms and retail stores. The Fashion.NYC.2020 initiatives address the industry’s challenges in two ways: by further positioning the City as a hub of innovation for emerging designers as well as specialty and multi-channel retail, and by attracting the next generation of design, management and merchant talent. The industry chairs for Fashion.NYC.2020 are Richard Darling, CEO of LF USA; Diane von Furstenberg, Chairman and Founder, Diane von Furstenberg Studio L.P., and President, Council of Fashion Designers of America; Terry Lundgren, Chairman, President and CEO of Macy’s, Inc.; Andrew Rosen, CEO of Theory; and Kevin Ryan, CEO of Gilt Groupe.

About NYCEDC

New York City Economic Development Corporation is the City’s primary vehicle for promoting economic growth in each of the five boroughs. NYCEDC’s mission is to stimulate growth through expansion and redevelopment programs that encourage investment, generate prosperity and strengthen the City’s competitive position. NYCEDC serves as an advocate to the business community by building relationships with companies that allow them to take advantage of New York City’s many opportunities. Find us on Facebook to learn more about NYCEDC projects and initiatives.

About 92nd Street Y

92nd Street Y is a world-class nonprofit community and cultural center that connects people at every stage of life to the worlds of education, the arts, health and wellness, and Jewish life. Through the breadth and depth of 92Y’s extraordinary programs, we enrich lives, create community and elevate humanity. 92Y’s lectures and conversations series present the best minds of our time – national and international political leaders; artists and entertainers; journalists; business leaders; scholars and many others – engaging in open dialogue on a huge range of topics. More than 300,000 people visit 92Y’s New York City venues annually, and millions more join us through the Internet, satellite broadcasts and other digital media. A proudly Jewish organization since its founding in 1874, 92Y embraces its heritage and enthusiastically welcomes people of all backgrounds and perspectives. 92Y is an open door to extraordinary worlds.
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Learn more about NYC Fashion at the NYFashion.org website.