November 23rd marked John Molson School of Business' first ever Fashion Marketing Day, where attendees were given the opportunity to listen to presentations made by notable names in Montreal fashion. Concordia's business school played host to ELLE Magazine representatives, Beyond the Rack co-founder David Gold, the Montreal bloggers behind the renowned culture blog "Fierconista", and representatives from Dylan Ribkoff, a company based in Montreal that designs men's underwear.
The event also included a networking cocktail, where participants got the chance to get up close and personal with the representatives, to ask questions, learn about the industry and, potentially, set up opportunities for the future.
As most were there from a marketing perspective, I immediately found myself learning different things than everyone else. I got the chance to ask the representatives different questions than everyone else, and found myself with many different answers. Josh Leibgott from Dylan Ribkoff said the event was "all about networking, meeting new people, and building relationships." As a graduate of John Molson from their marketing program, he knew first hand the importance of events like this. Dylan Ribkoff, founded a year and a half ago, designs fashionable men's underwear, and hopes to gain even more popularity as the company continues to build. This, I thought, was a very similar situation to that of a journalist. Relationships and networking are key to the industry, and without them a career can't skyrocket. Fashion is no different.
The bloggers from fierconista.com, who are both successful bloggers and students of marketing and business, also found a direct correlation between the two industries. "We know how to market our website and get attention." This methodology proved successful for their blog, which expresses their love for fashion, culture, and nightlife in Montreal. "We're just going to talk about what we love," they said. Because they don't get paid from any other institution or company, they are allowed to make their blog more "outside the box." They've decided to stick to that, despite their educational backgrounds in finance, and it has been working for them, as their blog has garnered attention from many large companies and done a money-free collaboration with Beyonce.
David Gold, from Beyond the Rack, talked to me about his relationship with the press and the local community. "We like to support the local people. We've been very fortunate that we've been able to grow in Montreal, because this is our home market, and we like to support all different types of colleges." And, in terms of the media aspect, "we do as much PR as possible. We have a sweet PR department, and they're out there hustling, trying to get into every newspaper and every TV station."
What did I learn from my experience at Fashion Marketing Day? That fashion and journalism have a lot in common. Networking is key, and the two really do go hand in hand. I was truly inspired to follow my passion and trust my ideas, and provided with concrete examples of success. And, as someone who loves fashion and yearns for a future in journalism, that was all I could have asked for.
The event also included a networking cocktail, where participants got the chance to get up close and personal with the representatives, to ask questions, learn about the industry and, potentially, set up opportunities for the future.
As most were there from a marketing perspective, I immediately found myself learning different things than everyone else. I got the chance to ask the representatives different questions than everyone else, and found myself with many different answers. Josh Leibgott from Dylan Ribkoff said the event was "all about networking, meeting new people, and building relationships." As a graduate of John Molson from their marketing program, he knew first hand the importance of events like this. Dylan Ribkoff, founded a year and a half ago, designs fashionable men's underwear, and hopes to gain even more popularity as the company continues to build. This, I thought, was a very similar situation to that of a journalist. Relationships and networking are key to the industry, and without them a career can't skyrocket. Fashion is no different.
The bloggers from fierconista.com, who are both successful bloggers and students of marketing and business, also found a direct correlation between the two industries. "We know how to market our website and get attention." This methodology proved successful for their blog, which expresses their love for fashion, culture, and nightlife in Montreal. "We're just going to talk about what we love," they said. Because they don't get paid from any other institution or company, they are allowed to make their blog more "outside the box." They've decided to stick to that, despite their educational backgrounds in finance, and it has been working for them, as their blog has garnered attention from many large companies and done a money-free collaboration with Beyonce.
David Gold, from Beyond the Rack, talked to me about his relationship with the press and the local community. "We like to support the local people. We've been very fortunate that we've been able to grow in Montreal, because this is our home market, and we like to support all different types of colleges." And, in terms of the media aspect, "we do as much PR as possible. We have a sweet PR department, and they're out there hustling, trying to get into every newspaper and every TV station."
What did I learn from my experience at Fashion Marketing Day? That fashion and journalism have a lot in common. Networking is key, and the two really do go hand in hand. I was truly inspired to follow my passion and trust my ideas, and provided with concrete examples of success. And, as someone who loves fashion and yearns for a future in journalism, that was all I could have asked for.