I am so excited to be hopping on a red-eye tomorrow night (well, that part isn’t so great) to head to New York City for a few days. I’m there specifically to speak on an alumni panel for Pitzer College (one of the Claremont Colleges), a free-thinking, social-responsibility focused tiny weirdo liberal arts college where I once had to write a paper connecting Irish Dancing to the historical craft of gun-making. Quirkiness of that one freshman seminar assignment aside, it was through the flexibility of Pitzer that I was able to wrangle a study abroad trip to the London College of Fashion as part of my media studies degree. And it was through that experience, as well as classes in feminist thought, art and film, that my first inquiries into the academic study of fashion occurred.
Much to my glee and surprise, a small handful of other alums have also ventured into the fashion industry, and these are some serious success stories:
Tim Schifter ’80 is chair and CEO of Schifter + Partners, an accessories company he founded with Gwen Stefani. Together, they design and manufacture handbags, small leather goods and computer accessories under the L.A.M.B. and Harajuku Lovers brands. Following his graduation from Pitzer as a political science major, Schifter started his fashion career at LeSportsac, which was founded by his father. He took the reins when his father retired, and grew LeSportsac into a $100 million company.
Honor Brodie ’93 joined Tory Burch in 2008 as Editor in Chief where she currently oversees the look, feel and content of toryburch.com as well as the brand’s social media. She graduated from Pitzer College with a degree in American Studies. She began her career at the talent agency, International Creative Management. In 1995, she switched to working in magazines—first at the Los Angeles bureau of Vanity Fair and then at In Style. As In Style’s West Coast Correspondent, she covered the red carpet and booked celebrities. In 1999 she was promoted to Senior Writer to write features and cover stories. In 2001 she moved to the New York office where as Assistant Managing Editor she conceptualized, assigned and edited many of the magazine’s most popular issues.
Elysha Lenkin ’93 has been a New York City-based fashion stylist for over 10 years. Throughout her career she has worked with a variety of clients including major brands; AT&T and Huggies, retail stores; Aeropostale and TJ Maxx, popular magazines; Parents and Time Out, and celebrities; like Tina Fey and Carrie Underwood to name a few. Before entering the world of fashion, Elysha was a contributing journalist for trend-setting magazines URB and Index. She started styling upon the insistence of her photographer friends, who recognized Elysha’s eye for style and knack for spotting trends in fashion, music and travel.
This is going to be an amazing event, so if you are interested, please consider grabbing a ticket. PS – there are some amazing door prizes and gift bags, you are sure to learn a lot about the industry, go home with some sweet swag, and perhaps I’ll tell you about “Swanky Mondays,” which included dressing up in our prom-style finery and acting out parts of Dirty Dancing in dorm hallways. Oh college.
