Business Major, Fashion Minor

click on this image for a closer look at the students!

As a recent graduate, you may be thinking of what comes next. And since you visit my website often, I know that you may be thinking about Fashion as a future career. But, let me put a little twist in your thinking. Have you thought about Business as your major with a minor in Fashion?

I recently visited a business competition/fashion show for UW students attending the Foster School of Business. OM/MKTG 490: Supply Chain Management in the Apparel Industry has a 10-week course with research and design where six teams present their business plans, sample garments which are then made in a California factory and demonstrate their apparel line plans to a panel of fashion and marketing judges including the Director of the course (Mary Ann Odegaard), Assistant Director (Theresa Olson) of the Retail Management Program, Dr. Sam Eldersveld (Information Systems Management), Steve Richie from Union Bay and Shannon West from Costco (to name a few).

The presentation was held at Union Bay’s headquarters overlooking Lake Union. As I was off to another event during the competition I was only able to get a glimpse of the competing teams, Green, Yellow and Purple.

Nervous young men and women presented their designs and marketing plans and answered a 5 minute Q and A. Each of the groups had an amazing opportunity to show industry leaders their new ideas. No, there weren’t any budding Versace’s but maybe an aspiring Junior Executive for Eddie Bauer. Seattle, after all, is not known for it’s cutting edge Haute Couture but it is known for it’s multi-billion dollar corporations. But if you really love fashion and have a head for business, think of the possibilities!