“For the love of fashion” is the motto that unites the students of Fashion in Business at the University of Utah. The student-run organization works to boost its members’ academic and professional careers through the different elements of the fashion industry.
FIB was founded in 2020 in the David Eccles School of Business. When it first started, the group was mostly tailored to business students, focusing on fashion’s function in the business world. It has since expanded to include events and resources that cater to students of all majors.
Isabella Nibley, community engagement officer for FIB and international relations and economics major at the U, said it gives anyone who enjoys fashion the chance to collaborate and network.
“Fashion is a form of creative expression, and it can say a lot,” Nibley said. “I think that there’s a lot of symbolism that can go into fashion as well as the community that it brings together.”
Dulce Vargas, events director for FIB and business major at the U, said fashion is an easy bonding point because it’s an accessible way to show an individual’s identity.
“It makes a uniting cause because we all wear clothes,” Vargas said. “It says quite a bit about us, especially when you’re on the creative side.”
FIB’s wide array of events gives students opportunities for professional growth. Vargas said their roots in the business school drive the group to find fun ways to help their members’ career development.
“We’re always like, ‘Okay, how can we connect the dots and help our members build their own professional development?’” Vargus said.
In March 2023, the group hosted a LinkedIn workshop where attendees could take business professional headshots to update their LinkedIn profiles. They also held an Adobe Skills Workshop where they taught students how to use Adobe software to create fashion-inspired content and develop creative portfolios in November 2022.
The group regularly puts on events like member socials, movie nights and creative workshops to give members the chance to make connections and friendships.
“We like to keep a balance of professional development and just kind of like fun activities,” Vargas said.
One of FIB’s greatest emphases within fashion is sustainability. The group encourages members to explore their sense of style through second-hand clothing and thrifting as a more eco-conscious approach to fashion. They host recurring clothing swap events where students can bring clothing pieces they no longer wear and trade them in for something new.
FIB’s biggest event is its annual fashion show. The fashion show is held on campus and brings together creative minds from the campus community and beyond.
Nibley said the group puts the most time into this event because it gives artists in the community a platform to share their passion and creativity.
“The fashion show is a great way to bring in a bunch of different people,” Nibley said. “I think there’s not a lot of opportunities for students to like showcase their work to big crowds. So, I think that it’s a really fun way to do that because it’s completely student-run.”
FIB hosted its first fashion show in January 2023. After seeing students’ enthusiasm for the event and how well the show aligned with the group’s goals, they decided to make it a recurring event.
The second annual “By U, For You” fashion show was held in February 2024 in collaboration with the Union Programming Council. FIB had the goal to make this fashion show bigger and better than the last.
According to a post on LinkedIn, the event drew in over 850 attendees. The show featured works from 10 local designers with help from 50 models, many of whom are students at the U. They also hosted over a dozen vendors.
Becoming a member of FIB is easy. Nibley explained all it takes is coming to their events. There are no required meetings and event information is shared on their Instagram.
“You don’t have to be involved in business or fashion,” Nibley said. “I feel like it’s been a great networking thing for me, I’ve made so many friends, I’ve met so many different types of people.”
Vargas said being a part of FIB has helped her find her community on campus.
“That is the beauty of it — really being able to build your network from a club where you guys all share that interest,” Vargas said.
The post Students Find Community and Professional Growth through Fashion first appeared on The Daily Utah Chronicle.