UTC sophomore marketing major Ellery Alm attended the Vogue College of Fashion undergraduate program in New York City during the summer. Photo courtesy of Ellery Alm.
Imagine working in fashion, living in New York City and learning from Vogue professionals.
This summer, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga sophomore marketing major Ellery Alm turned that dream into reality.
A Knoxville, Tennessee, native, Alm spent four weeks participating in an undergraduate program at Vogue College of Fashion.
Previously offered only in Europe, the program expanded to the United States this year. Alm joined nearly 100 participants selected for the program’s first U.S. cohort.
“It was always just sort of a dream that I would cook up in my brain, but I never thought it would become a reality,” she said. “I feel like I belong.”
Alm’s interest in fashion began during her junior year at Bearden High School after she connected with a friend, who now attends the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, over their shared interest in personal style.
Alm began considering fashion as a career.
“I just kept looking into how I could get involved in fashion in any shape or form,” she said.
Although UTC does not offer a dedicated fashion program, Alm’s academic advisor helped her choose classes that would prepare her for a career in the industry. Alm continued to research opportunities on her own and eventually applied for Vogue’s summer program.
“It’s taught me that you don’t have to go to fashion school to work in fashion,” she said.
While living in New York University’s Coral Towers dorm, Alm spent her days attending class, completing projects and building connections with professionals in the fashion industry. She attended classes Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with classes consisting of lectures, guest speakers and field trips throughout the city.
Some mornings, students traveled directly to their destinations rather than meeting in the classroom, giving them opportunities to experience the fashion and art world firsthand.
“We went to Louis Vuitton, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art,” Alm said.
The program also gave Alm the opportunity to learn directly from industry professionals and apply their advice through hands-on exercises. One exercise, led by Vogue Global Creative Director Parker Hubbard, challenged students to think through situations they might encounter in the industry.
Hubbard presented a situation in which a photographer canceled at the last minute. With a hypothetical deadline approaching, he encouraged students to think creatively, adapt quickly and find solutions under pressure.
“It put us in a real work-life scenario where you needed to come up with a cover for a magazine like Vogue,” Alm said.
For their final capstone project, Alm and her classmates developed an app concept focused on textile waste and the environmental effects of fast fashion. The proposed app was designed to help users make more intentional clothing purchases and avoid buying items they already owned.
“You scan a piece of clothing, and it tells you what’s in it, who made it, where it’s coming from and the material it’s made of,” she said.
After her Vogue experience, Alm said the program gave her confidence to continue pursuing opportunities in the fashion industry. Although she is still exploring her career path, she hopes to combine her interests in fashion and creativity.
Her long-term goal is to work for Vogue or another Condé Nast publication.
For other UTC students interested in pursuing opportunities outside their majors, Alm encouraged them to research programs and be willing to step outside their comfort zones.
“I would say to take the leap of faith and grab hold of your dreams because they don’t have to just be dreams,” Alm said.
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Gary W. Rollins College of Business
All photos courtesy of Ellery Alm
