When Students Meet the Industry, Everything Changes

A look at what they can’t learn in a lecture

We travel often with our students, taking them into real-world industry spaces to deepen their understanding of what fashion looks like beyond the classroom. This past May, we were standing on a New York City sidewalk, fresh out of a visit to FutureSnoops—a fashion and cultural trend forecasting platform widely used across the industry. Inside, we’d just heard how their team maps trends up to 24 months in advance through travel, cultural immersion, research, and synthesis. It was deep, future-facing work that doesn’t alway show up classrooms, and it opened our students’ eyes to a corner of the industry they didn’t even know existed.

As we stepped outside, one of our students caught my eye. Her eyes were wide, and she looked a tad overwhelmed. When I asked if she was alright, her one sentence response filled my fashion professor heart: “I just…” she paused, collecting herself.

“I’ve never been able to articulate what I want to do in fashion until now.”

That moment. Full body chills.

This is the why. This is the reason we prioritize exposure. One presentation. One peek behind the curtain. One example of what’s possible—suddenly, a career path clicks into place. And when students find that clarity, everything shifts: their focus, their confidence, their momentum. They walk with purpose.

That’s exposure. But exposure is only part of the equation.

The other half is experience—doing the work, getting your hands dirty, understanding the industry not just as a concept, but as a lived practice. Furthermore, not just doing the job, but saying yes to the doing. Experience is about movement. Forward motion. Showing up, raising your hand, saying YES to being willing to try, assist, attend, observe, or contribute.

Experience is in the yes.

Yes opens doors. Yes teaches. Yes introduces you to people and places and pressures that can’t be captured in a classroom. And yes often leads to the very moments that shape your path.

Of course, some of our students gain this through part-time work. And retail, in particular, is a powerful classroom. Working the sales floor puts you in direct contact with the consumer. You learn what they’re looking for, what they’re missing, how they talk about fit and price and product. You witness human behavior at the intersection of need, style, and identity. From merchandising to management, there’s a front-row seat to the ecosystem of fashion—and for fashion students pursuing any type of industry relevance, that proximity is priceless. While retail isn’t always glamorous, it is transformative.

Experience teaches what can’t be simulated.

It builds confidence, perspective, and a kind of professional literacy that stays with you long after graduation. It’s about participation. Engagement. Curiosity in motion.

Exposure opens the door. Experience helps you walk through it.

Let’s give our students both.

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Your Turn. Let’s Make It Real:

To students:
What’s one one “yes” that changed your path? Or, what’s one opportunity that you would like to seek out? Experience starts with showing up.

To industry partners and peers:
How might you make space for a student to say yes? Whether it’s an invitation, a behind-the-scenes peek, or a small role in a big moment—your openness could help shape a future career.

You know what to do: Drop your thoughts in the comments and then share this with someone who is - or who is shaping - the next generation.

Joyfully,

Charlotte