New York Fashion Week

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Wildcats in New York

Each semester, undergraduates at Arizona compete to go behind the scenes at New York Fashion Week. 

Will you be the next Wildcat to win?

The fashion industry is made up of more than designers and clothing. There is innovation, technology, finance, marketing, communication, analytics and trends, and much more.

Through a collaboration between University of Arizona Trademarks & Licensing and the Norton School of Family & Consumer Sciences, students at Arizona compete to go behind the scenes at New York Fashion Week. And each semester, Wildcats set the bar higher for each other and their peers nationally with their design pitches, business analytics, and professionalism.

All Students, Regardless of Major, are Welcome to Apply!

Love fashion? Or the business of fashion? Tell us about it! Your pitch could land you a unique chance to go behind the scenes, gain exposure, experience select runway shows, participate in on-the-job shadowing with retailers and talk to top leaders in the fashion industry.

New York Fashion Week Experience Fall 2025 Updates

To be considered for the competition:

Submit a personal statement to licensing@arizona.edu and include the following:

  • The email subject line should read: “YOUR NAME” and NYFW Statement.
  • Why you would be an exceptional representative for the University of Arizona? Include how this experience will impact your professional goals.
  • The email should also include a copy of your Unofficial U of A Transcript or transcript from another accredited university.
  • Two letters of reference - these can be from professors at the university (that are not judging the competition) former/current managers/supervisors, or advisors.

Dates & Deadlines

Application Phase

  • Applications for the Fall 2025 experience are closed. Stay tuned for the Spring 2026 application opening in Fall 2025.
  • March 3rd: Selection of students advancing to the In-Person Presentation

Presentations Phase

  • April 4th: Presentations - this year there will be 2 presentation options
  • April 8th: Winners announced
  • Fall 2025: NYFW Trip

Fall 2024: NYFW Experience  

Two University of Arizona students won the unique opportunity to go behind the scenes at New York Fashion Week Fall ’24, gaining firsthand insight into the fashion industry. As part of their experience, they attended the SIMKHAI fashion show at The Edge.

Beyond the runway, the students participated in insightful panels with industry executives, learning about different career paths in fashion.

 

New York Fashion Week Worthy

Fall 2024 Experience Highlights

Our Fall 2024 winners stood out because of their creativity, passion and professionalism. Their trip was jam-packed with runway shows, fashion brand visits and hands-on experiences at the Champion Flagship Store, panel talks with Amazon retail executives, industry networking and more!

Linnea Berggren

Major: Fashion Industry’s Science & Technology

“It was a really great weekend. We got to learn a lot. We had a few different panels with different groups of executives from a couple of different companies that gave us a good overview of different kinds of jobs that we might see ourselves doing in the future. We had a panel with some executives at Amazon. It was really cool, learning from people who are so high up, and just getting to talk to them about their positions at Amazon, which is just such a huge brand.”

Linnea Berggren
Grace Millich

Grace Millich

Majors: Marketing and Fashion Studies

“We saw Simkhai at the Edge, and it was so cool. I think my favorite look was the last dress. The whole collection was inspired by his mother’s wedding dress. It was a great first runway experience for sure! I would say my favorite part of the weekend was maybe the Simkhai show. I also got to meet Suni Lee! I also loved going to the Championship Flagshipstore. I really liked customizing my own piece, and everyone's turned out so cool and different and so unique to them.”

Spring 2024: NYFW Experience  

Pablo and London visited the Champion flagship store in New York, where they customized clothing with embroidery and patches. Later, they attended the Badgley Mischka fashion show, capturing the excitement outside with photographers and stylish attendees. Inside, they were amazed by the collection, praising the vibrant colors, intricate dress structures, and elegant movement of the designs. 

 

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Why Participate


Past winners of this unique competition have not only added the experience to their resume, but many made connections that they would never have had otherwise to start their fashion industry careers right after graduation!

You have nothing to lose and everything to win:

  • Gain firsthand exposure to the fashion industry.
  • Meet industry leaders and executives.
  • Experience top fashion shows and networking events.
  • Explore various career paths within the fashion world.

 Take the next step in your fashion career