ABOUT FGI

Fashion Group International is a worldwide membership organization of industry leaders in the fashion, beauty, lifestyle and retail sectors with global headquarters in New York.

ABOUT FGI

Fashion Group International is a worldwide membership organization of industry leaders in the fashion, beauty, lifestyle and retail sectors with global headquarters in New York.

OUR LEGACY

It all began in 1928, when 17 women gathered by Edna Woolman Chase, Editor-in-Chief of Vogue, met for lunch in a modest midtown New York restaurant…

They had three things in common: Each held a job of consequence in the business of fashion, each held all the others in high regard and together they held a belief that fashion needed a forum, a stage, or a force to express and enhance a widening awareness of the American fashion business and of women’s roles in that business.

The Fashion Group®, conceived at an informal luncheon in 1928 became an organization in 1930, with a place, a purpose, by-laws, officers and women eager to be members.

Their first office space was donated by Louis Fairchild in his Women’s Wear Daily building on East 12th Street. The second office space was at 572 Madison Avenue, donated by Harper’s Bazaar. Then in 1934, from the minutes of the Board meeting of October 18: Discussion as to how to meet the rent of the contemplated space in 30 Rockefeller Center included a Fashion Group party using talent within the membership lampooning fashion, to be known as The Fashion Follies™. Today, The Fashion Group® offers membership to all professionals.

SOME OF THOSE FOUNDING AND CHARTER MEMBERS WERE:

Elizabeth Arden
Margaret Case
Eleanor Roosevelt

Helena Rubinstein
Carmel Snow
Edna Woolman Chase

Miss Tobè
Edith Head
Adele Simpson

Claire McCardell
Julia Coburn
Lilly Dache
Nan Duskin
Jessica Daves
Dorothy Shaver

MISSION STATEMENT

The FGI mission is to provide our member network with a forum for discussion and connection across all sectors through programming focused on the industry’s most current and crucial topics, recognition of emerging talent and trends at the zeitgeist of innovation. To open access to industry leaders by offering a platform of resources for business development and career advancement at all levels. We believe that providing a forum for professional development and career advancement unleashes creativity, innovation and advances the business of fashion.

GOALS OF THE ORGANIZATION

To provide a gateway and integration for our members into our diverse network of global, industry communities.

To provide access and connection to other industry leaders.

To create a forum for discussion of important, contemporary issues in the business of fashion.

To present critical information on national and global topics that have an effect on the fashion industries.

To attain greater recognition of emerging talent and provide career support, education and mentorship.

To provide our members access to essential business resources and unique archives.

To provide programs which enhance networking skills and encourage interpersonal contacts so as to further the professional, social and personal development of members.

THE FASHION GROUP FOUNDATION

The mission of the Foundation is: To promote educational programs devoted to fashion and to the study of fashion related businesses through the creation and awarding of scholarships; establishment of internship programs; provision of career counseling services.

Organization and sponsorship of seminars and other educational activities on a national and worldwide basis.

To sponsor public service activities in which the fashion industry works, to serve relevant community needs and concerns and to stimulate and encourage membership and industry participation in such public service activities.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ChairmanJames D’Adamo, Director, New York Public Radio

Vice ChairmanPatrick Valeo – Former CEO, North America for Sergio Tacchini

Chairman EmeritusDonald Loftus

Treasurer Karen Bromley – Principal The Bromley Group, LLC

Secretary Caroline Fabrigas, President & CEO Scent Marketing, Inc

DIRECTORS

Ricardo AlvarPresident of Beauty, Health, Wellness & Strategic Partnerships
JBCHoldings / Janou Pakter

Nancy Berger – Former SVP / Publishing Director Cosmopolitan & Women’s Health / Seventeen

Kathryn Cordes – Former Director of Global Marketing, AlixPartners

Kimberly Carney – Founder & CEO, The Wires

Nicole Fischelis – Fashion, Art Forecaster

Irene Fitzgerald – Executive Vice President, Lividini & Co.

Behnaz Ghahramani – CMO, Old Navy

Debora R. Haines Esq – Advisor, Non-profits organizations

Edwina Kulego – Vice President of International and Business Development and Men’s, Informa Markets Fashion /
Founder, Essentials By Edwina

Jaqui Lividini(Emeritus) CEO, Lividini & Co.

Angela MarianiPresident, C&M Media

Johnathan MossMoss Law NY

Alyce PanicoPresident, Luxe Collective Group

Claudia Poccia – CEO, Grace de Monaco

Matthew Trent – SVP, Human Resources, L’Oreal Luxe

Gary Wassner – CEO / Principal, Hilldun Corp.

OUR FGI TEAM

GLOBAL HEADQUARTERS

MARYANNE GRISZ
President & CEO

MELANIE WOODROFFE
Membership Manager

SARAH RODOWICZ
Regional Services Manager

JAZZ PUREWAL
Special Events Manager

XAVIER VERDEJO
Executive Asst. to the President

GABRIEL AYALA
Graphic Design Lead & Social Media Marketer

CONSULTANTS

LUIS RIVERA
Avante Logic, Founder / CEO
Engineering, Web Development, IT Consultancy

DINA CHENG
Art Director & Designer

ANA MARTINS
Ana Martins Communications Inc.
Marketing & Public Relations

EXPLORE OUR ARCHIVES

Fashion Group’s greatest treasure is the Fashion History Slide Archives that are the largest and most comprehensive anywhere in our world.

Beginning with its charter members in 1930’s, with such women as Edna Woolman Chase, Dorothy Shaver, Claire McCardell, Elizabeth Arden, Helena Rubinstein, Carmel Snow and Eleanor Roosevelt, The Fashion Group has preserved its own history and made this Archive, the most authentic to be found in our industry.

Its records had been preserved in the original office headquarters in Rockefeller Center. The legacy continued in its subsequent location, the landmark Scribner Building, and in its present location, where this huge collection of slides and historic documents is organized and catalogued in the Fashion Group Archive Room.

Because of the overwhelming number of files catalogued, The New York Public Library in New York City has acquired and catalogued most of the Archives, with the exception of the slides. They call it “the core of a Fashion Information Center serving the information needs of one of New York’s major industries.”

Found in their prestigious Special Collections, home for Rare Books and Manuscripts, are The Fashion Group’s printed materials and documents, collected over 6 decades, such as Newsletters and Trend Reports, transcripts of meetings, manuscripts, and original texts of reports and speeches by fashion industry leaders, social commentators, economists, writers, artists, political personalities and stars of the performing arts.