Fashion Mingle provides young professionals and students with a once-in-a-lifetime experience to get real-world experience in the New York fashion industry. Participants are mentored by experienced fashion industry professionals during insider tours and behind-the-scenes access to fashion week.
Exclusive NYFW Backstage Access
Fashion Mingle has managed NYFW backstage teams for over 20 seasons and we love sharing our access for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Participants will work backstage and gain experience in fashion show production.
Students will learn how setup backstage and front of house, prepare collections, dress models, manage press and fashion show attendees, and create content and post to social media.
Working backstage in a fashion show is an experience that provides hands-on learning and essential knowledge about the fashion industry. Witness the fast-paced and creative environment backstage fuels passion and inspires students, paving the way for a rewarding career in the dynamic world of fashion.
From assisting with garment preparation to collaborating with industry professionals, participants will have a deep understanding of fashion show production.
Working front of house in a fashion show is a transformative experience, providing invaluable insights into the fashion industry and cultivating essential skills.
From managing guests and seating arrangements to observing the creative process, this role offers a firsthand understanding of event management, networking opportunities, and the fusion of design elements.
LUXURY TOUR
Dover Street Market
Dover Street Market is a high-end fashion retail store known for its avant-garde approach to fashion retail. With over 100 brands, the store showcases many emerging and independent designers while also featuring luxury brands such as Prada, Bottega Veneta, and Gucci.
In addition to its New York location, there are also Dover Street Market stores in London, Tokyo, Beijing, and Los Angeles.
The Museum at Fashion Institute of Technology
The Museum at FIT has a permanent collection of more than 50,000 garments and accessories dating from the eighteenth century to the present. The exhibits include important designers such as Balenciaga, Chanel, Dior, Halston, Yves Saint Laurent, and Vivienne Westwood to name a few.
Mood Fabrics 5th Ave & Madison Flagship Stores
After seeing the exhibits at the Museum at FIT, our tour of 5th Ave and Madison Ave luxury flagship stores will allow students to see where the brands are now. Students will learn how brands merchandise to increase sales and see the latest collections at their Flagship stores.
We will tour stores such as Dior and the Marc Jacobs Flagship, visiting some our fav Instagrammable stores.
Garment District Tour
Mood Fabrics
Featured in Project Runway, Mood Fabrics is the number-one shopping destination for fashion fabric in the world. The NYC flagship store alone hosts more than 1,200 customers a day.
Students will explore the floor and discover the latest trends in fabrics and textiles and get swatches of fabrics for their mood board.
Apparel Production
We will tour New York City’s leading garment manufacturer and supplier. Apparel Production has been a staple of New York City’s Garment Center for over 70 years working with iconic brands such as Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, and Kenneth Cole.
They offer services for small brands and emerging designers, as well as full private label production from start to finish.
Macy’s
Students will explore one the world's largest department stores at Macy's Flagship at Hearld Square. With over a million square feet of space, the store has 10 floors of designer brands, restaurants, and services.
We’ll tour the accessories and apparel departments and refresh and refuel in the on site restaurant of your choice.
Mentor Luncheon
Elevate your fashion school's curriculum with ALL ACCESS to the New York Fashion Week Experience! Our program connects your students with industry experts who offer personalized guidance on preparing collections for this iconic event. From one-on-one mentorship sessions to insightful workshops, we provide flexible options tailored to your school's schedule and requirements. Empower your students to thrive in the fast-paced world of fashion with our immersive New York Fashion Week program.
Melissa Shea
Fashion Mingle
Melissa Shea is CEO of Fashion Mingle, a global network for fashion industry professionals. Melissa has produced events from Times Square to the Sydney Opera House, and has over a decade of fashion show production experience at New York Fashion Week.
Suzanna Moyer
Creative Director
Susanna is a Professor at Parsons and FIT, and the founder of Global Fashion Mentorship. She has worked for high profile brands such as Christian Dior Paris and Liz Claiborne, as well as creating her own collection selling to Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and over 250 stores.
Lori Riviere
The Riviere Agency
Lori is the owner of a boutique PR and event production agency with offices in New York City and Miami. The Riviere Agency produces fashion shows for New York Fashion Week, Miami Swim Week, London Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week.Jason Linkow
Creative Director & Hair Stylist
Jason approaches projects with a philosophy of imparting an emotional feeling into each creation. His work has been featured in Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, and more. His celebrity clients include Donna Karan,, Patricia Field, and Ashanti.Oliver Archer
Fashion & Lifestyle Photographer
Oliver specializes in advertising campaigns, editorial stories, and runway. His clients include Vogue, Adweek, New York Makeup Academy, and has shot events for Covergirl, SXSW, and New York Fashion Week.Sample Schedule
Wednesday, Sep 4 • NYFW Luncheon & Panel Discussion
Meet New York fashion week industry professionals who will share their knowledge of designing a collection worthy of the catwalks in New York, London, Paris, and Milan.
You will learn how to organize a fashion show production, from modeling, styling, and photography. Students will meet with mentors in small group settings where they can ask questions directly and get career advice.
Thursday, Sep 5 • Fashion Merchandising Luxury Tour
Our day will focus on inspiration! We will tour Flagship stores on 5th Avenue and Madison Avenue to discover innovative merchandising strategies from the world’s top luxury brands such as Dior, Chanel, and Marc Jacobs.
We will discover new avant-garde independent designers at Dover Street Market and learn how to price our collection as an independent fashion brand in comparison to price points of the market’s luxury brands such as Prada, Bottega Veneta, and Gucci.
Then we will compare and contrast the legacies of the luxury brands we saw with a tour at the iconic Fashion Institute of Technology Museum to see historical collections of the world’s most iconic designers.
Friday, Sep 6 • Garment District Tour
We will go behind-the-scenes at NYC’s leading garment manufacturer to learn how brands like Victoria Beard, Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein work with manufacturers to create their collections.
We will visit MOOD Designer Fabrics of Project Runway fame for a tour to learn how to choose fabrics for their fashion week collection and integrate swatches into a digital mood board.
Then we will end the day at the largest Macy's department store in the world to learn the history, marketing concepts, merchandising, and visual techniques of their Flagship store.
Saturday, Sep 7 • Backstage at NYFW
Work behind-the-scenes at fashion week dressing models, assisting with hair and makeup, and event production.
You will have the opportunity of a lifetime to learn how to produce a fashion show from start to finish. Every effort will be made to secure passes to see a fashion show as a guest or front of house team.