HONORING OUR HISTORY WHILE WE BRIDGE TO THE FUTURE
OUR HISTORY
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 both men and women.
Some of those Founding and Charter members were:
- Elizabeth Arden
- Margaret Case
- Eleanor Roosevelt
- Helena Rubinstein
- Julia Coburn
- Lilly Dache
- Jessica Daves
- Nan Duskin
- Edith Head
- Eleanor LeMaire
- Claire McCardell
- Clare Potter
- Virginia Pope
- Dorothy Shaver
- Adele Simpson
- Carmel Snow
- Miss Tobé
ABOUT FGI
THE FASHION GROUP INTERNATIONAL IS A GLOBAL, NON-PROFIT, PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION WITH 5000 MEMBERS IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY INCLUDING APPAREL, ACCESSORIES, BEAUTY AND HOME.
FGI 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 advance professionalism in fashion and its related lifestyle industries.
To provide a public forum for examination of important, contemporary issues in the business of fashion.
To present timely information regarding national and global trends that have an effect on the fashion industries.
To attain greater recognition of men’s and women’s achievements in business.
To encourage men and women to seek career opportunities in fashion and related industries.
To provide activities and 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.
STAFF
The Fashion Group International, Inc. is headquartered in New York City.
Marylou Luther, International Fashion Syndicate, Creative Director
Diane Clehane, Madeline Communications, Public Relations & Advertising Sales
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chairman – James D’Adamo
Chairman Emeritus – Donald Loftus
Treasurer – Pam Linton
Secretary – Caroline Fabrigas, President and CEO Scent Marketing, Inc
Ricardo Alvar, President of Beauty, Health, Wellness & Strategic Partnerships
JBCHoldings / Janou Pakter
Karen Bromley, Principal The Bromley Group, LLC
Nancy Berger,(Emeritus) SVP, Publishing Director Cosmopolitan & Women’s Health / Seventeen
Kathryn Cordes, Business Consultant
Diane Crecca, VP – SLS. MRKT & BUS DVLPT Arcade Beauty
Nicole Fischelis, Fashion Art Forecaster
Irene Fitzgerald, Executive Vice President at Lividini & Co.
Dionisio Ferenc, Vice President Global Fine Fragrance
at International Flavors & Fragrances
Behnaz Ghahramani, CEO, Brother Vellies
Joyce Green, Executive Vice President Fashion Chanel
Paul Griffin, CEO & President, SMCP North America
Douglas Hand, Hand Baldachin & Associates LLP
Musa Jackson, Co-founder & Community Liaison Officer, Harlem Festival of Culture
Founder & E.I.C, Ambassador Digital Magazine
Edwina Kulego, Vice President of International and Business Development and Men’s at Informa Markets Fashion
Founder of Essentials By Edwina
Angela Mariani, President C&M Media
Alyce Panico, President Luxe Collective Group
Claudia Poccia, Co-Founder and CEO Dragonfly Sage Corp
Matthew Trent, SVP, LUXE HR & L’Oreal
Rachel Vaisman, Senior Director The RealReal
Patrick Valeo, Business Consultant
Gary Wassner, CEO Principal / Hilldun Corp.
FOUNDATION TRUSTEES
President – Pam Linton
Vice-President – Karen Bromley
Secretary – Maryanne Grisz
James D’Adamo
Caroline Fabrigas, Scent Marketing, Inc.
Marylou Luther, International Fashion Syndicate, Creative Director
Jonathan Moss
Audrey Smaltz
Patricia Underwood, Fashion designer
Constance White, Writer / Author / Style Arbiter Creative Director
Arizona – Sheena Adams
Atlanta – Nancy Flaherty
Boston – Natalie Mason
Chicago – Alex Duffy
Colombia – Catalina Echeverry
Dallas – Nerissa Von Helpenstill
Denver – Kaci Head
Detroit – Sherlyn Fox
Mexico City – Montserrat Messeguer
Minneapolis/St.Paul – Allison Werthmann-Radnich
Philadelphia – Mindy Solkin
San Antonio – Cody Shown
Seattle – Susan Kim
Seoul Korea – Minkyo Jung (Administrative)
So. Florida – Elsa Berman
St. Louis – Allison Hoenes
Toronto – Tania Semper
Washington, DC – Shelby Davis-Sekle
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.