Canterbury Style: Anna G. ’27 and Isabella M. ’27 Experience the Fashion Industry at Vogue College

A Canterbury education isn’t just about the opportunities you have on the hilltop, but the ones you’re empowered to seize beyond it. Earlier this year, Isabella M. ’27 and Anna G. ’27 headed to New York City to explore their passion for fashion at Vogue College of Fashion’s Winter Break program.

An extension of the iconic magazine, Vogue College of Fashion partners with top universities and professionals to offer students both academic rigor and real-world experience. Isabella had attended a different pre-college summer session there and enjoyed it so much she wanted to return over winter break. This time, however, she invited a fellow Saint (and shopping buddy), Anna, to join her.

Every morning, the girls attended lectures featuring guest speakers who offered insight on the business side of fashion. They provided guidance on several essential skills, including crafting a pitch, marketing a brand, identifying target demographics, and more. Their classroom visits were Isabella’s favorite part of the program.

“It was really interesting to hear them talk honestly about their jobs—what their daily lives are like, the challenges they face, and how they got into the industry,” she says.

Afternoons were dedicated to working on their project of creating a brand or service to present to a guest critic. Anna’s group drew inspiration from a classroom lecture.

“Something I learned in the program is that we already have enough clothing in the world for the next six generations,” she explains. “So our brand’s mission was to repurpose secondhand clothes and give people a personalized fashion identity.”

Both Anna and Isabella say they are interested in fashion careers, but in different ways. Isabella, inspired by famous houses like Vivienne Westwood and Prada, plans to attend a fashion school to study design. Anna is more interested in the business side of the fashion industry.

“I’m interested in the psychology of the industry: why do people buy what they buy? How do brands market their clothes?” she says. “Learning more about that and thinking about how I could was exciting.

“The experience of hearing from experts is something you can’t really get anywhere else,” Isabella agrees. “Hearing those real stories helped everyone understand the different paths people can take.”
Wherever the fashion industry takes them, we can’t wait to see what Anna and Isabella have in mind for our closets in the future.