Fashion Speaks Gala

CFIN's annual "Fashion Speaks" Gala brings the Cornell fashion community together for a discussion concerning current events in the fashion space. The gala was initiated in 2015 by FSAD alum Lily Gunn Townsend '01 to be held in honor of a fellow alum, Tina Passalacqua ’02, who was recovering from a brainstem injury. Now, Cornell students and professors dress to impress for this elegant event. Each year, CFIN chooses a topical theme and brings in relevant speakers and FSAD alumni to share their industry experiences and create an open dialogue surrounding the gala theme.

Want to Sponsor Our Annual Gala?

We greatly accept both financial donations was well as product donations for our raffle at the gala. Please email cornellfashionnetwork@gmail.com and we will send you our sponsorship and product donation forms.

2022: Iconic

INfluence, Hype, and Ascendency in the fashion industry

In 2022 year we looked at the role of influencers in the fashion industry asking questions like: What does it mean to be an influencer? How do brands use influencers and celebrities? Who has icon status and why? What does the role of influencers tell us about the future of fashion? We welcomed Natasha Sam, Concetta Ciarlo, and Nicole Cember to discuss further on the topic.

2021: Vintage Influence on Fashion

2021 was an exciting year for the CFIN gala as it was the first time there was a dress up theme for the event, alongside the discussion theme, and it was the first time the gala was successfully been held in the fall in-person in years. The theme “Vintage Influence in Fashion”, explored the reemergence of trends along with classic designers, the allure of vintage, trend forecasting, and sustainability considerations. In attendance to discuss these topics were Anu Lingala (Trend Forecasting & Cultural Strategy), Joyce Fung (Sr. Research Associate, Costume Institute, Metropolitan Museum of Art), and Jennifer Rice (Director of Systems & Operations at the Ralph Lauren Library). There was also an extensive historical garment display by the Cornell Fashion and Textile Collection and the reprisal of the infamous gala raffle.

2020: Media & Inclusion

Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, our 2020 gala was held virtually on Zoom. The theme was Media and Inclusion, and the event aimed to open conversation about the socio-cultural problems with fashion media, the inequities they create, and ways to confront these long tabooed controversies. We discussed these topics with our speakers, Vanessa Friedman (Fashion Director and Chief Fashion Critic, New York Times) and Toi Bly ‘15 (Social Media Strategist, Vogue & Oscar de la Renta). Following our gala webinar, current Cornell students were invited to join small breakout rooms featuring recent FSAD alumni, to further discuss the gala topics and generate a more intimate dialogue.

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2019: Disrupt and Discuss

The Cornell Fashion Industry Network presented its 5th Annual Fashion Speaks Gala: Disrupt and Discuss. In attendance were inspiring alumni in the fashion industry who have succeeded in their entrepreneurial endeavors. The panel includes: Gizelle Begler '08 (Haute Hijab), Stefanie Schoen '07 (TheStyleSafari), and Jessica Couch '15 (Fit Tech).

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2018: An Innovation Conversation

Our 4th annual Fashion Speaks Gala was held on April 28th 2018. The theme was “An Innovation Conversation,” focusing on the impact of technology on the fashion industry. We are so thankful to our amazing speakers: Virginia Nam ‘08 (Fashion Partnerships, Instagram), Andrea Wasserman ‘00 (VP of Retail Experience, Verizon), Grace Choi ‘14 (Senior 3D Designer, Theory), Michelle Li ‘00 (Director of E-Commerce, Amazon Associates), Caroline Delson ‘13 (Product Manager, Thread International), and Nancy Chilton ‘82 (Chief Communications Officer, The Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art). Thank you to Michael Li for these amazing pictures! And a massive thank you to our sponsors, Evan and Michele Cagner, the College of Human Ecology Alumni Affairs & Development, and the Students Activities Funding Commission.

2017: Style & Society

In 2017, the Cornell Fashion Industry Network hosted its third gala: Style & Society. Cornell Alumni, returned to campus to speak to you about their fashion industry experiences, how Cornell shaped their careers, and general advice about careers and internship. Speakers included, Anu Lingala ‘13 (Associate Trend Forecaster, Nordstrom), Colleen Keller (Material Development and Innovation Manger, Outdoor Voices), Diana Tsui (Senior Fashion Market Editor, The Cut), Julia Harman (Director of R&D and Product Development, Rebecca Taylor), Maggie Dimmick ‘12 (Textile R&D, Eileen Fisher), and Michelle K. Garvey ‘79 (Executive Vice President, Chief Information Officer, The J. Crew Inc.).

2016: A Night of Luxury

In 2016, the Cornell Fashion Industry Network hosted its second gala: A Night of Luxury. Cornell Alumni, all working in the luxury sector of the fashion industry, returned to campus to speak to you about their fashion industry experiences. Speakers included, Cori Galpern '97 (SVP of Global Communications, Tom Ford International) Brittany Lutz ‘12 (Senior Analyst, Omnichannel & Customer Experience, Bloomingdales), Misha Pinkhasov ’96 (Author of "Real Luxury” & Co-Founder, NAIR-SAFIR Strategy Consultants), Monica Johnsrud ‘07 (Designer, Shoshanna), and Jose Chan ’93 (VP Business Development, Celect & Founder, New York Fashion Retail Association).

2015: 1st Annual Fashion Speaks Gala

In 2015, Cornell Fashion Industry Network held its first Fashion Speaks Gala. The event was organized by the 2015 CIFI Executive Board, led by past president and current alumni advisor Nicole Cember '16. The gala, which had about 150 attendees, was held in the Human Ecology Commons on Cornell's campus on April 16, 2015. It featured a panel of 6 notable Cornell alumni: Jamie Banks '02, Christine Corr '01, Julia Durgee '02, Meghan Kelley '01, Amanda Teitler '02, and Lily Gunn Townsend '02. The alumni panel shared their stories of working in the fashion industry, recounted their times at Cornell University, and a raffle was organized to give out over $10,000 worth in items.