Fashion Strides: Aggies Attend New York Fashion Week

Witness three Aggies take New York Fashion Week. 

UC Davis undergraduates Isabella Verduzco, Lexi Trucco and Julliet Hill attended New York Fashion Week, one of the biggest and most exclusive fashion meccas of the year. Through a partnership with CLC, a leading collegiate trademark licensing company, and fashion show leader IMG, our Aggies attended runway shows, enjoyed a private breakfast with jewelry designer Kyle Garcia, and attended panel discussions with industry professionals.

Our UC Davis representatives had the opportunity to enjoy and explore their fashion interests, learn about their career aspirations first-hand, and make professional connections. Learn more about their personal, academic and professional journey in this U of NYFW trip. 

Meet our UC Davis fashion ambassadors 

Isabella Verduzco (She/her/hers)

“I’m a fourth-year double-majoring in design and communication with the goal of pursuing a career in marketing and branding after graduating this spring! I’m from Stockton, California.”

Lexi Trucco (She/her/hers)

“I’m a third-year communication major with a minor in technology management, planning to pursue a career in marketing when I graduate. I am currently a marketing intern with UC Davis. I’m from San Ramon, California, and I also play on the women’s soccer team at UC Davis.”

Julliet Hill (She/her/hers)

“I am a third-year communication major from Fairfield, California. I’m part of the UC Davis cheer team and STREAM, the UC Davis student-led social media team. I am interested in the business side of the fashion and entertainment industry.”

Passion for fashion 

Verduzco, Tucco, and Hill have a longstanding passion for fashion. Their appreciation of fashion stems from seeing the art form as a powerful means of self-expression, and as a field that strives to break down barriers. The three undergrads wish to pursue a career in fashion marketing and branding. 

“I have always had a love for fashion and the way it acts as a form of artistic expression that is accessible to anyone. The thing that I love about it is that fashion does not need to be expensive to work, it just needs to make sense to the person wearing the garments. Since I can remember, I always wanted to work in a creative field like fashion and design that involved curation and innovation. However, it wasn’t until I started taking design courses related to branding and visual messaging that I became aware that a career in the fashion or branding industry was feasible for me to pursue.” – Isabella Verduzco 

New York, new opportunities 

“I got involved with the NYFW program through my social media internship with Strategic Communications at UC Davis. Early on in my internship, my managers asked if there was anything they should know about us, and I let them know about my desire to work in fashion post-graduation. From then on they made sure I was connected with alumni and others that had worked in the industry. When this opportunity arose, they offered me the chance to continue my networking and get that first-hand experience.” – Julliet Hill 

“Never in my life did I think I would be able to accomplish such a large-scale goal of mine, let alone this early in my career. Going into the trip, I had my nerves about different things: who I was going to meet or if I was going to be asked anything I wouldn’t know. But more than anything, I was excited. I didn’t know exactly what I would be doing while I was there, but I was sure it was going to be life-changing and provide me with once in a lifetime opportunities.” – Julliet Hill 

Biting into the big apple 

“One important thing that happened on the trip was being able to actually sit and watch a fashion show. I had chills the entire time, and this experience really proved to me how passionate I am about fashion, and how eager I now am to pursue a career that would allow me to work closely with high-fashion brands. I felt so immersed in art and the community during the show. I couldn’t believe that I, a UC Davis student, was sitting and watching this couple of minutes of beautiful clothes, modeling and production that Son Jung Wan had produced! It was a feeling I will never forget, and something I am dying to experience again in the future

Lastly, we got the opportunity to go to Kyle Garcia’s apartment and talk with her, as well as an editor at Sports Illustrated and others, about the realities of what it takes to be successful within the fashion and the sports industries. This talk really opened my eyes to the steps I need to take as an undergraduate student to position myself for future success. I learned the importance of networking, internships and learning opportunities, and how to make yourself stand out in a pool of other potential candidates for a job.” – Lexi Trucco 

Building skills in real-time

Catwalking into the future 

“As a first-generation child of immigrants, it can be easy at times to fall victim to imposter syndrome and question if I am qualified to be where I am or if I’m dreaming too big. However, this trip shut down all of those doubts. It reminded me that nothing is unattainable with the right amount of work and persistence. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would attend NYFW and sit in the second row of a fashion show; it was a scene straight out of a movie. Even as I boarded my plane to NYC, I couldn’t fathom my reality. Nonetheless, there I was seated at an NYFW show and meeting people working in the fashion industry I have always sought to enter. No words can explain how monumental this trip was in reaffirming my career aspirations to work in marketing and branding within the fashion industry.” ― Isabella Verduzco

“This trip was the physical manifestation of one of my ultimate goals. For anyone interested in fashion, NYFW is most likely high up on your list of to-do’s, and most people probably assume it is an unrealistic goal just like I did. To be chosen to represent my school was an indescribable feeling, just like the entire trip. I was constantly in awe of where I was and what I was doing. It also gave me the reassurance that I have been doing something right. As much as those around you tell you you’re doing a good job, being rewarded with opportunities like this just really makes your accomplishments feel like they’re being acknowledged.” ― Julliet Hill

This blog highlights and summarizes an original blog by Abigail Loomis. You can access the full blog here.