New Media & New Age Marketing Panel at FIDM
The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising examined the changing face of new media when it hosted its 10th annual entertainment panel on Oct. 24, titled “New Media & New Age Marketing,” held in collaboration with MySpace.
Panelists were selected from various areas of the fashion and media industries to help give students insight into the Internet’s potential for developing fashion businesses.
“Fashion is all about change, and this is the cusp of change,” said Gail Brooks, interior design and visual communications entertainment studies coordinator at FIDM, who moderated the event. “FIDM is very much in tune with what’s happening and with offering the skills to promote success in this new environment of e-commerce and the fusion of entertainment, music, television [and] fashion,” she said.
The panel included Brooks’ son, Josh Brooks, vice president of marketing and content for MySpace; Todd Dufour, director of strategic marketing for MySpace; Johnny Wujek, celebrity stylist; Katherine Power, co-founder of the Who What Wear Daily Web site (www.whowhatweardaily.com); Jen Egan, vice president of business development for Gen Art; Blaine Zuckerman, West Coast editor of Glamour; and Jewels, stylist and fashion designer for Rose.
In addition to a glimpse into the world of Internet business and marketing, students were also given “old-fashioned” practical advice, such as the value of internships to gain experience and the necessity of putting time into self-marketing. While the Internet is a great vehicle to start and market businesses, the panelists stressed, it doesn’t eliminate the need for hard work. —N. Jayne Seward
