Sandall recounts 

her journey into the 

fashion business

By CAROLINE FILIPS

Senior Arts Editor

Before 
Ashley-Brooke 
Sandall 

began 
her 
fashionable 
career 

trajectory, she was a mondaine 
Metro-Detroiter with an affinity 
for all things Pucci and Prada. Born 
to two University graduates and 
brought up in Ann Arbor, Sandall’s 
choice to attend the University, 
where 
she 
graduated 
with 
a 

Communications degree in 2003, 
is understandable. Considering her 
former-model mother usually picked 
her up from school rocking brazen 
Missoni jumpsuits, it’s unsurprising 
Sandall developed a fondness for 
fashion that continues to punctuate 
her professional path — one that 
began with an internship at Prada 
and extends to her current position 
as the senior manager of strategic 
partnerships for the Council of 
Fashion Designers of America, replete 
with enviable experiences at high-
profile luxury brands in between.

Aware of the sartorial sphere’s 

competitive nature, the ever-prudent 
Sandall developed a strategy for 
securing ambitious internships.

“I applied for my internship by 

selling myself on the more traditional 
education that I was getting in order 
to differentiate myself from the 
fashion students,” she said. “I was 
obviously competing against kids 
who went to FIT and other fashion 
schools.”

Fashion-focused 
clubs 
and 

publications were virtually non-
existent during Sandall’s collegiate 
years, prompting her to carve out 
a curriculum through internships 
and seasonal retail jobs. During the 
summer months, while her family 
vacationed in Northern Michigan, 
Sandall took a retail position at 
Harbor Springs’ premier menswear 
retailer, selling Ralph Lauren Black 
Label to the genteel gentlemen of the 
city.

“I’ve always been a fan of 

menswear, true tailoring and how 
men are much more loyal consumers,” 
she said. “Women are very fickle.”

That partiality for menswear 

complemented her first job with 
John Varvatos, a contemporary men’s 
designer with an eponymous label. 
When Varvatos was emerging on 
the design scene, Sandall learned of 
his Michigan roots during one of his 
personal appearances at Barney’s. 
Though a New-York-based brand, 
Varvatos integrates his Midwestern 
sensibility into the line, something 
that attracted Sandall. She kept in 
touch with the designer and received 
a job offer two months prior to her 
graduation.

“A large part of my job at John 

Varvatos was to do personal shopping 
for not only celebrities, but also 
notable New York financiers,” she 
said. 

When one of Sandall’s clients 

was planning to invest in Stuart 
Weitzman and build a reputable 
team, he suggested she join. Eager 
to experience the business side of 
fashion in a new work environment, 
she accepted the offer.

“I love John Varvatos and it was 

very hard for me to leave, but I wanted 
to transition into something that was 
a bit more business-minded,” she said. 
“I worked on sales and marketing 
and expanding the brand into other 
categories.”

Throughout her two years at 

Weitzman, Sandall’s primary role 
was to update the brand and attract 
a younger demographic in the 
process. She then transitioned into 
the publishing world, working within 
American Express’s fashion and 
jewelry sectors of the Centurian and 
Platinum card magazines.

At American Express, she dabbled 

in event planning and generated 
marketing programs for some of the 
most iconic luxury brands — Chanel, 
Balenciaga, Mikimoto and Harry 
Winston, to name a few. Sandall also 
planned client-specific events and 
private dinners for the most affluent 
customers, among which included 
those who fly on NetJets thrice 
annually, and/or those who spend at 
least $1,000,000 on ready-to-wear 
collections.

“It was an incredible experience,” 

she said.

When Sandall’s boss at American 

Express eventually resigned, he 
was planning a career segue to the 
CFDA, when she was, yet again, 

highly encouraged to continue on her 
winning streak in the game of follow 
the corporate leader. She seemed to 
be a perfect fit for the organization of 
America’s leading fashion designers, 
seeing as she had a past at both John 
Varvatos and Stuart Weitzman, two 
CFDA members.

“I followed him over and it was 

the most amazing thing that’s ever 
happened to me,” she recalled.

According to their website, the 

CFDA exists as a nonprofit trade 
association 
whose 
membership 

consists of more than 400 of 
America’s foremost womenswear, 
menswear, jewelry and accessory 
designers. At the intersection of 
high-fashion and charity, the agency 
assists nascent designers within 
their incubator program, along with 
serving as a benefactor of fashion 
scholarships for students.

“I think the best part is definitely 

being part of an organization that 
makes such a difference in fashion, 
even if people aren’t familiar with 
the CFDA or don’t really know us 
outside of awards,” Sandall said. “It’s 
one of the most glamorous events in 
fashion, but I’m still on the job when 
attending.”

The 
organization 
hosts 
their 

namesake awards annually, often 
nicknamed “The Oscars of Fashion.” 
The event recognizes the industry’s 
talented 
legacies 
and 
evolving 

designers alike, along with celebrity 
style-icons 
(last 
year, 
Rihanna 

snagged the Fashion Icon Award), 
and, of course, famously showcases 
fashion. In preparation for the 
awards, Sandall seeks out sponsorship 
opportunities, along with creating 
proposals and activation ideas.

As the current senior manager 

of strategic partnerships for the 
association, 
Sandall’s 
days 
are 

packed — often meeting with council 
members, potential partners and 
designers. She also routinely attends 
evening events, namely cocktail 
parties and store openings, an aspect 
she admittedly enjoys.

Though 
an 
Ann-Arborite-

turned-New Yorker, Sandall said 
she primarily identifies as a self-
described steadfast Wolverine.

“Within the first few minutes of 

meeting me, I’ll probably mention the 
fact that I went to the University of 
Michigan.”

6

Thursday, May 21, 2015
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
ARTS

STYLE INTERVIEW
Style Alumni Profile:
State St. to 5th Ave.

Halestorm: a 
review in ‘fucks’

By CHRISTIAN KENNEDY

Managing Arts Editor

Tuesday 
May 
19, 
2015, 

Halestorm and The Pretty Reck-
less played The Whiting in Flint 
(there was an opening-opening act 
which I missed, you know, because 
fashionably late. Curse me when 
they are the headliner I am wait-
ing for two years from now). These 
two female-led rock bands killed 
the 2015 Carnival of Madness tour 
in typical rock style. There were 
booming drums, head-banging gui-
tar riffs, lots of eyeliner and a few 
shots of jäger. If it is any testament 
to the show, my ears are still ring-
ing after the hour-plus drive home. 
And in true rock ‘n’ roll style, I have 
a “fuck yes” and a “fuck you” list.

Fuck yes to the venue for actual-

ly having its own parking lot. Fuck 
yes to my BFF for coming, even 
though she didn’t know a single 
song. Fuck yes to Little Caesars for 
having a pre-concert dinner in my 
price range. Fuck yes to my BFF for 
finally urinating somewhere other 
than a toilet (in the aforementioned 
parking lot, to be specific). Fuck yes 
for the venue for not checking our 
bags. I needed that in-between set 
drink and ho ho to get me through. 
Fuck yes to Connie, the woman next 
to me, for showing up by herself and 
having a damn good time. Fuck yes 
to The Pretty Reckless. They didn’t 
play my favorite song, but I rocked 
out and head-banged to their entire 
set as if it was my favorite (shoutout 
to my BFF for having a hair tie to 
keep my hair out of my mouth as I 
head-banged). Fuck yes to this show 
for giving me a reason to unironi-
cally use the “rock on” hand sign I 

usually reserve for snapchats. Fuck 
yes to the parents who brought out 
their young children to experience 
some amazing music, even if it was 
simply because they couldn’t find 
a sitter. Fuck yes to Halestorm for 
bringing their A-game to Flint, 
Michigan (their home away from 
home, as they said multiple times). 
Fuck yes to them making me love 
a couple songs I didn’t even like. 
They were amazing live. Fuck yes 
to security for letting me sneak my 
way up to the front row during the 
encore and get as close as possible 
to the band. And a final fuck yes to 
my BFF who smiled at me as I left 
her in our seats to jam up close.

And for the fuck yous: Fuck you 

to my cheap nail polish for chipping 
an hour after I did it. Fuck you to 
the man on the other side of us who 
gave dirty looks for the two (TWO) 
times I bumped into him over the 
three-hour period (it’s a rock show, 
calm down). Fuck you to the cheap 
Forever 21 bracelet for flying off my 
hand and into the crowd ... good 
riddance, I guess. Fuck you to the 
man in front of me for inappropri-
ately touching his companion for 
the better (worse?) part of the show; 
save it for after, pal. Fuck you, Lzzy 
Hale, for handing the guitar pick 
to the hand next to mine during the 
encore (jk, I love you a lot).

Clearly none of my “fuck yous” 

were the fault of the band. Well, 
besides the guitar pick, but I 
won’t hold it against them. And 
as one final thank you: Thank you 
Halestorm for bringing “Mayhem” 
into what would’ve been a boring 
Tuesday night, and taking my rock 
show virginity. It is something I 
will never regret nor forget.

HALESTORM

Oh, Little J ... xoxo Gossip Girl

CONCERT REVIEW

