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