Leading The Look

Taking on a leadership role within an organization can be both exhilarating and demanding. As president of Studio325, VCUarts' official fashion organization, I immediately realized that leadership in the fashion industry extends beyond innovation. It requires communication, planning, collaboration, and the ability to guide a diverse group of people towards a single goal.

Studio325 is the official student organization for VCUarts Fashion at Virginia Commonwealth University, whose primary objective is to create a nurturing, welcoming department for growth and learning. The goal is to create relationships that will harness learning objectives and practice through real-life experiences. The organization builds on its four pillars: community, mentorship, outreach, and philanthropy. 

I'd always known I was a natural leader, but when I started college, I was much more reserved. As a freshman, I attended Studio325 events to become involved, meet my peers, and expand my professional network. I was approached at the end of my freshman year to take over as vice president, and I was thrilled with the opportunity. With each original E-board member graduating, the president and I were essentially starting from zero. 

We started by interviewing people to fill the rest of our E-board, planning events, and getting in touch with the community. Things were working, but slowly, and we had a lot of learning curves to overcome. Our president stepped down intermittently in the fall of 2025, prompting me to take over as president. I was eager to get things going and elevate the organization to the next level. 

One of the most valuable lessons I acquired as president was how to lead an encouraging team. In fashion, everyone has a unique vision, which can sometimes make collaboration difficult, especially when differing opinions lead to conflicts or misunderstandings that need to be resolved for the team to succeed. My role required me to listen to multiple points of view while making decisions that moved projects forward. Learning to balance creativity and structure helped me grow not only as a leader but also as a team member.

Another important aspect of my position was organizing events to bring our members together. Whether organizing meetings, coordinating projects, or preparing for events, I gained hands-on experience in planning, delegation, and time management. Our events include a mixture of professional as well as community-building activities, including resume reviews, headshots, roller skating, hot pot, and movie nights. These experiences helped me understand how much effort goes into producing creative outcomes, which is extremely relevant in the fashion industry.

My experience as president has ultimately demonstrated the interdependence of leadership and creativity. Overall, this experience has been insanely valuable to me and allowed me to grow immensely. I’ve learned how to run an organization in a healthy and successful way. Fostering the relationships I have with the people involved as well as maintaining a professional manner. Through this role, I discovered that effective leadership empowers others to produce their best work while also strengthening a creative community. It has allowed me to blossom as a leader and utilize the skills that I have to build something successful. 

Studio visit to Shockoe Atelier.

SOVO Fair.

Moodboard Night.