Latinx Fashion Leadership Council Hosts Summit for Hispanic Heritage Month
The student club hosts their second annual virtual summit for Hispanic Heritage Month, titled “Success Through Diversity,” drawing three industry panelists and over 50 students.
At Meadows, there is no shortage of groups and clubs for students to join. From the Student Filmmakers Association to SMU Ad Club, every niche is represented, and some clubs even offer a combination of identities and interests.
One such club is the Latinx Fashion Leadership Council (LxFLC), created in 2020 with the goal of promoting awareness and education of multiculturalism in the fashion and beauty industries. This year, LxFLC hosted their second annual Hispanic Heritage Month virtual summit on October 4 to discuss diversity in the fashion industry and across corporate America.
“The summit series aims to raise awareness of the importance of Hispanic Heritage Month by showcasing Hispanic leaders in the fashion and beauty industry,” explains LxFLC president Marian Rowley ’23. “This year's theme, ‘Success Through Diversity,’ allowed students to learn about the impact diversity has in the fashion and beauty industry.”
Three leaders from different areas of the industry joined this year’s panel, which was hosted virtually on Zoom and attended by more than 50 students. Erica Dickerson, the Global Beauty Director at the cosmetics company Beautyblender; Jonathan Hall, the Director of Belonging at Neiman Marcus Group; and Graciela Martin, a London-based luxury fashion consultant and journalist who focuses on Latin America, all spoke about their respective industries and illuminated how crucial diversity is to each of them.
The “Success Through Diversity” summit for Hispanic Heritage Month is just one of many opportunities for students in LxFLC this year, which is open to all SMU students regardless of major or ethnicity. Through LxFLC, students have the opportunity to network with industry insiders, participate in a professional development, and build their own leadership skills by helping to expand the club's membership and develop its programming. And there’s even more to come in 2023!
“I am so proud of what these students have achieved over the last couple of years,” says LxFLC faculty advisor and fashion media professor, Jenny Davis. “The club is one of the most dynamic on campus and the sky is the limit for what these students will be able to accomplish, both here at SMU and in their professional careers.”