Startup Success: Tracy Buescher and Jordana Schrager on Fashion Brand-Building
On April 13, 2018, Stamps alums Tracy Buescher (BFA ‘88) and Jordana Schrager (BA ‘16) served as guest speakers at the first annual Michigan Fashion Media Summit hosted at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business.
The Michigan Fashion Media Summit is an exclusive day-long event for U-M students to network with, learn from, and collaborate with industry professionals to shape and grow the fashion community at the University of Michigan.
Buescher and Schrager both served on the “Startup Success” panel, sharing their insights into the challenges and opportunities of creating a lucrative fashion brand from the ground-up.
Buescher is the founder and CEO of the women’s athleisure apparel company nuyu, offering apparel that can be customized to showcase the wearer’s individual passion, whether it is support for their college, favorite movie character, sporting event, or hobby.
Schrager is artist, designer, and entrepreneur CEO at By Jordana, a retail line of hand-doodled sneaker designs, sold in department stores nationwide. A recent collaboration with Steve Madden footwear, Jordan A Madden Girl, launched in Spring 2018. By Jordana has been covered in Teen Vogue, ELLE, Allure, Style Watch, Us Magazine, In Style, and others.
When asked to share their words of wisdom for Stamps students endeavoring to launch their own ventures, Schrager and Buescher responded thoughtfully.
“Follow your passion, work hard, and believe in yourself,” said Schrager. “There will always be challenges and obstacles, however if you are passionate, work hard, and focus on your goals, you can overcome anything.”
Buescher’s advice to those looking to start their own endeavor: “It is imperative that you have the ability to persevere and be confident in knowing yourself and your strengths, and get someone to compliment your weaknesses.”