The room is overwhelmingly full of girls dressed in their best, notebooks in laps, pens in hands. Hillary Fritz takes the podium, and there’s silence, everyone anxiously waiting for her to begin her talk, “Careers in the Fashion Industry.”
Wednesday afternoon, Fritz gave a presentation packed with advice and insider tips she has learned through her life experience in the fashion business.
“I was you a long time ago,” Fritz began. “I won’t tell you how long… but I was.”
Fritz’s beginning was like many. She started selling clothes in a boutique at age 16 and came from the Midwest to CU, where she majored in English. Having no idea how to get into fashion with an English degree, she interviewed in New York for a job. After she graduated in 1978, she headed for the city with $100 in her pocket.
After working cleaning stock rooms for a few years, she headed to San Francisco. There she worked for clothing line Esprit, but after a few years Calvin Klein came calling. She became the vice president of the company during pivotal moments in the business’ history.
“I was in the right place at the right time, and I knew it,” Fritz said. “Whatever you do in life, know where you are. And if you’re happy there, maximize it.”
Years went by, and she left the company to start a family. Fritz then started pursuing a small shoe company, at the time, Nine West. After becoming president of its sub-brand Enzo Angiolini, she amped up the business’ worth from $50 million to over $300 million.
Afterward she was named “Woman of the Year” by Women’s Wear Daily. She was invited to a luncheon at the White House where she met Hillary Clinton. Then she moved on to work with the Jessica Simpson Brand and later Sanctuary Clothing. Fritz did all this while having a husband and two kids.
Fritz’s vigor inspired many of her attendees like 20-year-old senior marketing major Lauren Reynoso.
“She was really motivating,” Reynoso said. “I liked her a lot. She had a lot of personality and high energy.”
The key theme in Fritz’s talk was there is no “straight line” in fashion.
“Throw the rules out the window. There is no textbook, no formula, no right way,” Fritz said. “It just takes passion and hard work.”
Kristin Kempton said that she walked away from the presentation with a clear perspective.
“It’s helpful to see there is no direct path. It’s definitely inspirational,” said Kempton, an 18-year-old freshman marketing major.
After asked if she ever had doubts, Fritz said of course she did, but it never derailed her.
“I knew what I wanted, and I just had to brush all doubt aside,” Fritz said. “I believed in what I was doing, and if you want it bad enough, you can have it.”
That sentiment resonated with aspiring fashion designer, 20-year-old junior political science major, Erin Musso.
“She gave me courage,” Musso said. “I learned that I can have it if I want it, even if it is really challenging.”
Contact CU Independent Copy Editor Amanda Moutinho at Amanda.moutinho@colorado.edu.
