Hugo Boss. Yves Saint Laurent. Christian Dior.
Those are just some of the major fashion names that apparel merchandising and management students learned more about during a spring break trip to Paris.
The 13 students spent the eight-day trip visiting the offices of major apparel companies, museums dedicated to fashion icons’ work, and high-end retail centers and haute couture venues in the global fashion capital.
The Department of Apparel Merchandising & Management offered the eight-day extracurricular trip to expose the students to the global fashion capital and meet with international fashion executives.
It was the first trip of its kind that AMM has offered during spring break, and it was the first time that some students had traveled internationally.
The group visited the offices of Hugo Boss and Woolmark La Caserne, where they met, respectively, with former AMM lecturer Ann-Kristin Erdmann-Burt, who is now head of sustainable supply chain management for Hugo Boss; and Johanna Saravanaradjou, global coordinator for Woolmark, involved with sustainable fiber production.
While at Hugo Boss, the students also talked with the company’s European human resources representatives, who shared about open job positions.
“I think there could be opportunities in the future for students to simply network and connect with companies in other countries for jobs and possibly internships,” said Lecturer Nichole Dwyer, who accompanied the students on the trip.
In addition, the students toured the Yves Saint Laurent Museum and La Galerie Dior, a museum dedicated to the legacy of Christian Dior; and the Galeries Lafayette and the Samaritan Mall retail centers.
They met with Kristy Sparrow, a fashion photographer for Getty Images who covers all couture shows in Paris, as well as the Cannes Film Festival.
The students, who paid their own way for the trip, stayed in a central Paris hotel. They also visited some of the well-known tourist attractions in Paris, including Versailles, the Eiffel Tower, the Champs Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe.
The department hopes to offer the trip to students again, either next spring or in Winter 2026, Dwyer said.
“I think there is definite interest from the students,” she said, “and the department and college will support a well-experienced trip.”