Thursday, October 24, 2013

Meet Board Member Monique Lyle

Edited by, Lisa Ackerman

Monique Lyle

Fashion Group International, Chicago

Monique Lyle is currently the Marketing Director for the Apparel + Gift Trade Shows at the Merchandise Mart – including STYLEMAX, Chicago Collective & the Chicago Gift Market. Her role includes managing communications, implementing marketing & advertising campaigns and event planning for eight trade shows annually. Monique has been with MMPI for almost 10 years, working her way up from her initial position as a coordinator for STYLEMAX.

Monique is a native of Chicago and enjoys the city every chance she gets – trying new restaurants, riding her bike on the lakefront or walking her Great Dane, Lando.  In the winter she takes advantage of the skiing available throughout the Midwest, having been on the slopes since childhood.

Monique is FGI Chicago’s current Secretary and a long-standing Board Member having supported Programming, Development and Event Management functions for over 6 years. During the last 5 years, she has led the Commuications Committee efforts to effectively establish a digital presence and formulate an effective communications strategy.   A job she has exelled at!  

Monday, October 14, 2013

FGI, Chicago Presents: Branding & Communications for the digital world


Fashion Focus Chicago 2013 and Fashion Group International, Chicago supports the local fashion community with industry events including a full day of free education seminars hosted by the Mayor’s Fashion Council and featuring local fashion organizations, on topics ranging from intellectual property to sourcing locally and internationally to mastering social media.

This year, FGI, Chicago is proud to support this day by presenting "Fashionably Digital:  branding & communications for a digital world". 

Join us for a panel discussion on best practices for an effective and powerful integrated digital presence for the world we live in. 

Information on our exceptional Panel follows below.

Hope to see you all there!

Lisa Ackerman
Regional Director
Lisa Ackerman
Fashion Group International, Chicago

Moderator: 

Lisa Ackerman, Adjunct Faculty
International Academy of Design & Technology

Lisa Ackerman received her BA in Communications from California State University, Fresno and an MBA, Marketing Concentration from DePaul University Kellstadt Graduate School of Business.  She has spent over 15 years working in Marketing Communication roles for global retailers such as; The Florsheim Group Inc., Baker Furniture (Kohler Interiors) and Bentley Travelware.  Most recently, she served as a founding member of Luxe Life Ltd., where she managed all branding, marketing communications and publicity efforts.  Currently, she is an Adjunct Faculty Member at International Academy of Design & Technology teaching:  Integrated Communications, Fashion Marketing and Publicity & Promotion.  She also serves on the Mayor’s Fashion Council and is Regional Director, Fashion Group International, Chicago.

Panelists:

Jake Bruene 
Producer
Leo Burnett
Jake Bruene

While studying at Yale University, Jake Bruene started a YouTube channel.  Teaming up with fellow Yalie Kurt Hugo Schneider, he wrote original music, performed cover songs, produced original content , and even created a musical comedy series ( yes, before Glee :) 

This YouTube channel has since risen to become the 67th Most Subscribed-to YouTube channel in the world. (3,400,000 Subscribers, 680,000,000 views) 

After millions of views on the musical comedy series, Jake and his creative partners receiving funding to make a feature-film adaptation. He wrote the film, helped oversee every aspect of production, and is now in the final stage of negotiations with a major digital distributor.   

Jake has also connected himself to the larger network of content-creators, and today, on behalf of Leo Burnett, he helps to connect brands with these "new age celebrities" for the purposes of creating collaborative content.   Recent examples include the Sprint Holiday Medley (3.5 million views, AdWeek Ad of the Day) and the Nintendo Pokémon Dubstep Remix (3.5 million views in first 7 days), whereby Jake brought Leo Burnett clients together with major YouTube content-creators 

Birgit Rohm

General Manager
Pina LLC dba KatrinSchnabl
Birgit Rohm (standing)

Realizing the vision behind the brand Katrin Schnabl is Birgit Rohm who has worked the business end of the fashion industry for many years. Rohm started as Department Manager and later as Central Buyer for the German department stores Breuninger and Mey & Edlich where she purchased and managed international collections. As head of the buying department for the international luxury brand ESCADA, and later as Division Manager for STRENESSE she developed and structured profitable collections that would set the company apart from the competition. She founded Rohm Consulting LLC in 2012 to implement her chain-of-success strategy with fashion design firms. Rohm and Schnabl formed PINA LLC dba Katrin Schnabl together in 2012.


Alex Sabbag



Alex founded AM Consulting in 2010 after spending 5 years working with large consumer brands, including MillerCoors, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro and Jimmy John’s, with primary responsibility for media relations and special event production.   Her goal in founding AM Consulting is to strategically implement communications and development strategies to grow the missions of Chicago-based non-profit and community organizations.  Alex has specialized experience in public relations, strategic internal and external communications campaigns, fundraising and both small and large-scale event production.  Merging her expertise in PR and special event production, Alex has worked with some of Chicago's leading philanthropic initiatives, including Friends of Prentice, the Chicagoland Area Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Imerman Angels, the Chicago Training Center, the William Guy Forbeck Research Foundation, Butterflies & Buffalo: Tales of American Culture, and many more.  Displaying a passion for fashion, Alex was has been a 3-year member of Fashion Group International, serving a 2-year term on the board, and supported a number of fashion and beauty initiatives in the Chicagoland area, including the opening of BHLDN and the luxury consignment operation, Luxe Life.