By Dakota Rose & Mari Sato
Sometimes inspiration comes from unexpected places. A new idea forms, and something morphs into a newly realized dream before you know it. This was the case for the recently rebranded International Fashion and Beauty Club (IFBC) at SMU. Previously known as the Latinx Fashion Leadership Council, the IFBC brings individuals in the fashion and beauty industries to speak with students on campus.
Last week, Dakota Rose spoke with Zoe Rodriguez, the President of the IFBC. Rodriguez is a senior majoring in Fashion Media and Journalism. She works closely with her Vice President of IFBC, Cristiana Montalvan, as well as Professor Jenny Davis. “[Cristiana] has been my rock. I’m so happy to have someone so interested in propelling this club forward,” said Rodriguez about Montalvan. Montalvan plays a large part in the club and was the moderator at the club’s recent event: Behind the Seams with Sabrina Harrison. Rodriguez has big dreams for the IFBC. Her goal for the club, especially as part of this fall’s rebranding, is to include more of the student body—not just fashion media or journalism majors. “I’d love for the club to be a space to hear about other jobs in the fashion industry outside of journalism, like a place for people interested in fashion PR or being a part of the beauty industry,” said Rodriguez. IFBC members aim to create a place for all interested students to be involved in these exclusive opportunities to sit down with people working in the fashion and beauty industries. “I realized a lot of people were not coming to events. Having ‘Latinx’ right in the name had closed [the club] off,” said Rodriguez. Since the rebrand, IFBC has brought in a strong executive team of people from all majors, including real estate and sports management, who have brought the club to life. “We’ve had a lot more interest since our first event as well,” reflects Rodriguez.
In the future, IFBC is interested in bringing more speakers to SMU to connect students with professionals for potential job opportunities in the fashion world and build rapport with Dallas companies. “There are always journalism internships being passed around, but fashion media internships are important too. Getting to work in the industry is super important when [pursuing] a career in fashion,” said Rodriguez. Even at their most recent event, Rodriguez felt she gained valuable career insight.
“[Harrison] said something about how being really busy right now will only help [me] in the future and propel [me] to do more amazing things because I have the capacity to do things. Harrison is exceptionally busy and balancing it well. I want to be someone like that one day,” said Rodriguez.

The event Rodriguez was speaking of was the club’s first event of the semester, which took place last Tuesday, October 22nd. IFBC hosted Sabrina Harrison, Vogue 100 Member, and her stylist Carlos Alonso-Parada to discuss preparing for the Met Gala, Fashion Week, and other exciting fashion events with students. Mari attended the event and gained valuable insights into the intricacies of the industry and the creativity behind preparing for these high-profile occasions.
The event was a smashing success, and the room was packed with SMU students wanting a taste of what it is like to attend the Met and be an insider in the world of fashion. Harrison and Alonso-Parada’s strong partnership stems from an alignment of values. They both view fashion as an art of collaboration rather than a singular creative process. As Harrison puts it, “Collaboration is where the magic happens in fashion.” Their synergy in collaboration has fostered Harrison’s ability to stand out, never wearing the same outfit as someone else. This unique perk is mutually beneficial for her and Alonso-Parada as they continue to further establish themselves as tastemakers in the industry.
To prepare for the Met, this collaborative mindset was crucial, especially with only eight weeks’ notice. Harrison explained that typically, it takes five months to get all the proper fittings for a custom dress that meets Met Gala standards, so doing it in half the time required immense planning, creativity, and trust to bring the vision to life. The designer of her dress, Chris Habana, used 3D modeling to fit most of the pieces of Harrison’s custom-made gown. This process made it possible for the dress to be completed in such a short time frame but not without some stress. Harrison found out two weeks before the gala that all gowns must be approved by Anna Wintour. With no backup dress or plan B, Harrison called in the ultimate expert: Law Roach. With his help, Harrison was able to find a backup gown and meet some of the people on Zendaya’s styling team, but thankfully, her original dress was approved by Anna. Harrison ended up being on every major fashion publication’s top five or top 10 best-dressed list. Despite the whirlwind preparation, her favorite part of the experience was meeting so many talented people in the industry who all brought unique creativity to the event. Harrison and Alonso-Parada demonstrate the power of collaboration in fashion while highlighting the importance of community and continuous learning within the industry. SMU students left the event buzzing with admiration for the dynamic duo and excitement for their next red-carpet appearance.
The fashion education and opportunities do not stop with Behind the Seams with Sabrina Harrison. The International Fashion and Beauty Club has many more fantastic speakers lined up for the remainder of the year and is excited to continue growing its platform beyond this school year. Anyone can join, and events are open to all students. Zoe Rodriguez, IFBC President, encourages you to join: “We want you to be able to learn, ask questions…have real experiences and learn from our speakers. Your future employer could be a speaker at an IFBC event.” So, join IFBC! If you are interested, be sure to follow IFBC’s Instagram @smu.ifbc and join IFBC at SMU360 to receive updates about new events and play a part in expanding the SMU student body’s understanding of fashion, as well as have opportunities to speak with individuals actively involved in the fashion and beauty industries.