Being a busy student at U of M, at times it seems impossible to get to the mall or to even go shopping in general. Between spending hours in the library, attending meetings and class and spending some time relaxing with friends, there is little time for anything else. For all the fashionistas out there, I am sure you would agree that there is just not enough time to keep your wardrobe up-to-date and original without the help of online shopping. Luckily, with the recent influx of trendy clothing Web sites, online shopping has completely transformed and has become a thoroughly enjoyable experience (at least for me!). The other day, my friend introduced me to the brand Madewell, which features clothing collections with a perfect combination of vintage and contemporary styles. Just from briefly browsing the site, I could tell that Madewell was a great brand for young women aiming for an effortlessly chic look. There were many items that could easily be mixed and matched, which is always a plus when you are living on a student’s budget. To say the least, this brand got me a little intrigued.
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Madewell has a marketing team on Michigan’s campus, which was implemented due to the size of the school and the apparently stylish population. The Madewell Marketing Team consists of three female students, Amanda Cohen, Kelli Yapp and Emily McAlister who were all chosen to represent the brand on campus and spread the word about everything Madewell to friends, classmates as well as the rest of the female population. Being a part of a student-run team for such a renowned brand has given these three Collegiettes™ the freedom and responsibility to come up with creative ways to market and promote the brand to create a better brand image associated with college-aged females. Â
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Meet The Marketing Team:
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 From left to right—Amanda Cohen, Emily McAlister, Kelly Yapp
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Amanda Cohen is a Boston raised Junior in the Ross School of Business with a Minor in Global Change. She is also a member of Alpha Phi sorority. Her Madewell item of the moment is the “Suede Wedge Bootie” in Black.
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photo curtesy of Madewell.com
Emily McAlister is a Junior, BFA Major in Art & Design in Michigan’s prestigious Art school. She’s from Bloomfield Hills, MI and is a member of Delta Gamma Sorority. Her favorite Madewell item of the season is the “Porthole Peacoat,” which features structured lines and a unique cut.
photo curtesy of Madewell.com
Kelli Yapp is a Sophomore, double majoring in Dance and Communications. She is originally from South Bend, Indiana and is a member of Alpha Phi as well. Her Madwell pick for the winter season is the “Furry Festival Vest” in Black. Fur Vests are quite a hot item for Fall 2011.
photo curtesy of Madewell.com
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The Marketing Team has one last big promotion planned for this semester and many fun events planned for next semester.
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On Tuesday December 6th, Madewell is having a 24-hour online sale that begins at midnight and goes until midnight the following night. There is a special promo code that can be found at the end of this article, but can also be found on their Facebook and Twitter pages. The Marketing Team will also have a table in the front of Angell Hall this afternoon (December 5th) to give out postcards with the promo code as well as free Madewell giveaways and their new holiday catalogues! This is a great opportunity to get a jump-start on holiday shopping ideas.
Next semester, look out for details regarding a Girls Night Out event in January somewhere on Main Street with appetizers and faux cocktails and also an exclusive chance to see the Spring Collection. They will also be coordinating a fashion photography contest, a Madewell Fashion Show and an in-store event in the new Michigan Madewell store at Somerset mall in which the store will be shut down exclusively for Michigan students to shop with a special discount. Who doesn’t love a sale?
Since many women on campus are not aware of the Madewell brand, I asked the marketing team to describe toHerCampus readers how they felt about the brand:
“Madewell makes it easy to feel good about how you look. Each piece has a
one of a kind feel that makes even the simplest outfit feel special.”
-Emily
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“Madewell embodies the casual, trendy, sophisticated, young adult and we
are passionate about making a larger presence of Madewell on our campus in
Ann Arbor. Madewell can best be described as your “go-to friend” for style advice. Everything you could want in one. Casual, Cool, Chic.”
– Kelli
“Not everyone is aware of how cool Madewell is, especially because it just
recently came to Michigan, but Madewell is the perfect store for college
students, they even offer a 15% in-store discount to all college students
anytime you go!! We really encourage everyone to look at the website and
guarantee that they’ll find something–or more likely, MANY things–that
they’ll love!”
– Amanda
Madewell was originally founded in 1937 as a work wear company in the seaside town of New Bedford, Massachusetts. Now, 70 years later, it emerges with a new image reflecting its heritage inspired clothing with a modern twist. The brands stands for great jeans and timelessly cool pieces to dress them up, such as accessories and tops that are perfect for a night on the town. Based in downtown NYC, Kin Ying Lee leads the design team to keep each store location stocked with great denim and accessory options. In 2010, Madewell teamed up with style icon Alexa Chung to launch a highly successfully collection that was featured in several popular fashion magazines. Her second Madewell collection was launched this past September. There are currently 31 stores across the US including the new Michigan store located in Somerset Mall in Troy. If that is to far to go, Madewell is always shoppable at Madewell.com.
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With a marketing team led by three young, well-connected students, it is not surprising that Madewell has a large online presence. Feel free to check out the national Madewell pages as well as the Madewell at Michigan pages focused directly on U of M women.
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Madewell Website:http://www.madewell.com
Madewell at Michigan Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Madewell-at-Michigan/
Madewell at Michigan Twitter: http://twitter.com/MadewellatUMich
Madewell Brand Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/madewell
Madewell Twitter: http://twitter.com/madewell1937
Madewell Blog: http://madewell.tumblr.com/
DECEMBER 6TH SALE PROMO CODE: MWHOLIDAYUMICH
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If you would like more information regarding Madewell as a brand or the Madewell at Michigan Marketing Team, feel free to contact the Marketing Team:
Amanda Cohen: amandaec@umich.edu
Kelli Yapp: klyapp@umich.edu
Emily McAlister: emilymca@umich.edu