ASK QFIN- January Edition
Welcome to ASK QFIN, our new exec column where the QFIN online team will discuss hot topics, answer questions, and more. The column will be released monthly. Keep an eye out on our instagram (@q.fin) for our monthly poll to send in your questions and desired topics.
QFIN CONFERENCE RECAP- Fashion As Art
On Friday January 26th, the annual QFIN conference commenced at the beautiful Cabaret Lion d’Or in Montreal, based on the theme Fashion as Art. After a long and icy busride, the delegates were excited to be in the city and hear from the exceptional lineup of speakers. After settling in with coffee, tea, and croissants, the conference began with keynote speaker Roslyn Griner, whose wide experience in a variety of fashion industry positions offered something of interest for everybody. Griner shared anecdotes of her time working with notable figures such as Kim Kardashion and Jennifer Lopez, emphasizing the interesting slope of her career, including significant positions such as her time as the VP of marketing for Addition Elle. Griner was a captivating speaker with a lot of interesting ideas and advice to share about the industry.
Later, we heard from an exciting lineup for the Panel and Q&A, including QFIN alum Maya Ginzburg, Portuguese-Canadian artist Kevin Ledo, fashion blogger Jessica Concannon, and soon-to-be graduate from the Smith School of Business Natalie Hill. Each individual brought an interesting history of experiences in the fashion and arts industries, ranging from the creative side to the business side of the fashion world. Ginzburg enlightened the audience with her journey from kinesiology student to lead fashion designer for a 3D fashion video game, while Hill discussed her internship experiences with Aritzia and future with the brand. Ledo offered a contrasting perspective as a mural artist and Concannon offered perspective and advice on the influencer industry and working with brands. Aside from the amazing speakers, the delegates participated in creative activities including the designing of wearable art pieces and creating textiles.
Having never been to the QFIN conference before, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. However, from the time the conference began with Griner’s keynote speech, to the creative textile designs which marked the end of the conference, I was thoroughly interested and entertained. The conference was extremely enlightening to various aspects of the fashion industry, while also being a lot of fun! Each delegate dressed to impress in creatively inspired business casual outfits, featuring a plethora of leather boots, blazer ensembles, and mini skirts showing off each individual’s personal style and creativity. With a bit of time leftover to explore the city, many of us flocked to a nearby vintage store to experience the Montreal fashion landscape.
Overall, the QFIN conference was an amazing experience and I definitely encourage anyone interested in the industry to keep an eye out for next year’s conference date! And a huge shout out to everyone on the QFIN team who was involved in the planning and execution of the conference, it was amazing!!
See photos of our conference and some amazing exec outfits below:
HOT TOPICS
ACUBI FASHION:
Acubi fashion refers to a minimalist style, characterized by trendy, simple clothing, which has become popularized on social media. The style originated from the Korean fashion brand Acubi Club, described as combining the elements of minimalism, Y2K fashion and subversive basics. Key pieces include plain tees, denim skirts and minimalistic jewelry. Acubi fashion focuses on high quality pieces which will be long-lasting, rather than opting towards fast fashion trends and brand which will deteriorate quickly. The beauty of the Acubi style is its inclination towards quality basics, which allows you to be creative and show of your individual taste through your styling and accessorizing choices. Acubi is less of a trend, and more of a mindset, marked by a devotion to quality over quantity and an emphasis on individual styling over fast fashion trendy pieces.
See examples of Acubi style inspiration below:
HOT TAKES
Welcome to the hot takes segment! We asked our QFIN audience over instagram to send in their hot takes about fashion and style. Send in your hot takes through this form to be featured in next month’s column!
HOT TAKES FORM: https://forms.gle/h99gmPWswXJymHNd7
Disclaimer: all hot takes come from individual personal opinions and do not reflect QFIN’s opinions as an organization. QFIN encourages everyone to wear what they want and grow their personal style, regardless of outsider opinions!
“Moon boots are out.”
“I hate ballet flats.”
“Rose gold anything is overrated.”
“Tight clothing and all black everything is the best combination ever.”
“Cowboy boots cannot be worn with everything.”
“Just because you shop at a thrift store doesn’t mean you’re not overconsuming.”
“Bows are overdone but also I love bows”
“Long dresses only look good with added length like knee high boots or heels”
“Just because something is name brand doesn’t mean it’s fashionable”
Stay tuned for next month’s ASK QFIN! Thanks for reading<3