Two Duke University Students Wanted To Work In Luxury. When They Created A Path, Execs Followed

Is it time for Universities to lean heavier into fashion?

At many elite campuses today, the career conveyor belt is funneling the most ambitious students into three tracks. According to a recent Harvard University survey, consulting, finance, and technology have become the most desired paths for up to 63% of its graduates. ‘The Bermuda Triangle of Talent’ as it’s been coined, has become a funnel, luring in many, increasingly more men than women.

While the top majors for women at the best universities are biology, academia, social science, and general business, other subjects are attracting greater interest. With the growth of the luxury, fashion, and beauty markets, more students are looking toward those professional areas and the career paths they offer. From 2019 to 2024, the luxury category alone has grown threefold. In beauty, retailer Sephora is now the second-largest house by revenue under LVMH, behind only Louis Vuitton across its 75 houses. And this year, fashion weeks from Milan to New York—and even Riyadh—are being covered more widely and attended by more notables worldwide.

But at the best universities, many don’t offer majors or career paths to meet the market demand in these areas, or provide a way for students to gain the insight, networking, or mentoring they need in those spaces.

This was the case at Duke University until two ambitious students decided to step off the conveyor belt and begin building a new track. One that treats fashion, beauty, and luxury as serious, high-growth businesses. In 2023, the Duke Business of Retail Society (DBRS) was born.

The Duke Business of Retail Society

The student-run organization was founded by Sophia Yassinger and Nina Venter with a straightforward thesis: to value, nurture, and connect creative and commercial students from Duke with executives, brands, and insights within the industries they loved. By drawing top luxury, fashion, and beauty executives to campus, they could build a ‘society’ of students seeking to reframe and take action to define what a successful, professional opportunity can look like across data, design, finance, and supply chains in this space.

The results have been immediate and impactful.

In just two years, the DBRS has brought in executives from leading luxury houses like Dior and Chanel, established an advisory board with industry leaders, and attracted over 1,000 students to participate. Campus-led programming, such as the Retail & Consumer Investment Panel and the Industry Immersion Series, has generated over $100,000 through grants and brand partnerships across both retail and CPG brands. From Uber to Poppi to Supergoop! and more, brands have reached out to discuss promoting and sponsoring product use, supporting social media initiatives, and activating bespoke events — such as private dinners for members. Some have even provided dedicated budgets to co-create marketing campaigns and conduct Gen Z-based research and focus groups.

“There wasn’t a true place on campus for students interested in creative industries. We saw the finance and consulting clubs, but nothing for students who wanted to explore the intersection of fashion, business, and creativity,” said Nina, who serves as DBRS Co-President “Duke is a top school, yet there was this empty space, and I felt like I couldn’t leave without building something to change that. Not just for myself, but for the students who have now found a sense of community.”

“Growing up in LA, I was surrounded by early adopters. We created DBRS to fill a void for creative, ambitious students to start building experiences and a network in the industries we love right now.” Sophia expanded “When I got to Duke, I had a very clear vision of who I wanted to be and what I wanted to learn. So we created what we didn’t see it.”

Recently the group hosted one of their most significant events at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University. The Luxury Fashion Panel, offered students an opportunity to hear firsthand about careers in the luxury sector—from both heritage brands and the evolving world of e-commerce luxury. The panelists were Duke alum Rebekah McCabe, General Manager of Fashion of Chanel and April Hennig, President of Moda Operandi, a luxury e-commerce platform.

From Summer Internships to Full-Time Careers

Like many students, securing a critical summer internship and/or a coveted job upon graduation is the goal. DRBS has been able to measure its success through internships and post-grad placements with the companies it brings to campus, as well as the networking opportunities offered. Beyond that, long-term success is about creating a cultural shift in Duke’s pre-professional landscape. “Creating a culture where the industries we love are celebrated, given the spotlight they deserve, and are accessible for students to gain practical, hands-on experience and engagement opportunities they might not have had without DBRS,” Nina and Sophie Brooks, who leads speaker relationships for the group, shared.

As for what’s next, “seeing DBRS expand into multiple chapters across campuses nationwide, creating a network of students who share the same passions that we do, would be the ultimate reward,” said Yassinger.

By following their passion and having a pulse on other like-minded students across campus, it’s clear that in a world with so many options, sometimes creating your own is the best one.