NEW YORK—Packed with fashion icons, up-and-coming designers and celebrities, New York Fashion Week’s (NYFW) spring and fall showcases are some of the industry’s biggest, most exclusive events. And for the second time in less than a year, Western Michigan University sent a student there for a one-of-a-kind educational experience behind the scenes.

“It was really crazy to be there!” says Grace Stibich, a product design student from Troy, Michigan, who dreams of designing shoes or outdoor gear. She earned the opportunity through Western’s inaugural New York Fashion Week Competition, hosted by the Office of Marketing and Strategic Communications, in 2021.

Preparing to graduate in spring 2023, Stibich can’t imagine a better way to kick off her final year at Western.

“It was very inspiring. I’m already thinking about how I want to set up my future line for the MODA (Merchandising Opportunities and Design Association) spring show, what I want to do for my senior thesis and things like that, thinking about how extravagant and how camp I want to be with them.”

Alongside future fashion leaders from just 15 universities across the country, Stibich participated in UofNYFW—a partnership between CLC, the nation’s leading collegiate license company, and IMG,…