Flagship events
Conference
Intersections: Retail Rewrite · Saturday, February 21, 2026
Our marquee event brings executives, founders, and investors from across retail, luxury, beauty, and consumer to Columbia for a full day of keynotes, panels, and hiring conversations.
Recap the conference →2026 keynotes
- Amanda SmithCEO, Fairchild Media
- Noura SakkijhaFounder and CEO, Mejuri
- Shira Suveyke SnyderCEO, Proenza Schouler
- Maxine Clark and Sharon Price JohnFounder and CEO, Build-A-Bear
- Valentina LucajPresident, Fendi Americas
Fashion Showcase
Thursday, April 2, 2026 · Annex417
Made possible by AES NYC and Another
A full production run by students: ten featured designers, eighty classmates on the runway, a live orchestra accompanying the soundtrack, and a room full of industry.
See the showcase →
International Treks
Paris November 2025 · Thanksgiving break
- 7
- Companies
- 30
- Students
- 6,000+
- km from campus
Printemps, Cartier, Clarins, Maje, Boucheron, Van Cleef & Arpels, Hôtel Plaza Athénée
All treks →Geneva March 2026 · Spring break
- 5
- Companies
- 18
- Students
- 6,200+
- km from campus
Roger Dubuis, Panerai, Breitling, Cartier, Vacheron Constantin
Recap the trek →
Tech Summit
Threads of the Future · February 6, 2026 · Kravis Hall
A summit on how brands build and scale where fashion meets technology. One theme stood out: the future may be powered by AI, but it is deeply rooted in the past, with the strongest founders building on resale, rental, and inventory that already exists.
Read the recap →Panels
- Taste in the Age of AI Yeng T., Lisa Yamner, Chris LucasModerated by Victoria Smith
- The Circular Wardrobe Kate Sanner, Andrew Parietti, Julia O’MaraModerated by Claire Illmer
- Modern Loyalty Jenny Gorenstein, Bea Lim, Christina ReadModerated by Alyssa Daniel
About RLG
Retail and luxury, up close.
The RLG of Columbia Business School, in New York City.
We run 50+ events a year across luxury, beauty, CPG, grocery, specialty retail, and more, including executive speakers, recruiting workshops, maison visits, professor lunch and learns, a fashion showcase, international treks, and our annual conference.
- 600+
- Club members
- 50+
- Events a year
- 500+
- Conference attendees
- 60+
- Board officers
Prospective students
Incoming or considering CBS? We'll connect you with a current RLG member.
Prospective student form →Industry & employers
Looking to speak, host, recruit, or sponsor? We'd like to hear from you.
Email us →Recent events
Louis Vuitton
Megan Grant, Americas CEO & President
Executive speaker
Trader Joe's
Bryan Palbaum, CEO
Executive speaker
Celine
Robert Holden, North America President
Executive speaker
Barnes & Noble
James Daunt, CEO
Executive speaker
Estée Lauder
Brendan Riley, SVP Global Communications
Executive speaker
Kering
Joël Hazan, Chief Strategy Officer
Executive speaker
Hermès Maison Madison
Private flagship tour
Maison visit
Professor Lunch & Learn
Aamir Rehman, Columbia Business School
Lunch & learn
Luxury isn’t a price point.
It’s a standard.
What we do
Learn beyond the classroom
Speaker series with CEOs and founders, tech summits, recruiting workshops, and professor lunches.
Go where the work happens
Maison and office visits across New York, plus two international treks a year: recently Paris and Geneva.
Build a network that lasts
An alumni community working across luxury, beauty, food and beverage, and retail worldwide.
Gallery
Recent Events
Professor Lunch & Learn
Celine
Blue Bottle
Estée Lauder
Louis Vuitton
Bottomless Clothing Drive
NPR Music Tiny Desk
Founder's Panel
FP Journe & Evening Maison Visit
Colors
Professor Lunch & Learn
Intersections Conference
Jaeger-LeCoultre
Threads of the Future
Barnes & Noble
Consumer & Retail Recruiting Workshop
Stadium Goods
Trader Joe’s
International Recruiting Panel
Hermès Maison Madison Tour
Guzangs
Bain
New York or Nowhere
Kering
Maje Paris
Coach
Alex Mill
Louis Vuitton Flagship Tour
Saint Laurent
1st Dibs
General Body Meeting - Internship Panel
Chanel
Apple × Vogue
Prada
Thrift Week
Moët Hennessy
The Clear Cut
Pacsun
Amsale
Kartik Research
Future Reference
Seiko
Partnerships
For all general introductions and sponsorship inquiries, please contact us via email.
Prospective Students
If you are an incoming student or prospective student wanting to learn about RLG at Columbia, please fill in the Prospective Student Form below or reach out through Hermes Society and we will connect you with a current RLG member.