Retail & Luxury,
up close.
The Retail & Luxury Goods Club of Columbia Business School is for students building careers across luxury, beauty, CPG, grocery, and specialty retail. 50+ events a year, and we bring the industry to campus.
Flagship events
Recent events
- 600+
- Club members
- 50+
- Events a year
- 500+
- Conference attendees
- 60+
- Board officers
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.
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 · With 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.
International Treks
Twice a year we take a cohort abroad to meet houses on their own ground: ateliers, manufactures, flagships, and the people running them.
Paris Nov 2025 · Thanksgiving Break
- 7
- Companies
- 30
- Students
- 6,000+
- km away
Printemps, Cartier, Clarins, Maje, Boucheron, Van Cleef & Arpels, Hôtel Plaza Athénée
Geneva Mar 2026 · Spring Break
- 5
- Companies
- 18
- Students
- 6,200+
- km away
Roger Dubuis, Panerai, Breitling, Cartier, Vacheron Constantin
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.
Panels
- Taste in the Age of AI Yeng T., Lisa Yamner, Chris Lucas Moderated by Victoria Smith
- The Circular Wardrobe Kate Sanner, Andrew Parietti, Julia O’Mara Moderated by Claire Illmer
- Modern Loyalty Jenny Gorenstein, Bea Lim, Christina Read Moderated by Alyssa Daniel
Events
Most weeks of the year · On campus and across New York
The four flagships are the headlines. The week-to-week is the real education: chief executives and founders in conversation with students, private visits to maisons and offices around the city, faculty over lunch, and recruiters who actually hire.
See all events ↓A typical year includes
- Executive Fireside Chats
- Maison Visits
- Alumni Coffee Chats
- Professor Lunch & Learns
- Recruiting Workshops
And whatever next year’s board dreams up.
Luxury isn’t a price point.
It’s a standard of excellence.
Prospective students
We’ll connect you with a current RLG member who can tell you what the year actually looks like.
Student form →Industry and employers
Speaking, hosting, recruiting, or sponsorship: tell us what you have in mind.
Email us →Speaker series with CEOs and founders, tech summits, recruiting workshops, professor lunches, and alumni coffee chats.
Maison and office visits across New York, plus two international treks a year over Thanksgiving and Spring Break: recently Paris and Geneva.
An alumni community working across luxury, beauty, CPG, food and beverage, and retail, plus private equity, banking, and consulting.
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.