Develop a brand pitch and go-to-market plan for a luxury brand. That was the opportunity presented to four Human Ecology students through a collaboration with high-end Swiss fashion brand Akris (@akrisofficial) and the UW–Madison Kohl's Center for Retailing (@uwmadisonretail). At the project kickoff, Akris executives shared with the student consulting team that the brand is interested in reaching a younger audience. Consumer Behavior & Marketplace Studies students Bridget Flannery x’26 (@flannery.bridget) and Vani Khullar ‘25 (@vanikhullar17), along with Textiles & Fashion Design students Kaelin Silas ‘25 (@kaelin.dynamite) and Clara Padgham ‘25 (@clarapadgham), rose to the challenge. Meeting weekly and working individually outside of the classroom, the student team dug deep into the Akris history with their eyes set on the future. After three months of translating interests and concepts into concrete marketing and merchandising ideas, the student team introduced strategies to help ...