Ruby Suman

I chose Madrid, Spain, because I wanted to do something related to business and fashion while also working towards my goal of becoming fluent in the language, as a Spanish minor. In Madrid, my education consisted of several international business classes (in both English and Spanish), environmental ethics, and an internship at a local streetwear shop, called The Ghetto Shop. My supervisor at my internship did not speak much English so most of our conversations were in Spanish. This was where I developed my Spanish the most and I was challenged to communicate with others in both a casual and professional manner. I also attended Circular and Sustainable Fashion Week Madrid and I made connections with people who were working to push sustainable initiatives in the fashion industry from perspectives of both management and designers. My semester abroad allowed me to build deeper connections across cultures, expand my spanish speaking skills, and build confidence in a foreign environment. 

Right now I am working on my honors thesis, a project portfolio about deepening our relationship with clothing and the value in the underrated process of creating clothes. I will be learning how to create new pieces of clothing from upcycled/pre-existing garments, fabrics, and other materials, while writing an accompanying memoir of my ever-growing experiences with both mother nature and fashion. A goal of mine is to attend FIT for a masters in International Fashion Management, but I plan to work in the fashion industry for a few years before I go to graduate school. I will no doubt go back to Madrid, Spain, and hopefully work with Paloma G. López (creator of CSFW Madrid) to help with CSFW Madrid in Spring 2025.