Baruch College’s Women in Business club held its 11th annual “Style Your Success” event on Dec. 5. The event, which is headlined by a fashion show starring Baruch students, is designed to promote new and creative ways to dress in the workplace. 

This year, the event’s theme was “Concrete Jungle,” a common nickname for New York City. WIB Executive President Berta Flores said that the main goal was to show students how to “spice up” outfits for the workplace. 

Many of the outfits presented showcased a balance between work and city life to reflect that theme. 

The event began when hosts Savannah Wang and Sagar Kadakya took the stage to introduce the event and the first showcase, business professional. 

Models walked the runway showcasing many outfits, many of which included blazers, chinos or slacks and sharp dress shoes. 

After a raffle and a word from sponsors such as Vike beauty — which was founded by twins Alina and Inessa Vike, two former members of WIB — and Sabrina Palacio, the founder of A1Art, there was a performance by Baruch’s Blue Notes a cappella group. 

Blue Notes performed two songs: “I’ll Run to You” by Pentatonix and “River” by Bishop Briggs. 

After the performance, models dressed in business casual attire took the stage. 

These outfits included button-down shirts, slacks, blouses and skirts, and reflected a more relaxed work attire. 

The models claimed that studies show boosted morale of workers at companies that employ some form of this dress policy. 

Following this, the event broke for intermission, and the max-capacity crowd had the opportunity to stretch their legs and enjoy Indian cuisine. 

After the intermission, the event commenced with Day and Night attire, which included dresses, before wrapping up the successful, crowded event. 

Paige Coulson, the executive vice president of WIB, said the event was worth the incredible amount of work it took to prepare.

“We probably started setting this up in July, so it’s over a semester’s worth of progress and production,” Coulson said. “A lot goes into it as far as set up goes, making sure we get all the models, making sure they know what they’re doing, and getting clothing sponsors for the models to wear, so it was just a lot of heavy-duty work that spanned over five months.” 

When asked how the event evolved over 11 years and continues to stay relevant to the Baruch community, Coulson replied, “What Baruch struggles with is creating events that are both fun and professional at the same time, and I think that’s what makes SYS so special because not only are we here to have fun, of course it’s a bit of a party, but the purpose behind it is to show students of all walks of life just how to dress when it comes to entering into that professional world.” 

Coulson continued, “Whether it be a coffee chat or an interview, day to night or anything in between, and that’s what SYS is meant to showcase and I think that’s what keeps us going and keeps bringing us back every year.”

All proceeds from the event went to the American Cancer Society, allowing the club to not only assist students in dressing in the workplace and provide an entertaining event, but to give back as well.