SoHE is proud to announce Stacy Igel (BS ’99 Retail) as the 2016 recipient of the Wisconsin Idea Alumni award.
Change by Design
From the moment Stacy Igel stepped onto the UW-Madison campus she knew this school is where she belonged.
Entrepreneurship runs in her veins, and what better place to push boundaries than in the School of Human Ecology. Igel credits her internship experiences as a SoHE student to the foundation where she was able to combine a love of design with real world business experience. During her senior year at SoHE, Stacy “doubled down” with a senior thesis that allowed her to work on her own fashion line and gain experience working major fashion brands such as Zandra Rhodes, Donna Karan, and Else Klensch, among others.
Armed with education and experience, Igel created a clothing line, Boy Meets Girl® (BMG), in 2001. With the tenacity of a true Badger, she built her iconic brand by going store to store in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City to find retail outlets for her designs. Today, the BMG line is available on www.boymeetsgirlusa.com, as well as at Nordstrom, colette in Paris, and other boutiques across the world.
Personifying the Wisconsin Idea
Stacy lives the Wisconsin Idea by collaborating with organizations and designing merchandise that raises awareness and educates people about important social issues. To date, she has worked with the Young Survival Coalition to raise awareness for young women with breast cancer, and with the National School Climate Center Bully Bust Campaign and Bloomingdales to fight bullying in schools. Igel launched Boy Meets Girl University, a hands-on learning experience for students who aspire to work in the fashion industry and want to learn about the creative business side of building a brand.
As creative director and brand founder, Stacy states, “I wanted to bring my brand to major campuses and classrooms throughout the country because I felt Boy Meets Girl could be a positive influence for college and high-school girls.”
About the Wisconsin Idea Award
This award is given annually to a SoHE graduate who has demonstrated successful interdisciplinary application of their School of Human Ecology studies and whose work exemplifies “The Wisconsin Idea.” Selection is based on outstanding career achievement reflecting Human Ecology mission, interdisciplinary perspectives, and innovation leadership AND exemplary service to the community, SoHE, and/or UW-Madison.
For nearly 113 years, alumni of the School of Human Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have made outstanding contributions in their field and in their communities. SoHE alums work in fields that contribute $65 billion to Wisconsin’s economy, and $3 trillion to the nation’s economy. The School of Human Ecology is proud to honor those individuals whose vision, passion and tenacity helped them improve the human experience.
2016 SoHE Alumni Awards Committee:
Laurie Reed, Chair (BA 1982, L&S; MS 1988, Consumer Science)
Brenda Chamberlain (BS 2002, Interior Design)
Mary Jaeger (BS 1978, Textile and Apparel Design; MS 1980, Related Art)
Yolanda Jenkins, vice chair, SoHE board of visitors
Kay Villa (BS 1979, Interior Design and Related Art – Textile Design)
Improving the Educational Experience
Annual gifts provide immediately available discretionary funds that the Dean uses develop students’ educational opportunities in ways that encourage more than intellectual growth. Individual support makes a profound impact on inspiring the next generation of Badger leaders and ground-shakers.
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