Written by Safa Razvi

Right before winter break, I sat down with Brett Byers to talk about art, ambition and what it means to cultivate creativity in a small town. At a bustling coffee shop just off University Avenue, our conversation unfolded into a deeper look at Brett’s creative drive and experiences that define him.

For the past three years, Brett has navigated a demanding balance—studying journalism, interning at the Kohl’s Center for Retail and serving as Lead of the Archives Committee at The Vault, UW–Madison’s premier fashion and business student organization.

Brett’s work is not about perfection, it’s all about the process. The way an idea evolves into a full scale production or how multiple minds work in tandem to produce a work of art. The focus on how to get to an end product matters much more than the result itself. The Archives Committee may be the smallest, but its work elevates the entire organization.

This principle has helped shape the way he documents projects at The Vault. He treats it as a living record of people learning, trying and becoming.

“Our main role is documenting The Vault and creating a collection of memories,” Byers said.

The idea wasn’t to freeze moments in time — this committee preserves them. Together, they group all the drafts that didn’t make it. The late nights spent reworking concepts and the ideas that evolved halfway through. In doing so, they observe the parts most people forget are even a thing. Though many forget about it, it’s often what Brett notices first.

When he first arrived at UW-Madison, it was like entering a whole new realm of possibility. Hailing from Rochester, Minnesota—often called “Med City” for its ties to the Mayo Clinic—Brett’s creative personality has always stood out, even within a city defined by medicine.

“Ever since I was a kid, I had a shoebox full of stories I had handwritten, typed out and turned into full narratives,” he said. “Coming to Madison was eye-opening — learning about all these creative paths started revealing a side of myself I hadn’t explored before.”

Brett’s path into Archives wasn’t linear. When he first joined The Vault as a freshman, he didn’t have a clear choice in mind. He came curious about all the different committees the club had to offer. Joining both the Creative and Journalism Committees, his innate curiosity led him to a new project, a podcast.

“I had no idea what I was doing, but I learned podcast equipment and editing overnight, rented a campus studio and stayed up all night working on it. It was fun — I was just excited,” he said.

Soon after, a meeting with Pranav, a table of Post-it notes and hours of scribbling sparked the committee’s goals. Alongside David Gandjui and a small founding team, Brett helped shape Archives into more than what it set out to be. It became a multidisciplinary space for photographers, videographers and visual storytellers to document the evolution of student creativity.

At its core, Archives exists to preserve The Vault’s memory: fashion shows, creative shoots, field trips, collaborations and the people behind them. But for Brett, its purpose runs deeper.

“The goal was always to give people a step into the creative industry,” he said. “You can be in your first semester and lead a photoshoot. We’ve got your back. No judgment.”

This ethos defines his leadership style. Rather than considering himself as an authority, he leads side-by-side with his team. Ideas are shared equally, projects are collaborative and everyone has the means to experiment.

“I don’t want to be an overarching leader,” he said. “I want us to figure things out together.”

In conversations about The Vault, Brett is quick to challenge one of the most common misconceptions: that it exists solely for those interested in fashion. While that may be the visual centerpiece, he stresses that the organization extends far beyond the runway.

“There’s marketing, journalism, finance, photography — skills that apply to almost any industry,” he said.

For Brett, The Vault’s strength lies in its accessibility: no matter a student’s background or career goal, there is space to explore, contribute and grow.

“Anyone can come in and find something that resonates with them,” he said. “It’s not about fitting into fashion — it’s about finding your lane.”

With this idea, Archives has grown into a 15-person committee that still feels intimate, but is broken up into smaller teams where members can fully own their work. Whether documenting end of semester fashion shows or creating designer spotlights, emphasis is always on collaboration and creative trust.

Beyond creativity, Brett credits The Vault with teaching him how to communicate, manage projects and lead with intention. Between balancing multiple shoots, deadlines and collaborators he’s sharpened his ability to articulate ideas clearly, stay accountable and understand his own strengths and limitations.

Working as a Digital Media Intern at the Kohl’s Center for Retail in Madison, Brett’s taken these skills and applied them to real world settings.

“Communication is the basis of everything,” he said. “Whether it’s setting timelines, asking questions or knowing when to be honest about what you can handle — those skills translate directly into internships and professional work.”

Through The Vault, Brett didn’t just learn how to create; he learned how to operate within a team, a system and a real-world creative environment.

One of Brett’s favorite moments from The Vault is the Spring 2024 Fashion Show, Metamorphosis. Not just because of the scale of the project, but the community founded under it. Seeing a line of people out the door was special, but strangers applauding the models as they walked out of the venue in their outfits and students immersed themselves into this project confirmed what The Vault had to offer: a community.

“It felt like everyone was in it together,” Brett said.

The sense of togetherness mirrors Brett’s creative outlook. Inspired by figures like Virgil Abloh—creators who blur disciplines while maintaining a signature voice—Brett is drawn to work that feels cohesive yet constantly evolving. His personal aesthetic reflects that balance: modern platforms layered with vintage elements, inspired by the ‘60s and ‘70s, intentionally mismatched but cohesive.

However, he admits he’s still figuring it out in real time.

“I’m still trying to find my style,” Brett said. “And I think that’s okay. Your aesthetic can evolve forever.”

Outside of The Vault, Brett gravitates toward thrifted fashion and photography—both for The Vault and for his personal satisfaction. This spring, he’s taking his curiosity abroad to Paris, hoping to create purely for joy.

Looking ahead, Brett credits The Vault with helping him discover his future in advertising and creative campaigns, work that blends together all the creative interests he’s loved for so long.

“I don’t want people to only see the end result,” he said. “I want them to see how we got there—the ideas, the evolution, the work.”

If someone were to archive Brett’s journey one day, that’s the moment he hopes they’d capture: not a single achievement, but the communal process itself. The brainstorming, the uncertainty and most importantly, the creation.

Because for Brett Byers, that’s where stories really live. In the works.