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           New York is a city everyone should come to visit at least once. Whether it is just to visit, to live for a while (study away) or live permanently. New York is a city of opportunities but it is a place you have to try out before you pick your things and move here for good. I was excited to explore more of the upper east side thanks to Gossip Girl but also Brooklyn, and, Soho. I figured it would be super hard to navigate and that I would never truly know where things were. But in these 15 weeks, I am proud to say that I can navigate myself around the city. And I’ve also become quite the subway master, knowing which trains can take me to which burrow and back to my apartment. I also didn’t realize how much more expensive things are here. And that is something I knew coming into New York but after living here I still feel as if things are unnecessarily expensive, but it taught me how to budget my New York life. New York was a fast paced environment and it still is to me.

I had visited New York prior to this experience with FSO or the Fashion Student Organization in my freshman year of college.  We got to see the New York studio and explore for the weekend. Which is where I had explored tiny parts of Soho, Brooklyn and did some tourist things. With that trip under my belt and had already been to Florence, Venice, and Milan. I looked at studying in New York as a different opportunity. My “perfect plan” was to get an internship out here with an amazing company, be asked to stay through the summer and then secure a job with them after I graduate. But oh how plans change.  Through this experience, I learned that the upbeat, fast, New Yorker lifestyle isn’t for me. I like having space, to be able to take my time, enjoy every moment. It is almost like everyone here is try to rush life and not enjoy life and the process of it. Which is something I want to do. Everyone is alone here, very rarely do you see people get lunch with a friend. Nine times out of ten it’s a business partner of some sort, that’s probably why they don’t split checks because usually a boss, business or college would pick up the bill.

When I came to New York, I made sure I came with an open mind. Considering we had just finished learning all the basics to most areas of the fashion industry. I was constantly reminding myself to not focus on finding and diving head-on into one specific area but to try multiple things that interested me. That way I could find what I like and also what I don’t. This past year when I turned 20 I read the book “101 secrets for your twenties”. One of the secrets was half of your twenties is finding out what you don’t want rather than what you do. And that is something I truly discovered while being in New York.

The appointment we had this semester would definitely be the last one at Talbots. I say this because we met a lot of different people who had different titles, so we got to see a lot of the business. Which is something we haven’t seen or done before.

A speaker that resonated with me the most this semester would be Mai from Bishop Collective. She gave a ton of tips about starting your own business and doing your own thing. Was about budgeting, and how budgeting and saving money is very important. Of course, we all know it is important but it’s the way she said it that sticks with me. She said, “money gives you options”. And that is so true since I heard that I cannot even remember how many times I have repeated it to someone else or to myself.

Study Tour class is such an interesting and cool concept, being able to get out there and explore and learn about New York and different brands first hand has been super special and I would definitely recommend the NYC studio to any incoming fashion juniors.

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           This week our study class visited Talbots for our last class, and it honestly was one of the best study tour visits we have had. Talbots started back in 1947 by two entrepreneurs in New England, since then they have about 500 stores all over the country. The Talbots customers

           What made the Talbots visit so special was the hands-on viewing experience. Instead of just sitting in one room and hearing about the business and what the work environment is like. We got to go into the design room, the CAD room and so many more. We got a mini tour of their New York office space. Which we have gotten on maybe to other study tour visits which is nice. We also met a lot of people with a lot of different roles at Talbots. From the lead designer, head of patterning making, HR and Lead designer of women (everything but denim and accessories).

They each gave us a bit of their history, how they got there and what they love about their job. We met another Kent State alumni and many of our professor's colleges.

One thing that really stood out to me was the number of connections in the room, some way everyone already knew someone whether it was from a previous job or through another person. We also talk about the value of networking in class but when you witness it firsthand it truly makes you see honestly how easy networking can be. Whether it is just being kind to your co-worker or hiring someone at your old job. These connections are important and really last. Plus they were environment seems very laid back and hardworking. Everyone knows everyone and is constant communication with one another, you can tell that they joke and have fun but get the job done. Something that was brought up was the fact that you have to enjoy being at work because that is where you will spend the majority of your time. And if you don’t like the environment you won’t work well. And I think that is an important reminder, that just because you land the job does not by any mean you have to take that job. If during the interview you see that this job isn’t for you, continue the interview process strong, end on a good note and find a job that is for you.

One thing that really resonated with me is something that Dina the HR representative said. We talked about layoffs in the fashion industry as well as changes in interest. Which she said something so simple yet powerful and that is “there is a life after that job”. As hard as it may seem there is life after that job. As long as you make connections, leave on a good note and learn all that you can the possibilities are truly endless.

We definitely ended the semester with a great study tour experience

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This week our study tour group attended Hudson Yards. Prior to this visit, I had attended Hudson yards twice before. Once with my friends during spring break the second weekend of it being open, which was cool we were able to obtain free tickets to go to the top of the vessel. And second time being with my Fashion Forecasting class for a competitive shopping project. I was excited to have an excuse to go back for the third time.

           Hudson Yards opened back in March of this year and is home to about 100 stores and restaurants located in a single shopping center. Connected to the shopping center is condominiums to create a city inside of a city. Outside of this new retail location is the Vessel, overlooking the water designed by Thomas Heatherwick specifically to give people a view of the city and water, the vessel allows you to see it from a different perspective. It is the newest photo op destination in New York and getting to the top of it is almost a mile climb. With a total of 80 different landings and 154 flights of steps. The largest store in Hudson yards, I would say is Neiman Marcus. Taking up two entire floors Neiman Marcus is definitely one of the largest stores in Hudson Yards. Not to mention there are tons of cute photo ops in that store specifically.

I think what makes this Hudson yards so special is the experience it allows you to have as a shopper or restaurant customer. Even if you are just looking around and exploring you have a fun experience in the shopping center which is perfect. With the rise of online shopping and the decline of shopping centers, stores are aiming to create an experience to up foot traffic. And to be completely honest it does work amazingly.

Hudson Yards is a modern way to shop with an old school feel to it. You have everything under one roof, but in Hudson yards specifically, you have a mix of high-end brands and fast fashion brands which I think is very unique and modern. Not to mention having full restaurants inside instead of a food court is also a different concept. Meaning you can meet your friends at Hudson yards for dinner and if your friends are running late you don’t have to just wait outside you can walk around looking at the shops.

Overall the experience at Hudson yards was fun, would I recommend going at 9:30 when we did, probably not. But if you are visiting New York and you want to do something new that not many people have had the chance to id definitely recommend visiting Hudson Yards

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Today my study tour attended Bishop Collective. An independent boutique owned by one of the NYC studio professors. Launched back in 2013 by two fashion professors to provide a platform for fashion students to get into the industry as well as advocate for stronger ethical industry practices. Beginning as an e-commerce shop and doing pop-ups around the city, Bishop collective opened their brick and mortar store just six months ago. They aim to educate all of their shoppers on what makes their instore designers so unique and how they align with the brand's practices of conscious consumerism. Bishop collective offers handpicked American made apparel, accessories, beauty and home goods. The business is located in the lower eastside which is home to a few other local brand shops.

I think their passion for the transparency of the business is very cool. I feel like today a lot of smaller brands are aiming to be more transparent which truly brings a lot of foot traffic and loyal customers. They pay attention to the material, fabric, manufacturing process. The owners won't be educated on all aspects of the designer’s process, that way they can share their story in store. They are ethically sourced and made in America. There is a hole in the market where more business like this to flourish.

One thing Mai said that resonated with me would be the business advice she gave us. I think a majority of us were really interested in the entrepreneurial experience and advice she could give us. And budgeting was a repeated tip she gave. Personally, when I got to New York I started to work on budgeting, and I am proud to say that I have been pretty successful at it. Just by cutting out the little things that I would buy back in Ohio, I stopped doing here. Such as getting coffee and eating out. That is something I would find myself doing back home about 2-3 times a week (then again I had a job, something I do not have here). But by cutting back by making my ice coffee at home and cooking more, I see my budget for the week extending. Growing up I was taught to save my money at a young age. I remember I used to be so excited to tell my mom and dad I had money I wanted them to put in my savings account, and I guess watching it grow all these years gives me the motivation to keep it up. And it truly was great to hear Mai say that saving money gives you options. If you don’t like your current job, living situation or if you want to do your own thing.

Doing your own thing is way easier with these three tips according to Mai.

1. Save your money

2. Be kind

3. And learn anything you can, be a jack of all trades. By doing this you are able to hire less and less in and just hire the necessities.

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Today our Study tour class visited the Empire state building, home to Global Brands group.

As one of the world’s leading branded apparel, accessories, and footwear brands the company works with a ton of amazing celebrities and brands being the middle man between the too. This company is very hands-on when it comes to their products. They design, develop, market and sell their products for many different licensed brands that they work with.

They work with these well-known brands to continue to upkeep the integrity of the brand.

Some brands that GBG works with are:

-Sean John

-Juicy Couture

-Calvin Klein

- All Saints

-Katy Perry

Just to name a few. GBG (Global Brands Group) also partners with the world’s largest brand management agency, which allows them to place celebrities and models to represent different brands. One example they used during the presentation was David Beckham. Knowing him and what he represents instead of representing something such as Ford, they set him up with the Rolex campaign. They really get hands-on and take the time to get to know the target customer and who would make a great brand rep and or influencer whose personal brand/style would fit the brand. I think that is really interesting. GBG acts as the middle man, which I never even thought existed. I just assumed that different brands picked representatives on their own. So it was nice to hear the process behind it and to learn a lot more of the steps that go into brand management.

Global Brands group also spoke on a lot of their philanthropy, which I also find interesting. Personally, when looking for an internship or a job, I do research on the brand and I love seeing if they are truly involved with any charity or do any philanthropy. They are involved in giving back to the community and work with Gods love, we deliver and many more reparable charities.

We also got to speak to one of their merchandisers and have someone on one time to ask questions. She was super nice and really honest which is something not many people would be when talking about their job but I personally appreciated and I know my fellow classmates did too. One thing that resonated with me that she touched base on was that you just have to be confident in yourself, trust in your gut, your teachings and to know that their others around you that you can ask for help. She shared with us that she actually did not go to school for fashion but that someone believed she could do it, so she thought “well why can’t I, if someone else believes in me why shouldn’t I believe in myself”? Which is something I found really inspiring, because sometimes it is easy to doubt yourself, instead of trusting that I learned these things, you begin to believe you can’t do it. When sometimes at the end of the day you may be more qualified for the job than some of your co-workers.

Overall I enjoyed our visit, we got to take a tour through the showrooms and even received some super cute GBG swag!

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This past week we visited the Michael Kors home office here in New York, and it was honestly a dream.

           Michael Kors is a world-renowned fashion designer. He designs award-winning luxury accessories from his Michael Kors collection all the way to his classic ready- to- wear clothing under his Michael by Michael Kors brand. Michael started his journey as a student at The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) before he began his designing career. After that, he began merchandising and designing for an upscale boutique and from there built his dream. He created and released the first Michael Kors collection line.

           As our visit continued I just wanted to speak on how beautiful their office was. For clean, but also very Michael. We talked to the reps about not only what it is like to work and intern for Michael Kors but also his hands-on work around the community. Through a ton of philanthropy for fighting hunger. The Michael kors office and brand work with God’s love we deliver and has even partnered with the united nations to help fight world hunger. His 100 series watch was designed for a portion of the proceeds to go to delivering children school meals. Each year the brand participates by donating meals on national world food day. You can help get involved by just stopping in a store and taking a selfie or donating and all his employees must volunteer during national volunteering month. I just thought that was something really amazing, I love seeing and hearing more about different brands and businesses who give back. Whether it is to their community, the animals and ocean or even just back into the people.

Next, we talked about internships and jobs. It is always nice to hear from different HR representatives and recruiters what they look for in candidates and what are the “turn-offs” during an interview that can make or break it. Something that resonated with me is that yes it is okay to be nervous, it shows that you are humble and excited but being “too” nervous can almost hurt you. So calm down, trust in your teachings, yourself and resume. And just remember they may be interviewing you but you are interviewing them as well to see if this is the right place for you.

I was honestly excited for this study tour visit because Michael Kors was one of the first more luxury, glamorous brands I learned of growing up. My mom used to collect his Michael Kors collection handbags. And I just remember when I turned 14 (I think) I bought my first MK bag from a Michael Kors outlet store, and then for my 16thbirthday my mom purchased me a Michael Kors backpack/purse. And I was beyond excited because not only was I like her with my Michael Kors bag but that was my first luxury brand and I was over the moon about it. He was my first step into the luxury market and since then I haven’t looked back (well at least when it comes to handbags).

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2 weeks ago we visited the Guggenheim Museum.

It was quite the trek from my apartment but well worth it, named one of the best museums in New York. And that is really saying something because I am not really an art girl. I find out beautiful but I am personally not an art museum hopper. But this Art museum had and kept my attention. First of all the architecture is to die for. That alone will take your breath away.

Robert Mapplethorpe is known to be a cultural icon. He is known for his non-censored work and cultural approach to his work. From his polaroid’s and mixed media constructions Robert was ahead of his time. His nude photos and support for same-sex love really prove that as well.

He was originally inspired by the underground scene of S&M. Mapplethorpe just has so many sides to his photography which is another reason that makes him so great. “He is very technically skilled” according to the Washington Post.

The museum was quite busy but still peaceful. Mapplethorpe is the artist I chose to research beforehand and I tried to pay attention closer attention to this exhibit. It was very neutral and gender fluid which is a big trend in today’s society. Also along with his amazing photographs, his realism is beautiful and is a huge inspiration in the fashion industry

What inspired me the most would be the Thannhauser exhibit. Justin Thannhauser basically grew up in the art world. He is the son of an art dealer which allowed him to grow and work alongside his father and get great art education at a young age. He opened multiple galleries all over Europe and eventually settled in New York. He even gifted the Guggenheim Foundation his art collection back 1976. His collection was just so extensive and showed different pieces from a different artist, of all backgrounds and art types. Like the great Picasso for examples.

#week10

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CFDA

I had the fun and unique opportunity to visit CFDA with my study tour class this week in SoHo.

The Council of Fashion designers of America is always opening new doors for the future of the fashion industry. Helping with scholarships, connecting through networking, seminars and online information. With about 500+ members in New York, Seattle, Texas, and California. The CFDA is always looking for new ways to educate and create a sense of community. Although they are more designer focused the still take interest in the fashion industry as a whole.

The CFDA is known for its creation of the New York fashion week calendar. It was created long before the CFDA was founded and it began as a way to fit all fashion shows within a week to make sure you were able to catch all the shows. In the beginning, the top designers would show last, not giving new designers the chance for the same audience turnout because people would only come for the last couple of days. But in today’s time, we have some show-stopping designers starting the week off and ending the week. Keeping people in town for the entire week to catch all the shows.  

Their scholarship fund is also what sets the CFDA apart from anyone else. They are known for their Vogue Fashion fund, created by Anna Wintour. She raises tons of money for the fund each year which allows her to pick a fresh and unknown designer and help them collaborate with a well-known brand and open a line. They also have some other really amazing scholarships for designers with some other well-known designers who are also members of the CFDA.

Something that I thought was really cool and innovative is all the discussion and work they do regarding sustainability. By educating and helping their members become more sustainable. I am all for sustainability. And I understand that we need to make a change and it needs to happen now. What is really cool that the CFDA is doing is provide information and creating great text that can be used to help make changes not only in the way business can make a change but also how we as consumers can make a change within their lifestyle as well. There is some great information on the site. They brought in some sustainability experts in to write this information which took them about a year to create.

“I will never make a decision without someone under 30 in the room”. That quote is something that is resonated with me during our time at the CFDA office. It is just amazing to hear that, to know that since the people under 30 opinions matter because we are the future. We are the future of the fashion industry; we are the future of the world.

Our visit was fun and I was so glad to have that opportunity to go and hear what they are working on and how they started. We also walked off with a cute coffee table book. But

In recent news, Tom Ford has been offered a CFDA head chair position. So let’s so where this takes the CFDA next.

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Last week we visited M&S Schmalberg which is one of the only family-owned flower making shop left in New York City. At one point in time in the garment district, the street was overflowing with tons of embellishment shops including, faux flower shops. Now due to outsourcing and updated technology, this one of a kind family run business is left. Making all flowers by hand. You can order anything up to flowers for garments, headpieces, bouquets, really anything you can imagine.

Our speaker was so much fun, very loud and engaging which I think I speak for everyone when I say it was a good change of pace. You could tell he really loved the faux flower making business. He was very passionate about his family’s legacy which was certainly sweet. It was nice to see him, his dad, his aunt and all the employees that had been working there for years still there working and loving it. Nobody had a bad thing to say, which shows how well they treat their employees. They think of them as a family as well.

They have made flowers for some really amazing occasions and famous people and brands. For example, Sarah Jessica Parker when she played  Carrie Bradshaw in Sex in the city. Beyonce, Nick Cannon, while he was the host for America’s, Got talent and plenty more. You can take a peak of all the flowers they have made for trademark people in the hall of their suite. IT is super cute and cozy. Just call ahead and you are more than welcome to stop by and take a tour.

Everything in their shop is handmade and what truly keeps their business going is customer loyalty. Our speaker truly showed us how important customer loyalty is. How that can truly keep a business u and running. Also how being very hands-on is truly effective. Allowing the customer to pick everything from the flower type to the petals all the way to the seeds. Having that one on one time to get every detail correct for what the customer wants will truly help you keep a good handful of happy customers coming back.

We were able to pick out our own cute little flower which was such a sweet gift. It’s a fun way to commemorate the visit.

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Last Week we visited the Coterie Show. Coterie is an exclusive global event that connects women’s apparel, accessories, beauty and footwear designers with the buyers of the industry. You do not get in without a ticket or knowing someone. The three-day event took place at the Jacob Javits center.

We met at 9:30 and had the opportunity to walk around and meet vendors. I had a bit of a rough start to the morning when I did not receive the scanner on my ticket. But the staff was one step ahead, you could look it up to pick up your ticket and pass. Which was super nice and made the whole stressful thought super smooth and easy. The experience was very enlightening, it really shows you what life could be like as a buyer or a wholesale store owner. I had only been to the fabric trade show we to with study tour. Other than that, I have not been to a trade show. Mainly because my internships are more styling base. This trade show was more of my style. It was a lot easier to look at garments and each booth was directed with their personal branding and aesthetic.

Everybody was friendly but not necessarily willing to spend time on us considering we aren’t buyers and are not going to spend money. But you were able to touch clothing but not aloud to take photos. I was able to get some free samples of the Makeup eraser which I do enjoy. I found it ironic that I ordered a sample about a month ago from the website after they posted on social media about having a free sample shipped to try the product. But of course, when brought it to the sales clerk attention, she brushed it off and gave us a sample. I did not discover Makeup eraser there but I learned more about their wholesale  and that you get a better deal when you buy wholesale in bulk. There is a California based denim brand whose name I cannot remember but they were working on reducing the amount of water they use when dying their denim, which I thought was pretty cool. I am all for sustainably and saving/bettering the earth. There are changes that need to be made. And I believe the fashion industry can make a huge difference and start a change. I did not to talk to as many vendors as I wish I did. So that is something I can improve on the next study tour meet up. As well as taking more notes when walking around, usually when we have a sit down one on one study tour I become such a heavy note taker. But when not I try to be more in the moment and enjoy the experience of being out in New York doing these study tour activities that I find myself lacking on taking notes. These are a few things I learned on this trip that I will work on more.

Overall the Coterie show was a different yet exciting experience. There were so many different vendors and so much ground to cover. Truly something for everyone and any brand. The set up was so aesthetically pleasing. It was if they were thinking since you cannot take photos of the clothing here are super cute photo spots to commemorate your visit. And have something for you to post on social media.

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Andy Warhol is a true legend.  He was an American artist, director, and producer. Most known for his visuals and pop art. A little into his background A Pittsburgh Pennsylvania native Andrew Warhola was born back in August 6, 1928, being the youngest of three. He suffered from Sydenham Chorea. Since the disorder would keep him home from school his parents purchased his first camera at the age of eight years old. Andy ended up attending Carnegie Mellon (Carnegie Institute of Technology back when he attended 1945-1949). His work first appeared in Glamour magazine with his award-winning story “What is Success”? From then on Andy dropped the A off of Warhola being known as Andy Warhol.  After that, he began to get high client for his work and was becoming a world-renowned artist. Gaining clients such as Vogue, Tiffany & co., plus many more.

           Personally, I am not much of a museum girl. I do not really enjoy museums unless they are more interactive and modern. You would never catch me going to louver or any other prestigious museum for fun. But I do enjoy Andy Warhol’s work it’s got a modern vibe too it which I enjoy and makes it pleasing to the eye. His work is so diverse and once you see it once or twice you learn to identify his work. He has this look, I do not really know how to describe his look but you just know what it is. Since it has the more modern feel to it I believe it is relevant today. Everybody knows of or about Andy Warhol even if you haven’t seen his work most people know about him.

In my opinion, there is nothing like his pop art. Andy’s Superman is just like an original cartoon in a comic book. This particular piece of work circulated in1961 based off of the comic book Superman’s girlfriend written by Kurt Scharffenberger. After diving more into Andy’s life and really taking a look at his work. I believe I could later point out his work. Well on a day that I had a full seven and a half to eight hours of sleep.

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Last week our study tour group went to the Ralph Lauren Headquarters.

We specifically focused on the sister brand of Ralph Lauren which is Chaps. “Chap’s Capturing the American spirit”- Martin Roll

Chaps was created back in 1978 originally as a men’s clothing brand. Since then the brand has grown to have both men’s, women’s and kids clothing. It has truly become a family brand.

Chaps is the lower tier of the Ralph Lauren brand but the true money maker. It is not a budget brand; champs are considered moderate or better price points. Chaps is sold in some of the top stores such as Kohl’s, Belk and Macy’s to name a few.

The chap’s headquarters was very neat clean with a rustic farm chic feel. I know my fellow classmates and I were so excited about how cute and decorative it was. We were fortunate enough to meet some of our professor’s colleagues which was a very cool experience. The conversation had more of an intimate panel feel where we were able to ask questions and speak freely. I believe it is always best to do these in a less tense more relax environment which it was. A speaker who really resonated with me would be to start my professor.  She touched base on what it means to truly connect with people at your current job because you never know when someone may need you or vice versa, having that good relationship can be the start of something new and magical.  As per usual getting to hear from Kent Alumni is truly inspiring. Having that common ground and hearing that what we spend thousands of dollars on a year is worth it. And that what we learn will help us, and that we can and will make it. Being a current student at a prestigious school such as the Fashion school who is known for producing high-quality students and leaders gives all of us students a leg up in the industry. People have hired Kent State Grads and want more. Kent Alums want Kent grads because they know what we can do and what we are capable of and there is truly no better feeling than that.

LinkedIn we all had to make one freshman year. But now as juniors and seniors inching our way into the industry, we are looking to it more and more. For jobs, Internships, networking and sharing all business savvy information. As juniors and seniors, it is constantly expressed to us to dive deeper into the world of LinkedIn and how it can benefit us greatly, though I feel as if from everyone at The Fashion school we receive the same reasoning behind why we need it. But after talking about it in the Chap’s panel it definitely gave all of us some reassurance that LinkedIn in is very necessary and helpful.  it was always the extra push we need to constantly improve our LinkedIn accounts and to link in with everyone we meet. It is different when we are linking in with people we want to potentially work for then we link in with someone who we just met. By having that common ground gives you leverage over all the others, not only common interest but what you both just experienced. It will truly help you stand out. Plus starting off with a compliment or a specific sentence that they quoted can always do you some good.

“Ralph Lauren - A Brand Capturing The American Spirit.” Martin Roll, 9 Aug. 2018, martinroll.com/resources/articles/strategy/ralph-lauren-a-brand-capturing-the-american-spirit/.

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Create Tomorrow 

WGSN also was known as the World Global Style Network was founded in 1998. And as they come upon their 21stanniversary, the small business has grown to a little over 250 workers and is seen on every continent except Antarctica. They have 18 offices around the world. They have a larger headquarters in both New York and London and smaller sites elsewhere which truly helps WGSN as maintain a global status as the best trend research site in the world.

As I Walked into the WGSN headquarters I was not expecting it to be as laid back as it was. It was really open, laid back and everyone had their headphones just minding their own business doing their work. Everyone was wearing jeans and whatever kind of top they wanted. They all just had their own look. And I think I speak for our entire class when I say that we dressed up expecting everyone to be all fashion forward and cute. But Sean taught us even though 80% of what they do there is fashion forecasting they are known for trend forecasting and that is all trends.  Trends such as interiors, consumer and color. They also work with fortune 500 retailers as consultants, forecasters and side helpers.

-They have about 250 specialist

-890 blogs are monitored daily

-95 countries are watched

WGSN is one of the best trend forecasting specialist in the world and in my opinion.

They attend every fashion show, 137 trend shows and 23 festivals a year. With some of the leading fashion photographers on their team, they take a photo of every dress, every shoe and every accessory that hits the runway and can have the photos uploaded on the site up to 3 hours after the show.

Something Sean spoke about the really resonated with me during the tour was that to be known as a global trend forecasting company is that you must watch each country individually. Not all trends carry over in every country. They must have that global view. “Trends begin with the way people live their lives”.  And all people live their lives differently, no matter the country but you look for those trends that occur in different people’s lives that are common. The company specifically look at;

-Fashion product/Design

-Art and Culture

-Consumer attitudes

-Socioeconomic changes

-Politics

-Climate

-Consumption Habits

-Market Dynamics

-Retail Dynamics

-Independent Media

-Social Identifiers

-Hobbies

And how does it relate to people? How can they find trends through these aspects? Which is something I found not only extremely interesting but pretty cool.  I have always been pretty good at spotting trends and seeing how it affects the world and people around it. So Sean’s talk was very interesting and appealing to me. I could honestly see that as a career choice for me as well. I also enjoyed meeting and listening to Erin speak, it is always really nice to hear from a Kent Alum in the industry and here the steps they took to get where they are now. She also touched base on why a lot of older companies are not doing well in today’s market and how important it is to be innovative

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Saks (uptown)

Saks is a very well-known upscale shopping spot. Everyone either knows, seen or has gone to Saks at some point in their life. Whether it is to purchase or just to look, Saks is known all over the world. That’s what I believe makes this store so special.

Saks has 45 stores in 23 states and from the latest public knowledge from 2012 Saks generated about 2.7 billion in sales. I would have like to have had the updated report although the annual report site was having technical difficulties for the past couple of days.

Their target market would be middle to upper-class ages 27-60 selling both men and women clothing and accessories. (Saks online also has a larger section of kids and home accessories as well.) Saks is definitely geared towards more established people. Not only established in themselves but in their jobs. They make good money with a set income each month, hence the fashionable style professional clothing you would see. Their target customers are usually single or married with either very few or no children.  These people are usually still ingulfed in their career so domestic life is not necessarily on their minds just yet.

The store itself had a very comfortable and open floor plan. Everything was very neat and tidy. My friend told me that she thought it looked like an upscale Macy’s. In which it kind of did. Even though most Macy’s do not carry such a prestigious brand it still kind of reminded me of such. It still gave me a department store feel. And of course, the customer service is impeccable. Everyone was constantly coming up to me asking if I needed anything, and although they stared at me a while probably wondering why college students were in there, they were never rude. I didn’t feel the most comfortable taking photos in there due to everyone watching me like a hawk, but the layout of the store was phenomenal. Their visual marketing team was on trend with their target customers. The business-savvy people in Saks are not trying to style and put together tons of outfits.  They want convenience and good quality. So with Saks simple, clean and sleek layout and price point, their customers know what they are getting. I believe Saks has a lot of cliental, though they manly generate more profit off of customer and brand loyalty rather than tourist or people who are just in the area.

Saks had basically everything I kind have pictured it and assumed it would. A lot of blacks, neutrals, blues, and navy. They offered the known brands such as Gucci, Prada, Rag and bone along with others.  But then there are some more surprising brands in there such as, Theory which I never heard of which offered more high end business casual type clothing. A fun fact I learned from one of the sale associates was you can actually pre-order items off of their website before they go into the stores which I though was pretty cool. This was my first time at a Saks in New York. I’ve been to one before but just with my mom because she wanted to purchase a handbag, but the uptown Saks put the one I visited before to shame.

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  Preface NYC made its official debut as a trend shop after being assembled by two friends with years of fashion experience. Before today I had actually never attended a trend show before. But I am glad this was the first one. The intimate, quiet, and extremely aesthetically pleasing environment was perfect for my first one. I know some trend shows can be a bit overwhelming, well at least the larger ones can be. People running about, yelling and crowed, but instead, this environment was a lot more personable. People taking their time, enjoying a cup of coffee and just lounging about. Not to mention everyone was very friendly and so eager to share their knowledge about what they are passionate about, which I something that I find to be truly inspiring.

  Six was so excited to pass on his knowledge about sustainability. Which I think is phenomenal, I personally believe sustainability is the future of the fashion industry.  Sustainability is a big trigger word in the fashion industry, most companies big or small are slowly but surely trying to be more sustainable. In recent years six has successfully collaborated to create newly sustainable yarns. He touched base on in his presentation, The three R’s (reduce, reuse and recycle) and how asking people to buy less is honestly kind of insane, but instead of buying less, we as producers must use less. Of course, use more organic materials such as cotton or hemp. But if possible make and use more hemp. Not only does it grow faster, but it also uses way less water than cotton Not to mention hemp is more versatile, it can be used as a weave, knit, you name it.  He also talked about just being aware of where our products go.

  Our next speaker and one of the creators of NYC preface Sonia Martin was truly inspiring an honestly the highlight of the show for me. You could just see the knowledge she presented and the way she presented it was perfect. We were all hooked and completely engaged as she talked about some of the upcoming trends. She spoke about has fashion in the upcoming seasons are going to be genderless, season-less and ageless. Genderless meaning any sex can wear it. Ageless meaning it is for people of all ages. And when it came to seasonless she said since they are all mixed and mashed (together due to global warming) any of the colors or trends shown can be worn at any time of year, you seem fit.

  Three trends I discovered at NYC preface and had no idea what they were, are; Someplace else, Softer and Artisan. All trends that I had seen elements of before but never knew the name and color palette. Then some trends that I am personally excited for would be; Activist which is a little more street, lately I've been loving the bright neons and transparent fabrics along with the large logos. When these elements are styled correctly they are to die for. Utilitarian is another exciting trend, personally, I don’t wear it but I think it always looks so good on others, the mix of metals and heavy and lightweight fabrics are a must. Buttoned up was really cool, we see that a lot nowadays. A piece inspired by that trend that is currently seen everywhere would be the plaid stripes with the pop of color going down the side. And yes, I do own a pair of those myself. Last but not least I thought somewhere else was cool mainly because it got me thinking about beachwear and I would love to be lounging on a beach right now instead of walking in the cold.

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Scavenger Hunt

1) Coming to NYC, I expected the garment district to be of course cramped between buildings and as fast-paced as it gets, but it is even more amazing and inspiring in person. 

2) Although it was quite cramped, it was exactly what I believed the fashion district to be inspiring. The people, the outfits, the items the shops sold. 

3) Mood! Will, of course, be the most memorable moment of the trip. I even bought a reusable bag to commemorate the moment considering I am not a designer so I won't be there often. Also, the new friends I made in the group was great too. We exchanged numbers and started s study tour group chat. The fashion Distract is a great place to walk through for inspiration!