tourwithbrett

[tourwithbrett]

Splendid!

Our trip to Splendid had to be another one of my favorites. It felt like a realistic glimpse into the life of a member of the fashion industry.

Though we have had other realistic tours in the past, I felt that I resonated most with what I learned at Splendid. I have been feeling very burnt out recently, but I could see myself doing something similar to what Courtney and Bri do at Splendid.

Additionally, the company itself interested me. I loved the way they discussed sustainability, it made me consider things that I had not before. For example, I had never really thought about the use of additional tags and how that might effect the sustainability of a garment.

I followed both of them on Linkedin, and I would love to stay in touch! Maybe there is an internship or job opportunity there in the future?

[tourwithbrett]

Louis Vuitton has been making headlines by turning their NYC HQ into a gigantic LV metal case.

Seeing it in person was pretty cool. It looks crazy real.

Moving inside the store, the displays were simply fantastic.

It's apparent that LV is trying to sell not only a lifestyle, but their products as art. Each bag from a collaboration was in a glass case, almost as if we were at a museum. Artists from around the world helped to create displays and artwork on the walls, adding to the feeling.

This store had four floors, with product categories mixed together. Each floor felt like a new "person" with everything from chocolate to dog bowls.

I truly love how LV has situated themselves to consumers. Unlike other large fashion houses, I feel like LV feels complete— they really have something for everyone, animal and human.

[tourwithbrett]

Create-a-Marker

Last class, we went to Create-a-Marker, a large-scale pattern-making company. They work with over 400 designers, large and small. We got to talk to the owner, Paul.

Create-a-Marker is a family-owned business that has been in operation since 1993. It has some of the most varied technologies when it comes to grading, or sizing.

It was super interesting to see how grading has changed over time, as well as looking at what still needs to be done manually. I love seeing all of the human work behind every garment we create in this industry.

There was also a fantastic cat who was clearly the star employee, named Popsickle.

[tourwithbrett]

Fifth Avenue Women NYC Jewelry

Fifth Avenue was founded in 1985 as a wholesaler supplier for semi-precious gems, pearls, .925 silver, and jade.

They have been a private label based in NYC for many years. Currently, they do most of their wholesale to big department stores.

Unfortunately, I was not able to attend this study tour, so I missed out on the experience. However, I heard it was very informative, and the class got to buy jewelry at a wholesale price.

[tourwithbrett]

Dover Street Market

To be honest, I was not entirely sure what Dover Street Market was before visiting. Having not lived in NYC for very long, I always just assumed that Dover was like the Chelsea Market, a large space full of a variety of stalls, with everything from a grocery store to custom art.

Though Dover Street offers a wide variety, it leans more into the concept store realm. I was very pleasantly surprised when I walked in the doors. It reminded me a bit of the Tardis from Doctor Who— from the outside, you would have no idea Dover Street had seven full floors of shopping and food.

The Dover Street Market opened in December 2013 and is owned by Comme des Garçons (CDG). According to a few of the salespeople that we talked to, the creative director of CDG, Rei Kawakubo, is still very involved.

Each floor focuses on a different CDG line. For example, this floor focused on CDG3, with a mix of other brands that fit the "vibe" as well. The floors get more expensive as you continue up.

The visual merchandising of this store was incredible. It felt more like a museum than a store and even sold runway pieces. Being able to touch these fantastic garments made this trip something special.

I really enjoyed how each floor had a distinct look, but the entire store still flowed together, like a book.

There was also some beautiful art scattered throughout, which made the experience half of the fun. Obviously, I don't have the funds to make a purchase from Dover Street, but I could imagine it would feel even more special like you're buying a piece of art.

[tourwithbrett]

A Trip to Hogwarts

At first, I was a bit suspicious when I saw that we would be going to Harry Potter New York. I have seen all of the movies, but I've never been much of a Harry Potter fan. To be honest, I wasn't quite sure how this could relate back to fashion.

Once we got to the store, however, it all became more clear. This wasn't necessarily about clothing, this was a masterclass on successful merchandising.

Even outside, there were already a plethora of small details that attributed to their fantastic marketing. For example, the flag post is the Elder wand, an easter egg from the show. First of many.

They also had quite a few of the original props from the movies, which added another selling point for the store. Not only could Harry Potter fans buy merchandise, but they could also walk through a HP museum of sorts.

They clearly put quite a lot of thought into the design of this store. Each of these books are actual "textbooks" used in the movies. Because HP has such a large and dedicated fanbase, it was clear that copious research would need to be done to impress them enough. And it worked — our wonderful tourguides explained that there were lines out the door most days for the first few years it was open. The challenge now is to keep up the appeal. What can they add to increase interest yet again? I believe hosting themed events would be a wonderful idea.

[tourwithbrett]

Cotton Incorporated

Every time we get the opportunity to explore a new business I say it's my favorite place yet. Well...

This study tour might have been my favorite so far. As someone who is incredibly interested in sourcing and textiles, I loved getting to see the inner workings of what my future could look like if I chose to follow this path.

One of the first things I noticed was the building itself. It was nice, clean, and in the elevator going up to the Cotton Inc. offices, there was an advertisement for their "Zero Waste Townhall," which piqued my interest.

Cotton Inc. was founded in 1970 in response to the rising popularity of synthetic fibers, which were starting to encroach on natural fiber's market share. They are considered a not-for-profit, as instead of offering a specific product, they offer research and promotions to sell cotton. We got to visit their consumer marketing office, but their world headquarters are located in North Carolina.

Hearing our speaker, Aubrey, discuss the business was incredibly interesting. She is in fashion forecasting, meaning she does research in order to predict the trends of the future.

The most interesting part for me was the sourcing. Aubret and her coworkers do a lot of travel to different markets like Asia and Europe. The goal is to find pieces that will aid in their forecasting. However, as a cotton-based not-for-profit, they focus on "cotton-rich" fabrics.

Everything they source must follow these rules:

The fabric must contain 50% or above in cotton for activewear

No lower than 95% cotton for denim

80% or above for all other categories

To me, it seems like it would be interesting to have to shop by fiber. I wonder how many items are not bought because they do not meet those requirements.

This was a wonderful experience. Thank you, Cotton Inc.! I hope I can intern with you in the future :)

[tourwithbrett]

New York Embroidery Studio Tour

Last week, we got the opportunity to visit NYES, one of the last entirely NY-based and operated full-service embroidery and trimming studios.

This was one of my favorite tour experiences so far. Founded by Michelle Feinberg, NYES offers high-end designers, independent creators, and everyone in between a place to see their creations come to life.

NYES offers embroidery using original machines, some decades old. They also use new technologies and recently purchased a 3D printer.

I found this technology incredibly interesting. Seeing what they are able to do using both old a new was fantastic to see.

Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable, and I loved learning from her. Also, I would be extremely interested in interning with them!

[tourwithbrett]

Museum of Broadway

To be honest, I'm not much of a musical fan, but I love to learn. It also helped that everyone who worked there was so passionate, and the rooms were absolutely gorgeous.

I went in a bit skeptical. I generally had absolutely no clue about any musical. At first, when our lovely tour guide was explaining the history of Broadway and making references, I was lost. However, I got the chance to pull him aside for a conversation, and his passion genuinely influenced me and helped me understand. He was more than helpful and recommended quite a few musicals for a newbie like me, like:

Marily We Roll Along

Into the Woods

A Little Night Music

Guys and Dolls

Mame

And Juilet (which I think is showing now!)

Wicked (the only musical I have seen live)

Hell's Kitchen

Oh Mary (which I plan to see with my roommates!)

Personally, the most interesting portion for me was the costuming section. It was fantastic to see all of the work and tailoring that goes into creating these costumes for Broadway shows. They are some of the most detailed outfits I have seen. The props were also surprising, I never realized they were so detailed!

This truly seems like an industry of passion. I can understand why people love it so much.

This was a very fun experience, one I will recommend even to those not theatre-obsessed.

They handled the difficult history well, both acknowledging and condemning the racist roots. Seeing some of the more offensive images on the wall was a bit shocking at first, but I am glad they included them as a historical reference.

I finally agreed to watch a musical with my roommate (she's been trying to convince us all semester) so here's to Rent!

[tourwithbrett]

Jamie Seiden and the Life of the Project Manager

This past week, we had the honor to chat with Jamie Seiden, a project manager at Nordstrom Rack. Personally, my favorite thing is always when we get to speak with industry professionals. I feel like the industry feels so large and overwhelming— I love getting to hear about the real nitty-gritty of what to actually expect. Jamie was also just a joy to talk to in general.

I loved hearing about the decisions around the website specifically. I think it's beyond interesting the way that brands are starting to use AI and how it interacts with consumers. For example, the banner ads on the Rack's homepage differ for everyone based on perceived interest. Mine is an ad for a Vince bootie, but Jaime's was sunglasses.

Speaking of nitty-gritty, I appreciated hearing about the "less glamorous" aspects of her job, such as the time frames that projects fall into. It seems to mimic the clothing production timeline, which makes sense.

I also got to ask her what she believes are the most important skills to have. She responded with

People/ communication skills

Being able to talk to executives

Excel

Thank you, Jamie!

So, I know what I'll be practicing!

[tourwithbrett]

M&S Schmalberg Fabric Flowers

I was extra excited for study tour this week. I had been to M&S Schmalberg once before for my internship, but I never got to see the flowers in the order I picked up. Also, the workshop is super close to our apartment, so the morning commute was fantastic!

Our tour guide was both informative and funny. I enjoyed speaking with him. Everyone in the back was also so kind! It seemed like a very tight-knit workplace. They are also the only fabric flower maker left in the city, and it continues to be run as a family business.

After he talked us through the history and answered some questions, we got to go in the back where the flowers are made. The coolest part, in my opinion, was the fact that these machines were so old and still in use. It seemed like they were truly honoring the craft. It was exciting to see orders being made for fashion houses, ones that hopefully we will be able to recognize out in the world in the future. It felt like a behind-the-scenes glimpse into another aspect of the industry!

I loved this study tour! I feel like my time here in NYC has been so fantastic to see the inner workings of the industry— and so far, I love it!

[tourwithbrett]

The Scavenger Hunt

This week, we completed a little scavenger hunt around midtown.

This was extra exciting for me as it's my home neighborhood, so I felt like it helped me get to know my home a little better. And in a city as big as NYC, anything like that is helpful.

The first stop was the NYC Public Library, which is just around the block from my apartment.

Then we found this crazy cool bookstore called Kinokunya.

We moved on to Bryant Park, which is where I like to sit outside and do homework.

After that, we found the Garment District Alliance. Nearby was the button, which was a bit of a trick question as the scavenger hunt asked why it had five holes, but it only had four. It turns out the button was re-done in 2018, but previously it had five holes to spell an "F" for "Fashion." We couldn't find it, but there were supposed to be silver plaques of famous designers on the sidewalk of Fashion Ave as well.

Next, we went to the famous Mood Fabrics, where they will allow you five free swatches.

We solved the riddle for All in One Suppliers Inc. on 344 W 35th St., now permanently closed. However, when they were open they sold showroom supplies.

Then we ended up at Macy's, next to H&M (aka Hennes & Mauritz). This is where we met the rest of the group.

We continued separately to M&J Trimming, City Papery, Muji, and FIT. I'll have to go back to FIT on September 18th for the opening of their show, Africa's Fashion Diaspora.

[tourwithbrett]

A Trip to the MET

The opportunity to study in New York meant two things to me:

The fantastic connections, industry experience, and plethora of knowledge that I will gain

Seeing Alexander McQueen's butterfly dress worn by my personal idol, Effie Trinket, in the Hunger Games

Before heading to NYC, I looked into this exhibit (let's be honest, for the butterfly dress) and instantly fell in love with the whole concept. A multi-sensory experience exhibiting some of the most delicate and influential garments in recent history is perfect.

In my opinion, the best part of the exhibit itself, besides the fantastic garments, was definitely the fact that I could actually FEEL and SMELL certain aspects. It helped completely immerse me into the exhibit, even if many of the scents were less than pleasant. How many people can say they know what the hats of the House of Dior smell like?

In general, the MET was a fantastic experience. Afterward, I got to explore some of the other exhibits and the city skyline. To me, it all felt very NYC.

I was also blown away by the thoroughness of the exhibit. The MET felt like it was on an entirely different level, especially when it comes to fashion exhibits. I feel that other fashion exhibits treat the garments like clothing, whereas this viewed them as fashion. It was a fantastic thing to see, and super fun to try and guess what designer did what.