Tenement Museum

     At first I was unaware of the Tenement Museum and was not quite sure what we would be doing for our study tour class. As a kid, every vacation I have taken my mom always planned a historical landmark or museum to see. I know she would have loved to see the museum, and without the study tour class I probably would have never visited it. I am very interested in the civil war history and was amazed that the building was built then, and they made garments for the soldiers. It is crazy to think that the building is still standing and that people from the 1800's walked the same street I walked on. 

     From the outside of the building I was not expecting it to look how it did on the inside. I figured everything was restored and although they tried to recreate some of the rooms, there was one in particular that still had the layers of wallpaper on it, and tile on the floor that was the original. I was really bummed that we could not take pictures but I did find some online and I bought a book on Orchard Street Tenement at the bookstore. Our tour guide was so passionate and really knew everything he talked about. He had some really cool facts that I found fascinating. One of the facts being that 70% of clothing was made there in the 1800's. The tour guide also showed us the iron that the families used in their apartments. The iron was made of cast iron which is where the name for the iron came from and it worked by lifting the top and keeping hot coal in the inside to keep the iron hot. The most interesting part about the iron to me was that to steam something, whoever was running the iron would spit water onto the garment and then run the iron over it. Thinking about working where you live is really intriguing. There was no separation for the family we saw between home and work. Although some people work from home today, it is different because the families needed to make as many dresses as day as possible and wanted to beat their neighbors to it so they would get the contract. 

     Overall this might be one of my favorite visits so far because it was so informative and was historical. It really made me think of what the garment industry has come to from making only 16 dresses a day in your apartment to industrial buildings making over 400,000 pieces a day. The creations of sweatshops was made there and has changed the industry since. The Ellis Island name changes was very interesting to me as well, how the didn't get their names changed there, they did it on their own. I would love to go to more historical sites to see all the history that lies in New York City.

Coterie Trade Show

      At first I was unaware of Coterie. I felt like it was a really important trip to make for study tour and taught me a lot. Being a Merchandiser I am specifically interested in Buying, so being able to attend a trade show and actually watch buyers make purchases for their stores was very educational and a learning experience. The first area we walked through was 'Tomorrow." Being able to witness what up and coming designers had and were selling to buyers was such an awesome opportunity. Last semester the class Presentations I took, the final project was to create a model of a trade show booth and then have an actual mock trade show where I made business cards, order sheets, and had to sell our product to other classmates. Now actually witnessing real buyers and designers and the process of selling really tied everything from my class together. Some of the designers were nicer than others, it was kind of intimidating and I really didn't want to bother any of them, but there were a few that were really interested in talking to the students and talking about their line which was very interesting to hear. One company in particular  'Muclair,' the seller who was one of the partners in the company was really friendly and informative. The company is based out of Canada and they produce all their product there as well.  I really like the idea of making your clothes where you sell them, because here in the US it is almost impossible to find clothing that is made in the US. The line of clothing he had was very intricate. Although I did not take pictures he gave us a copy of the look book. There was one piece in particular that was really my style and something I had never seen before but I would abosolutely buy it was a floor length skirt, a little high waisted and it was navy with two strips of cheetah, it might sound sort of tacky but it was really beautiful and so different, he did a lot of patchwork, as well as sheer shirts that I saw at many other booths.
  There were two other pieces at other booths that I saw and became really inspired with because I had never seen something like it before. I cannot remember what companies they were but the one had really beautiful long dresses with extravagant jewelry that was almost like a shirt. The necklace had a neckpiece and it also went around your arms, it became almost an outfit itself, but was so refreshing to see such new designs.

 The last design that intrigued me was these colored jeans but they were rolled up and the part that was rolled up was either a shade darker than the shade of the pants or was dyed a completely different color. Im a big jean wearer and this made me think about the different ways dyeing the jeans could make them look, they were still classic and I pictured wearing the yellow ones with a white linen blazer on the beach.

  

 My overall experience at the trade show was so informative and really brought what I learned in school to real life and gave me a better sense of how the trade shows work. Not only that but each booth has to make itself different from the other and that was entertaining to me to see what each booth wanted to do that the next didn't. In particular the company Desigual really seemed to have the most attraction and attention towards them. They are obviously a successful company, being that they had a lot larger booth than any other, they also had a little kitchen area where people were preparing exotic fruits, drinks, and they handed out bags to everyone. A lot of work, time, and energy goes into a trade show and it was really evident. I know I am still interested in being a buyer, but I do know that it would take me days maybe even a week to get around the whole trade show because I know I wouldn't want to miss anything and there really isn't enough time in a day to see everything.

First Art Gallery Visit in NYC

       I truly enjoyed class on Thursday, I am very much into art and I was unaware of all the galleries that surround me in this city! The first gallery I went to was the DC MOORE Gallery, and it was really big and spacey. I am not used to the big space, my cousin in Chicago and her husband have their own gallery in their apartment and it's pretty limited on space compared to the galleries I saw. It just makes me think of all the pieces they could show if they had more space. In the first gallery was probably one of my favorite exhibits, the 9/11 Through Young Eyes. This exhibit in particular I felt close to being that the 10th anniversary of 9/11 was only six days ago, and it makes me more proud to be in new york. The exhibit was very sad with the fact that such young kids made each picture and probably were just babies when the attack happened. Each picture had a caption and told a story, it was 31 pictures long. The captions were really touching and made me think of things I never though of about 9/11. For example the missing signs for people everywhere in the city after the attacks, and the American flags everywhere.        

                                          

    The last picture in the exhibit was number 31 which was "And people still miss the Twin Towers," Its so powerful and knowing that young children made these is truly inspiring.
    
     At the PPOW Gallery I saw the most interesting exhibit I have ever seen. The main artist that was displayed was Martha Wilson. I really loved the message that she was sending. She had a video playing in the gallery of herself and she was showcasing her flaws. She was really all about the aging process, and said " I have become my own worst fear," which I believed to be an older woman. This gallery definitely makes me not want to age ever! But it is really sad to me that I felt she didn't see any beauty in herself. It also makes me think about being a woman after you are unable to reproduce anymore and how  it almost seems women either let themselves go or try to feel younger, almost like after you can't have children there is no purpose?

      Another gallery I really enjoyed had some Andy Warhol paintings and sculptures. The sculptures were abstract of violins. I have played the violin for almost 12 years so it was really nice to see sculptures of them because it seems that a lot of the art work I saw before were not 100% sure of what they were and were more for interpretation.

     After seeing all of the galleries we headed to the Meatpacking District to check out some of the shops! We went into DVF, Scoop, Jeffery, and my favorite All Saints. I had heard of DVF before obviously but all the other stores were new to me. All of the stores were in a very high price range but All Saints was probably most my style and the store setup was something  I had never seen before. The whole front of the store had all old singer sewing machines as the wall, and the store felt very industrial as well as the decor was very innovative. I sew as a hobby so seeing all the old fashion sewing machines was something I thought really brought character to the store and it was so clever! 

     Visiting all the galleries, and stores in the Meatpacking District was very enjoyable and exposed me to what New York really has to offer. I would probably have never found the galleries if we did not go there and now I am interested in visiting more!

New York Fashion Week

Unfortunately I had a class on Thursday till 9:00, I got out early but missed a lot of the events for Fashion's Night Out. My roommate and I and a couple friends decided to go to SOHO. By the time we got there the police had the entire street blocked off where DASH was and you couldn't even go walk by it. That was kind of a bummer but I intend on coming back for plenty more FNO's. We were wishing we went to Madison Avenue instead, being that Drake was DJing at Versace and Nicki Minaj was also on Madison Ave!!! There is always next year! 

      Even though FNO was a bust Friday made up for it. I am a volunteer for Tour De Fashion which is during fashion week and essentially there are 30 bikes that top designers have designed for the public you can take an hour ride on the bikes for free! Its a pretty cool organization held by the Fashion Center. Betsey Johnson's bike was probably the most recognizable, not only because she had pictures everywhere on the bike but it was eclectic and eccentric just like her, almost everyone knew it was hers just by looking at it. My favorite bike was the Nanette Lepore bike. Among hers there were many other designers such as Rebecca Taylor, Juicy Couture, Amrita Singh, and many more.

  

After working the Tour de Fashion a friend had called for extra help with the Fresh Faces Fashion Show held by Gen Art. I have helped out at fashion shows at school but being in New York it is a totally different feel. Its absolutely amazing. GenArt is a nonprofit organization for up and coming new designers. They give them models for free from the top model agencies and the show is free for their designers. As a volunteer I was an usher and helped many to their seats, but watching the show was really exciting. The designers are so talented and it's very inspiring. One of the designers in particular never thought she would launch a line and get picked up by GenArt and just wanted to make easy designs for the average person and it was more of a hobby, but now she has turned it into an entire fashion collection. Erica Christianson from Swim Fan was the host of the show. There were a couple celebrities at the show as well as important people from top magazines and press companies. It was definitely an eye opening experience and a magnificent thing to be a part of.

     Overall even just in one day the things that I have experienced during Fashion Week have really been amazing opportunities and great learning experiences. With the volunteer work, fashion shows, and my new internship with Calvin Klein I am very excited to see what else comes my way in this busy city!

Madison Avenue

     Venturing to Madison avenue for this first time in class on Thursday was pretty amazing. For my two american designers i went into Michael Kors, and DKNY. Back in Ohio i work at a Michael Kors store so i almost knew what to expect. Being in NYC was totally different though! The store was so chic and had a lot more product. It was two stories and was so amazing! Working at an Outlet we don't get the same merchandise that Lifestyle stores get, so being able to see the jewelry instead of in a catalog was really awesome! I love the atmosphere of Michael Kors, its sophisticated and Jet Set. Everything is displayed so classy and really helps sell the product.

    DKNY was three stories! It was the biggest one i had ever been in. The store setup was amazing and the customer service was ecstatic. While searching through the latest trends from the runway i came across a Fashion's Night Out shirt that they were selling, and couldn't  resist! Since i have been here, all i hear about is the FNO and how amazing of an opportunity it is that we can go and see everything, so i was pretty excited about a shirt to remember it by! Approaching the second floor of the store immediately we were offered a water and they took the shirts we wanted to purchase so we didn't have to carry anything. Working in retail and for a luxury brand, i was really appreciative about the fact that they offered us water and even though we did buy something, they treated us like any other customer in their store. In the european designer stores or at least just high end in general, you get greeted but i know i felt like i didn't matter as much. Which could make sense since i cannot afford much in the high end stores, but it was nice to feel like you were getting VIP treatment in a store regardless of what it was.

     

      For the two European designers i chose YSL and Dior. I love Yves Saint Laurent as a designer i cannot afford, i think that the designs are amazing! 

 The store itself was breathtaking. The way that the merchandise was set up was so organized and made you not want to touch anything! I love the way everything is in such a particular place, it makes the feel of the store and brand very simple, organized, and sophisticated. I also used to work at a small costume jewelry store so i have an obsession for all jewelry. I loved their display! They have funky pieces that you really don't see anywhere else which i love.

        With all the other stores it was pretty easy to snap a few pictures.....Dior i was not so successful, i could only get a picture from the outside. It was unfortunate because their displays were so amazing and completely new and something i had never seen. Walking into the store there was a seating area right in the middle which was cute, it was metal chairs in a circle but the middle was full of all colored hydrangeas. Dior had some really intricate designs and very over the top items. Specifically there were a pair of shoes that were almost tribal looking with tons of feathers and twine on them, definitely something you see on the runway more than the streets. The jewelry display was by far my favorite. The displays were all about the "House of Dior," and seemed like the pieces were their own "person" in a house. The jewelry display was so intricate and the jewelry was in the background of a white house. I really wish i could have gotten a picture because it's really hard to describe! But nonetheless everything in the store had such personality and so elegant it was really beautiful! 

   Over all i must say my first time on Madison avenue and in such high end designer stores was really cool. Being in retail it makes you think of a lot more things that just the product but the customer service and the display of everything and the customers. I hope to purchase a really cool piece one day and now know where everything is. I really enjoyed the atmosphere of such prestigious designs. It's something you definitely cannot find in Kent Ohio.