The Fabric of Our Lives

      
     This by far may have been one of the most interesting study tour for me. We have yet to hear from a fashion forecaster and it was very informative and helped me decide more of what I would like to do. Being a merchandiser there are so many different job opportunities that we are unaware of, so it is nice to explore and learn about them all. I have learned about fashion forecasting in classes at kent, and am aware of what it is but it was nice to hear someone working in the field to actually explain it. 
     Cotton Inc. as a company is so well known from the catchy commercial that we all see on TV. What I at least did not know is that the company is a trend forecasting company, and is a non profit company as well. Being non-profit company they make their money from a percentage of the price of a bail of cotton that anyone buys. I am very much interested in going green fabric and ways of recycling and Cotton Inc. does a ton of this type of work. They require that all of their clients that they give trend presentations to have to have at least 60% of their product to be cotton. Another method of recycling they practice is donating old jeans being that they are 100% cotton most likely, and making it into home insulation for low income housing. 
     The actual act of traveling to other countries and taking pictures to make into inspiration is very intriguing. At some point in my life I would love to travel to as many places as I can, even though Abbey said that you are alone and in a country that you don't speak the language, but it is an experience. I am also very captivated by photography as well, and give them props they take all of their own photos. Not only does actual fashion bring inspiration for fashion forecasting, but politics, phycology, cultures, anything you see that is interesting to you. The presentation that we got to see was very inspiring, I have used a powerpoint type service called prezi that was almost similar to the set up of her  video but definitely didn't have the graphics that they had.
     I truly loved everything about this company and what they stand for. I would love to consider an internship with them maybe this summer or next. Abbey mentioned that the interns do very hands on projects as well as getting paid. I hope to tell their story to people that have no idea that Cotton Inc. is a trend forecasting company.

Calvin Klein Jeans

     Interning at Calvin Klein Jeans has been such a great experience for me, I have learned so much, and during this tour I actually learned a lot more that I didn't even realize. When you start an internship no one really sits you down to tell you everything about the company and although I have figured a lot out myself Kristin made a ton of amazing points and facts that I never thought of. As a merch intern I make a lot of proto line sheets for both the Men and Women. Within the proto sheets they are separated into delivery and although I have never realized they say which door on them it makes sense now. I enjoyed hearing the description about the different doors and the importance of each, it helps pull everything together and when people are talking about the different doors at work now I understand it! I have gone to the showroom many times to bring samples down or bring them up to the 15th. They change it a lot and I really liked the colors for women's, they change it so often and it always looks really amazing with the clothes and all the samples and ideas pulled together. Also being in merchandising I don't hear a lot from the designers, Monica really does so much from making a concept to actually designing the garment. Not being a designer I crave that feeling of satisfaction that she must get from seeing her concepts become actual garments.
   Once again even though I intern at CKJ it was really amazing to hear about design and what everyone that I see at my internship actually does. I never really know exactly what everyones title and job is so that was nice to see and hear all about that. It is a great company and I learned a lot and great advice from both Kristin and Monica.

CFDA

     Although the CFDA tour was a bit quick, we were given a ton of interesting information.  The company itself really represents the future of fashion, the way designers get discovered and start up their businesses. I think it really promotes and keeps designers on their feet to create what they do the best, it bring originality, uniqueness, creativity and talent to them. I have heard of the CFDA mentioned in a couple of my classes but not I fully understand what they do. The company almost reminds me of the fashion show that I volunteered at during fashion week in September. It was called the Gen Art fashion show, which basically the organization is also non-profit and they provide the designers with a runway and models free of charge, and take only a select number of designers each season to promote the up and coming talent. In the fashion industry I believe it is so important to help push, promote, and support the young designers, they are our future. 
     The tour guide shared a story I found especially interesting and truly inspiring.  Diane Von Furstenburg, a well known designer, but also a part of the CFDA, let them into her apartment to give advice to the young designers. She said that they sat on her zebra rug and just chatted, but DVF openly discussed her now multi million dollar empire going out of business twice. Although young designers most likely don't want to hear that even the big designers have gone out of business, I think it is a really good point to give advice on. It gives them that push and hope that, yes it is going to be hard and you may think your business is done with, but even the big names have gone through it as well,  and you can make it big. Not even as a designer is it great advice, life in general is hard and you may make mistakes and fall weather it be in your job or personal life or even education, but you can stand back up from it and do great things and be successful. 
     I would personally love to work with young up and coming designers. I think it must be amazing to see and support someone from the beginning of their career, and to see them blossom and become so big must be such a proud moment. The tour guide also gave some really good advice about internships. It makes sense that even if you don't want to work at a magazine but you want to be in PR that you learn both sides of it. I think doing more than one internship should be required at Kent State. In the fashion industry there isn't only just clothing and designing, there are so many aspects that I really think are very important in learning, and it would make you such a well rounded graduate if you had multiple internships with very different companies in different fields. 
     The CFDA provides the designers with studio's that they pay the rent on. It was really interesting to see how each designer decorated and made each studio their own. The first one we saw was pretty small, but the jewelry was so delicately displayed on the wood planks with nails holding them there. Then the last one we went into was by far my favorite, the lighting was a lot more dim and it was a lot bigger in space, but had so many personal touches to it, artwork, inspiration boards and so much personality to it. I think adding your own personal touch to your studio or showroom is so important not only because you work in the environment, but you want the buyers to be able to distinguish your product and feel from the next, and you want them to remember you.
     Overall I really enjoyed the short yet so informative trip to the CFDA. It's such a wonderful company and I truly enjoy what they are all about. I hope to be coming back to New York and I would love to intern with them!