NYC Study Tour: FIT Museum - Forces of Fashion

Part 1 - Research:  Done prior to visiting the company, designer, speaker, etc. 

The Museum at the Fashion Insitute of Technology is one of the few museums in the world that focuses on fashion alone. The Museum was created in 1969 and has been curated by teachers at FIT. The most current curator is Dr. Valerie Steele who has been in the position since 1997. Since its creation, the museum has obtained over 50,000 items of clothing and accessories. They represent fashion all the way back to the 18th century and some were created by the worlds most renowned fashion designers. 

Part 2 – Observations:  Based on what you heard on the tour as well as information from the FIT website, briefly describe the impact of nature on fashion designers and/or the apparel industry. 

After going on this guided tour I feel like I really learned a lot about the influence that fashion has on nature and the influence nature has on fashion. In the early 18th century fashion really started to explode with botanical prints and textiles because scientists were just starting to discover all these interesting things about plants. A lot of the dresses has flower or fern patterns incorporated into them. And even in recent years, we find fashions inspired by flowers and animals and the natural world. Most notably is probably Alexander McQueen who started out the exhibit and had many pieces throughout. He was really fascinated by evolution and so many aspects of the natural world. Then as the exhibit ends it focuses on how nature is now influencing fashion. There's been a huge push in the last ten years to think about sustainable fashion and innovations in a fashion that helps the environment. So it was really interesting to see those pieces as well. 

Part 3 - Weekly Question:  Select one garment, and identify which of the ten “sections” of the exhibit it was a part of.  Include designer name and description of the garment.  Why did you select this piece to discuss?  Why does it attract or inspire you?  In your opinion, how does the garment connect fashion to that particular facet of nature?

My favorite garment was from the Naturalist section of the exhibit which displayed fashions from the 18th century that were influenced by scientific discoveries. The piece is called the Tree evening dress and it was made by Charles James in 1955. I chose this piece because I found it very inspiring. I love vintage styles so much and it was really cool to see this piece incorporating the natural elements in such a modern way. It was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before which is super unusual for a vintage piece. The most stunning part of this garment is the flower stole. When the wearer wraps it around themselves it looks like they are popping out of a flower. It really spoke to the way that we use flowers as a language of love because in this case, the wearer is the flower. 

NYC Study Tour: Marie Claire

Part 1 - Research:  Done prior to visit on the company, designer, speaker, etc. 

Marie Claire is an international fashion magazine that is published monthly. The magazine was originally published in France in the late 1930’s they later expanded and published in the United Kingdom and eventually the United States. Marie Claire is now published in 35 countries. The Marie Claire customer is a young professional woman who is interested in fashion, beauty, and health. Marie Claire is part of the Hearst Publishing company that produces magazines like Cosmopolitan, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, Oprah Magazine, and Good Housekeeping.

Part 2 – Observations:  Thoughtful observations and reflections made during the appointment itself.  What did you learn about the changing media industry?  Specific jobs?  Your own potential career path?             

Marie Claire was probably my favorite appointment so far. I have always loved magazines and I am currently in the Fashion in the Media class and it's my favorite class. I mean even just walking into the building I was in awe. They actually filmed Confessions of a Shopaholic in this building so if that isn't living in a movie I don't know what is. I’ve always loved that movie and I instantly recognized the lobby. So just being able to see that building was really exciting. Marie Claire is also a magazine that I really admire. I remember checking it out from my local library and secretly tearing pages from it to pin on my walls. I also really like Marie Claire because Nina Garcia used to be the Creative Director and she is a judge on Project Runway, which is one of my favorite shows! Overall I was just really excited to be visiting the offices and hearing about how Jenae, our Kent State alumni, got there! Jenae really broke down her career path and she applied what she learned at Kent to what she does now. I really love hearing from other young people like Jenae who are making their way in the fashion industry and working at jobs that I really admire. 

Part 3 - Weekly Question:  Discuss something Jenae or another speaker said that resonated with you.

I really loved hearing what Jenae said about experimenting with other career paths. She worked in a lot of really different internships before finding her spot at Marie Claire and even there she's grown in a really short amount of time. I also was so interested in what Alice had to say about her career path. She works as a designer for the magazine and works on things like page layout and things with advertisers and for special projects like the pop-up. I am really interested in doing something that's fashion related but has to do with design in some aspect. Graphic design, like what Alice works on, is something I feel like I have a good eye for and want to pursue more. I am defiantly going to look into the classes she mentioned she took at Parsons and maybe looking into other online graphic design courses. 

NYC Study Tour: Kohl's

Part 1 - Research:  Done prior to visit on the company, designer, speaker, etc. 

This week we had the opportunity to visit the Kohl’s office here in New York City. Kohl’s is a company that I am very aware of because as a kid growing up in the midwest that's usually where we shopped. But I surprisingly knew very little about the company itself. The first Kohl’s was opened in Milwaukee in 1927. It was originally a grocery store and later evolved into a department store. While their headquarters is still based in Milwaukee Wisconsin today, they use their New York offices to work on collaboration brands like Candies, Lauren Conrad, and J lo. And they also work on product development, marketing and social media strategies in the New York office. I am studying in New York but I really did like hearing about the Wisconsin office because I’d love to work for a big company but still be able to live in a smaller town and have a house and live that sort of suburban lifestyle. So it was really cool to hear about what the Milwaukee office is life and know that the people who worked there enjoyed working there as well. 

Part 2 – Observations:  Thoughtful observations and reflections made during the appointment itself.  What did you learn about the industry?  Specific jobs?  Your own potential career path?             

I thought our visit to Kohl’s was very informative. We learned a lot about the specific jobs from people on different teams which I thought was really useful. I think its been really difficult for everyone to understand what Product Development means and what that job entails but I think that they did a really good job of laying out for us that product development is kind of different for every company. They kind of went through that some companies include sourcing and manufacturing and cost projects and all that within the product development job. But it also involves a lot of technical specifics about the actual garments as well. I also really liked that they all went through what their typical days are like. Hearing from the design team about how they “go to market” each month and what preparing from that involves helped me understand what design means when you're working in a big company. 

Part 3 - Weekly Question:  Discuss something Alyssa, Paige, Missy, or another speaker said that resonated with you.

I think it was awesome to hear about how Missy used her time at Kent State to work her way into the Kohl’s team. I am amazed by all of her accomplishments and I am so grateful that we got the chance to talk to her. I feel like one of my biggest struggles is trying to figure out where I fit into corporate job positions or what kind of corporation I want to be in all together. So hearing about how she took her merchandising degree and applied it to magazines and to trend forecasting was super inspiring and cool.

NYC Study Tour: WGSN

Part 1 - Research:  

WGSN is the worlds leading trend forecasting agency. They do thoughtful research on color, styles, silhouettes, and other themes that will be seen in fashion, lifestyle design, packaging, and furnishing. Their trends are forecasted two years in advance so that brands can develop their lines and products before trends hit the market. 

Part 2 – Observations:  Thoughtful observations and reflections made during the appointment itself.  What did you learn about the industry?  Specific jobs?  Your own potential career path?              

I really enjoyed this visit. WGSN is a service that we use so often in all of our fashion merchandising classes. We are also required to take a class in trend forecasting which is what WGSN does so that was pretty amazing to see it translated into a career path. I think that trend forecasting is kind of a hard industry to wrap your head around. It's difficult to grasp what ways there are to predict trends that haven't happened yet but I think that they did a really great job of explaining how they research and identify core trends that have an overarching meaning but can be interpreted differently. I found that it was really interesting to hear about how WGSN influences not only fashion trends but also trends in home and lighting design, to food, to luxury hotel experiences. I thought what Ellie had to say about her job was really really interesting. I feel like often I find that merchandising can be really creative and I want a way to use more of my academic skills like writing and reading and researching. So when she was talking about her projects that she works on that involve weeks of reading and diving deep into a product category I felt like that could be a good medium for me. I love doing that sort of thing but its also a way for me to still be within the fashion industry in some capacity. Plus she gets to stay in luxury hotels every now and again which wouldn't hurt. I also loved the short tour we got to the WGSN office. I am beginning to see that a corporate office can still be fun and playful and relaxed. A lot of the employees wore jeans and had a fun desk setups. I mean who doesn't love an office twining board?!

Part 3 - Weekly Question:  Discuss something Sean or another speaker said that resonated with you.

I loved that Sean went over the new trend concepts with us. I believe they were for 2019, which would be two years in advance. I really loved getting kind of an insider preview of them and also going through and hearing what he had to say about them all. I really enjoyed the global trend that talked about the new creatives. While scary, it's so intriguing that they’re seriously considering how robots will take over manual tasks. But the jobs that will remain are the ones that involve you being creative because that's something we cant program robots to do yet. It was so bizarre and such a great general idea that I could really see inspiring some shifts in fashion. 

NYC Study Tour: Material Connxion

Part 1 - Research:  Briefly research and describe the company. 

Material Connexions is a sourcing library that catalogs new and innovative materials that can be used in all sorts of construction. They work with apparel designers, packaging designers, architects, interior designers, and even engineers to give them a few index of new materials that may be useful in their respected trade. Because Material Connecxons believe that materials don't have to have a defined use they categorize them by makeup instead of use. That way they challenge the people who use their library to think outside of the box. 

Part 2 – Observations:  How are innovative materials relevant and/or impactful in the fashion industry; what role might new materials play in supporting sustainability and/or transparency in the manufacturing process.

The fashion industry is always about being new and innovative. It's always changing and evolving and growing. In recent years the advancements in technology that surround materials, like laser cutting, 3d printing, and so much more have changed the way we see fashion. One of the most iconic examples of this is the Zac Posen dress that Claire Danes wore to the Met Gala. The dress was made with material that lit up to create a really magical red carpet moment. Another big factor that has become a part of the way we see fashion is our new want as a society to be sustainable. A lot of the materials we saw in the Materials Connecxion library were either made of recycled material or had a positive impact on the environment. One really interesting one that I remember was a cup that was made from used coffee grounds. I thought it was really interesting to see how innovative these materials were. 

Part 3 - Weekly Question:  Choose one material you saw at the library.  Give its name, details, and a visual description.  Discuss why you find it interesting, innovative, or inspiring.  You are not limited to only fashion materials or applications, choose anything that inspires you.

The material that I thought was the most interesting was in the natural section (6129-03). In my job at home, I work in leather production. So I work daily with leather hides and I see just how much waste there is when you work with a natural animal skin. This material is a stiff thicker leather that is made from recycled leather scraps. In the leather industry, there are two different kinds of leather, top coated and full aniline. The top coated leather is created when you shave off the top layer of a hide and then coat it with a thin layer of polyurethane and emboss a natural leather print onto it. This type of leather is not considered genuine leather anywhere other than the U.S. Whats good about this kind of leather is that there is almost no waste because it all has a uniform embossed pattern. However its cheap and often looks cheap. Full aniline leather is beautiful and keeps the integrity of the hide but shows the natural scars and imperfections. Which means more scraps and waste. This leather, while technically top coat, I could get behind because in a sense it is still genuine and also environmentally friendly. I would be really interested to hear more about how this leather is made, like its dying process, and how much water it uses to create it. 

NYC Study Tour: American Eagle Outfitters

Part 1 - Research:  Briefly research and describe the company. 

American Eagle Outfitters is a clothing retailer that was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh. Over the years American Eagle has become a staple of young adults wardrobes across the US and has reached a global market as well. After becoming popular in the 90s and early 2000s as a young adult or “teen” brand the company kind of struggled to stay relevant as time went on. In recent years American Eagle has rebranded itself and successfully kept and grown its audience. It has expanded into women’s sleepwear, intimates, and swimwear with its brand Aerie which gained popularity for its #aerieREAL social media campaign. 

Part 2 – Observations:  What did you learn about the industry?  Specific jobs?  Your own potential career path?  

I was really impressed by the American Eagle trip. I have to be honest, as a millennial college student, I feel like our generation really resents corporate America. Walking into this appointment I was ready to dislike the culture, the jobs, and the workspace. But little did I know there would be coffee and muffins waiting in the huge conference room with big windows and comfy chairs. If this is what corporate America is like I guess I could get used to it. But in all honesty, I have to start thinking more about what I want to do when I graduate from Kent in just seven months. Having a job like the ones that we heard about at American Eagle could be a really great starting point for me. I would love to see their Pittsburgh office as well because I feel like that is close enough to home but also far enough away. The people we met on this appointment were also so interesting. I loved that they asked us our opinions on trends we like and our own shopping habits. their backgrounds were also really crazy, I could talk to each of them for hours just about the places they've worked. 

Part 3 - Weekly Question:  Read the article and share your thoughts on American Eagle staying relevant to their target customer in today’s teen retailing landscape.

Before even reading this article it was apparent to me that American Eagle has been taking steps in the right direction to stay relevant. Their hashtag campaigns (#weallcan and #aerieREAL) have been wildly successful at putting their name back on the map as a young and creative brand. In this day and age making clothes relatable on a higher level is important. The youth of this generation don't want to blend in, they want to make a statement about who they are and stay genuine to that. They want to be authentic. That's what these hashtag campaigns are bringing into American Eagle, authenticity. The #weallcan campaign was a great way to showcase young influencers that teens look up to as the cool fashion icons they are. Even this short video makes me want to go by a pair of American Eagle jeans and make them look as cool as they do here. The #aerieREAL campaign has expanded into college campus days and has really reached a target customer that will continue to buy. Not to mention this campaign inspired similar ones from competitor Victoria’s Secret. I think American Eagle is doing everything right. So much so that after our visit to their offices I went down the street to one of their stores. 

NYC Study Tour: World Textile Sourcing Inc.

Research:  Briefly research and describe the company/brand.  

World Textile Sourcing Inc. is a Peruvian sourcing agency and garment manufacturer. They work through their headquarters in Peru and in New York to make garments from the highest quality Pima cotton, Alpaca, wools, and other natural fibers indigenous to Peru. They mainly work on developing knits and blends for designers. They specialize in T-shirts, fleeces, and knit sweaters. A lot of the designers that they work with are creating lower-priced labels to be sold at retailers like TJ Max, and Marshall’s. So the work they do is mainly creating knits that have a luxurious hand but are still within the client's price range. They also work with artisans in Peru to make handmade items like custom weaves, garlands, and hand painted objects. They've been expanding their company a little more in that direction over the past few years.

Observations:  Thoughtful observations and reflections made during the appointment itself.  What did you learn about the industry? 

Sourcing is such a large part of the fashion industry. Considering fabrics, their composition, and the factories that our agreements are being produced in all factor into the cost of a garment. So working with a sourcing agency can really help to manage a budget and still get a quality product. I really love Study Tour because it is such a great way for us to experience see real jobs in the fashion industry. Sourcing is something that we talk a lot about in school but it's hard to really understand and have a handle on it until you hear about it from an expert. It is also a job I never would have considered unless I had this experience. 

Weekly Question:  What did you learn after hearing from an established KSU Fashion School alumni?

It was really interesting to hear from an established KSU Fashion School alumni. The fashion school program has really grown and changed over the years. So it was cool to hear about how much better the programming is now and think about how well Kent State sets up for success. Another thing I really enjoyed was hearing about Alexis’s career path. She was actually a design student and ended up being an assistant, a menswear designer, and a product developer. Hearing how people jump around in jobs and eventually find a really good place is so reassuring. Especially as a college student who is about to find herself a graduate and needs to choose a career path. Its also really reassuring to know that girls from small towns can make it here, especially if you're really focused and know what you want. Alexis also shared with us that she has a family and a house and she's living the life she always wanted to in both respects. I think that I am very hesitant about wanting to move to New York because I do want those things eventually so that was really awesome to know that you can in a sense “have it all”. 

NYC Study Tour: Create-A-Marker

Briefly, research and describe the company/brand.

Create-A-Marker is an NYC based marking and grading company. His company is one of the best in the business, and one of the only companies of its kind left in New York, and the United States. Paul Cavazza, the owner, has been in the fashion business for a very long time but in a way, we don’t really think about a lot. Pauls family has been in the garment manufacturing business for generations. So he grew up knowing a lot about how to sew, and basic garment construction. He actually ended up going to the Fashion Institute of Technology for design but soon discovered it wasn’t the right fit for him. He changed his major to production management and started to learn about CAD (Computer Aided Design) programs that could really help with marking and grading. He went on to start Create-A-Marker and was one of the first marking and grading companies to use CAD. Paul now owns and operates both Create-A-Marker and a design paper and muslin company.

Observations:  Thoughtful observations and reflections made during the appointment itself.  What did you learn about the fashion industry?

I think this was a great company for us to visit. It really gives us an inside look at the steps that it takes to make a garment on a large scale. These are the kinds of decisions that buyers and merchandisers make all the time and Paul and his team are executing them. My favorite part of the appointment was seeing the laser cutter and talking about how to make markers for leather. At my previous job, I worked for a leather company and I was basically manually marking the hide. Since leather has no grain line and often has imperfections that we want to hide you almost have to. But Paul showed us this amazing machine that can scan the hide and maximize the efficiency and then laser cut out all the pieces for you. So basically my entire job, that takes me hours to do, this machine can do it twenty minutes! It was a really cool experience. I really enjoyed seeing that machine in action.

Briefly, describe the difference between marking and grading.

Marking is the process of moving around the necessary pattern pieces for a garment in a way that utilizes the maximum amount of fabric. This task is a super important step in apparel manufacturing because it can really effect the cost of a garment. If you’re using more fabric the cost of your final garment will be higher because you’re paying for fabric waste as well. The second part of this business is grading patterns. Which is basically the process of taking a base garment and making it into a range of sizes. Which could be taking it into a size run like, 0 – 10 or from XS – XL. This is also a really important step in the apparel manufacturing process because you want to make sure that the garment looks consistent through out sizes. There are grading rules but a lot of the times you have to communicate with the designer exactly what they want so that it when it goes into production you’re getting the product you want.

NYC Study Tour: AERIN

Briefly, research and describe the company/brand.

Aerin is a luxury lifestyle brand created by Aerin Lauder, a woman with a last name you might recognize. Estee Lauder, her grandmother, founded Estee Lauder cosmetics in 1946 which now owns brands like MAC Cosmetics, Tom Ford, Tory Burch, and Smashbox. While Aerin was very inspired by her grandmother she wanted to shift her focus to home goods and accessories. For her, style goes beyond her makeup bag. Her sophisticated and classic home goods include golden picture frames, textured vases, and velvet jewelry boxes. She also has a small line of women’s accessories, and of course a few cosmetics as well. All her pieces add a touch of simple feminine elegance to a space. Aerin Lauder started her company at almost the same age that her grandmother started her company back in the 1940s. Now Aerin products are carried in the same luxury department stores as Estee Lauder cosmetics, like Saks Fifth Ave., Bergdorf Goodmans, and Neiman Marcus. She is living up to her family name and doing it in a way that is all her own.

Thoughtful observations and reflections made during the appointment itself.  What did you learn about the industry?  Specific jobs?  Your own potential career path?

I thought Aerin was a very interesting company for us to visit. They’re still a relatively young and attract a pretty specific customer so it was great to see how they’re working through those beginning stages of defining their brand and focusing their product line. I’ve worked with a lot of very small companies that are locally owned and operated so to see such a large company start on such a huge scale was really eye-opening. I loved talking to Joe and Yoon about product development and how they go about making prototypes and seeing things to fruition because that’s a job I used to be a part of but in such a different way. I love problem solving, figuring out how customers will react, and working on fitting a new product into the line. I think being on a product development team for a company like Aerin would be a great career path for me. I like to be hands-on in production, focusing on a target market, and thinking about things like costing. But beyond that I really want to be able to play a role in the actual creation of a product, like how Yoon does. Before I came to New York was actually manufacturing products that were sold; cutting, prepping, working on preproduction stages. Which is kind of what Yoon did in the early stages of her career as a jeweler. But there is a way to be that hands-on but not be actually manufacturing and it is in designing products and working with a logistics team to make it happen in factories. So it was cool to see how I can translate what I enjoyed in manufacturing into a more universal or tangible job.

Discuss something in particular that Joe, Yoon, or anyone else you met shared that resonated with you.

It was great to hear about how both Joe and Yoon found their way to Aerin. Like anything in life, it’s a journey to get where you want to be and you almost always end up happy somewhere you’d least expect it. So that was really eye opening and encouraging. Throughout my time in New York I want to keep my mind open to new career paths and see as many different sides of the industry as I can.

NYC Study Tour: The Garment District

What were your expectations of the garment district before your tour?: 

Moving to New York has been an adventure, and moving to Midtown has just been crazy. Before I moved to the city I'm not sure what I expected. Scenes from Sex and the City? Effortlessly hailing a cab like a regular old fast walking, fast talking New Yorker? The Garment District has always been this sort of fairytale that I’ve made up in my head. I always thought there would be designers running left and right and streets full of stylish people running to their stylish jobs. 

How do they differ now?:

While The Garment District might not be the movie set I had imagined it still is a beautiful little section of the city to call home for a while. There are not as many women in stilettos running to work with Vogues in hand. I think my reality is that New York is crazy and there are stylish people everywhere, they're just stylish in a different way. I still love The Garment District but I see it in a whole new light. It’s so exciting to pass by all the little fabric shops and to walk over to Bryant Park and watch the people go by. I am very grateful that the NYC Studio is nestled in The Garment District so that we had the opportunity to really become a part of this world of fashion, and live in the heart of it all. 

Describe three things that were memorable to you after your tour, and why?:

While on our scavenger hunt around The Garment District we definitely took a few wrong turns but over all we made our way pretty well. There were so many highlights to our afternoon wandering. Poking our head into Mood Fabrics and browsing their beautiful selection of designer fabrics was so inspiring to me. I texted my mom after and asked her to mail me my sewing kit! I am an avid fan of Project Runway and I always love running around Mood like I’m trying to “make it work!” Not to mention it’s always fun to search for Swatch, the shop dog, and give him a pet. You might even be able to catch him while he is on his walk in the afternoon. Walking up the steps of the New York Public Library made me feel like I was Carrie Bradshaw herself. So fun and ironic that this was on the scavenger hunt because I had just seen Sex and the City the movie for the first time the night before! You might remember this spot as her wedding venue from the first movie. If only I had her Vivienne Westwood wedding dress with me! I will definitely be back to this spot to explore a bit more and maybe even check out a book or two. Another highlight of the tour was the Fashion Walk of Fame. I didn't know that this existed so stumbling upon it while we were out was amazing. It’s such an interesting stretch of all my fashion icons, Marc Jacobs, Oscar de la Renta, Diane Von Furstenberg. While The Garment District may not be as glamorous as I had expected I definitely can see how this city pushed all my favorite designers to be who they are today.