Spring 2014 New York Study Tour a Success for All

24 Jun 2014    

New York Study Tour group as photographed by WindowsWear during its Fashion Window Walking Tour, Friday May 23, 2014

TMFD major and Communications emphasis junior Hannah Schinkel updates us on the Spring 2014 New York Study Tour, led by Dr. Barbara Trout and Assistant Professor of Practice Carol Easley:

Being a fashion design major, your one real dream is to go to New York City. NYC is where it all happens, from fashion week to major corporate headquarters; it’s the city where dreams come true. Caitlin Larwood, editorial director at makeup.com, told us that, “Dream jobs happen in this city.” Hearing that come from someone who has worked in the city for about five years and has an incredible job makes the reality of it hit home. We were going to a city where the most important events in fashion happen and I was more than ready for it.

After getting advice from some friends who have lived and worked in New York, I was ready to pack up my suitcase and get on the plane. Once we arrived, we were bused to our hotel that seemed as though it was right out of a movie. That night we did a little walking tour around the city and got to see the famous Bergdorf Goodman window displays. As I was walking down Fifth Avenue, I felt channeled by my inner Audrey Hepburn and now fully understood why she went and had breakfast at Tiffany’s every morning.

A few of my favorite places that we visited were Armani, Ann Taylor, the Doneger Group and L’Oreal. When we walked into the Giorgio Armani offices, it felt like we passed through the doors to a different world. Mind you, they were still doing some unpacking from moving offices, but we had entered into the Armani World. All of the people we met were in all black or all white and-oh my- they were chic. As they talked about the company, you could see the passion they had for Armani oozing out of their words. They spoke so highly about Mr. Armani and held the standards that he has set for the company so high in their own careers. It was inspiring to see people so passionate about their jobs and the company that they work for.

This was evident at Ann Taylor too, and the professionals that we got to speak with here were more willing to share about their career experiences and about what they liked and didn’t like about the industry. The Doneger Group was a unique experience because it was a part of the industry that no one really knows that much about. Hannah Kimberly gave us an overview of what will be trending in Fall 2015 including colors, fabrics, shapes, etc. This was a very research heavy job—however very rewarding and useful to the entire industry. Finally, we went to L’Oreal where we met with the Social Media Marketing team and heard how a company keeps up with the ever-changing world of social media.

In our free time when we weren’t going to meetings, we got to go to the Met Museum, which allowed me to let out my inner Art History nerd, as well as an interesting trip on the subway to Coney Island to watch the Creighton Baseball team play in the Big East tournament that ended up getting rained out. Note: don’t be in Brooklyn past midnight if you are four twenty-something women, and don’t go past the aquarium (advice from the bartender from Iowa.) We also got to see the incredibly glamorous and hilarious Broadway show—Kinky Boots. I’m still singing along to the lyrics and wanting a pair of my own kinky boots.

All in all, I cannot wait to go back to this wonderful city—the smells (bad and good), the chaos of cabs, the ever-moving streets full of people who don’t know you and frankly don’t really care to, and the not-so-glamorous but incredibly magical hot dog stands. I’m open to wherever life takes me, and I hope that someday I will end up back in the city where “dream jobs happen.”

New York Study Tour group as photographed by WindowsWear during its Fashion Window Walking Tour, Friday May 23, 2014