The High Line

Photos I snapped during a solo evening stroll along NYC's High Line.  There's an indescribable quality about this place, and I love it.

Dreaming is Only Momentary Bliss

"There is no path, no plan, no career - only the one you make for yourself. You have to approach it differently. You have to be a disruptor. You have to enjoy being the wild card."

I found sketching more interesting than product development notes a few weeks ago in class...

Sometimes it's interesting to visit the places your mind takes you when it wanders.

Daphne Guinness

Daphne Guinness, an heiress of the Guinness fortune and former wife of Spyros Niarchos, son of the Greek shipping billionaire Stavros Niarchos, is a fashion icon who used some of her fortune to collect imporant couture looks from the greatest designers of our time.  Her collection is now on display at FIT's Museum in New York, and today I took the opportunity to go see it.

This photo of Daphne was used in the exhibit's brochure. It captures her artistic and unique style well.

Daphne's collection reflects her knowledge of and respect for fashion.  She collects items from notable designers and young designers alike to capture what's special and cutting-edge.  Everything she collects is beyond the clutter of what currently infiltrates retail stores, and this is probably why her obsession with collecting has ceased--almost everything out there today is a knock-off of something else, and rarely is it daring and different from what can be seen in the next store. 

She said:

"We need better things, not more.  We should not pollute the world with meaningless, unused thigns when we can make and support things of rare and precious beauty."

Therefore, her exhibit at FIT can arguably be considered her ultimate goal because it captures the essence of how artistic ("rare and precious") fashion can be.  The exhibit succcessfully educates students and the general public who share her love of fashion about some of the most innovative designs ever made.  

Nanette Lepore and Domestic Production

With all the talk about how much cheaper it is to get things produced offshore, I was impressed by the fact that Nanette Lepore produces 85% of her collection right here in the Garment Center.  The biggest advantage I see this having is that time is saved, which allows for quicker turnover (you don't have to wait for overseas shipments, etc.).  Another advantage is that in the same sense, efficiency is increased.  There is less risk for language barriers and therefore, again, time is saved. A third definite advantage of producing "within the Garment District" is that it supports businesses striving for the same goals, which builds good relationships and thus builds a better image.  With these advantages, a few disadvantages include that it's more expensive, there can be extensive communication barriers, and that shipments take a significant amount of time (and there is a high chance of delays, etc.). 
   

                                         

 

Bergdorf Goodman

My Study Tour visited the one and only Bergdorf Goodman department store last week to get a taste of what luxury really is. 

I have always been comfortable dressing in inexpensive clothing, whether it be from the H&M down the street or from the local Goodwill (where you can always find a few gems!), but I'll admit walking into Bergdorf and coveting some of their beautiful clothing.  As a broke college student, I pride myself on being able to put together nice looking outifits for little money, and therefore am not saying that I absolutely wanted everything in the store, but seeing all of the well-made designer clothing really opened my eyes to what luxury is.

Upon leaving Bergdorf, I realized that luxury is not necessarily evaluated by how much something costs, but rather, how it makes you feel.  I could tell that Bergdorf employees treated each of their customers as if they were family, and offered an abundance of one-on-one time.  The clothing is expensive, yes, but with the price tag comes not only the clothing, but the customer service and beautiful shopping atmosphere. 

A City Gem: Central Park

On a Sunday afternoon, after a tiring work week and exhausting weekend, what my friends and I often opt to do is visit Central Park.  The interesting landmarks and beautiful scenery make it the perfect place for unwinding.

What I find inspiring about Central Park is its serenity among the hustle and bustle of the city.  Even among the crowds that flood the park every weekend, you can still easily create a peaceful retreat for yourself by lying beneath a tree or going for a jog along the many paths. 

A trip to the park never fails to be invigorating.  During my last walk through the park, there was a couple taking a painting lesson, multiple talented musicians singing and playing various instruments, parents playing catch with their kids, and families picnicking among the lawns.  It allows New Yorkers to kick back and be creative by doing activities that aren’t typical to city life. 

It’s truly a gem.    

M&S Schmalberg, "Last Man Standing"

Last week, my Study Tour class had the unique opportunity to visit Custom Fabric Flowers by M&S Schmalberg, "New York's home for artificial flowers for over 90 years."  Despite its location in the heart of the Garment District and in the hustle and bustle that is New York, upon visiting the shop, I immediately felt as though I jumped into a storybook. 

The Co-Owner, Warren Brand, is one of the most genuinely nice people I've met since arriving in the city, and is almost comparable to a jolly Santa Claus, as he is in charge of a cottage full of good-spirited, hardworking "elves."  Seriously, M&S Schmalberg's 10th floor space in a building on 39th St. is just that: cottage-like.  It consists of a small, homey showroom filled with artificial flower masterpieces, a tiny office, a small workroom space for the handful of women who contruct the flowers (one by one!), a slightly larger space for the pressing machines (which add texture to the artificial petals and leaves), and storage for the various fabrics the flowers are made from (silk, tulle, cotton, you name it).  

  

Warren Brand sitting in his showroom amongst the company's homemade flower creations

If you think about it, the concept behind M&S Schmalberg is fairytale-like--they create fabric flowers to embellish gowns, berets, home decor, theatrical displays, and more, yet keeping the company alive has proved to be anything but a fairytale.  Amidst a global marketplace where similar products can be mass-produced cheaper off-shore, other US companies similar to M&S Schmalberg have really experienced the difficulty first-hand.  In fact, they no longer exist. 

Brand compared the family-owned company's survival to surviving the Holocaust, like his father did.  It takes a lot of perseverance, optimism, and faith in the future.  What's innovative about M&S Schmalberg's approach to staying alive, apart from accumulating notable clientele (ever heard of Marc Jacobs, Betsey Johnson, and Calvin Klein, to name a few?), is that they are now taking advantage of the Internet craze and selling to edgy fashion sites like Etsy.com.

As long as companies like Chanel and Vera Wang continue to use artificial flowers on their clothing and in their magazine ads, and that extreme-flower-wearing eras like the "Carrie Bradshaw" one keep presenting themselves, I can see Brand and the rest of the M&S Schmalberg gang continue to successfully "do their thing."  They also promote their brand through social media, (everyone should go "like" them on Facebook!).  If anything, I believe M&S Schmalberg should more heavily promote themselves to fashion design students across the country who may benefit from using the company's flowers in their collections.  I would definitely recommend them...   

 

Anne Hathaway at the 2008 Academy Awards in a Marchesa gown adorned with Schmalberg's flowers