Comments (0)

By Sandra Holtzman, April 6, 2013 9:05 am

Recently, as an entrepreneur panel and pitching event was winding down (http://www.levin.suny.edu/innovateny/), I found myself chatting with some entrepreneurs who were anxiously discussing a big pitch they had the next morning. One woman asked if the clothes she was wearing would be okay for the pitch. She was surrounded by a small group of business experts. Everyone offered her advice…change your blouse…the skirt works…maybe you should wear a suit and not be so casual even if you’re pitching the entertainment industry…etc. I finally leaned in and said quietly, “wear what you feel comfortable in…you don’t want to worry about your clothing when you’re doing a presentation.” A look of relief washed over the entrepreneur’s face.

There was more of an exchange on multiple topics and again near the end I made a suggestion…” remember, if the audience interrupts you with questions go with the flow and answer them. Don’t worry if you don’t get back to your presentation. This is more important.” So many presenters answer a question (some don’t even do that) and instead of going back and giving the audience (in the case of investors, they are usually the ones directing the conversation) your canned presentation, let them lead you to where their interests lie. First, it shows you are flexible and connected to the conversation. Second, is says that you are not rigid and insisting on the presentation. The purpose of being prepared is so when this sort of thing happens, which is virtually all the time, you can go with the flow.

More useful tips are offered by David Holloway, management consultant http://sangira.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/WPPDF-Entrepreneur-Pitching.pdf and by Entrepreneur with some serious tough love advice http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/201826

Comments (0)

By Paige Smith, February 11, 2013 3:44 pm

Want to follow Fashion Week but don’t have the time to look at all the shows?
You can follow our Fashion Week Pinterest Board, updated daily!

Comments (0)

By danielle_covington, January 9, 2013 9:37 am

Written by Danielle Covington, FIT Hot Topics Intern.

Spring 2013′s ready to wear collections can been summed up as one thing, an utterly fabulous sugar shock! Labels such as Betsey Johnson, Alice & Olivia, Philosophy and more have blazed the runways with sweet looks sure to hit the spot. I’ve taken the liberty of matching up these sweet looks with their sugar filled soul mates to bring you a refreshing look at what will be coming up next season. Let’s see how some designers approached “Dressing Sweeter”.

Alice & Olivia

Alice & Olivia demonstrated a sassy sweet tooth for the spring season. This line is full of vibrant playful colors that bring 60’s glamor back with a vengeance.

One of A&O’s new looks capitalizes on the lush vibrant blue we’ve all come to know and love.

M&M’s come in an array of colors, but if willing to be bold you can make mouths water too.

blue M&M’s

Alice and Olivia blue dress

Pop quiz! What’s the most precious jewel in the world…rock candy! Lemon to be exact. This vibrant canary yellow dress has a seductively sweet sass sure to make your lips pucker.

rock candy

Alice and Olivia yellow dress

Red has always been a tempting color, but when paired up with cake and cream cheese frosting, you’ve got a timeless classic! Just to stay contemporary we’ve lessened the serving size to a mini skirt and perched it on top of a lollypop. Who needs your grandmother’s cake dome, you’re a sexy display all by yo bad self.

Alice and Olivia dress

Alexander McQueen

Black liquorish isn’t for the faint of heart!

black liquorish

Philosophy

Philosophy took a more angular modern approach to their line, lots of patterns and prints. The juxtaposition of color in this line is fairly reminiscent to the hard candy.

This lovely blue and tan combination hugs the body gently enough to show off a feminine figure but not restrict or over exaggerate it. The beautiful curve this outfit creates is reminiscent to that of ribbon candy. Neither are over powering nor understated.

Peppermint is as versatile as it is tasty. We use it all year round, then in December we change its shape to a cane with pinstripes and all of a sudden its everywhere you go! When I think of peppermint candy I think of freshness and holiday joy. ‘Tis the season, to be a hottie. But, then again every season is.

Philosophy

Zadig & Voltaire

This outfit by Zadig & Voltaire is no juicy contradiction

star bursts

zadig-voltaire

Betsy Johnson

Betsy Johnson is known for producing fun and flirty lines, so it’s no surprise that she is featured as one of our sassy sweet designers.

This perfectly pink pastel looks light as air and fluffy just like one of my favorite sweets, cotton candy. Honestly it’s a wonderfully playful look that sends a delicate yet spunky message.

cotton candy

Pink dress

pink and blue taffy

dress

If you’re like me then you’ve got a sweet tooth that can’t be satisfied with just one confection. Well you and I don’t have to worry; Betsy Johnson has taken care of everything. Just go for the whole candy shop!

After you’ve gone through your fashion sugar shock, unwind with some Pepto-Bismol to ease the tummy ache.

pepto

pink etro

Comments (1)

By Paige Smith, August 20, 2012 9:00 am

Written by Chelsea Candelario, FIT Hot Topics Summer Intern.

If  I can get my hands on a bunch of colorful blazers, I will have a closet just for them. The fact that these pastel-colored blazers are the trend of Spring/Summer ’13 makes me happy. I’m ready to ignore the grey blazer sadly hanging from my closet now.

The solid, light color blazers give a touch of feminine quality. It’s simple to slide on a blazer anytime of the day.  The Topshop peach blazer makes me desperately look in my wallet for some sort of prize money.

Sadly, it’s to the wishful shopping cart.

Although every blazer shares a similar square-shoulder, ability to cuff, and waist-length quality, they each hold something unique about them. The shape of the neckline, length of the sleeves, color, and much more sets them apart from one another.

I love the fact that you can wear it with anything. From a dress to jeans, blazers look great in anything you put on. I also love that it’s an anytime accessory. You can wear it when you’re heading off to class, off to a work interview, or even a small get together with friends.

For something that started out as something that only men wore, it has turned out as a style fit for everyone.

Comments (1)

By Paige Smith, June 28, 2012 1:09 pm

Here are a few photos from this years Certificate Ceremony.
To view the rest, visit our Facebook page – http://www.facebook.com/FITHotTopics

Congrats Everyone!!

Comments (4)

By Carol Davidson, May 30, 2012 1:20 pm

Here is a snippet of my recent blog post from my website. To read the rest, go to http://www.yourstyleworks.com/pack-like-a-pro/

“Pack Like a Pro

Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer – and summer getaways!  During the next few months, opportunities abound for short trips that can provide a welcome break from the city or just your usual routine.  So take advantage of these occasions and be prepared to ‘get out of Dodge’ at a moment’s notice.  The trick is to know what to pack and be able to do it as effortlessly as possible.

Most people straddle two sides of the fence – either they pack too little and don’t feel they have what they need, or pack enough for several days longer than they’ve stayed. The goal is that sweet spot where you have everything you need and use; and wear most everything you brought.  How does one do this?   Read on, my compadres.

Less is more.  For a three day trip, think two bottoms, three tops, and a sweater or jacket.  Add in a dress that can be dressed up (no pun intended) or down.  A maxi is a great choice.  It can easily work pool or beach side with a big hat, sunglasses, and flip flops.  Or, for drinks and dinner, you can add embellished wedges and an armful of bangles. …”

To read the rest, go to http://www.yourstyleworks.com/pack-like-a-pro/

Carol Davidson teaches SXF 810: Color for Wardrobe Planning, SXI 100: Introduction to Image Consulting, SXI 110: Image Consulting Confidential.

Comments (0)

By Joan Volpe, May 17, 2012 4:17 pm

Register online: http://www.fitnyc.edu/noncreditregister
and click to download the Summer Catalog.

Register online: http://www.fitnyc.edu/noncreditregister
and click to download the Summer Catalog.

Comments (0)

By Carol Davidson, May 10, 2012 12:56 pm

Here is a snippet of my recent blog post from my website. To read the rest, go to http://www.yourstyleworks.com/blog/

“Just like men…sometimes we love a color that is simply not a good match for us. For instance, I’m crazy for the “solar power” yellow that’s in stores this season, but it doesn’t love me back. (It makes me look a little “unwell” in fact!) While admittedly there’s a potpourri of colors to choose from this season, sometimes we just can’t break the attraction to the colors we know are not well suited for us. (Sound familiar?) How can we wear the colors that are not necessarily ‘our best’ and still look fabulous? Read on for some helpful hints.

Tangerines/Oranges are everywhere this spring season. If you love the color, but it overwhelms your features or leaves you looking tired, here are some suggestions:

1. Pair orange with your favorite neutral. Let’s say navy looks great on you (and it does on many people.) Pair your favorite navy blouse with tangerine jeans! This is a great way to brighten your outfit and to be right in step with the bold pant trend. The trick is to keep the orange hue away from your face.

2. Accessorize in orange. If adding an orange top or bottom seems like a bit too much of a good thing, look for an orange accessory! An orange skinny belt can add a pop of color to your outfit. Tuck a white blouse into a high-waist tan pencil skirt and add a skinny orange belt to your waistline or just wear it with your favorite jeans to spice things up.

3. Think outside the box. Make orange your go-to color and enjoy it many times a day by using orange-colored zipper bags to help you organize the contents of your handbag.”

Read the rest at http://www.yourstyleworks.com/blog/

Carol Davidson teaches SXF 810: Color for Wardrobe Planning, SXI 100: Introduction to Image Consulting, SXI 110: Image Consulting Confidential.

Comments (0)

By Sadia Seymour, March 15, 2012 12:35 pm

The past few days have given us a jump start on what to expect for Spring weather here in New York City! With Spring just a few days away, the Big Apple is ready to wear Spring’s hottest color, Orange! Officially it is being called Tangerine Tango!  If you are a fashion warrior, you are going to go all in and wear your Tangerine Tango with pride. Here at F.I.T., I can assure you  it will be all over the place. For those of you who may be a bit hesitant about this season’s color, I have a solution. Shoes!

Shoes solve every thing! Really….every thing! You’re wardrobe from last year can be update by infusing Tangerine Tango as your “neutral” color for shoes. You can wear it with ANY color and hit two trends in one, Color Blocking and Tangerine Tango! I took the liberty to find 4 affordable options that will amp up the volume in your wardrobe.

These 3 styles, available at Zappos.com, are easy to wear while exploring the city because they are wedges and a platform.

I have always looked forward to the Payless designer collaborations. I purchased a pair of fashion forward wedges from Lela Rose last season and this year she came through again. I love this wedge and it’s super affordable and chic!

You can also be sexy and add just a hint of Tangerine Tango to your shoe with this gorgeous heel from ZARA. Isn’t it sexy?

So what ever your style and price range, there is a shoe out there for you to get accquainted with Tangerine Tango before you take the leap.

Next time we’ll explore how to wear the color in our clothing.

Sadia Seymour teaches SXS 100: Intro to Fashion Styling, SXS 110: Fashion Styling Confidential, and SXM 010: Styling Fit Fundamentals.

Comments (1)

By Sadia Seymour, February 8, 2012 3:41 am

It’s that time of the year again! Love is in the air! Now, I think you should love yourself EVERYDAY and receive love EVERYDAY but on this day, you might want to show it just a little more. We could all use a little more love.

Whether you’re going on a date with your Valentine or hanging out with friends, you’ve got to look good to feel good! It doesn’t have to break the bank either.

Rule #1: When buying outfits for a “themed” holiday or special occasion, you should make sure you can wear it more than once a year.

Rule#2: You should be comfortable!

Rule #3: Don’t over spend. Come up with a budget and stick to it.

I found a few looks to fit whatever mood you find yourself in on Valentine’s Day.

If you’re feeling sophisticated, try this Classic look

Are you a free spirit? Try this Boho look

Do you like to be different? Here’s a Modern look

Is “Bling” a major word in your vocabulary? Here’s a show stopping Glam look

All of these looks can be worn through out the year and probably go with a pair of shoes you already own. They are also all under $100 and can be found on www.asos.com! You can look fantastic on a budget. Just because it’s Valentine’s Day, you don’t have to wear red! Be adventurous. Be unique.

So love yourself and look your best this Valentine’s Day. Send a picture to show us your look!

Sadia Seymour teaches SXS 100: Intro to Fashion Styling, SXS 110: Fashion Styling Confidential, and SXM 010: Styling Fit Fundamentals.