I had to wake up extra early for the first day of class last week.  I took the 6:40 train at the Ronkonkoma train station rather than my usual 7:40.  I get onto the train and tactfully choose a double-seat so I can spread out my stuff to avoid someone sitting right next to me.  I am wearing a cream and peach H&M blouse, grey skinny jeans, and black combat boots, with my hair in a messy fishtail braid.  On the seat next to me is my new quilted leather Chanel-esque chain bag with a navy, cream, and peach horse-printed scarf tied around the handle, my outdated iPod nano, my FIT Precollege ID hanging from a faux-pearl necklace, a ruffled kitten umbrella, and my fashion-collage folder from the Spring semester.  I suddenly feel anxious and my mind is overflowing with thoughts. I try to not stress out, after all I have done this before and it was the greatest experience of my life.  I put in my headphones and listen to some Animal Collective,  the rest of my trip is a breeze and my worries are gone.

After stopping for a Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks on 7th ave, I make my way to my class on the 4th floor of the D building.  I am the second person to arrive, I sit in the second seat at the first table right next to the girl I later find out is Meredith.  Eventually, my friend Christina from ‘The Ins and Outs of Fashion Merchandising’ arrives, I feel so relieved to see a familiar face in an unfamiliar classroom.

Professor Sokoli turned out to be not only one of the coolest teachers I have ever met, but one of the coolest adults in general.  We gossip about the latest season of ANTM, Rachel Zoe’s new line, and share our excitement for the new show Pan Am and how they are going to pull off the 1960s through props and fashion.  We all introduce ourselves and then he goes through our projects for the semester.  We are going to be doing shoots for a pair of shoes with a setting that relates to the design, shape, or color of the shoe; a food setup; a table setup with a plate representing a specific designer; and our final project will be dressing up a mannequin.  I can’t help but to feel SO excited for this class!

By our 11:15 Starbucks break, I made friends with nearly everyone in the class.  We all have so much in common its natural for us to just click with one another.  Thats one of the things I love about FIT,  we are all in that classroom at 9 o’clock on a Saturday morning because we have a uniting love; fashion.  After only one day of Styling of Fashion, Food and Home Products for the Visual Industry, I already know this semester is going to be a great one and I just can’t wait to get a head start on the experience I need to be a fashion stylist.

xoxo,

Mary