Category Archives: Fashion Events

Runway 27 Presents Artistry

FIT is home to 60+ student clubs, one of which is Runway 27. Runway 27 host student organized fashion shows every year. The club allows students to experience the vast roles involved in putting on a show, such as the role of merchandisers, designers, models, photographers, general business management, advertising and P.R. The shows always follow a theme, and this year they are presenting their annual show “Artistry”.

Runway 27 was established in 2013 and has been putting on shows ever since. The Runway 27 website shows all previous sponsors that have supported the annual shows and all active team members. The Runway 27 Instagram page keeps followers up to date with any events and covers a behind the scenes experience of all club activity, along with posting artsy photo shoot teasers. If you won’t be able to make it to the Artistry show this Thursday, Nov. 21, then make sure to watch the show through the live stream set up. Details are on the Runway 27 website’s homepage.

Fashion Week in Milan Part 2!

HELLO EVERYONE!

This week I will continue to share with you the trip of Fashion week in Milan!

On our second part of the trip, there was still so much to discover. We made a stop at La Scala Laboratories, located in the Zona Tortona. The Teatro alla Scala in Milan is among the world’s most famous opera houses. At their Laboratory we were able to see where the magic begins and moves along onto the stage. Most of the handmade works for the production of stage design emerge from there. From set design, sculpture, carpentry works, mechanics workshop, set assembly, costume design, laundry, etc.

Teatro La Scala Ansaldo Workshops

The next day we visited S2B press office specialized in public relations towards the fashion design industry. We had a very informative tour in their loft office about a few of the rising young designers they are working with. Some of their services include advertising planning, events production, product placement & celebrities, social media management, and image consulting!

Image from S2B Press Office Loft (from website)

The last two days were a dream come true! Our final stop was at Pino Grasso Atelier, a master of embroidery for the most renowned haute couture and ready to wear fashion houses. Some important clients include: Givenchy, Valentino, Dolce & Gabbana. I was mesmerized by all the handmade work and countless number of hours put into a garment. There are many countless possibilities when it comes to embroidery and materials, from beads to sequins, feathers to fringes. They even work with designers to create innovative solutions for design requests, like flowers from plastic bottles!

Me trying embroidery techniques for the first time!

Handmade samples from work for clients.

Our trip to Milan was so rich of adventures with enriching information for the student’s fashion career start!

Arrivederci, Maria

Fashion Week in Milan

HELLO Tigers!

As many of you may know Milan Fashion Week just passed and it was very exciting to take a look into all the action. We had various industry appointments throughout the week, some of which were very, very, helpful towards the skills you may need in the fashion design world.

With a mix of classic and modernity, this city is sure going to make you stop and look, everywhere you go. And well, the first visit we made was to the Ferré Foundation, located in the heart of Milan’s new fashion and design district, Zona Tortona. The Gianfranco Ferré Foundation was established with the goal of sharing the work of “the architect of fashion”, Gianfranco Ferré. We had the opportunity to view a database created to showcase drawings, photographs, videos, and even runway photographs dating back to his earliest collections. We even got to analyze and touch some of the garments that were part of collections!

Ferré Foundation Presentation

Ferré Foundation Archives

Next stop, the MUDEC (Museo delle Culture di Milano), an amazing space with two great exhibitions. One was from artist Paul Klee, which features a selection of his works on the theme of “primitivism”, and an embrace to the period of Western art.

Paul Klee paintings

The other exhibition was of a very well-known artist, well his artworks are very well-known, because it is still a mystery who he really is. Can you guess? If you said Bansky, you are right! The exhibition showcases works, including painting, prints, sculptures, CD covers, and memorabilia, which all together demonstrate the way of thinking of Bansky.

Bansky Print – Girl with Red Balloon

Getting away from the fast-paced ambience that Milan can be, we took a bus through mountain roads that guided us to Como, the city of precious silk. An important part of this short trip, was a stop at the Ratti Factory, where we explored the world of silk printing. It is known as one of the world’s leading manufacturers of printed, plain, yarn-dyed and jacquard fabrics, luckily, we were able to see samples of the whole process from start to finish. They work with private clients and pret-à-porter brands, some of which include: Hermès, Alexander McQueen, Gucci, Ferragamo, among others!

Ratti Factory thread rack

Ratti Factory machine at work, weaving with many color threads

So far, this has just been half of the trip! If you want to read more about it, stay tuned and next week I will be posting some more amazing experiences that happened throughout the week.

Ciao, Maria

Fashion New Source Pt. 5

Women’s Wear Daily

Since its inception in 1910, Women’s Wear Daily magazine has been a leading force in the apparel industry. As an informational staple, the magazine covers general topics such as: fashion, business, beauty, men’s, runway, and accessories. Each topic has several sub-topics. For example, a few that business is broken down into are: trade, HR, marketing, retail, and markets. From a business student’s perspective, WWD gives a really good big picture view in regards to long term strategies. This information can be vital for higher-ups and even for students like us. There are not many sources that have a section devoted solely towards mergers & acquisitions or markets. This is why I like Women’s Wear Daily, because it can give me information that is easy to access sources sometimes require a subscription for.

If you watched NYFW and wanted to look at the styles, WWD has a review of all different designers with an analysis on the lines and photos of the collection. Click here to see more

Things to Do: Student Springtime

Happy Weekend!

The weather hitting above 50 degrees this weekend felt like the perfect opportunity to get some sun and fresh air… and a quick break from projects. I decided to head to the Bronx and visit the Bronx Zoo. Did you know that the Bronx Zoo offers free admission for any FIT student? Neither did I, until today! Any New York City college student gets free admission into the zoo. Have a friend who is not a NYC college student? No problem- the zoo has free admission for every guest every Wednesday!
It was refreshing to step right outside of Manhattan and visit a neighboring area. I am rarely ever in the Bronx, so I am glad to have had the chance to check it out. People typically spend a few hours at the zoo; I myself arrived at 2pm and stayed until closing at 5:30pm. I’m glad I took my time-the lions finally woke up from their nap at the end of the day!
From Herald Square, you can take the D Train to Fordham Road Station, and then the Bx12 bus from E Fordham Rd/Grand Concourse to Fordham Rd/Southern Bl which is only a three minute walk to the zoo. The trip is about an hour, but well worth it. The zoo is open seven days a week, 10am-5pm Monday through Friday, and until 5:30 on the weekend. Be sure to check it out!

Until next time,
Annmarie X