#StayInspired

Hi Everyone!

Blogs are sooo early 2000s… or are they? Blogs are a great way to store information and links. That’s why we’ve kept our Precollege Blog going all these years. We mainly used it for Instructor Spotlights and Student Highlights (you can check our archives!), but now we are going to use it for some resources for our Precollege learning community.

Each week we will highlight a topic, for example: pro tips on how to write your admissions essay, ways to find inspiration while social distancing, and special tips for creatives of all kinds.

This week we are looking at Google Arts and Culture. There’s so much to do on GA&C, we are jussssst going to focus on museums this week. Museums are great places to find inspiration and many are making their collections available virtually. You can now visit literally thousands of collections from home! Some museums you can virtually walk around in, for example, the Guggenheim Bilbao in Spain. Using the same image capture technology used for Google Street View, you can explore the iconic building and Richard Serra sculptures. Other museums have beautiful web-based galleries, for example, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium. Some museums only have a few pieces from their collection on Google. For example, the Whitney Museum of American art has 60 pieces on Google but has over 20,000 images on their website. So, if your favorite museum isn’t on there check their direct website!

Do you have a favorite Museum? Let us know in the comments :)

 

Instructor Spotlight: Jacqueline Quinn

Jacqueline Quinn is a fashion designer born in Dublin, Ireland, who moved to New York City 25 years ago. Jacqueline’s alma mater is the Grafton Academy of Fashion Design in Dublin, and she is currently studying to get her Master’s in Fashion and Fine Arts. Diverse in her background both creatively and artistically, Jacqueline has been the head designer for DKNY dresses and was most recently the creative director and designer for Betsey Johnson. She is currently designing her own collection, “Jackie.” Jacqueline cites the iconic Jackie Kennedy as a major style influence and is working on a book outlining Jackie Kennedy’s fabrications and fashion influences.

Websites:
www.adorejackie.com     www.jacquelinequinn.com

Jacqueline Quinn teaches:
HSX 096 A Week in the Life of a Fashion Designer

Teaching Philosophy:
I love sharing the knowledge I have gained over the last 25 years of being in the fashion industry. I enjoy guiding my students and enabling them to use all of their creativity. I love seeing the authentic and ongoing learning process that develops into inspiration, creativity, and success.

Industry Experience:

  • Head Designer for Perry Ellis, Bill Blass, and DKNY dresses
  • Creative Director and Designer for Betsey Johnson
  • Styled for the Grammys in 2012 and 2013

Work by Jacqueline Quinn:

Instructor Spotlight: Sooo-z Mastropietro

Sooo-z Mastropietro, a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology in Fashion Design and Textile Design, has taught art and fashion design in a variety of settings including the Quick Center at Fairfield University and the Aldrich Museum. Sewing since the age of seven, she turned to her own raw skills to define her self expression through her wardrobe. Her brand “Mastropiece” began as a silk painting business for wearable designs and now serves as a general umbrella for all things Sooo-z from fine art, to socks, to tableware. Her other endeavors have included community sculptural projects, curating, judging art shows, artist in residences, and classical bass playing.

Website: www.mastropiece.com

Sooo-Z Mastropietro Teaches:
JSX 011 Fashion Art: Silhouettes
JSX 013 Fashion Art: Faces and Figures

Teaching Philosophy:
I love it when my students realize they can do something they weren’t sure they could do after they’ve had a little guidance and inspiration. It’s about approaching the challenge, breaking down the problem, and rebuilding the answer into their own interpretation. It’s a great feeling to create something bigger than what you started with.

Industry Experience:
Sooo-Z has served as an art director, curator, and gallery director and now works on her own collection of fine art and develops select product lines. Her current work under the moniker, Knitiot Savant, is a unique fiber art form utilizing a triumph of fabric tubes, nuggets, and shreds. She has shown all over the country in juried shows and has appeared internationally in publications. Sooo-z recently had her installation, “MicroFiberOrganism,” featured at the newly re-opened library in Westport, CT.

Work by Sooo-z Mastropietro:

 

In The Halls: Valentin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Student: Valentin

Program: Summer 4-day High School Workshops

Precollege Course: HSX 051: Exploring Graphic Design

Describe your personal style?
My style is simple and color coordinated, like I’m ready to go on vacation at any time, and oversized.

Where do you go on your breaks from class?
For lunch, I get food outside and eat in the dining hall.

What is your favorite thing about FIT?
I like the friendly and small atmosphere of FIT.

Who or what inspires you?
I’m inspired by young, successful people.

What do you want to do after you graduate from college?
I want to find a job that suits my skill set and knowledge.

In The Halls: Sarah

Student: Sarah

Program: Summer 4-day High School Workshops

Precollege Course: HSX 084: Designing a Fashion Mini-Collection

Describe your personal style?
My personal style is an eclectic mix of vintage styles, mainly 80s and 90s, with more modern streetwear trends sometimes mixed in.

Where do you go on breaks from class?
I’ve just been exploring the campus as I’m still getting to know it.

What is your favorite thing about FIT?
My favorite things about FIT are the creativity, artistic drive, and unique styles each student has.

Who or what inspires you?
I am inspired by any and all kinds of art, movie characters and music.

What do you want to do after you graduate from college?
I would like to be a fashion designer and start my own streetwear clothing company here in New York.