#whereisvenus..?

For our last study tour, we went to see the Macy's Flower Show, which is open from April 23 - May 10, and I may end up stopping by again before it's over. I didn't know what to expect when I heard "Flower Show" at Macy's, but I was pleasantly surprised by the level of whimsey and excitement that not only the staff had for the event, but also customers. People that were not even interested in the fragrances came to admire the displays, which speaks to their marketing and the effort put into setting something like this up (all of which was done in a night, I believe!)

The Flower Show was a platform, and the centerpiece were the fragrances that Macy's had in particularly grand displays, namely the Valentino Beauty collaboration. I am not advertising, but rather appreciating the effort and ease of a flower show.

5th Avenue Jewelry NYC is a jewelry manufacturing and retail business, having first started in 1985, they are currently located on W35th Street NYC. What I can say I value most in jewelry brands is the diversity of their products, whether this is the variations of a design, different gems, jewels, or stones, or the variety in their collections.

5th Ave Jewelry is very diverse, and offers simplistic or more complex pieces, and not all of them are too expensive. There is certainly a level of care that goes into their jewelry-making process, from design to manufacturing, which shows to the consumer.

Unfortunately, I slept through my alarms..

However, this week my study tour went to IHL Group, a clothing company that partners with a variety of brands, including Paris Hilton, Jason Wu, Rachel Zoe, Fit Collective, and more. They produce different styles and appeal options, such as intimates, ready-to-wear, bags, activewear, and a children's collection. They describe themselves as a "multinational fashion enterprise", involved in the design and manufacturing process for their brands products.

Despite the wide variety of brands that they have, the diversity of their collections, and such, I was a bit more disappointed than I'd like to have been to see that in their About section, they state to "Forget about slow fashion" in that their "quick production turnaround means you get the latest looks, stat." When I looked into this further, Aeropostale, BCBG, and Tahari, all brands that IHL Group owns, have very low approval ratings for ethical practices and sustainability, as well as poor transparency and have been accused of fast fashion production due to their emphasis on trend chasing, their rate of garment production, and their pricing.

I am not sure if this is true for all IHL Group brands, but it is enough to make me curious. Below, I've listed two websites that may be useful for people who have this kind of curiosity as well with fashion brands.

good on you

This week, my study tour took us to Majesty Brands, an NYC based company which licenses and owns a variety of brands, which produce socks, slippers, some activewear, undergarments, and accessories. Entering their main office, one can find a lively atmosphere, where there is a balance of calm with the work and communication that happens to keep things operating. The team members that I had the pleasure of meeting and interacting with were both fashionable and knowledgeable of the brand. Best of all, there was an air of passion for what they do.

Upon browsing their website, which I will link below, I found not only a very informative and transparent look into the company's history, values, and products, there is also an option to request a donation of "product donations, financial contributions, and partnerships with organizations focused on poverty, illness, and underserved populations." This and information on requesting donations can be found on their website under Giving Back.

Join me next week to see where my study tour takes me!

This week, I unfortunately did not get to go to the MOMA, however, I wanted to give a small reflection on museums, as they have been on my mind lately.

I feel that many people underestimate the importance of museums. Even more so, that people disregard the importance of being exposed to, and appreciative of different forms of art, just as it is a human responsibility to be aware of one's fellows. Art is a language that connects across barriers, including national boarders, time, perspective, experience, and societies. Creation is the greatest act that a human can commit to, and to have a space that celebrates art should be a coveted and protected thing.

I feel the same about libraries, actually, in that public spaces where people can learn and expand their perspectives beyond what they may see in their day to day is not only reinvigorating for the soul, but crucial for development.

One may argue (I may argue) and museums have their dark side, just as anything does, and especially what may come from an institutional context (as many museums do). One must be as aware of context as they are of nuance, and appreciative of exposure to different elements of life.

Art and intellectualism come intertwined, and in varying forms. There are museums of historical artifacts, natural history, contemporary, modern, post-modern art, music, fashion, and as many other kinds of exhibits as there are categories and movements that have existed in art. It is critical to understand that, although you may not stake your life in investments of the arts, or the scholarly act of love that preserving, recording, documenting art constitutes, but there is always much to learn in a museum.

This week my study tour took us to Hudson Yards, what seems to be a low to to high-end luxury mall complex, with options for dining and residency. While the area itself is very nice, our study tour specifically looked at the store Aritzia, a lower end luxury brand that was stylized with tones of brown, cream, green, and black, primarily, and had a range of casual business wear to athlesiure wear that was both comfortable and of high quality materials.

I appreciated the atmosphere immediately. We were not allowed to take photos or videos in the store, but my favorite area was the sitting area (not only because I was a bit tired). They had two thick books on art, history, and space, which were very interesting. One of the interns had been working at or for that specific Aritzia location for three years, and the employee that was kind enough to direct us around had been there for a similar time frame. My professor pointed out that in an industry where people are constantly being shifted around and positions are being left and filled, it can be a refreshing change of pace to find a company that is adamant on holding onto their people.

Overall, I was extremely impressed by the organization and displays at this location, though I feel the kind of aesthetic or style that they are marketing can be difficult to style in a way that is not primarily minimalistic. They do have pieces that caught my eye, but I can't personally say that I will be coming back any time soon.

I am a little mixed up with my weeks, but I don't think it matters too much.. a few weeks ago, my study tour took us to Dover Street Market, which apparently is quite the landmark of NYC fashion, and I once again had never heard of it. Therefore, I had no expectations going in, however, whatever I would have defined as a "market" did not compare to what the DSM looks like.

The Dover Street Market of NYC comprises 8 floors of nothing but fashion and art. There are shoes, shirts, pants, dresses, suit sets, accessories, bags, jackets, and all within the price range to luxury to designer ready to wear. From my understanding, each floor's section of apparel that is dedicated to a designer was detailed by that individual, so you will see a multitude of aesthetics, colors, patterns, styles, and eye-catching displays.

It is in places such as this that it becomes more and more apparent that fashion is not separate from the art world in any way. The aesthetics and visual displays for the designer's garments had framed pieces, sculptures, mannequins, and and areas that looked similar to a theatre set design. Stairways, pillars, clothing racks, and the arrangement of garments and accessories are placed in meticulous manners to highlight the visual appeal of the clothing, the designer air brand's style, and the artistic representation of those garments, combining multi-media and differing art forms to communicate a message with the buyer.

The market felt more like a mini-mall, but the art stored in it an the manner that the garments and displays were presented made it feel like a museum. Some of these brands or names that DSM carries include some of my favorites, such as Come Des Garçons, Vivienne Westwood, Grace Whales Bonner, Brain Dead, Kiko Kostadinov and Rick Owens.

This week, my study tour took me to Create-A-Marker, a company that offers grading, marking, and digitizing services for designs, and is located in the NYC Garment District. The company's workforce is small but efficient, navigating through various programs and complex designs to create an efficient process for brands and designers from start to finish. They are a community-minded operation with a focus on a personalized experience concerning the designer's garments and plans. It was very interesting to hear about their process and the passion that goes into the work. Not only is it an aspect of the industry that is extremely necessary and helpful, but also one that is detailed and meant to make the garment accessible through proper branding and marking.