09 01 2016 AAU Newspaper

page 19

Style Photo courtesy of Namrata Bhandari.

INSIDE

Zandile Blay: New online fashion journalism instructor talks about how storytelling is in her genes. Page 20.

Namrata Bhandari: M.F.A. textile design graduate shares her experience working at Anthropologie.

Page 21.

YMA FSF: Thanks to the YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund, Kathleen O’Heron enjoyed a trip to New York and an exciting chance to showcase her talent. Page 22.

page 20 | September 2016 volume 1 | academy of art university | san francisco

STYLE ZANDILE BLAY

Zandile Blay and the “Language of Now’’

By Fashion School Daily

Most people grow up and choose their profession. Zandile Blay, one of the newest part-time online instructors of Academy of Art University’s fashion journalism program, was born into it. Journalism runs in her blood, having inherited the storytelling gene from her parents, Blay followed her destiny—first as an undergraduate in broadcast journalism from Syracuse University and then as a graduate student in fashion at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design.

Blay has since landed editorial positions at Paper Magazine, Seventeen, Essence and HELLO! Nigeria. Her work has also been featured in InStyle, New York Magazine online and The Daily News, among others. As the current Style & Culture columnist for The Huffington Post and the Managing Partner and Editorial Director at Blay Digital Media (BDM), Blay’s editorial expertise and prodigious experience make her particularly adept at navigating the continuous evolution of fashion media.

It comes as no surprise then that Blay was invited to join the fashion journalism program as it expands to reflect the ever-growing prominence and pivotal role of social and mobile media.

We’re currently at the frontier of a new type of journalism, and the power and potential to charge forward and make a mark is in our hands, literally.

In the upcoming new course, launched this Fall 2016, FSH 628 Social and Mobile Reporting, Blay will guide students through the digital realm and teach them how to effectively find and tell stories through the style, speed and ease of networking platforms via a mobile device. Students will be ahead of the curve by mastering the ins and outs of digital storytelling through multiple apps and mediums.

In other words, the course will teach students how to optimize those never-ending hours spent on social and mobile apps into journalism careers. All that time spent scrolling on your phone will finally pay off.

Q: How did you get into journalism? Have you always had an interest in fashion?

A: I was born into the field.

My parents are both journalists—my father’s specialty is newspapers and my mother’s is broadcast journalism. Likewise, my brother and sister are both journalists, as are my cousins, uncles and aunties. With that many media folks around, it was sort of a given that I’d join their ranks.

Initially, my interest was specifically in political reporting, especially since politics has been the focus of my family’s work in media. However, fashion developed as a powerful rival for my interests. By my sophomore year in college, I’d committed to fashion journalism as my specialty.

Q: You’ve had years of editorial experience including editorial positions at HELLO! Nigeria, Paper, Seventeen, Essence and Scene. How did you come to work as an editor? What are some of the most important lessons you’ve learned through your career?

A: I got into editorial the usual way—internships, which led to jobs. My first job was as Readers Editor at Seventeen Magazine where I read and responded to reader mail, edited the mail page, and communicated with readers through cool new sites at the time (Twitter and Facebook).

I learn lessons daily, but the most important and evergreen has been: enjoy yourself. It seems like simple advice, especially when your job description involves playing with clothes, attending events, and rubbing elbows with posh people all day. But if you aren’t truly connected to yourself or the work, the fun can turn dull surprisingly quickly. It seems cliché, but joy plays a central role in your longevity, quality of work and quality of connections in the industry.

Q: As an editor, you are often bombarded with content, pitches, etc. How do you pick and choose what to publish?

What stands out to you?

A: I love to describe it as “voice” acting. Meaning as an editor you take on the character of the

Zandile Blay. Photo courtesy of guestofguest.com.

publication and let it come out through your voice—be it writing, story selection or even your own visual presentation. The cool thing about writing is that it’s not necessarily just words that communicate your concepts as a reporter but your thoughts can be communicated through so many different mediums.

That’s actually why the social and mobile reporting course is so timely. It allows students to explore all the different ways which stories —which back in the day may have only been told through a picture and words— can now engage and educate readers as video, as sound or multi-media, multi-platform stories. Just as exciting are emerging and abstract new forms of storytelling such as 140 characters on a social media post, direct messages and even online chatting. We cover all this ground and more—and I can tell you already that the number one most exciting thing I’ve taken away from this academic adventure is—no matter the time, tool or technology—journalism and the art of storytelling remain as exciting today as it ever was.

That said, when it comes to personal writing projects or assignments that allow me to explore my own personal voice —I look to my instincts to decide what stories will bring the most value to my audience.

Q: Which fashion writers have influenced you the most?

What about fashion icons?

A: The most influential writers for me have been my father, mother, sister and auntie. The journalist in me loves to have the back-story, even on icons I admire. There’s something doubly magical about being influenced by good work, especially if it’s produced by folks you know.

In terms of icons—I don’t know if I’m influenced by any.

But I will always admire the intellect, ingenuity, courage and honesty of Coco Chanel and Azzedine Alaïa. They were two designers I studied as a student and lessons learned from their approach to their work and life have never left me till this day.

Q: What is social and mobile reporting?

A: In a word: gossip. It’s that tried and true act of getting a juicy scoop and running and telling everyone about it!

Except now you can do so with scale, style and speed thanks to an ever growing list of really cool social media apps that you can access conveniently in the style of your hand.

Of course, the word “gossip” can’t cut it as the sole explanation. This is about finding, telling and selling (in terms of promotion to your network and your audience) great stories.

And it’s about doing so with ease—from the convenience of

Zandile Blay. Photo courtesy of guestofguest.com. your mobile phone.

This is the current reality for professional journalists, bloggers and personalities out there. More and more stories are being broken and produced from the field using mobile phone, mobile reporting equipment, and apps. Students will learn to do how the pros do.

Q: What role does this new type of journalism play in the fashion industry?

A: It’s literally breaking boundaries. Across the border.

For one, it’s changing the very hierarchy of editorial and making the young 23-year-old with little experience senior to the seasoned editor because they know the language and lexicon of now.

Secondly, for the up-andcoming fashion brands, it’s removing the need for editorial. Through their own social media accounts and mobile sites, they can editorialize their brand story and create custom content that connects directly to the audience.

And that’s just two examples. It’s having [a] very contrasting impact on the industry.

But I view it as wonderful. For smart, enterprising, entrepreneurial students and grads, this is a great time, unlike any other, to master social and mobile reporting and make your mark in a major way in the industry.

It’s like the wild wild west. But just on your phone.

Q: Why is this type of reporting on the rise? Is this a temporary phenomenon?

A: It’s more of an evolution than a temporary phenomenon.

And that’s exactly what we delve into at the top of the class.

The last several hundred years of history show that technology and tools (how the journalist tells the story) always evolve.

With that comes new styles and forms of storytelling.

It’s on the rise because it’s the language of now.

Journalism aside, most people use their phones for everything—so just as with doctors—journalists are more than ready and willing to meet their readers exactly where they are. And in 2016, eyes are fixed, heads are bent, and fingers are pressed against the screen of their devices.

Q: As the only designated and accredited B.A. and M.A. fashion journalism program in the country, what sets it apart from other programs?

A: What I love about the social and mobile reporting course is it’s so ahead of the curve that it does not have to compete. It’s less about how different or similar it is to what’s out there and more about how essential it is, period, to anyone who is serious about storytelling.

But naturally, coming from a program as dynamic as the fashion journalism program and under the guidance of visionary Director Stephan Rabimov, it promises to offer several points of distinction.

The best of these to me is that while this is a course planned and designed with aspiring journalists in mind, it empowers everybody. From designers to artists to sculptors—the tools, tips and tricks discovered in this course apply to us all. It’s no longer just journalists who need to know how to tell a story. Social media has made it so that mastering that skill set is what can set us all apart whether at work or at play.

Q: Do you have any advice for aspiring fashion journalists?

A: Be yourself—that’s more than enough for you to succeed.

san francisco | academy of art university |

September 2016 volume 1 | page 21

STYLE NAMRATA BHANDARI

Anthropological explorations with textile design grad Namrata Bhandari

By Fashion School Daily Congratulations are in order for Spring 2016 M.F.A. textile design graduate Namrata Bhandari, who was just hired as a full-time assistant print designer at Anthropologie headquarters in Philadelphia.

Bhandari previously showed her thesis project, a menswear collection in collaboration with Spring 2016 B.F.A. menswear design graduate Justin Moreno, at the Academy of Art University’s Spring 2016 Fashion Show in San Francisco to much accolade from the industry.

Just back from a trip to her native India, Bhandari took time out to talk with Fashion School Daily about her academic career and professional goals.

Q: Where are you from and what drew you to the Academy? Where did you do your undergraduate work?

A: I am from India and was raised in Mumbai. I have a B.F.A. degree in fashion design from the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in Mumbai. Growing up in India, a land of textile wonders, I guess I inadvertently developed an immense love for the tactile quality of textiles from a very young age. I was fascinated by pattern and surface design.

After completing my undergrad I worked as an assistant designer at Linarika (a RTW womenswear label) in Mumbai. By then I had begun to develop a strong desire

to take some time out and dedicate myself to learning the craft of textile design, especially printed textiles. The applied textiles course at Academy of Art University seemed like the perfect answer.

Q: What was the adaptation process like coming to San Francisco and the Academy?

What were your most important takeaways about living here?

A: The biggest change I experienced coming to San Francisco and the Academy of Art University was the amount of creative freedom allowed to students. My undergraduate studies were much more closely monitored and were much more commercial in their sensibility. At the Academy, we were allowed to exercise our imagination and creative exploration to the best of our abilities. While this was exhilarating, it was also intimidating at the same time. It took me some time to gain confidence and trust my judgment.

Q: Which instructors influenced you the most?

A: The instructors that influenced me the most were Assistant Director of Textiles Rhona MacKenzie and full-time faculty Jennifer Jeon and the School of Fine Art’s Director of Printmaking Carrie Ann Plank. Rhona taught me to trust my own gut. Today, I feel I am confident about my skills, instincts and taste (concerning print design) because of her feedback, critique and insistence

on making up our own minds and standing by our decisions.

Q: Tell us about your collaboration with Justin Moreno.

What was the inspiration?

How did the process work?

What was it like to have it shown at the Spring Show, and what kind of reception did you get there?

A: For my thesis project I collaborated with B.F.A. fashion design student Justin Moreno in creating a menswear collection. The inspiration for the collection came from a photo series by United Kingdombased photographer Jessica Fulford-Dobson, which documents the girls of Skateistan, a program that helps young Afghans learn to skate and brings them back to school.

These photographs show little girls in their beautiful, bright, flowing clothes learning to skateboard—in a country where it is considered taboo for women to ride bikes!

I was deeply moved by the courage, strength, resilience and grace exhibited by these young girls, and equally struck by the visual exuberance of the photographs. Through my textile designs, I wanted to capture the freedom of expression, the rebelliousness and the courage to go after one’s desires portrayed so emotively in the photographs.

The entire process began with research and ideation. We then moved on to exploration of ideas and possibilities and swatch development. Finally, the execution of printing yardage with selected designs.

I really enjoyed working on

Photos courtesy of Namrata Bhandari.

this collaboration with Justin.

We were on the same page the entire time, and we both had similar visions of how we wanted this collection to be.

We bonded very well creatively and that helped a great deal.

It was extremely gratifying to have the collection presented at the Spring Show. I was able to realize my print designs into actual garments and I learnt a lot while working on the collection. The collection was received really well at the show, and it just made everything worth it.

Q: How did the hiring process work at Anthropologie?

How did you hear about the opportunity? What will your responsibilities be for them?

A: This entire process began

with a campus interview.

Urban Outfitters, Inc. came on campus in the last week of February where they conducted personal interviews with a bunch of interested students. At the end of the interview, the recruiter asked me to work on a print project for Urban Outfitters based on a brief I was provided with.

The recruiter got back to me saying that she passed on my project to the Urban and Anthropologie team.

The Urban guys thought it was a little more sophisticated than what they were looking for but the Anthro guys really appreciated it. After that I interviewed with an Anthropologie senior print designer over Skype. Following that, they asked me to come over to the headquarters for an in-person interview with the entire design team. A week later they called back offering me the position!

My main responsibilities will essentially involve supporting the print designer in the creation, development and execution of print artworks appropriate for the Anthropologie customer.

Q: Who is your major style/ design inspiration?

A: I find inspiration in history and tradition. It is the idea of attempting to decipher or understand the past from today’s perspective that inspires most of my work. I then interpret these inspirations through my own perspective and try to translate these visual experiences to visual imagery appropriate for print design. The one trendsetter/ forecaster I unfailingly follow is Li Edelkoort and her blog Trend Tablet.

Textile designs by Namrata Bhandari.

To view Namrata Bhandari’s portfolio, please visit https:// www.behance.net/namrata8189.

page 22 | September 2016 volume 1 | academy of art university | san francisco

STYLE YMA FSF

How winning a scholarship created the trip of a lifetime

Photo courtesy of Fashion School Daily.

By Kathleen O’Heron Not all trips have to be paid for. Anyone looking for an alternative route to traveling can apply for a scholarship program that includes a travel bonus. One of the best and most rewarding opportunities I have ever received was from the YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund. They gave me an opportunity to both travel and showcase my talent in a new and exciting way.

Established in 1937, the YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund works with professionals in the fashion industry to give opportunities to students from around the globe.

Scholarships ranging from $5,000 to $30,000 are given out annually to hard working students who participate in YMA’s case studies. They also provide internships, mentorship programs and valuable networking events in which new winners and alumni can participate.

Thanks to Keanan Duffty, former Senior Director of Fashion Merchandising at Academy of Art University and currently Senior Design Director for the John Varvatos Star USA collection, who informed our class about this scholarship program, we were encouraged to apply. Duffty helped

Photo by Ward Roberts. Courtesy of SCAD.

me develop my ideas for the case study and pointed me in the right direction. The case study required developing either a business plan or a new line of products for the beauty and lifestyle company Birchbox. After our case studies were submitted, seven lucky students from our school were chosen to receive an all-inclusive trip to New York that included hotel accommodations, a special gala to celebrate all of the scholarship winners and a $5,000 check.

The winners were flown to New York City for a stay at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square, which is

Photo courtesy of Fashion School Daily.

located near famous landmarks, great restaurants and all the best shopping. The hotel was very impressive.

We stayed in a large suite

with a perfect view of Times Square. During our last night in town, the YMA held a large gala party in one of the Marriott’s banquet halls. The event was filled with wellknown industry professionals and more extravagant outfits than one could ever imagine.

It was the perfect evening event to end our vacation.

Traveling doesn’t always have to be a stressful penny pincher. With a little hard work and determination, the YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund provided the opportunity of a lifetime for a trip that no other trip could equate to. Thanks to the Academy and the YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund, I can share this experience and hope that it provides inspiration to look into applying for a scholarship which will reward you with a travel opportunity.

Kathleen O’Heron is a B.F.A. Fashion – Visual Merchandising student.