NEW YORK CITY THE TRIP THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
By Kallie Hoxter Class New York Field Experience Professor Wendy Bendoni Due Date April 29, 2014
TABLE OF CONTENTS
NYC Overview: Into the City that Never Sleeps Museum Overview: How this changed my perspective Dining for each day in NYC: 5 star review guide Landmarks Adventures through the city Professional Appointments Final thoughts on the city
INTO THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS Let me take you all over NYC for the next week as I experience the city, the food, the culture, and the business of fashion, not for the first time but for a new time. This has not been my first time to the Big Apple, however, each time I go back, I experience the city in a different way each time. It makes each experience truly unique in of itself. The culture of New York is different than anywhere else in the world. When they say that New York is a special city, they are not lying. I love that the city does not judge, the city has a different style, and there is no stereotype for citizens of NYC. So sit back and enjoy as I take you through a busy week in the city!
For those of you who have not yet been to the MET, it is an amazing experience that will change your entire life and perspective on all types of art. The museum offers any type of art you could imagine to examine from photography exhibits to modern art, to culture exhibits on ancient Egyptian artifacts. When exploring with the group, I was able to see a new side of modern art that wanted the viewer to experience the art in an interactive measure. One exhibit I visited in the modern art section was a sit down room that had projectors displaying multiple moving images and designs across 3 walls while a narrator was speaking and a machine was moving in the middle of the room. The air in the room made the senses come to life and the movement between the speaking and the background music constantly made you curious of what was to come next. GRADING SCALE: 4.5 / 5
CULTURE EXHIBIT I enjoyed the exhibition collection of India and Tibet: Buddhist Traditions & Transformations. This collection was interesting because it discussed the movement of religion and influences as well as how they affected the art both during the 11th and 12th centuries. It was also interesting to read about how the movement in change from religion and politics with a cultural influence. During these periods of time, the Buddhist religion was transforming and spreading to different areas besides oriental cultures. This was very interesting as an exhibit to me because the overall idea behind it was Buddhism and how it affected art during this period. I find Buddhism, Daoism, and Karma all very interesting and fascinating throughout religion in different cultures so this exhibit definitely impacted me. The art as well is so interesting to see how they encompassed the Buddhism ideals and portraits into their art and sculptures during the time period.
PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT I thoroughly enjoyed the Charles Marville: Photographer of Paris collection of works. Charles Marville was one of the greatest photographers in Paris during the early 19th century. His works were not specifically of people or items, but rather of France (mainly Paris) and its prime beauty to stand-alone. His photography really impacted me because of the images in black and white with high resolutions and ISO counts. The images stood alone very significantly because each image was purely of the city in a time of culture growth and movement. Charles Marville gives an amazing perspective on Paris and how the city is one that will change people forever. I deeply appreciate photography, so this exhibit was fantastic to me and the movement of the pictures throughout the museum placement perfectly portrayed his works.
PAINTING SERIES WITH PERSONAL IMPACT
For this collection of works, it was the beginning of the modern exhibit for the MET. This collection from Al Held made an impact on my opinion of art because of the simplicity and movement of lines with ease throughout all the paintings. The style of his work is fantastic because to me his style shows ability and his works tend to look effortless. The showroom that his paintings were in was fantastic as well because the polished floors and the bright white walls and lights allowed for all the attention to be focused primarily on his collection. However, the colors and dĂŠcor complimented his style perfectly. The story that these paintings portray to me is a message of simplicity and the ability to see art in forms that most people would consider to simple or easy. Art can be in anything and I firmly believe that the more understated or simplistic the art in some cases, the more beautiful it is. This collection made me feel inspired to see the beauty in simplicity and movement with ease.
4 FAVORITE PIECES
After our delicious meal, I put on my coat and we headed back over a couple blocks to the Guggenheim Museum. For those of you who have not been to the Guggenheim Museum, you have to put it on your bucket list! Just the architecture of the building alone is to die for. The art that was in the museum was modern from around the early 20th century time period. The art completely complimented the museum itself. The art deco movement that was present in most of the paintings and sculptures in the museum were surreal and it gave a great sense of nostalgia. One aspect of the Guggenheim that I loved was the movement of the building. As each level flowed circularly, the artwork flowed with the shape and complimented how the museum was set. I recommend starting from the top and then working your way down! The Guggenheim was also featuring a fantastic photography exhibit that moved throughout the different floors of the museum. The photography was focused on black and white images of a simplistic moment captured on film. Once we felt sufficed after exploring the museum, we called it a day of museum hopping and went our separate ways. GRADING SCALE: 4 / 5
CULTURE EXHIBIT Â I enjoyed viewing the collection of Italian Futurism: Reconstructing the Universe. This was a very interesting collection because it showcased the movement of art within other areas in a futuristic and art deco time period. It was definitely interesting to see the views of futurism when these works were created during the early 20th century. I loved the entirety of the collection by showcasing more than just paintings, but also sculptures, furniture, and clothing as well. This collection was fantastic because it showcased a very different take on the art deco period that was being experienced at the time. These pieces were a fantastic way to portray modernism in a very unique way and the movement of the works throughout the museum complimented this collection perfectly.
PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT Â The Carrie Mae Weems: Three Decades of Photography & Video collection was amazing. One part of this collection that moved very seamlessly was the transition between still photographs to film footage. The simplicity of the actions in some of the photos was beautiful because it showed how amazing a moment could be without having to be anything over the top. I also loved her incorporation of black and white photography throughout the collection. This photography exhibit was amazing to see how a photograph really can speak a thousand words without having a single letter in it. The fashion model/women figure photographs were hands down one of my favorite series of photographs in her collection. The movement of the women throughout these three photos was amazing to watch.
PAINTING SERIES WITH PERSONAL IMPACT Marina Abramovic’s collection of photography drew me in because of the darkness behind her photographs. She takes photos that use the body and the movement of a situation in an almost evil portrayal; however, her work is very fascinating to me. It is interesting throughout her collection to see how her works go from a place of darkness to death. As dark as she sounds and her work portrays her as, it is interesting to see photography that gives a different aspect, especially with her impact of black and white color usage. One of my favorite installations by her was her “Cleaning the Mirror #1” which is 5 older televisions stacked on top of each other, each showing a different picture of the human body, mainly the skeleton. Her unique approach to showcasing her art is what also attracted me to her distinctive and individualistic style. I enjoyed seeing this different aspect of art represented at the Guggenheim.
3 FAVORITE PIECES
DINING
RATING: 3.5 / 5
Starting off this morning, we headed straight to a French Bakery near the MET on 84th and Madison called Le Pain Quotidien. For the record, they have the BEST whole wheat croissants in the city! After meeting up with the entire group, enjoying a small breakfast snack, and going over the day's activities, we were ready to head off to our first stop, the MET!
We were off to find a delicious lunch. Since the weather was biting cold and the windy breeze that flowed through the city was strong, as a group we all decided on a warm lunch. After walking to the Guggenheim to see where to go next, we asked a local where to go to lunch and ended up at a small cafe a few blocks away. Three Guys Restaurant had amazing service and their Greek Food was savory. I had the most amazing feta cheese, pita bread with olive oil, and fries with garlic lunch!
I met a handful of Val’s amazing friends, and the highlight of our night was at Beauty & Essex. This restaurant was an amazing place to eat as the food was fantastic, the music was great, and the atmosphere was very posh. The restaurant in the front is a pawnshop for jewelry, and as you head through the store, a secret door is opened leading into the restaurant. This was such a fun adventure and a unique dining experience. The food was to die for! My favorite part of the meal was grilled cheese and tomato soup dumplings, mmm sooo tasty!!
Pie Face is this fantastic dessert shop that specializes in miniature pies and desserts! They were so cute, and super yummy too!
Carve Café was amazing for your traditional Brooklyn style pizza! They offered any type of pizza you could imagine, and their desserts were to die for! Definitely a must to visit for the amazing pizza! Seating is a bit tight though so be ready to squeeze!
Shake Shack serves up a great burger and their shakes are dangerous! The line just to get into this restaurant is crazy, so we figured it must have been good! I thoroughly enjoyed my meal from here!
Café Mogador was fantastic! The Moroccan food was fantastic and is said to be one of East Village’s bestkept secrets! If you are in the Lower East Side/East Village, go get some pita and hummus! You won’t regret it!
LANDMARKS
CENTRAL PARK
Central Park is an incredible and unbelievable place to visit if you are in NYC. The street musicians, the statues, and the landscape is to die for. Definitely a place to visit during the summer months with all the bright greens and colors! Mallory, Nita, and I got up early Wednesday morning and headed off to Central Park to explore. As soon as we stepped onto the Central Park grounds, it immediately started to rain. However, we stuck it out and decided to continue through anyways! As we walked, talked, and contemplated life and decisions, we ended up near the Upper East Side as we circled and weaved our way through the massive park. Our morning was fantastic and we managed to end up near our Canvas meeting!
After our perfect morning walk through Central Park, we ended up at 5th avenue right down the street from Bergdorf Goodman’s. This was amazing to me because any fashionista has to love BG! This is definitely a NYC landmark considering BG only has this one location across the world and is one of the largest retailers of couture and haute couture designers and garments.
BROOKLYN BRIDGE
The Brooklyn Bridge is a perfect way to experience the true New York City skyline view. Mallory, Val, Nita, and I decided to brave the rain and take the subway out to Brooklyn for the evening to see the beautiful views. As we got into Brooklyn, the lovely rain decided to commence yet again leaving us four girls trudging through the pouring rain to get our skyline pictures! After a tour guide, two bridges, a cup of hot chocolate, and many pictures later, we were able to call our trip to Brooklyn a success! Even with the cloudy night, the skyline is still a beautiful sight! Thank you Brooklyn!
EMPIRE STATE BUILDING
The Empire State Building was a perfect way to start our next morning in the city! The views of the city are to die for and give you a feeling of empowerment like you are on top of the world. This landmark is one of my all time favorites to visit because the views are incomparable. This definitely should be on everyone’s bucket list! As Mallory, Val, Nita, and I headed up (and walked 12 flights of stairs) to make it to the top, we had a few moments of calm before the wind picked up and made it unbearable to be outside any longer. This was definitely one of my favorite trips!
GRAND CENTRAL STATION
Grand Central Station is definitely a landmark that every tourist or New Yorker has to see! The beautiful train station is filled with gold polishing, elegant marble floors, and is a major shooting area for movies! Val, Mallory, Nita, Tania, Ellen, and myself went on this adventure to Grand Central and learned a few new tricks as well. One fun adventure was going to a specific corridor where whispers could be heard through the walls… we even pranked a few innocent strangers! Oops! This was definitely a great adventure!
GROUND ZERO
Ground Zero is not one of my favorite spots because the energy and aura that surrounds the area is very depressing and dark. This was the first time I had been to Ground Zero since the buildings had fallen. For people who have not seen the new building, it is definitely inspirational and impactful for American history. It depends on your opinions and feelings towards 9/11 to determine whether you would want to visit here or not.
WALL STREET – we also made a quick stop by Wall Street and visited the bull just to say we went to the finance capital of America! Definitely a must see destination!
ADVENTURES THROUGH NYC
Kinky Boots was an amazing musical that definitely fit in with my shoe obsession! This musical was hilarious, dramatic, and just the right amount of fashion! I loved every minute of this musical, and I am not the hugest fan of musicals. I would definitely want to see this musical again, and highly recommend it! When going to NYC, you definitely have to make it to a musical! No exceptions!!!
Our adventures throughout the week included many cab rides, however, I still decided to purchase a metro card for the week because you can’t be in NYC and not go on the subway! It was fun to ride the subway all over Manhattan, and even into Brooklyn. This adventure definitely keeps you on your feet and makes you aware of where you are. I also shamelessly ask strangers to guide me to the correct train, and fortunately Val had the app that gave us step-bystep instructions to get to our destination! You must ride the New York subway at least once!!
  Â
Experiencing Kenneth Cole as the first company visit was a great way to dip my feet into the waters. The showroom was a fantastic energy filled with positive vibes and a comfortable working space. After hearing about the various marketing, digital strategy, and social media positions available at Kenneth Cole, it was interesting to hear their words of advice for breaking into the industry. One piece of advice that really stood out to me was to work for a company/brand that you ultimately love to represent to people. Be the face of the brand that you would like to see. Another interesting component of the meeting was their questioning on our personal social media platforms usage. This was intriguing to hear about because social media and platforms are constantly changing and moving forward.
Favorite Words of Wisdom: 1. Use your time wisely 2. Have an opinion 3. Do not let a day consume you, attack the day! 4. Be a motivated worker with an optimistic attitude.
Meeting with Aliza really opened my eyes into the world of corporate fashion companies. Before this, I had not really seen what a major corporation ran on until meeting with Aliza. She was a very fast paced individual and did not have time to be wasted. I absolutely loved hearing about a day in her shoes and how she goes about PR work. I also loved hearing her inspiration behind DKNY PR Girl and how it has elevated her to a position in the company that completely locks her in. One aspect that really resoniated with me for DKNY was the fact that Aliza decided to follow her passion and dreams. Instead of the medical field, she went into the fashion industry because she knew that it was what was right for her. I realized on this trip that I need to follow my dreams and not take a career path just because it will give me an affluent lifestyle. This definitely changed and inspired my life.
Favorite Words of Wisdom: 1. Be on the spot always as things happen very quickly – especially in PR. 2. Set expectations so high that you force yourself do better 3. Change is important and good – it opens the door for new opportunities.
Canvas was my definitely one of my favorite meetings to attend because the creative atmosphere was intoxicating. I loved the energy and the environment that was provided for their working space. Not to mention, their work was fantastic and made me have a new opinion on digital landscaping. I loved seeing their prototype for the Marc Jacobs website, I thought it was really impressive. I also thought it was great to hear the CEO speak with us on such a casual and open note. I found myself sitting their wondering how I could work for this company or find a company with the same atmosphere. I would even love to do Brian’s job just to work at this style of a company. Canvas changed my perspective on what the digital world can bring about. After seeing their retake on Ratemyprofessor.com I realized how amazing their range of companies and projects vary. This was such a fantastic experience and gave me an entirely new note of the digital world. This was hands down one of my favorite presentations from the entire trip.
Favorite Words of Wisdom 1. Have a two part pitch – 1) data and numbers and 2) creativity and style. 2. Understand your client fully before presenting anything to them. 3. Only and always give superior products that you are nothing less than proud of to present.
Meghan from the Digital Stylist Network had a great presentation and broke down the company and their objectives really well. It was interesting to see the breakdown that she presented in 3 tiers. The first being celebrity stylists who are more the faces of styling aka. Rachel Zoe. The second tier is made up of professional stylists whose career is based around styling and wardrobes. The final tier consists of aspirational stylists who style part time or have a few clientele. This three-tier breakdown is interesting because I had not heard of a stylist breakdown before. Meghan had amazing advice and stories for how to break into the fashion industry and out of all the appointments she broke down PR in the most detail. I found it fascinating to hear how PR starts in agency and has the end goal to get to in house PR/marketing. I loved that she broke it down so clearly, it was really helpful. Out of this appointment, I definitely learned a huge amount of what to expect if I decide to take my future career into a PR angle.
Favorite Words of Wisdom: 1. Know exactly what you are talking about – have knowledge in every general topic if you plan to work in PR. 2. The devil is in the details. 3. Follow up is everything in this business. Make sure you follow through from the beginning to the end. 4. When dealing with PR, you have to be sly. Not fake, however, you have to know how to work your way around sticky situations. 5. PR is all about strategy. Make sure you have a strategic breakdown plan of exactly how to conquer each task.
Bloomsbury & Fairchild was a different type of meeting that was more of a focus group/discussion style than an informational session. This was really interesting to hear the background of process of creating a textbook as well as marketing towards teachers and students. One aspect that was different was that all the different people who work together on the book must be involved during the entire process. The beauty behind working in this type of an environment is that you can easily and constantly collaborate with various types of thinkers and positions in the company.
My favorite person to hear words of wisdom from was Priscilla who was the head editor for North America. I enjoyed hearing her story of how she ended up where she did today. While this session was based more on gaining information, instead of spilling it, this was fascinating to see the world behind a book. Favorite Words of Wisdom: 1. For marketing, be able to analyze sales and statistics to see how your strategy worked out. 2. Find your niche because that is what will set you apart in the end. 3. Look for something new to learn always. You never stop learning. 4. You will eventually end up doing the thing you love in the place you love. Be patient. 5. In the beginning, take every internship opportunity you can get!
Burberry was the golden child and shining star of this trip for me! I was deathly sick when going to visit Burberry, and sadly my voice had betrayed me, however, I was ready to learn every in and out of Burberry. The Marketing team for North America for Burberry was experienced, savvy, and amazing to hear from. The seven individuals each held a different position for the marketing team and were eager to explain their job and responsibilities. The PowerPoint they provided enthralled me, and their future plans were a great insight. This is definitely a place that I see myself working at in the future, should I decide to go a more corporate route for my career. Burberry gave a whole perspective into what the company culture was as well as current marketing campaigns this team had put together. I definitely cannot choose one person that made a singular impact on me because they all did! Each person had a different perspective to offer and different words of wisdom to give. Another great aspect of this team was that each individual had a completely different background in coming into this job. This definitely gives a great perspective because this team seems to have great connections as well as collaborative experiences that only help the company improve. Burberry as a whole changed my life in the fact that I know luxury marketing and advertising is definitely in my future. Words of Wisdom: 1. Any job that is permanent for your future will require talent and energy. Make sure you are passionate about your career choices. 2. All jobs in your life will lead you to the right place in the end. 3. Do not ever think you are above anyone because that is the first mistake right there. 4. Pitch an idea the right way – do not act like a know it all. 5. Learn from the people you are surrounded by. You can learn more from them then your boss most of the time.
Swarovski Crystals was an amazing company to visit because I learned an abundance of information. One interesting aspect to Swarovski was the areas of concentration that they branch into: fashion & jewelry, architecture, art & design, Stage & Screen, and Entertainment. I did not realize that Swarovski did all the lighting fixtures for the major awards shows in Hollywood. It was great to hear all about their different projects instead of just jewelry. Their takes on marketing were similar but had a different voice because they branch out into many different areas. They said the singular most important piece of information for marketing a company both from B2B and B2C is to make sure you protect and message the brand according to their mission statement. One aspect that I loved from Swarovski was their designer collaborations. For most designers, they use these crystals to enhance their clothing and collections – including Alexander McQueen. This was a great insight because I had never thought about designer collaborations.
Words of Wisdom: 1. Know about the brand you are working/interviewing for and their competitors. 2. Have good writing skills because you will always be using writing. 3. Sell yourself to the company and why they need you.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON NYC NYC is a mystical place to visit, filling you with feelings of excitement and enthusiasm. After visiting NYC many times, I have found that each time, whether the first time or the last, gives you a new perspective on viewing the world. On this trip I truly gained the perspective of “no stereotype�. What I mean by this is simply there is no stereotypical New Yorker. You have Wall Street executives (Warren Buffett) to Fashion Editors (Anna Wintour) to waitresses, art fanatics, and those struggling from day to day. When I was walking down the street, I realized that not one single person was an outsider in New York. Another perspective I gained on the fashion industry is the necessity of working in New York depending on the type of fashion that one wants to pursue. NYC really is the place for PR or marketing for major companies/corporations. Even though I still have 2 more years until graduation, going on this trip early made me realize how fast time flies and that I need to know where I want to go. Thank you to a magical trip in the Big Apple. I love you, New York!