VOLUME 47 | ISSUE 3 | NOVEMBER 2014
THE INNOVATION ISSUE
MASTHEAD
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Hermina Sobhraj Editor–in–Chief Dianna Mazzone Deputy Editor Molly Clarke Executive Editor
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Dara Kenigsberg Allison Moran Senior Editors Aaron Valentic Culture Editor Dara Kenigsberg Managing Editor Dana Heyward Treasurer Ana Knapp Community Manager
Every year the November Issue is reserved to communicate society’s progress to our readers. This is why we’d theme it technology - a widely accepted tool to gauge said progress.
John Simone Editorial Faculty Advisor
ART This year, however, we felt that basing our stories solely around technology only allowed us to scratch the surface of what we were trying to convey. We needed a theme more capable - we needed it to be Innovation.
Kelly Millington Art Director Jessica Henry Emma Wood Junior Designers
In this issue, we’re not just exploring advancements in technology, but the minds behind them. What prompted NASA to build the Z2 space suit? What has driven the evolution of feminism? What urged Danielle Herscho to create a scarf that moisturizes skin?
Vicky Mathew Photographer
CONTRIBUTORS Loren Adiutori Henoch Bellanton Maria Beneventano Rachel Basel Bianca Bello Lu Gomezdelatorre Clave Erik DeFruscio Kaylee Denmead Thais Derjangocyan Justine Gray Ashley Grubb Jessica Henry Dana Heyward Pedro Pavia Justo Jenny Kim Nikki Lakin Allison Moran Tara O’Brien Kim Proschka Briege Ryan Aaron Valentic Karen Wu Michael Yavid
This is the spark within; the intangible source of human progress. This is innovation. Until next month,
A FIT STUDENT ASSOCIATION PUBLICATION
ON THE COVER: W27 IS PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER. PLEASE RECYCLE YOUR COPY AFTER READING.
Model Ariel Bok, photographed by Vicky Mathew, wears Damien Correl’s jumpsuit - an outfit brought to life by e-commerce company Print All Over Me.
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CONTENTS ON THE BLOCK 4 5 5 6 6 7 7
FIT Speaks: Jeffrey Silberman Behind the Scenes with Girl Code Intrinsic: Reinventing the Scarf Professional Power Couple Talks Success FIT After Hours: Arcade Night, Beauty Night Building Your Future at the AMC Career Expo The Entrepreneurship Club
DEAR INDUSTRY 8 8 9 10 10 11 11 12
A Smarter Way to Tell Time Glossier Takes Beauty Industry By Storm Uniqlo’s Race to the Top New Technology Changes the Game For Advertisers Walmart: Great Power Comes With Great Responsibility Humans of FIT #ChalkFIT Beauty Buzz
FEATURE 13 14 14 15 16 18 19
The 21st Century Spacesuit Magazines’ Digital Journey FIT Celebrates 70 Years with Alumni Moving On From Sports, Nike Takes a Leap Into the Future PrintAllOverMe.com Editorial Wearable Tech’s Wave Fashion Shows Strut Down a New Runway
HAUTE CULTURE 20 21 21 22 22 23
As the High Line Expands, Innovation Follows STN MTN/KAUAI - Childish Gambino Henri Matisse: The Cut Outs Film Review: Men, Women and Children Restaurant Review: Genes @ Barneys Cafe Theater Review: iLuminate
FIT SPEAKS 24 24 25 25 25 26 27
Singer Spotlight: FKA Twigs What is Feminism’s Role in Society Today? Month In Review: Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu Ebola In New York City CEO of Apple Says he is “Proud to be Gay” OYB: Under Armour Style on 27
LETTER FROM THE ART DIRECTOR INNOVATION. IT’S SOMETHING WE HEAR ALL THE TIME AND SOMETHING WE ALWAYS WANT TO BE INFORMED ABOUT. WHO WOULDN’T WANT THE LATEST THING OUT ON THE MARKET? WHETHER IT’S THE NEW IPHONE, NASA’S NEXT GENERATION SPACE SUIT OR A NEW MOVIE, INNOVATION HAS ALWAYS CAUGHT MY ATTENTION. I CAN EVEN RELATE INNOVATION TO MY OWN LIFE BY LOOKING BACK FROM WHEN I WAS A TEENAGER UNTIL NOW. STYLE AND TECHNOLOGY STAND OUT THE MOST TO ME. EVERYONE IN JUNIOR HIGH HAD A RAZOR FLIP PHONE, AND IF YOU DIDN’T, IT WAS CONSIDERED “UNCOOL” TO HAVE ANYTHING OTHER THAN THAT. IT’S KIND OF HARD NOT TO BE “IN” WITH THE TIMES, ESPECIALLY WITH THE INCREASE IN USAGE AND DEPENDANCE WE HAVE ON OUR PHONES TODAY. IN ADDITION TO TECHNOLOGY, MY STYLE HAS CHANGED AS WELL COMPARED TO WHEN I WAS YOUNGER. AS I’M GETTING OLDER, I SEEK A MORE SOPHISTICATED LOOK RATHER THAN WEARING MY
USUAL GRAPHIC TEE FROM URBAN OUTFITTERS. OVERALL, EVERYTHING CHANGES AND NOTHING STAYS THE SAME. INNOVATION IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. I HOPE THIS ISSUE CAPTURES THIS AND READERS WILL BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE EVER CHANGING WORLD AROUND US!
ON THE BLOCK Faculty Spotlight: Jeffrey Silberman Sustainability Brings Innovation to Textile Complex by Henoch Bellanton
JEFFREY SILBERMAN, THE CHAIR OF THE TEXTILE DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING DEPARTMENT, IS ONE OF LEADERS WORKING TO INTEGRATE SUSTAINABILITY INTO THE FASHION INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY WITH AN INNOVATIVE COURSE: COTTON SUSTAINABILITY IN THE TEXTILE COMPLEX. THE COURSE GIVES STUDENTS THE NECESSARY HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE BY ALLOWING THEM TO WORK ON PROJECTS AND TAKE ON ROLES OF PRODUCING AND DESIGNING PRODUCTS WITH OUR SCHOOL’S TOP OF THE LINE LABORATORIES. NEXT WEEK, PROFESSOR SILBERMAN ALONGSIDE DEAN STEVEN FRUMKIN (JAY AND PATTY BAKER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY) IS TRAVELING TO AMSTERDAM TO INITIATE A NEW PROGRAM FOR FIT STUDENTS. ACCORDING TO SILBERMAN, THE COUNTRY IS THE JEANS-CAPITAL OF EUROPE. “WE WILL BE CONNECTING WITH ADRIANO GOLDSCHMIED FROM AG JEANS, AND MANY OTHER KEY INDUSTRY PLAYERS.” LIKE MANY OF FIT’S FACULTY, SILBERMAN’S OFF-CAMPUS INVOLVEMENT PLAYS A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN ALLOWING HIM TO SERVE AS A LINK BETWEEN THE CLASSROOM AND INDUSTRY WORLD.
Henoch Bellanton: Describe your involvement and its relevance to sustainability in the curriculum. Jeffrey Silberman: We do a lot of work with cotton, from the seed, all the way through the finished product. Our major is the portion of the supply chain that has to do with sustainability, because we are talking about the agriculture, chemical fiber, weaving, knitting, dyeing, stone washing, rinsing and finishing; the areas where most of the environmental infractions occur in our portion of the supply chain, which is fiber through finished fabric and everything in between. It’s also where all the improvements come in. With that as a frame, we do a lot of work with cotton in two ways, one is through the school - it’s the denim project. Students in their senior year for their capstone course create a line of jeans. Each team creates a collection of jeans and has them made in factories all around the world. They develop the product through commercially viable factory prototypes and develop a social media strategy along with it. This will be our 10th year doing the project. A video of the project can be seen on the Textile Development and Marketing page on FIT’s website. HB: How and when was this initiative introduced? JS: We’ve always been teaching the topics of dyeing, fiber composition, chemical finishing and mechanical finishishing. What has changed is the processes we have now that were not invented ten years ago. As nanotechnologies come out, we’re on it. As laser discoveries come out, we’re on it. As ozone discoveries come out, we’re on it. Dyeing has always been around, but dyeing at lower temperatures using fewer inputs hasn’t been around. Laser finishing and ozone finishing - that hasn’t been around. So it’s not so much that we need to write a course to do it, it’s that we need to substitute what’s in the course with these new processes, which is what we are doing. HB: How have students responded to this initiative in the curriculum? JS: We bring the knowledge of the
industry to the students. The people who are behind all of this come in and speak. They give not just my point of view, but they give the industry’s point of view which sparks our students into doing amazing things. I don’t take any credit for what the students have done - our students are pretty amazing. The three garden girls, Amber, Megan and Caitlin, had the energy to get the grant and put the dye garden up on the roof of the Feldman Center, so now we’ve taken the dried buds and put them into jars and are in the process of extracting the dyes in our lab. Some of the jars have water and t-shirts in them, and we are utilizing a sunlight reaction to see if we could transfer the dyes from the plants to the shirts. If so, we could apply for an EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) grant so we could continue growing at a larger scale.
textile shere that no other school has. HB: When was your first encounter with sustainability? What was it like? JS: I did work in the 1980s with a woman whose name is Sally Fox. She was the first person I had seen that grew cotton in color. It didn’t require dyes - she crossbred a lot of different cottons from a lot of different places. I still have a sample. It didn’t need to be dyed; it is long staple cotton that just needs to be spun into yarn and made into fabric. I thought that was really cool. Now again, this is ecological. It’s not necessarily the complete picture of sustainability, but I remember being really excited by that. I worked with her on a consulting project where we placed products into L.L. Bean. Unfortunately the cotton didn’t fly as she could only make red, green and brown. There’s only so much you could do with those colors, and of course it was expensive. Color cotton isn’t new, it’s been around forever. But what she did is crossbreed it for quite a few years and got it so that the spinning length was long enough to use in commercial products. That what’s got me thinking.
“SUSTAINABILITY IS GOING TO LOSE ITS COMPETITIVE EDGE IN THE FUTURE.”
HB: Fashion is always changing, and we’re always seeing innovation on the runway. What could this mean for FIT’s future designers with the implementation of this initiative into the curriculum?
JS: When you start with new techniques that are biomimicry, you can make fabrics look like lizard skin, shark skin or things like that. I don’t know where it will go commercially, but artistically it creates a lot of interesting stuff. HB: How can the initiative into FIT’s curriculum set students apart from other students at competing schools that don’t have this advantage? JS: It puts students at an advantage for sure. When you see our laboratories for instance, I don’t think anybody touches us when it comes to a fundamentals of textile program or a textiles course. Our program offers many courses of different depths. We make better fashion designers and fashion merchandisers, and we help create them because they have a core of
HB: Where do you see sustainability going in the years ahead? JS: Sustainability is going to lose its competitive edge in the future; meaning that everybody at some point is going to become sustainable. Saying you’re sustainable is not going to separate you from the crowd because everyone is going to be sustainable. You could find lots of people that disagree with me, but that’s what I think is going to happen. It’s a buzzword. A lot of people don’t know what it means, but somebody will establish a business model for it and people will work with it and make a lot of money. It’s one thing if you have to make a couple of hundred pounds of cotton; that’s no big deal. World
fiber consumption is about 26 million tons. You can’t just grow it in your backyard and think that you’re changing the world. It’s kind of like playing a game of basketball with your friends in the corner and you have a really good game, so you think you’re ready to take on the Knicks. It’s when you ramp up to productions that, at some point, people are going to agree on what sustainability is, and after they agree and there are no more nasty fights or articles or bickering back and forth, everyone is going to say ‘we’re sustainable, - and so are we - so are we - so are we.’ Along the way something new will come, but a lot of good will come out of it. That’s what excites me the most. HB: What is the most innovative sustainable concept you have come across? JS: I would say the trilogy of economy, ecology and social well-being, but specifically the integration of those three things is a way to communicate the relationship so that people understand that it is more than just ecology. HB: Are you working on other sustainable ventures outside of our FIT Community? JS: I serve as the executive director for an organization called the International Forum for Cotton Promotion, the IFCP, which is an initiative of a larger organization called the International Cotton Advisory Committee. It represents 44 countries that have an interest in producing or consuming or trading cotton. I’m involved with the sustainability and everything that goes along with it. We work with conventional cotton, genetically modified cotton, organic cotton, cotton from Bvetter Cotton Initiative and from all the different programs that are around because the International Forum for Cotton Promotion looks at it as though cotton is never the competition; polyester and synthetic fibers are. So I don’t have any interest in one cotton over another cotton, just cotton over synthetics. We deal with everybody in the whole supply chain from the growers, breeders, traitors, millers, ginners to yarn spinners and others.
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Behind the Scenes with Girl Code by Jessica Henry
GIRL CODE CAST MEMBERS CARLY AQUILINO, ALICE WETTERLUND AND ANDREW SCHULZ VISITED FIT ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, TO DELIVER STAND-UP COMEDY AS A PART OF THIS YEAR’S LEGACY WEEK. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO CHAT WITH THE ARTISTS BEFORE THEY TOOK THE STAGE IN HAFT AUDITORIUM. THEY WERE AN ENERGETIC GROUP, TALKING ABOUT THE SHOW, THEIR LIVES AND EVEN THEIR HAIR. THEY WEIGHED IN ON EACH OTHER’S COMMENTS, MAKING THIS FORMAL INTERVIEW FEEL MORE LIKE A CONVERSATION AMONGST FRIENDS.
Jessica Henry: Girl Code has been addressing more serious topics this season like race, divorce and feminism. Why? Carly Aquilino: I think we ran out of fun stuff to talk about. We had to get serious after last season when one of the topics was walking. So they were like, let’s just go a different route. JH: Do you like the change? CA: I think it’s important that we talk about serious things. I think people are really surprised by it though. It was hard to do those episodes because you don’t know how to make certain things funny. It’s difficult to make jokes about saving your money. When talking about feminism, you don’t want to make a joke about it and have someone get offended. Some things I was nervous to talk about. Alice Wetterlund: I think the critical acclaim has spoken for itself. It’s a good change. I think the producers trusted us
not to be stupid about the new topics. Andrew Schulz: It’s always fun being one of the guys on the show because nothing you say matters. As a matter of fact, the only bits that make it on the show are when I mispronounce words like femininity. JH: You are shown individually most of the time, but do you collaborate with other cast members? CA: No, because we all go in to tape for the show at different times. I think that’s something that a lot of people don’t know. AW: People think that we’re just hanging out backstage, but we’re not. It would be cool, but there’s no logistical way to make that happen. JH: How has your life changed since you’ve been on television and in the public eye?
AW: It’s exactly the same except I have 85 times more Twitter followers and people talk to me on the street, which is really fun. CA: I can’t say fun things on Twitter or Instagram anymore without someone getting upset with me. It seems like no matter what I say people are like that’s not cool and I have to delete it. You do have to censor your social media presence, but it’s really cool to have a bunch of followers that you can communicate with. AS: It’s fun, but it’s weird sometimes. People don’t really pay attention to what you say anymore when you meet them. They’re really excited and focused on meeting you, so you can literally say anything. It can be completely random, and they won’t notice. CA: People will tell me they loved when I said something on the show, and I’ll think to myself: I never said that. AS: I get a lot of ‘who are you? I know
you from somewhere.’ People will stop me, ask for a picture, and not know where they’ve seen me. Then you have to list everything you’ve done until they recognize something. JH: Carly and Alice, you both had major hair changes recently. What reactions have you gotten? AW: People don’t recognize me since I changed it. Sometimes I’ll be walking around with Nicole [Byers], and people will come up to her because they recognize her from the show while I’ll just be standing there because they don’t know who I am. Otherwise, people say nice things and don’t mind. CA: It’s been cool. Some people will say I shouldn’t have done it [dyed her hair] because they don’t know who I am anymore. Those people didn’t really know me before though. There’s always going to be haters because even when my hair was red I got criticism.
Intrinsic: Reinventing the Scarf by Allison Moran
Photo courtesy of intrinsic.company
Danielle Hershco is striving for a new approach to sustainable fashion. Originally majoring in Fashion Design, Hershco appropriately majors in Entrepreneurship now. Her brand, Intrinsic, uses innovative materials and has a unique perspective in its aim to try to make sustainability the new norm. Intrinsic’s scarves provide a neckwear option for the environmentally-conscious consumer with an eye for quality. Hershco talked to W27 about how her scarves came to be and exactly what makes them a perfect match for this month’s Innovation Issue. Before attending the Fashion Institute of Technology and making scarves, Hershco was drawn to fashion. As an elementary school student, she would complete projects focused on a career in design, as opposed to the more common choice of doctors or teachers. As a child, before she even realized she would enter the fashion industry as a college student, she
designed an “invisible” jacket. The first of Hershco’s scarves were made last March. Inspired by the sustainability movement, she was inclined to find a material that stood out from the commonly used bamboo and organic cotton. After extensive online research last fall, she decided to use soy protein fiber - a fiber sample that is believed to be 70% soy and 30% silk and is currently undergoing tests to see the extent of its sustainability. Testing the fiber sample will also determine if the soy properties make the scarves UV resistant and biodegradable, as evidenced by Hershco’s online research. Regardless of their potential sustainability factor, the fibers used are incredibly soft, making them more comfortable to wear around your neck for extended amounts of time. Hershco says, “the neck is one of the most sensitive areas of the body,” so using
soft material is ideal to ensure comfort. Soy proteins are also known to contain amino acids, which aid in retaining moisture when exposed to the skin. To have the final product stocked in the Style Shop here in the Dubinsky Student Center lobby, Hershco has to import the rolls of fabric from China and have them dyed the colors of her choice. Once the textiles arrive here, the fabric is cut, sewn and finished in the heart of New York City’s Garment District. When asked which fashion maven she’d like to see wearing her scarves, Hershco said, “I just want it to be for everyone. So, the average person.” The focus of the scarves, as well as the brand Intrinsic, is on providing a quality option for those who are concerned with being environmentally-friendly. As for the future of Intrinsic, keep your
“INTRINSIC IS TAKING SUSTAINABLE FASHION TO A NEW, HIGHQUALITY LEVEL RIGHT HERE AT FIT.” eyes peeled. Hershco hopes the brand will continue to appeal to the “sophisticated bohemian, someone who is close with nature.” Intrinsic is taking sustainable fashion to a new, high-quality level right here at FIT.
ON THE BLOCK
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Professional Power Couple Talks Success by Jessica Henry
Joel and Phyllis Ehrlich are certainly qualified to talk about personal and professional success. Professor Ehrlich began his career as an actor and eventually transitioned into sales and marketing. He is now President of the Harmony Group, a consulting group that oversees the marketing of entertainment firms as well as other types of firms. He also teaches in the Advertising and Marketing Communications department. Mrs. Ehrlich started as an editor at magazines such as American Baby moving on to marketing positions at such companies as the Cartoon Network and Disney. Now, she is the Group Vice President of Client Solutions at Time Warner Cable Media. The couple’s combined industry experience is one reason the Fashion Institute of Technology Student Association asked Professor and Mrs. Ehrlich to speak on October 22 in the Katie Murphy Amphitheater. The event, titled “Brand You!” was an opportunity for the couple to share with students and other attendees the knowledge that they have gained about building their own personal brand. They began by showing a video called ‘What is a Brand?’ from YouTube. The video covered the concept of a brand being equal to reputation. Professor
Ehrlich spoke about his ability to pick out students that he believes will be successful based on the “brand” that they exhibit during the first class he has with them. The talk was centered around ten tips that will help the audience with their personal and professional lives. They mentioned that all of these tips, plus many more, will be in a book that is in the works. Mrs. Ehrlich kept the pace of the presentation by moving to the next tip if Professor Ehrlich spent too long on one topic. This is a part of how the couple balances each other in their relationship.
how you look and act,” he said. Mrs. Ehrlich addressed the importance of being prepared for any interview or meeting you attend. Her favorite question to ask in an interview is, “What do you know about me?” By asking this question, she will then know if the interviewee has researched her on Google or LinkedIn. Next, Professor Ehrlich told the audience that it is important to be passionately curious about the world. He suggested that each person keep a list of terms to look up that he or she encounters but doesn’t know the meaning of. Mrs. Ehrlich talked about building your own dream-team by finding an older, experienced individual to act as a mentor. They also mentioned the significance of being able to communicate through writing and speaking.
“COME OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE TEMPORARILY UNTIL IT ACTUALLY BECOMES A PART OF YOU.”
Mrs. Ehrlich started off by urging the audience to conduct a SWOT analysis on themselves (a SWOT analysis identifies strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats). Professor Ehrlich went on to talk about how important appearance is as part of a brand. “When you get out into the real world, people are going to look at you and make a very quick assessment based on
make you marketable to companies and you gain useful skills. Professor Ehrlich urged the attendees to rememPhoto courtesy of pjefoundation ber that you are always interviewing because you never know who you might meet, wherever you are. He brought up the importance of monitoring your social media presence, as potential employers may check your profiles before hiring you to represent their company. They concluded the presentation by reminding everyone to stay true to their personalities as they use these tips to enhance themselves. “Come out of your comfort zone temporarily until it actually becomes a part of you,” said Professor Ehrlich.
The couple suggested that students plan their career moves early on. Internships
FIT After Hours by Ashley Grubb
Arcade Night Gamers of FIT unite! On Monday October Pacman, X-Men and Arcade Legends. For avid gamers, like FIT junior Sarah Tasch, 20, students munched on pizza while Arcade Night was a thrilling experience. mingling with friends and showing off Tasch said, “It’s like a blast from the past! their impressive gaming skills. FIT’s first My dad and I would go to the old school Arcade Night was hosted in the game arcades all the time when I was a kid, so room on the 7th floor of the Dubinsky it brings back lots of good memories.” Student Center. The goal was to capTasch, her friends and other Arcade Night ture the feeling of being in a small-town attendees huddled arcade and to create a around the gaming fun, yet relaxing envimachines, cheering ronment for students on their peers. And during the midst of what’s game night midterms mayhem. without a little friendly Gaming machines competition? The stulined the perimeter of dent with the highest the room, lights were score on Ms. Pacman dimmed, music played and tables were set Illustration by Jessica Blicksilver was awarded a track jacket at the end of the up for serving pizza night. Overall, Arcade Night was a huge and chatting with friends. FIT’s Evening success and exactly what students needed Events Manager Sharom Williams, who organized the event, said, “This a great way after a tiring week of hitting the books. Make sure to keep an eye open for more for all the gamers of FIT to unite and enjoy events like this here on campus. Here at pizza, soda and music for one night!” W27, we can’t wait. Games included Terminator Pinball, Ms.
Beauty Night On Thursday, October 16, the dining hall was decked out in pink and white for the Fashion Institute of Technology’s first annual Beauty Night. A buffet table lined one wall while students mingled and beautified themselves to a fun, hip-hop playlist. Throughout the night, students were able to get their makeup done by artists from Empire Beauty School, make their own fragrances and lip glosses and also sign up for the Annual Breast Cancer Walk.
great, the real reason she came was for the raffle. About halfway into the event, the winners were announced. The first prize was a bag of several Sephora nail polishes. The second and grand prize of the evening was a free makeup lesson and a 20% off discount at MAC Cosmetics for the entire month. “I was so pleased that I got this incentive!” said Sharom Williams, Manager of Campus Evening Events. “I know the students will absolutely love it,” he continued.
Lines stretched around the cafeteria There were plenty of as students anxiously “selfies” taken after awaited their turns students had their to create their own makeup professionally perfumes and glosses. done. Students were Freshman Aquira showing off their new Thomas discussed the looks and overall just experience she had having a great evening. making her very own Williams was very fragrance, saying, Photo courtesy of Ashley Grubb. satisfied with Beauty “There were lots of Night’s turnout, addscents to sample. After we smelled them, ing, “This event was beneficial for the we picked the ones we liked, then mixed students because midterms are here and several drops of each together to create this was great way to relieve some stress our perfect scent.” Although she said she and enjoy relaxing with friends.” loved being able to create her own beauty products and that the food and music was
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Building Your Future at the AMC Career Expo by Erik DeFruscio
The Fashion Institute of Technology has students from all over the world, majoring in courses that range from Advertising and Marketing Communications to Toy Design. With 36 different majors, students can show off their talents in multiple disciplines. Even though the student body of FIT makes up different cultures and backgrounds, there is one thing we all have in common: wanting a successful career. FIT and the Special Events class with Professor Linda Finnerty have put together a career fair that will hopefully suppress the stress that comes with this want for many students. The AMC Career Expo will be in the John E. Reeves Great Hall on Wednesday, November 19 from 6 to 8 P.M. Going to college can be stressful. After completing dozens of credits, a couple of internships and possibly even studying abroad for a semester or two, students have gained a lot of experience in the fields of their choices. However for the job market in NYC, it is getting more competitive each and every year, regardless of what you want to start your career in.
Career fairs are very important because it can help students get their foot in the door. Whether someone has a friend or a family member that is already part of a large company, it is much easier to get an interview and even land a job for them since they
“THERE IS ONE THING WE ALL HAVE IN COMMON: WANTING A SUCCESSFUL CAREER.” already have connections. But without these connections, you have to make yourself stand out in order to beat the competition, and have the job of your dreams. Lindsey Parham, senior AMC student
and event team member said, “I landed an amazing internship with Maxim Magazine because I had the opportunity to meet with them at the career expo last year. Networking with them lead to an interview being set up right away.” Students who have gone to this event in the past have described it as an easy way to talk to career professionals and eliminate a lot of the nerves that build up when meeting higher-uppers. Chanel Moye, senior AMC student and event team member said, “I went to the career expo last year because my friend thought it would be a great idea. I was a little nervous at first, but once I got in the room and saw how laid back it was, I was so relieved. All the people from different companies were incredibly nice and easy to talk to. I landed 3 interviews, and one lead to an internship!” Alexandra Vanegas, senior AMC student and event team member said, “The career expo opens tons of opportunities for jobs and internships. I was able to get
Photo courtesy of fitnyc.edu
multiple interviews that went really well, all because I went to the expo last year!” Every student is encouraged to attend this expo because being a part of the FIT student body, we are extremely lucky to have opportunities made available to us, like this one.
The Entrepreneurship Club: Connecting Our Art and Business Students by Rachel Basel
Rarely do business and art students get a chance to interact and really form connections. As a business student, I have found myself wishing I had more friends that majored in art and design. The fairly new Entrepreneurship Club at FIT has taken on a project in which they plan to bridge the gap between the two schools and work to integrate the students on a greater level. Evan Chisholm, president of the Entrepreneurship Club, has a background in leadership from running a men’s urban contemporary line for six years. The experience he gained encouraged him to take on the position and tackle this difficult issue at our school. He explained that the restricted curriculum among schools has caused a lot of the isolation. That it is a problem because post-college, these two work very closely together. “We want to establish [how to] network right away,” said Chisholm. He emphasized the importance of learning how to network with our peers, which is something that can often be overlooked. We look to our professors, internship counselors and bosses for connections, but our fellow students can be just as valuable.
As far as their plan of attack, the club is working on a database for club members’ majors, minors and contact information. They hope the database will eventually be put up on the school website. It will be available for people in the club to share the knowledge they have gained from their courses and experiences with those who seek it. The club is also looking into getting alumni into the database, which could serve as a great advantage to current students.
“RARELY DO BUSINESS AND ART STUDENTS GET A CHANCE TO INTERACT AND REALLY FORM CONNECTIONS. “
“Once you graduate or even while you’re in school, if you want to develop a business or some kind of idea, you might not realize that you don’t have all the pieces to accomplish what you’re trying to do. People don’t think about that,” explained club member Michael Yavid. He spoke about the structure of the club and its convenience to our busy schedules. “You can be involved as much as you want to be...we want to help people as easily as we can,” he added.
As FIT students, we are intelligent and well-prepared for the future, but better integrating the talents of our business and art schools would be even more advantageous to us. “It makes us better, well-rounded and more prepared for the real world,” said Chisholm. “There’s so much talent in our school and no one really knows what the other one does,” said Chisholm. The Entrepreneurship Club’s efforts to meld talents from both schools is forward thinking. The database is also a great opportunity to get to know new people with different perspectives than your own. To get involved with the club, email Chisholm at evan_chisholm@ fitnyc.edu or stop by their meetings in room C705 on Thursdays from 1-2 PM.
DEAR INDUSTRY A Smarter Way To Tell Time by Michael Yavid
In the past, the primary function of a smartwatch offers many more capabilities watch was to tell time. As wrist watch than its classic counterpart. They are essentechnology evolved, features such as tially tiny, wearable computers and allow for alarms, dates and chronographs, became features such as GPS, biometrics, synced readily available. In 2014, the wristwatch cellular notifications and MP3 playing to of the past is seeing a massive upgrade name a few. Apple, Samsung and Motorola on those already advanced features. These have all developed their own iterations. highly advanced watches are being referred to as “smartwatches,” further blurring the Releasing its smartwatch on September line between tech and fashion. Production 25, 2013, Samsung was the first of the from classic watch manuthree companies to enter facturers is shifting to tech the new smartwatch age. companies such as Apple, The Samsung “Galaxy Samsung and Motorola. Gear” runs on a modiThough the current market fied version of Android. is new and untapped, these This altered version of the three tech companies have operating system relies on emerged as the primary coman active bluetooth connecpetitors for early adopters of tion between the watch and these watches. a Samsung Galaxy phone photo courtesy of uncrate.com through a companion app A smartwatch is a gadget with an aesthetic very similar to an analog watch. This is a design principle referred to as skeuomorphism, which takes cues from physical objects. Although it is shaped like a watch, and mimics one in appearance, a
called “Gear Manager.” This application allows users to tweak settings, download third party apps and adjust the order of apps. Being a first generation smartwatch, the low key specs leave much room for improvement.
Less than a year later, Motorola unveiled the “Moto 360,” a circular smartwatch running Google’s Android Wear. Android Wear is an Android platform used specifically for wearables paired with Android phones. One of the main selling points of the 360 is the circular screen, which is a first within the wearable field. It further disguises the smartwatch to appear as a normal analog watch, while featuring extras such as a pedometer and a heart rate sensor. With a price tag of $249.99, the Moto 360 is making wearable tech more affordable. Although considered an avid innovator, Apple is the last of the three companies to develop a smartwatch. Announced in early September of this year, the Apple Watch, or the iWatch, will be released in early 2015 and come in two different sizes. The smaller of the two has a 1.5 inch screen, while the larger, 1.65 inches. Just like the Moto 360 has an added selling point by being round, the Apple Watch will stand out because of its sizing alternatives. Running a version of Apple software, the watch only pairs with other Apple products. At higher
price points, the least expensive version of the Apple Watch will be sold for $350. Overall, these three different watches offer photo courtesy of apple.com customers virtually the same features with few distinctions. All three include rechargeable batteries, bluetooth connectivity, water resistance and come in a variety of styles. Each company aims to control the ecosystem in which the watches function and prevent other ecosystems from interacting with their product. The differences that may prove to be the defining selling points of the products are prices, materials used and the shape of the watch. The market for these devices is in its infancy, making it hard to tell whether or not this is a fad, or will be accepted by the mass consumer.
Glossier Takes The Beauty Industry By Storm by Dana Heyward
In early September, popular beauty blog Glossier posted its first Instagram posts: images of the letter G in a series of different typefaces that hinted at the start of this new project. The concept of Glossier was a product of beauty blog, Into the Gloss. The Instagram posts were the first introduction the Internet had to the concept of Glossier and was naturally met by raised eyebrows and an onslaught of questions from fans of Into the Gloss. Was it going to be a pop-up shop? A subscription set a la Birchbox? Or maybe even their very own product line? Today we have learned that Glossier, which currently has over 22,000 Instagram followers, is a mix of all three.
According to an article on Yahoo.com, Glossier is rightfully being described as the “first digital beauty brand, born out of and informed by content and feedback.”
Since 2010, Into The Gloss has been a refreshing editorial addition to the beauty industry. The blog includes a series of intimate interviews with a variety of tastemakers on their personal beauty rituals and most treasured products, as well as articles on health, culture and style. It’s audience isn’t just the expected beauty fanatics. It reaches anyone from the everyday woman to the beauty connoisseur. However the blog isn’t a guide on “how to be pretty,” but rather an overall appreciation for beauty.
Into The Gloss and Glossier founder, Emily Weiss, explained to the Wall Street Journal that she considered the “Beyoncé style-approach” when it came time to promote the products. She instead opted for a gradual reveal to build the hype around the project and utilized the alreadyloyal readers of the blog, their connections and the Instagram platform. Weiss enlisted a number of digital influencers including models Karlie Kloss and
Into the Gloss is not the first blog to embark on selling physical products, but their approach to Glossier wasn’t exactly expected. However what’s most relevant and subsequently innovative about the entire project is that it has been completely promoted and responded to through the Internet.
Rumi Neely of the fashion blog, Fashion Toast, who snapped and posted selfies of themselves in custom Glossier swag on their own Instagram pages that each earned thousands of likes. The Glossier Instagram page went on to post attractive and nostalgic photos from 90’s fashion editorials, the on-going construction of a Chinatown space and a series of factory photos and videos that showed products in production, but still didn’t fully give away the concept of the project. With hashtags like “#glossierglo” and branded stickers and lighters, the Glossier name began spreading across the Instagram platform within a week. According to Weiss, by October, only a few weeks after the project was put into motion, it had a fellowship of thousands, even though the project itself took nearly a year to pull together.
“THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF FACE MISTS AND MOISTURIZERS OUT THERE AND MANY OF THEM WORK GREAT, BUT NONE FEEL QUITE AS PERSONAL AS GLOSSIER.”
On October 6, Glossier had officially launched and all the curiosity surrounding it had been put to rest. The first slew of products, dubbed as “Phase 1” include a face mist, priming moisturizer, skin balm and perfecting
Photos courtesy of @glossier (Instagram).
skin tint. The products can be individually purchased or bought as a set through their website and in the near future the brand plans on rolling out different curated collections of products. A week after Glossier premiered, they opened a small pop-up shop on Lafayette Street, where people were able to try out and purchase the set. It also gave those who stopped by the opportunity to experience the products they had only seen online. Naturally, there was a separate Instagram account for the shop (@glossierpopup) that included photos of happy customers with their uniquely packaged products. Rachael Harrison, a student at Long Island University who attended the opening of the shop, said, “What makes Glossier different is that you feel like the products are made specifically for you. There are hundreds of face mists and moisturizers out there and many of them work great, but none feel quite as personal as Glossier.”
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UNIQLO’s Race To The Top by Jenny Kim
The brand also disguises the limited collection of clothing it produces by presenting them in almost every basic color. Rather than bringing the latest trendy cuts and styles, Uniqlo’s ultimate goal is to bring basic, everydaywear made of great quality fabric at an affordable price Photos courtesy of uniqlo.com point. Therefore, customers - men, women and children enjoy Uniqlo’s It’s a truism of sound marketing pracpremium cotton wear and a wide range of tice: the visual appeal of a brand plays a colors available for each item of clothing, major role in attracting customers. With whether so many brands in the fashion indusit be a try today, it is crucial for a company to cardibuild its exclusive, unique image that gan, a sets it apart. According to Uniqlo’s Visual Merchandiser, Mihee Yi, “More than ever, cashmere retailers can rely on visual merchandising sweater or an as the most efficient way to change the ultra light look and feel of a store, while also changing a brand’s perception in the customers’ down jacket, all eyes. Unlike introducing a new product without assortment or logo - which takes time and breaking the bank. Since the opening money - visual merchandising is a quick of its first store in the United States in and inexpensive way to drive sales and 2005, the Japanese casual wear retailer reinforce the brand’s attributes.” has swept the American retail scene by storm and has expanded into 28 stores Uniqlo, a contraction of the name across the U.S. Like their often compared “Unique Clothing,” is a Japanese casucompetitors H&M and Zara, Uniqlo al wear brand originated from Ube, continues to become a visionary captain Yamaguchi, Japan. Over the years, Uniqlo in retail. New York Magazine once stated has developed a creative image that conthat Uniqlo has quickly become “the hotsists of dynamic, vibrant colors, yet still test retailer,” which is a remarkable and manages to display fresh, simple looks. impressive title to assume. Uniqlo puts in immense effort to create amazing windows and in-store displays, Recently, Uniqlo explored different conwhich have become Uniqlo’s iconic look. cepts by crossing their usual boundaries They frequently incorporate innovative, with creative graphic T-shirts, but stayed cutting-edge technology to exhibit enertrue to their signature clean and simple getic displays and LED lighting to accent lines. They launched the UT label in presentations. Likewise, the in-store 2003, which is a T-shirt line. Since its displays run from floor-to-ceiling, adding beginnings, UT collaborated with familiar to their striking and spectacular appeal. companies such as Coca-Cola, Disney The interconnecting walls of men’s jackand Hello Kitty to create a broad range of ets, women’s tanks and kid’s chinos are T-shirts that breathe the core aspects of tucked into clean, rectangular compartpop culture, such as music, movie, art and ments and line display cases organized to anime. In order to carry out this image the shades of the rainbow. So far custo its full potential, Uniqlo announced tomers have responded well to Uniqlo’s that music producer Nigo would be efforts, with about 24,000 walk-ins on a appointed as the first creative director of typical weekend day.
UT, Uniqlo’s T-shirt brand. Nigo is worshipped among streetwear geeks and is famous for being an icon in the Japanese street fashion industry and the music industry. Before joining UT, he made his mark in the fashion industry producing Bape shirts with camouflage prints under the brand A Bathing Ape, which became very popular among dedicated hip hop fans. Nigo then released a popular sneaker called Bapesta, which eventually became a collector’s item. American artists such as Pharrell Williams, Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Chris Brown and Soulja Boy were publicly seen wearing these iconic sneakers. When Nigo left his position at his own brand to join Uniqlo, zealot fans of Bape were reportedly shocked to hear the news, since Nigo was known for producing lines that had an exclusive reputation. As for the music industry, Nigo is the DJ of the Japanese hip hop group Teriyaki Boyz and is the owner of BAPE sounds record label.
“THE JAPANESE CASUAL WEAR RETAILER HAS SWEPT THE AMERICAN RETAIL SCENE BY STORM”
As the new creative director, Nigo’s ultimate goal is to reinvent Uniqlo’s UT as the line that embodies self-expression under the theme “The New Model T.” According to Uniqlo’s website, the new UT has improved on their comfort level from
extensive research on thread and texture. For his first collection, Nigo reevaluated the shape of the T-shirt itself by making it seamless and round shaped. Second, he upped the quality by using a thicker yarn while composing the shirt. Lastly, he believed that in order to maximize the appeal of the shirt, he utilized as much space of the shirt as he could. For example, the old UT shirt’s graphics were only printed on the front of the shirt. However, Nigo aimed to use new resources to print on the entire shirt, front and back, to construct a bigger, eye - catching image. With Nigo’s ample streetwear background, a massive collection of 1,000 T-shirt designs have been produced. UT aims to make T-shirts that are accessible to the general public at an affordable price with the same cartoon, graphic looks that are Nigo’s trademark aesthetic. In 2015, more collaborations will be added to Uniqlo’s UT line. The conceptualization of streetwear has changed rapidly over the decade and the line between streetwear and tailored wear is starting to blur. With its captivating visuals and its collaboration with the iconic Nigo, Uniqlo is an innovative brand that celebrates pop culture while preserving its casual, everyday theme. Uniqlo Australia CEO Shoichi Miyasaka said, “Our objective is to become the world number one by year 2020....When people think about casual apparel we’d like to be their first choice.” Whether this goal is attainable or still too far-fetched remains to be seen.
DEAR INDUSTRY
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New Technology Changes the Game for Advertisers by Briege Ryan On September 29, Universal Music Group, the largest global music corporation, announced that their artists will have a new stream of revenue: retroactive product placement. Universal worked with U.K.-based tech firm MirriAd and multinational marketing agency Havas to create a new digital product placement technology. It scans videos that have already been produced for blank spaces such as bare brick walls, empty billboards and generic coffee mugs. Advertisements or products are then inserted into this space. This is not the first time that retroactive product placement or advertising has been used. The first example of retroactive product placement in a music video was in Aloe Blacc’s video, “The Man” (released in March of 2014), which featured a billboard for Levi’s Jeans. The first notable retroactive product placement in a television show was an advertisement for the 2011 Kevin James movie, “The Zoo Keeper,” featured in rerun of a 2007 episode of “How I Met Your Mother.” The technology even caught the attention of “The Colbert Report,” which poked fun at it in an NSFW clip. Universal Music Group is advocating for this technology for a few reasons. Musicians are losing income due to declining music sales because of free music streaming services such as Spotify
and Pandora. Network television has been shifting away from music videos, and illegal file sharing, which has contributed to a 50% decline in revenues across the recording industry in the past decade. This “space for rent” technology will also cut down the time it takes for brands and labels to discuss how products will look and be presented in a music video. Because of technology such as AdBlock, Sky Plus and DVRs, video advertisements have suffered, so companies have put more money towards product placement. Advertisers have spent an estimated $8.25 billion on product placement worldwide in 2012, according to a PQ Media study. “Being inside content is more valuable than being outside content,” said Mark Popkiewicz, Chief Executive of MirriAd, an agency that caters to the “skip generation.”
some cases, product placement can offset very serious costs for music video production. “Say an artist like T-Pain wants to shoot a $300,000 video with explosions and people jumping off buildings, but the label only budgeted $50,000. He’s going to be open to a few placements if the money attached offsets the cost for his video concept,” said Adam Kluger, a marketer who worked with Plenty of Fish to get their website featured in Lady Gaga’s “Telephone” video.
“WHILE WATCHING A VIDEO IN NEW YORK, A VIEWER CAN SEE A SUBTLE ADVERTISEMENT FOR DUNKIN’ DONUTS”
Product placement in music videos is a tricky scenario: placing a brand could either elevate a brand’s image or hurt the image if not handled properly. But in
“It used to be that product placement was an added-value model, where you’d buy this much commercial time and the networks would throw in these product placements for you,” said Patrick Quinn, CEO of PQ Media. “Now you have all these agencies whose job is to add brands into scripts, making the real estate of the screen more and more important.” Don’t fret, your favorite artists won’t sell out completely, “With MirriAd’s highly customizable platform, we have the ability
to ensure that artists’ and brands’ interests are aligned while we remain focused on presenting fans with the most compelling music experience possible,” Lucian Grainge, CEO/Chairman of Universal Music Group told Billboard Magazine. Musicians will also be able to choose if their videos are open to advertising. Universal will first test the technology on Far East Movement’s “Rocketeer,” Avicii’s “Lay Me Down” and “You Make Me” and two Darius Rucker videos, in partnership with Grand Marnier, a French liqueur. The bottle of the featured brand will later be edited out, opening the video to other brands. By the end of 2014, MirriAd predicts the technology will be able to modify internal advertising and product placement based on a viewer’s demographics and locations, and offer spots to local businesses. While watching a video in New York, a viewer can see a subtle advertisement for Dunkin’ Donuts, while a person in Idaho might see an advertisement for a completely different product in the same video. Will iconic videos such as Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” or Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” be given the same treatment? Keep your cursors ready, and eyes on the screen.
Walmart: Great Power Comes With Great Responsibility by Dara Kenigsberg
THE COMPANY, CONSTANTLY UNDER HEAT FOR ITS QUESTIONABLE BUSINESS PRACTICES, PROMISES A BETTER FUTURE FOR AMERICA. Over the last decade, manufacturing in the United States has become almost obsolete. What was once a booming business here has lost out to cheaper wages and poorer working conditions in countries like India, China and Bangladesh. However a recent rise in consumer interest in American-made goods, pressure to get merchandise from the initial phase into stores in a shorter time period and the increase in wage and energy costs overseas has caused many companies to consider re-shoring back to the U.S. That said, manufacturing in the U.S. is still in its infancy and Walmart wants to grow it back to what it used to be. In January of 2013, at the National Retail Federation’s annual convention, the president of Walmart’s U.S. division, Bill Simon, pledged to bring manufacturing back to the U.S. The pledge, which Walmart is calling the Made In America Initiative, promises that in ten years, $50 billion worth of goods will be produced in the U.S. The company says that these goods will foster job creation and increase consumer spending. In addition, they will be providing jobs to 100,000 veterans. Just after that announcement, 11 companies, including General Electric, which will create 150 new jobs manufacturing energy efficient soft white bulbs exclusive to Walmart, pledged to create a total of 1,753 new jobs over the next few years.
According to Forbes, “This figure does not take into account the number of construction workers who will be helping in the building process and who would not have had the opportunity to work productively without this initiative.” Michelle Gloeckler, Senior Vice President of Walmart Home and Vice President of U.S. Sourcing and Manufacturing, told Walmart Supplier News, “Walmart and Sam’s Club will grow U.S. manufacturing on two fronts. By increasing what we already buy here - in categories like sporting goods, apparel basics, storage products, games and paper products. And, by helping create U.S. production in key areas like textiles, furniture, pet supplies, some outdoor categories and higher-end appliances. These are just a few examples. We are looking at many more. Some categories have ‘high cube,’ meaning they are not very efficient to ship long distances. Other categories where the raw materials are available in the United States make sense to manufacture here. There are many categories worth evaluating.” In August of 2013, Walmart hosted its first ever two-day U.S. manufacturing summit in Orlando, Florida. Attendees included 500 manufacturers, officials from three-dozen states, eight governors and U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker. The goal was to open the lines of communications, so together they can
find ways to bring more manufacturing to the U.S. The company also reached out to officials at state and local levels to explore rebates, training and other programs to attract local manufacturers. Additionally, Walmart started to give multiyear contracts instead of seasonal ones as an added incentive. Walmart believes that if other companies do the same that will ensure an added $500 billion in American-made goods over the next decade. A year later, in August of this year, they held another summit for the same purpose. According to CompanyWeek. com, “Until now, the largest projects, by companies such as GE or Caterpillar, had individually re-shored up to 2,000 manufacturing jobs. In the 10th year of Walmart’s program, it will be buying $50 billion more U.S. products per year, generating, by our estimate, about 300,000 additional manufacturing jobs (by Boston Consulting Group’s estimate, 1,000,000 total jobs).” 200 suppliers attended the event, as well as 87 component manufacturers with exhibits for suppliers. There were delegates from 42 states and a representative from Puerto Rico. Gloeckler told Thecitywire.com, “We have 359 meetings scheduled for tomorrow. That’s 20% more than last year.” A month earlier, Walmart held an opencall in which any company could come and pitch their products. They had 800
meetings for new products and awarded 15% of the companies contracts that day. The company has a section on their website dedicated specifically to products made in the U.S. and the number of Americanmade items has increased from 500 to over 15,000. Also, the number of U.S. manufactured selling goods has quadrupled. After 18 months, Walmart has seen a major rise in sales of various products that have re-shored their manufacturing back to the U.S. Items like socks, candles and TV’s have been selling well above the average for their respective categories solely because of the fact that the quality is better now that they are being produced here. Walmart’s initiative is a tall order and is sure to be met with some resistance. Americans are extremely concerned over static economic growth, which, according to polls, has caused them to lose confidence in this country’s economy. However this initiative “is a journey with a destination of a recharged economy where manufacturing is an engine for jobs,” Gloeckler told Manufacturingnews. com. It also fosters pride in American made goods, making it compelling to consumers who want to know where their products are made.
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Humans of FIT by Tara O’Brien
HUMANS OF NEW YORK (HONY) IS A RENOWONED PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG CREATED BY BRANDON STANTON. HE DOCUMENTS HIS SUBJECTS IN A COMPLETELY TRANSPARENT LIGHT AND INSPIRED US TO DO THE SAME WITH HUMANS OF FIT.
“MY BIGGEST FEAR IS THAT I’M GOING TO BE WORKING IN SALES FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE OR WORKING IN A RESTAURANT.”
Rachel Photography Major “Are you working on anything innovative?” “I recently just did a project on myself where I photographed all of my insecurities. I guess, superficial insecurities, like not being thin enough or not having my makeup just right.” “Now I’m doing a project on girls with and without makeup on because makeup is kind of like a disease.You know, like when people that are anorexic look in the mirror and think they’re fat? Well girls without makeup think they look some kind of way but they don’t. They kind of just look the same. So I’m photographing girls and I’m not Photoshopping it because I want it to be the real thing.”
Alex Photography Major “What are you struggling with?” “My motivation to keep going.” “Why do you feel you lack motivation?” It’s just kind of hopeless here in the city. There’s tons of people trying to do the same thing. And I ask myself, ‘am I good enough? Am I going to make it here? Should I just go move to Alaska and work in a little town?’
Photography by Vicky Mathew
“I think girls should be more open to being natural because people are going to see them like that eventually. I just hope people feel more comfortable knowing that nobody wakes up with a full face of makeup.”
“So why do you stay?”
“I’M DOING A PROJECT ON GIRLS WITH AND WITHOUT MAKEUP ON BECAUSE MAKEUP IS KIND OF LIKE A DISEASE.”
“Nothing has made me leave yet. I feel like I’m too committed to give up now. I want to prove to myself that I can do it. I have a lot of self-doubt about everything. My biggest fear is that I’m going to be working in sales for the rest of my life or working in a restaurant. I work in retail right now and it’s something that I fall back on. Like when I’m looking for a new job, I’m like ‘oh I’m not qualified enough for that, so I’ll just go do retail.’ I think on the outside I’m pretty confident, but on the inside there are a lot of insecurities that are still in there. I realize there are a lot of things I want to change about my life, but I’m not going to jump out and actually change them.”
#CHALKFIT “The ChalkFIT exhibit was amazing. I was delighted to see FIT students creating such amazing work, in a short amount of time, in a medium and scale that was new to them.” -Angel Garcia
“This project gave us an opportunity to have our artwork seen by the public, as well as make the illustration program well-known. It has been a great experience.” Michele Floria Photography by Susan A Sandoval
DEAR INDUSTRY
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H&M Shows that Fast Fashion can be Sustainable by Tara O’Brien
You may know Hennes & Mauritz AB (H&M) as a powerhouse retailer with trendy clothing and acceptable prices, but do you know about the actions the retailer is taking to be socially responsible and give back to the planet? H&M is infamous for its involvement with factories in underdeveloped countries that exploit workers but this should not cloud the many steps it is taking to change. H&M Conscious has made it their mission to bring customers fashion choices that are good for the planet, people and their wallets. The foundation has seven commitments, each that have hundreds of conscious actions behind them to improve the way of life around the world. The seven commitments are:
1. PROVIDE FASHION FOR CONSCIOUS CUSTOMERS 2. CHOOSE AND REWARD RESPONSIBLE PARTNERS 3. BE ETHICAL 4. BE CLIMATE SMART 5. REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE 6. USE NATURAL RESOURCES RESPONSIBLY 7. STRENGTHEN COMMUNITIES One of the retailer’s best known sustainability initiatives is its global garment
collecting initiative. Every year in the US, thousands of tons of clothes are thrown away. H&M claims that 95% of it could be re-worn or recycled. Their goal is to close the loop on textiles so materials never go to waste. According to H&M’s most recent sustainability report, the retailer collected 3,047 tons of unwanted clothing which equals 15 million T-shirts in 2013 alone. Clothing that’s collected can be sold and re-worn as second hand clothes, reused and turned into products such as cleaning cloths or recycled and turned into textile fibers such as insulation. Money the company makes is invested into social projects and research on how old textiles can be turned into new fibers. As an incentive for customers to recycle their unwanted clothes, H&M offers 15% off one item of their choosing. On October 2, H&M launched their Conscious Denim line in over 1,700 stores worldwide for men, women and children. The washes on the denim were chosen based on their environmental impact including their water and energy use. This also contributes to lessening their carbon footprint as much as possible. The woman’s line contains everything from skinny to boyfriend to tapered, all made with sustainable materials like indigo boilersuit. The men’s line features the classic five-pocket styles in raw denim, as well as jeans in various washes. Each garment features a Clever Care label informing customers about a website which provides tips on how to minimize the environment’s impact of garment care by lowering wash temperatures. According to H&M’s latest
sustainability report, they saved 340 million liters of water in denim production. H&M is dedicated to ensuring that all garment workers can live off their wages. Because this is not the case in many countries, the retailer has made it its mission to have proper living wage standards in place by 2018, affecting over 850,000 workers worldwide. H&M makes a percentage of its clothing in Bangladesh and, as the world’s second largest retailer, it plays a major role in the country’s economy. The company wants to help the textile workers in this country. They have partnered with the International Labour Organization and the Swedish Development Agency to train workers in Bangladesh to increase productivity and the eventual long-term employability of textile workers. By focusing on skills and development training, H&M is helping secure better working conditions and education in underdeveloped countries. The 2013 sustainability report for H&M states that since 2008, 894,975 workers in Bangladesh and India have been educated about their rights. H&M announced that its two very popular sister brands, & Other Stories and COS, will be opening stores in New York City later this year. & Other Stories is aimed at fashion conscious women with their own sense of style. It’s style is more minimalistic than H&M, and also more expensive. Prices will begin where H&M’s stop, but it is less expensive than their other brand, COS. The lines in the store will range from
masculine tailoring to feminine chic, aimed to create a lasting wardrobe. Both stores will be opening in Soho. Illustration by Jessica Blicksilver COS will be located at 129 Spring Street and & Other Stories will open at 575 Broadway. H&M plans to grow and expand both brands in the U.S. and in North America, broadening their customer base. H&M is also involved with other projects such as improving access to education, securing access to clean water and strengthening women on both a community and global level. Highlights of the company’s Conscious Actions of 2013 include: 193,000 people helped with safe drinking water through sales of H&M gift cards, 3,555,687 garments donated to charitable causes and more than 12,000 jobs created. H&M might just be one company, but it is focused on making a better fashion future for not only the people buying the clothes but also for the ones making them. If more companies follow H&M’s lead, a better, more sustainable fashion community can be in the future for all of us.
Beauty Buzz: 5 (Free!) Apps Taking The Beauty World By Storm by Dianna Mazzone
SkinBetter The beauty experts at Allure joined forces with the team at SkinBetter to create one truly innovative app. Simply upload a photo of yourself (bare-faced is best) and create a skin profile. Then, let SkinBetter work its magic: The app uses dermatologist-grade scanning technology to assess your biggest skin issues. Whether it’s acne or aging, SkinBetter then suggests products that will tackle your skin troubles. Buy ‘em straight from the app for a seamless experience.
Beautified, the beauty booking service founded in part by socialite Hannah Bronfman, takes the guesswork out of searching for a top-notch salon. The concierge-style service allows users to choose from a selection of pre-screened salons, spas and other beauty vendors by neighborhood and price. But this app isn’t intended for those looking to book weeks ahead of time: Beautified specializes in last minute appointments. If you’re in an unfamiliar city (or if you’re the impulsive type) you can search, book and be at your appointment in minutes.
Photos courtesy of iTunes Store.
Stash
Beautiful Me
L'Oréal Makeup Genius
Beautified
No need to upload a photo here - simply use your phone’s front-facing camera feature and select the product you’d like to try. The app then scans a set of 64 points on your face before “applying” lipstick, blush, shadow or liner exactly as you would in real life.
Drugstores’ beauty aisles may not have testers for you to try, but luckily L’Oréal’s app can do you one better. Released this summer, the app allows users to virtually “try on” the brand’s products in real time.
Beautiful Me is like a best friend who knows you inside and out: This app allows users to input their photo and in turn, generates a personalized, in-depth analysis of skin tone, hair color and visual age. The app then suggests products that benefit your individual needs, bearing in mind what colors will complement your features. In fact, Beautiful Me might just be the answer to the ultimate makeup mystery: how to choose the proper shade of foundation. You’ll receive spot-on suggestions that account for your skin’s unique undertones, as well.
Stash is just what it sounds like: an app that virtually stores your beauty products for easy, on-the-go reference. The app’s database contains over 100,000 personal care items (from Carmex to Chanel, they say); any of which you can sync to your personal stash. Not only will you be able to survey your wares in an organized way, but Stash will alert you when you’re close to running out of a particular product (no more late night runs to the drugstore for shampoo) or if one of your favorites goes on sale. Buy directly from the app for a streamlined, all-in-one approach to beauty shopping.
FEATURE The 21st Century Space Suit:
That’s One Small Step for Man, One Giant Leap for NASA by Michael Yavid
photo courtesy of nasa.gov
Since 1967, landing on the moon had undeniably become mankind’s greatest achievement. Over 40 years have passed, and now mankind is in the midst of taking another giant leap forward. NASA is in the process of creating plans that will allow humans to set foot on planet Mars, estimated by 2030. In order to achieve such incredible feats, NASA is developing a next generation space suit to better accommodate the astronaut of the 21st century. The Z-Series is a set of prototype extravehicular activity (EVA) suits that are designed to operate in both microgravity as well as planetary missions. They are being developed under the Advanced Extravehicular Mobility Unit at NASA. Currently the Z-Series features two prototypes: Z-1 and Z-2. NASA’s work on Z-1 was the first step in the developmental platform for the Z-Series. This suit was used to push the envelope of what a “soft” exploration suit was capable of doing. Mobility is a crucial necessity for astronauts. Innovations in shoulder and hip joints using a number of new bearings allowed space suit wearers to dip, walk and bend with ease. This increased mobility would aid planetary explorers in collecting samples or traveling over rough terrain. Excluding the shoulder and waist bearings, the upper torso of the suit was made of a soft material that was capable of handling increased pressure. This transition from hard materials to soft ones marked a departure from traditional spacewalking suits previously used by NASA. Gloves and boots equipped with features that enable tightening for a better fit while
fully pressurized also appear for the first time on Z-1. This allows astronauts to have better control of their suits in real exploration scenarios. The most advantageous aspect of all these alterations is the drop in overall mass of the suit, weighing only 126 pounds (many weighed near 185 pounds). The interface between the interior of a space vehicle and the space suit that is mounted on the exterior of the vehicle is referred to as a “suitport.” A significant decrease in time previously required to put on a suit is made possible by entering the space suit from within the spacecraft and then detaching it from the suitport. It allows the astronaut to quickly and efficiently don the suit while protecting the interior of the vehicle from any outside dust and debris. Still a prototype, the Z-1 and suitport design were rigorously tested in a vacuum chamber at the Johnson Space Center. The engineering design team learned that increased mobility and greater waist maneuverability led to unfavorable conditions such as a smaller permissible torso size. These test simulations also allowed engineers to witness the challenges of putting on a suit that is already pressurized, something that proved to be more difficult than expected. Each new prototype created within the Z-series leads to the advancement of technologies that will one day be used for exploration on Mars. Taking the successes and failures of the Z-1 prototype, NASA moved on to create the Z-2 suit. When compared, Z-2 features many improvements, the most notable being the hard
composite upper torso. Although heavier, engineers realized that this adjustment would increase the durability required for suits embarked on long term missions. Changing torso materials lead to modifications in other parts of the suit. Based on extensive tests performed during the last two years with Z-1, shoulder and hip joints differ significantly in the Z-2 prototype. Alterations to the joints are part of an ongoing quest for optimal mobility for the astronaut. During the creation of the Z-2 prototype, NASA marked several new milestones. The Z-2 was the very first surface-specific planetary mobility suit to be tested in full vacuum. The suit needed to be precisely constructed in order to be simulated in those conditions. Achieving this was done by 3D human laser scans as well as 3D-printed hardware for the suits development. Ensuring the longevity of such precious equipment was crucial during development. To do so, the most advanced impact resistant composite structures were used on the suits upper and lower torso. Projects such as this one unfortunately consume massive amounts of time, resources and money. NASA has found several ways to ease the problem by subcontracting jobs, while simultaneously raising public interest in their missions. When searching for the right organization to construct the new suits, NASA narrowed down their search to two companies - ILC Dover and David Clark. In the end ILC Dover outbid David Clark and won the contract. Involving outside companies also raises awareness for space exploration and NASA’s projects.
Initiating public interest is something that is also important to NASA. Like subcontracting, better informed citizens allow the space agency to increase the scale of involvement in their projects. As most companies and organizations do these days, NASA chose to reach the public through the internet. Popular website Reddit was used as a platform to answer any questions users had about the Z-Series project. A forum style question/ answer, referred to on the website as an “Ask Me Anything” (AMA), was conducted by the Advanced Suit Development Team. Furthermore, to engage with additional people, NASA opened up voting between three different looks for the suit. In the end, close to 150,000 people voted and decided on the final visual design of the Z-2 that has been described as “Tronlike.” As seen by the statistics, people are interested in space exploration, which is exactly what NASA is striving for. These two prototypes are very advanced for their time, yet are only the building blocks to what the space suits of the future will hold. It is difficult to confidently predict what technological breakthroughs will affect the suits used for the actual Mars landing. For all we know, the designs may drastically change from their current forms. What is important is that NASA is actively initiating plans that will hopefully lead to a better tomorrow through continued diligence and persistence.
FEATURE
FIT
14
Magazines’ Digital Journey by Aaron Valentic
Whether creating the perfect craft with Martha, exploring the hidden art scene with Stefano or taking a glimpse into Anna’s immeasurable world of fashion, today’s magazine has the power to allow us glimpses into worlds of imagination and delight.
Not seen until the 2010s, digital editions of magazines soon began to take over consequently with the rise of tablet usage. Instead of flipping pages, users could now utilize search tools and one-tap technologies, as well as Internet content featured right on the pages of the digital edition.
I can still fondly remember as a pre-teen living in Pittsburgh when I received my very first magazine. I had just turned thirteen, and as we were at our local supermarket I stumbled upon the September 2007 edition of Vogue. I begged and pleaded with my mother to have her buy this issue for me. After five minutes of my torturous begging, she caved - the fivepound issue was carried proudly under my arm for the following month to and from school, with the cover re-taped several times after countless readings.
As the digital editions rose in popularity, it also the revitalized the magazine on their respective social media and website platforms. In the early 2000s, websites for magazines were reminiscent of a white canvas before an artist painted – dull and bleak, yet having so much potential. Features that were a constant fixture for the websites included style guides, cover stories and behind-the-scenes video of the personality on the cover.
Within the seven years since I received my first magazine, the entire publication industry has become unrecognizable. Nearly a decade ago, the world of publications was a vastly different one than that of the modern technological age. Readers waited patiently each month for their favorite magazines to arrive in the mail. But now the millions of subscribers around the world can, with a simple tap of a button, have access to a digital edition sometimes weeks before the printed edition hits newsstands.
Today the online presence of any magazine is vital for its survival. It allows the publication to update articles in real time as well as include supplemental information; i.e. videos, their social media newsfeeds and guides. Digital Director of GQ Magazine, E.J. Samson, sat down to discuss how his role as the Digital Director has changed over the past 10 years. “Ten years ago, all of the leftover jobs at magazines were the digital jobs,” stated Samson. “Now, some of the most in-demand jobs at magazines are on the digital side.”
For Samson, his job at GQ is extremely important for the publication’s online voice. In a typical workday, Samson has countless meetings with the online editors, attends corporate meetings and makes sure everyone is on the same page in regards to what they would like to be featured on GQ.com. Additionally, he, alongside the editors, views what is trending online to see what they could possibly feature for GQ. However with copious amounts of information floating around the Internet, it is important for Samson and his staff to decipher what is GQ and what is not. “GQ is like a verb – when you are walking down the street and see a guy dressed in a certain stylish way, you’ll say ‘He’s so GQ!’” says Samson. Not only have magazine websites had a much-needed facelift, but in addition, video media coverage for publications have been on the rise over the past few years. What was once only one-minute interviews with cover stars a few years ago, now are an online web series, behindthe-scenes footage and industry events that have never been seen quite like this before.
in their homes, asking very short, rightto-the-point questions. One of the most recent videos features the legendary Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour in her office at Vogue, in which the editor parodied herself against all of the hype surrounding her title. “Anna, what is the least true rumor about you?” asked the interviewer. Wintour replied in her cold, yet playful tone “Well, they’re all true.” Last but not least, is the ever-rising want for knowledge about the publishing industry, especially amongst students – companies such as Teen Vogue and Seventeen have hosted annual seminars and classes geared to teach aspiring editors and photographers what it is like to work for a fashion magazine. The world of publishing, for some, has been seen as having a slow decline of popularity over the past decade. Yet publishing powerhouses such as Condé Nast and Hearst Publications have now aimed their attention on revitalization. They’re creating an organized funnel, filtering in information that we find useful and interesting to incorporate within our daily lives.
One of the most popular web series comes from Vogue magazine, entitled “73 Questions,” which follows celebrities
FIT Celebrates 70 Years with Alumni by Maria Beneventano
In honor of the Fashion Institute of Technology’s 70-year anniversary and annual Legacy Week, FIT hosted an Alumni Panel Discussion on October 28. The event featured seven alumni from decades past who returned to their alma mater to discuss their experiences here, as well as to share what they did after they graduated. Despite the fact that each panelist attended the school at different times, each seemed to have left FIT with similar, valuable insights. The alumni panel, moderated by Professor NJ Bradeen, consisted of a wide range of individuals who each shared their own unique stories and advice. The panel included Millicent (Penny) Potok Cohn, class of 1948; Phyllis (Roizman) Sinrich, class of 1950; George Simonton, class of 1965; Vivian Abraham, class of 1975; John Jones, class of 1985; Ivy Archer-Pitter, class of 1995; and Celeste Weins, class of 2011. Each panelist recalled that although their education served as a vital factor in the shaping of their career, it was certainly not the only thing that impacted their future. Sinrich said, in regard to her first marketing job, “The education I got at
FIT prepared me entirely for the fashion aspect but the writing came from my own personal interests.” She had remarked earlier that she served as an editor on the school newspaper, which contributed to her developing writing skills and a passion for it as well. Each panelist stressed the importance of extracurricular involvement. Weins said, “Now it is almost required; If you want to graduate, you have to have an internship. If you want to network on campus, you have to be part of a club.” She became the president of student government, took part in work study and volunteered for a show at New York Fashion Week. Furthermore, Professor Bradeen asked the panelists about the technology that was around during the time that they attended college. Simonton exclaimed, “We had a loudspeaker; that was it!” Going back a few decades before Simonton, Cohn said that she had “not a thing” when it came to technology during her time. Weins discussed the wide array of technological benefits that were available to her, including the portability of laptops, the convenience of flash drives, access to blog posts and social media.
If there was one idea on which all panelists agreed, it was that networking is one of the most important and necessary skills when it comes to making the most of an FIT career. Archer-Pitter said, “Who you know will open more doors than what you know.” She advised students that “it is great to have networking, but if you are not going to reach out to them, it is not going to do you any good.” Abraham and Jones both agreed. They both supported the idea that even though you may not like every job that you will have in your lifetime, you will still learn from it and gain vital industry experience. Professor Bradeen’s last question of the night asked panelists what they loved most about FIT. One aspect of the school that left a lasting impact on ArcherPitter’s experience at FIT was the diverse culture. Cohn said that FIT “made her feel like she could do anything.” Although times have changed over a span of 70 years, the Fashion Institute of Technology has and will continue to have the same remarkable impact and overall experience for a student of any era.
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Moving on from Sports, Nike Takes a Leap and Lands in the Future by Pedro Pavia Justo
AS 2014 DWINDLES DOWN, WE START LOOKING TOWARDS THE FUTURE, AND WHAT IS TO COME – ESPECIALLY WITH FASHION. INNOVATION. IT BEGINS WITH A VISION TOWARDS THE FUTURE, AND NIKE IS ALL ABOUT IT. NIKE WAS FOUNDED IN 1964 AND TO THIS DAY IS THE WORLD’S LEADING SUPPLIER IN ACTIVEWEAR, SPORTSWEAR AND FOOTWEAR. WHILE COMPETING WITH MULTIPLE BRANDS SUCH AS ADIDAS, ASICS AND UNDER ARMOUR, HOW DOES NIKE KEEP ITS IMAGE AND STAY RELEVANT WHILE PRESERVING A SENSE OF BELONGING IN THE WORLD OF FASHION? MAYBE BECAUSE IT ALLOWS YOU TO REDESIGN SIMPLE SHOES FOR EVERYONE WITH NIKE ID? OR BECAUSE YOU CAN REINVENT DESIGNS TO CAPTURE ELEGANCE AND STYLISH ACTIVEWEAR IN AN ENVIRONMENT CREATED FOR THE FUTURE THROUGH NIKELAB? WE’VE DETAILED ALL THE DIFFERENT MOVING PARTS OF THIS COMPANY SO YOU CAN DECIDE:
NIKE ID Nike ID is an online service allowing customers to customize products for their own desires. In a way, they become their own designers, allowing them to combine colors and patterns on any shoe they want. Customers can change the sole of the shoe, give the toe box a suede feel and look and also change the color of the shoelaces. Nike ID was started in 1999, and has grown tremendously into it’s own unique brand under the Nike line. This online site has reached over 15 million people and now makes up 20% of Nike’s revenue. Customers can recreate some of their favorite styles and incorporate their own ideas when designing sneakers or cleats. Nike has become even more creative with the addition of new fabrics such as their new Flyknit technology and Pendleton, an Oregon-centric collaboration with Pendleton Woolen Mills.
NIKELAB In the summer of 2014, Nike took over 21 Mercer and built NikeLab. A Nike spokesperson states that the new NikeLab, “transforms the retail landscape in both physical spaces and through e-commerce. The new destination will provide consumers with unique expressions of Nike’s leading innovations within an experience that bridges physical retail, online commerce, and digital engagement.” NikeLab is a showcase for the future of retail. Tim Rupp, a designer for Nike retail, said, “The product is in a constant state of evolution and it never stops. What if we took that spirit of innovation that you find in product design and applied it to retail?” Arthur Huang, the material engineer and CEO of MiniWiz, helped design the layouts at the new 21 Mercer store as well as the new fashion complex known as Dover
Street Market. MiniWiz is a globally-innovative company that dedicates its efforts to solving problems through sustainable sources using the Reuse, Reduce and Recycle method. “It’s about the least amount of waste, and the least amount of materials. Everything is held together mechanically, rather than chemically by adhesives,” said Huang. Tim Rupp states that the future of retail begins with the opening of concept stores. “They’ll shape what Nike does in all its retail environments in the future.” NikeLab wishes to achieve “maximum performance and aesthetics with low environmental impact. It’s Innovation by innovators.”
NIKE SPORTSWEAR Nike was once only affiliated with sports, but has recently evolved into a lifestyle brand. Time and time again we see the evolution of sportswear into high fashion, and how they begin to depend on one another. Nike sportswear gives exclusiveness to a recognizable brand.
photo courtesy of pitchengine.com up top in fashion. In an interview with I-D magazine that centers around fashion, Riccardo Tisci said, “When they called me I was very pleased because I wear Nike. It’s such a respected name in street culture, in pop culture, in everything! The thing that I’m most proud of is that I am the first to do this.”
NIKE TECHNOLOGY We see that collaborations in fashion help reach more consumers and produce success of a company. Alexander Wang for H&M, Pharrell Williams for Adidas Originals and J. Crew for New Balance help to spread the awareness of a fashion brand and help create an essential place for affordable fashion. Nike was keen on attaining attractive and prestigious designs from A.P.C., Supreme, Kanye West and, of course, Michael Jordan, who has been given its own name under the big brand. Nike recently teamed up with Riccardo Tisci of Givenchy to release three sets of the famous Air Force 1s. First they dropped in white, then black and the third installment came in smooth beige. These shoes give recognition to the couture industry, while giving sportswear a place
Wearable technology is still in its infancy and many companies have yet to enter this space. However Nike’s introduction of the Fuel Band has given accessories a new definition. After recently discounting the Nike Fuel Band, Nike began to look at the software of devices. The Nike+ app, which is compatible with iPhones and iPods, helps to measure daily activity, records distances traveled from running and motivates active users. Nike has also developed a sensor that fits right into the shoe. After a quick set up, you get to measure everything and it gets recorded with the app. Together with Apple, they are beginning to work on a new form of wearable technology making it more subtle and integrated into the product. Whatever
new technology we get in the future from these two brands will certainly not disappoint.
“SPORTSWEAR IS THE FUTURE OF FASHION AND EVERYDAY LIFE. NIKE GETS THAT.” Nike’s mission statement states, “Our mission is to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world. If you have a body, you are an athlete.” Nike doles out encouragement and drive to become the athlete you wish to be. In an interview with Bloomberg News, Mark Parker, the CEO of Nike, stated, “We’re first and foremost a sport brand, but you have to realize sport has actually moved into lifestyle.” He goes on to say, “Tights for example, they’re the new denim.” Sportswear is the future of fashion and everyday life. Nike gets that.
INNOVATIVE DESIGN
FEATURE 16 FIT
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FEATURE
FIT
18
The Wearable Techs Wave: Freak Out or Embrace It? by Karen Wu
Technology and fashion fell in love with each other some time ago. We all remember when Diane Von Furstenberg introduced the Google Glass on her runway show. Now, following in her footsteps, the fashion industry has started introducing a variety of smart accessories and apparel that complement daily tasks while upgrading looks. Phone charging bracelets and shirts that measures your heart and stress rate…are we becoming robots or is this for the better? Let’s first talk about Ralph Lauren - a company that pioneered the smart apparel industry with the Polo Tech. It is a black sporty T-shirt that has bio-sensing silver fibers woven into it, making the magic happen. The T-shirt can track distance run, calories burned, heart rate, stress and much more. The best part is that it links to your smartphone or tablet. However the issue that comes with the Polo Tech is whether it is going to weigh on the player. The shirt debuted at the past U.S. Open Tennis Championship and was worn by Marcus Giron. “Our goal is to create and reflect the ultimate lifestyle, and we believe that a healthy and active life is an essential part of that. Ralph Lauren is excited to help lead the industry in wearable technology in this ever-evolving, modern world,” says David Lauren, executive vice president of global advertising, marketing and communications, in a Ralph Lauren press release.
In addition to that, if you are always forgetting your phone charger Minkoff also came up with a leather strap bracelet that hides a USB and iPhone charger in a clasp. The leather strap will cost $60 and the studded, light-up bracelet will be $120. iPhone users that suffer from the chronic low-battery issue have had to wait until this month, as they’re now selling in stores. Tory Burch is another designer that cannot be missed when discussing wearable tech. She transformed what was not very attractive into a fancier, gold and very Tory Burch accessory. Burch teamed up with FitBit, a company that produces smart rubber wristbands that track every movement (every calorie, every minute you sleep, etc.), to create metal, fashionable bracelets and necklaces. Before, FitBit wristbands came in unappealing colors and often attracted the “what is that on your wrist?” question. Now the consumer can easily track their movements in a sophisticated style. The cost varies from $175 to $195 and are available
Photo courtesy of ralphlauren.com
only for pre-orders. Shifting from apparel to accessories, designer Rebecca Minkoff also chose to invest in the wearable tech sector by creating beautiful, chic studded bracelets that can actually connect with your phone via Bluetooth. These bracelets warn the wearer of new messages or calls by just lighting up. Minkoff told InStyle, “As a woman, I understand the stigma that goes along with having my phone out at a dinner or meeting, but the fact is that I still need to be tapped in to a few people no matter what. I designed the notification bracelet with the working professional woman in mind.”
REBECCA MINKOFF, IPHONE CHARGER BRACELET
Photo courtesy of instyle.com
Mentioned earlier, Google Glass falls into this category as well. This past June, DVF launched new shades (non-sunglasses) at net-a-porter.com, incorporating Google Glass. The mini computer is placed on the corner of the shades and incorporates the technology of the Google platform. Though DVF’s new shades bring you Google technology with a chic twist, they are still very controversial due to the apps that are being developed for it. One example is NameTag, a facial recognition app developed by FacialNetwork.com. According to Forbes, this app basically
DVF, GOOGLE GLASS
Photo courtesy of netaporter.com
“THE IDEA OF TECHNOLOGY INVADING OUR CLOSETS IS STILL NEW - AND NOT EVERYONE LIKES IT. “ gives strangers personal information about any person they encounter. The idea of technology invading our closets is still new - and not everyone likes it. Ken Downing, fashion director and senior vice-president at Neiman Marcus, told the Daily Mail, “Technology is what’s moving fashion forward.” However Carine Roitfeld, global fashion director at Harper’s Bazaar, hosted a panel on September 6 with Samsung titled “Tech x Fashion Talk” and made it clear that she is not fond of this new wearable technology wave. “The problem with technology is it’s a bit cold. It’s a bit sharp,” said Roitfeld. Pointing at the the Swarovski crystal Samsung Gear S Smartwatch, she said, “I’m not sure I would like to wear the bracelet that you are wearing.” The wearable tech wave is definitely a great advance for both industries. It is just in the beginning stage and as any innovative idea, it takes time to be accepted and blended into lifestyles. “It’s just a new technological cycle where gadgets are becoming adjusted to consumers needs and wants,” said Anne Lima, an Advertising and Marketing Communications major. Consumers can wait for many new, interesting and smart gadgets to come in the next few years and only then will we will find out if they are here to stay.
TORY BURCH, FITBIT COVER
Photo courtesy of toryburch.com
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Fashion Shows Strut Down a New Runway by Nikki Lakin
photo courtesy of thekaneko.org
In 1943, the concept of a fashion show was foreign to the general public. Fashion shows and the original Fashion Week - formerly dubbed “Press Week” - was solely an event for media professionals. Journalists would gather to view the works of American designers and feature them in their publications. For several decades in the 20th century, this form of fashion exposure was only available to the most elite names in media. But quickly, the elitism of Fashion Week escaped – and evolved to more. As American fashion designers became major influencers, New York Fashion Week escalated to a media and fashion market phenomena, finally hosting buyers and merchandisers alongside the press. And while the popularity of this industry-driven event rose, other markets, both domestic and international, followed suit. Today, we’re exposed to all of the details of Fashion Week via magazine reports, Internet streams and social media feeds. And the shows now offer more than fashion and upcoming trends. Sometimes there are performers, sometimes there are freebies and giveaways and sometimes, the runway is more than a runway. In just 70 years, the classic fashion show has become an entirely new extravaganza. There are several aspects that have transformed the production of Fashion Week. Victoria’s Secret is prime evidence. In fact, it’s possible that we have Victoria’s Secret to thank for all of this development. A mainstream brand that Generation Y is nothing short of dedicated to, we can’t remember a time where we haven’t seen ads for the brand – or promotions for its annual fashion show. Since its conception in the ‘90s, the show
was available to stream online for fans to view every year, but was then moved to primetime network television. But even since the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show was born, this wasn’t just an average viewing of models strutting up and down the runway. It was televised entertainment. You can compare it to a musical: the models, dressed stylishly in expensive lingerie, walking down the runway as actors. Famous musicians appearing out of nowhere, breaking into song like the background chorus. And an incredibly designed set that is almost as exquisite as the diamondclad bustiers.
So then, how does this contribute to the innovation and progression of Fashion Week? Mercedes-Benz took over the event and smoothly translated it into a week-long media carnival, and more so when the event was moved from the shrubbery of Bryant Park to sleek, modern Lincoln Center. With Mercedes-Benz and IMG spearheading Fashion Week at Lincoln Center, there was finally more room to revolutionize every corner of Fashion Week. The iconic black tent famed for hosting many of the top designers’ shows each season consists of more than a runway – it is a mall, filled with refrigerators of free Diet Coke and Smart Water, a café serving small plates and glasses of wine and a lounge for journalists and fashion executives alike to charge their iPhones in between shows.
“IN JUST 70 YEARS, THE CLASSIC FASHION SHOW HAS BECOME AN ENTIRELY NEW EXTRAVAGANZA.”
And from the first time the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show was televised in 2001, designers at Fashion Week began to take their own turns. They soon realized their fashion shows could no longer just be presentations anymore. They had to be experiences. They had to be memorable. And that realization called for innovation.
It was then up to bigger companies with even bigger budgets to set the stage – literally – for the future of Fashion Week. Corporations started stepping in as sponsors – Mercedes-Benz came on board and paid to be the event’s official sponsor, one of the first business pursuits for Fashion Week. Following that, the International Management Group (IMG) acquired the New-York based event as a whole.
It wasn’t just the pre-show entertainment that completely morphed, though. Remember how the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show could be compared to a musical? Designers and brands then began to discover that in order for their shows to get the most attention, their collections weren’t the only aspect that had to impress – it was the overall show. For the Spring/Summer 2015 season in particular, a handful of American designers took their runway shows to different levels, from set design to brand engagements and beyond.
And for some, in order to accommodate these massive changes, Lincoln Center wasn’t even a big enough venue to host their shows. Tommy Hilfiger, for one, transformed the 69th Regiment Armory into a rock-‘n’-roll festival ground, covering the 87,120 square foot space in string lights and a petal-filled, “Wizard of Oz”esque runway. But that wasn’t it – the finale included a drum set duo to cap off the show. Another show that took over the same space concluded New York Fashion Week’s events this year and left every attendee speechless. Viewers of the Marc Jacobs show were welcomed with their own set of headphones provided by Beats by Dre which, according to Style.com, “put everybody in their own world.” Already encapsulating the idea of turning fashion shows into unforgettable experiences, this was one of the first instances where a technology brand and a fashion label partnered to create their own Fashion Week experience outside of Lincoln Center. And Jacobs’ freebie wasn’t the only thing to drive attention. The entirety of the Regiment Armory was illuminated in vivid orchid tones. But the colors were so bright, and combined with Jacobs’ militaryinspired collection, it was difficult to even see the pieces models were clothed in. Fashion enthusiasts may argue that the traditional runway show needs to have a makeover. And with the innovation of technology, the rise of sponsorships and cross-branding and the popularity of selling entertainment rather than just simply products, the future of Fashion Week is destined to transform into a non-stop media cavalcade. The challenge now is for designers to make sure their collections are just as innovative as their shows.
HAUTE CULTURE AS THE HIGH LINE EXPANDS, INNOVATION FOLLOWS by Bianca Bello
Once a historic 1930s railway line carrying goods to and from Manhattan’s largest industrial district, is now one of the most talked about and visited parks in the world. Dubbed as the “green getaway,” the High Line ran from Gansevoort Street to 20th Street from 10th to 12th Avenue; plans to renovate it began in 2002 and finalized in 2009. This September, the 30-foot elevated park saw the completion of one last renovation: a $35 million expansion extending it to 34th Street. The expansion of the High Line has brought the park into a new and modern era within the city of New York, as a center of culture, architecture and horticulture. Since 2009, the park’s program High Line Art has showcased a wide array of said culture, including “site-specific commissions, exhibitions, performances, videos programs, and a series of billboard interventions.” Presented by Friends of High Line and the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, the program encourages artists to incorporate the surrounding urban landscape of the park. One of the exhibits, The River That Flows Both Ways by Spencer Finch, is an installation of colored glass inspired by a 700-minute journey along the Hudson River. As the space becomes even more covetable, the High Line council has created a system regarding how to choose which vendor belongs on the “urban oasis.” “Council chooses the storefronts based
on a ‘no competition’ rule,” said Daniel Rosario, waiter at Terroir Take-Out. Only one vendor sells alcohol, only one vendor sells coffee, only one vendor sells sandwiches…it’s a controlled environment, so that means more business for each of us. They [High Line Council] like it this way and we
[vendors of the High Line] like it this way, so everybody wins,” he explained. Since its creation by locals Joshua David and Robert Hammond, The High Line has gentrified the west side of the city. It has efficiently helped the west side become less prone to crime, drugs and scandal. Places tend to adapt to the culture built around them and the High Line
is a perfect example of that. The west side’s foot-traffic and of course, prices are skyrocketing. The High Line Hotel, located at 20th Street and 10th Avenue, is (at least) seven hundred dollars a night. The luxury condos, built right alongside the High Line’s structure, go for two to 25
million dollars. A studio apartment in the Ten23 Apartments, also located alongside the High Line, cost a little over three thousand dollars a month. “You couldn’t pay me ten years ago to live over here, but these days, I’d give my left foot to live in one of these apartments”, said local commuter Jordan Corman, on the real estate change the High Line created.
The High Line project almost didn’t happen. Decades ago, owners of property nearby tried to demolish the structure where the park now stands. Lucky for New Yorkers, activists were able to rally against their actions, which led to the conception of David and Hammond’s dream. In a city surrounded by concrete buildings, this grassy getaway serves as a beacon of inspiration for many. Ethan Ascencio, an avid nature lover, said “True plant life is hardly found in New York City and having the High Line as an urban getaway really makes me feel like I have the best of both worlds.” Likewise, Gabe Pechia, a student in the Communication Design major at the Fashion Institute of Technology, and his friends go to the High Line to work on their projects unrelated to their schoolwork. Pechia is also a DJ and brainstorming at the High Line allows him to get his true rhythm and creative juices flowing. “The High Line helps you look at the city through a different view.” It brings people to a place they never thought they could experience in New York City. “Everyone [at the High Line] is positive,” said Shannon Beattie, student in the Communication Design major at F.I.T. “I’d understand if someone gave me a dirty look on the subway, but things like that just don’t happen around here.”
Photos courtesy of Bianca Bello.
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NOVEMBER 2014
STN MTN / KAUAI – CHILDISH GAMBINO by Dana Heyward
While the former “Community” actor Donald Glover has been making music under the moniker, Childish Gambino, since 2008, his music projects have recently become more conceptual, earning him plenty of attention. Last winter, Childish Gambino impressed long-time fans and made plenty of new ones with the release of his touchingly personal sophomore album, “Because the Internet.” The album challenged the boundaries drawn between rap and R&B, and ultimately displayed him growing into a sound that was completely his own. But since then, he has been working on a slew of non-music projects, such as producing the new FX show, “Atlanta,” and filming the “Magic Mike” sequel. So somewhat unexpectedly, Gambino has presented us with the 18-track joint mixtape/EP titled, “STN MTN/Kauai.”
Dem” where the rapper runs through his dream of running Atlanta. This includes firing all the cops in Cobb County, keeping Chick-Fil-A open on Sundays, giving strippers Mother’s Day off and having his own “Gangsta Grillz” mixtape.
Gambino explains the concept of the project as, “A Gangsta Grillz mixtape that goes into an EP. The Gangsta Grillz mixtape is a dream, and the dream ends when I wake up in Kauai. And they go into each other; it’s one complete project.”
Gambino also dabbles in the trap genre with the trifecta track, “Move That Dope/ Nextel Chirp/Let Your Hair Blow” which has some semi-vapid lyrics (“I’m on acid, this bitch is basic”), but is still one of the highlights of the mixtape. However, “No Small Talk” is the stand-out track of the mixtape but it’s not because of Gambino. The track is actually a remix of newcomer Kari Faux’s underground track that came out this past summer. Faux’s simple but extremely catchy lyrics make Gambino’s verse on the track sound like background
Glover is a native of Atlanta, GA (specifically Stone Mountain) and the rapper makes this very clear to listeners through the ode that is “STN MTN.” The mixtape opens up with the triple entendre track, “Dream/Southern Hospitality/Partna
In “STN MTN,” Gambino makes nods to Atlanta’s music culture of the early 2000s and today. He includes samples from Atlanta legends, Outkast and Ludacris, and heavily utilizes producer DJ Drama, who is the creator of the popular “Gangster Grillz” mixtape series. Between Gambino’s acapella cover of Usher’s 2001 hit “U Don’t Have to Call” and a series of skits, he displays his complex love for the city. Many of the songs jump between beats and backings with choppy transitions that create a dreamlike and nostalgic feel.
noise, and her delivery makes you feel like she steals the song even though it was hers to begin with. When you cross over to the “Kauai” EP, you’re transported into a synth-pop and chillwave tone, that is a far cry from the turn-up anthems heard in “STN MTN.” Mellow tracks like “The Palisades” and “Poke” will literally make you feel like you’re floating on a beach off the Pacific while sipping on unlimited Mai Tais. The EP also features narrations from Will Smith’s son/self-proclaimed Twitter philosopher Jaden Smith, who aimlessly rambles about a moment with a special someone on the track “Late Night in Kauai”. While Smith’s contribution initially seems unwarranted, it ends up being the cherry on top of the EP. While “STN MTN/Kauai” is certainly ambitious, the project as a whole is kind of like someone crying without tears; you feel them, but then not really. With the mixtape being so heavily reliant on samples and remixes you lose track of Gambino’s actual voice and sound, which is essentially what everyone came for. Though an abundance of features and remixes are usually core elements of rap mixtapes, for someone who’s been consistently criticized for sounding too much like other popular rappers in the past, a project like this seems to feed into those
stigmas. Gambino definitely redeems himself in the “Kauai” EP, but not by much. Many of the EP’s tracks have a likeness to his R&B-ish tracks from “Because the Internet” such as “Pink Toes” and “Shadows” but are much more pina-coladas-by-the beach-y, which is acceptable but can get repetitive. While this project seems to fall somewhat flat, whether you’re a fan of the Gambino or not, you’ll still respect his effort, dedication and probably hit the replay button on few tracks here and there. At the end of the day he’s still fun to listen to and his unwaning journey as a comedian, actor and musician is what’s really noteworthy.
photo courtesy of reddit
HENRI MATISSE: THE CUT-OUTS by Kim Proschka
The term innovation brings to mind a herd of scientists in lab coats huddling over microscopes or a group of techies at Apple creating the latest must-have gadgets designed to make your life easier. In any case, for most of us innovation is something that’s difficult to grasp. That’s why it’s all the more curious that sometimes innovation can be seen as something as benign as child-like paper cut outs. The current exhibition “Henri Matisse – The Cut-Outs” at the Museum of Modern Art explores innovation from a different point of view: As today’s technology gets more and more complex, French artist Henri Matisse’s strive to create radically minimalistic pieces of art equipped with just paper, paint and a pair of scissors is quite refreshing. The results are mesmerizingly simple cut-out compositions with vibrant colors and abstract shapes that not only evoke internal reflection but also a sting of envy – very true to the old formula: Modern art = I could have done that + Yeah, but you didn’t Matisse, who is best known for his impressionist paintings, invented the progressive cut-out method in the 1940s when he was creating the celebrated triptych mural “The Dance II” for the Barnes Foundation in Merion, Pennsylvania.
Instead of working on-site, Matisse prepared the mural in his studio in Venice, France. He used cut-outs of vividly colored forms and pinned them to his studio walls before mounting the piece in its entirety. This “compositional card game” not only allowed him to constantly rearrange and revise the artwork but also rendered his studio space quite like something out of your wildest Pinterest dreams for interior inspiration. Matisse shows us that innovation doesn’t necessarily always mean creating something new but rather taking an old concept and reducing it to its simplest form. And even though the finished pieces seem simple, the process of its creation showcase the intricacy of Matisse’s art. Paule Martin, one of his studio assistants, recalls that the effort “demanded such patience and attention on Matisse’s part but also from that it exhausted [him] and [he] was on the brink of collapse.” He “had to pin tiny squares of paper to enhance the curvature of the thigh or some other
part of the body, then remove parts of the figure.” After hours upon hours of sketching, cutting and reshaping, Matisse finally cut from the paper in one single line with one stroke of the scissor the shape that we have now come to recognize as the famous “Blue Nude II,” finishing the artwork in less than an astonishing 15 minutes. While the cut-out medium was initially only a means to an end when experimenting with the composition of an artwork, the method quickly became an independent art form by itself. Very much like modern art in general in its effort to say as much as possible as simply as possible and with as little as possible, the contrast of mystery and approachability in Matisse’s pieces invites us to let our imagination run free. Or as artist and writer Romare Bearden so perfectly coined it: “Matisse got as close as one can get to heaven with a pair of scissors.” photo courtesy of The MoMA
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FILM REVIEW:
MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN by Tara O’Brien
“Men, Women, and Children,” which hit the silver screens earlier this year, uniquely portrays how social media and the innovations of technology undoubtedly affect everyone. Some characters use it as a crutch, some use it to escape reality and some use it to satisfy questionable needs. The film, directed by Jason Reitman, explores the different paths technology forces us to tread. It follows high school students and their parents as they try to make sense of life through the Internet. It looks at the way it has impacted their relationships, communications, self-image and love lives. The movie features a website used for cheating on your spouse, an escort service, a modeling website filled with racy pictures, a monitoring device of all online activity, sexting, secret Tumblr accounts and many more technological advances that have changed the way we live our lives.
age father of two who has lost the spark in his marriage and is just looking to have a connection with someone. Another star in the film, Ansel Elgort, depicts a former high school football star who quits the team after his mother leaves him and his dad and now invests all his time playing video games to escape the pain he feels. There are also a few new faces in the movie who have notable roles: Elena Kampouris, who plays an anorexic cheerleader who uses the internet for
The cast includes blockbuster superstars such as Jennifer Garner and Adam Sandler. Garner plays an overprotective mother that goes to extremes trying to protect her daughter from the dangerous online world. Sandler portrays a middle
“thinspiration” by talking in chat rooms with others to help her stop eating with hopes that an older boy will finally notice her, and Judy Greer who plays a “cool” mom that helps her daughter attract fame by setting up a website and posting pictures of her in racy outfits. The most innovative part of this movie is that, simply put, it is rather realistic. There is no cookie-cutter ending and no happily-ever-after. It is a glimpse into
American lives and a culture that is overrun with technology. Technology that has changed the way people interact and the way they look at the world. Throughout the movie there are texting bubbles floating above the character’s heads showing what they are writing instead of dialog. Incorporating text bubbles with dialog emphasizes how easily it has become to hide who you really are behind a device. The ending may leave you wanting more, but real life does that too. Unlike most movies, there is no climax or cheerful resolution. Instead, you are left with a look at slice-of-life real situations which unfortunately happen every day. The director and the cast do a marvelous job of illuminating social issues like anorexia, video game culture, fame hunting, infidelity and illicit material on the internet, causing audience members to cringe at the screen and feel for the characters. Even though it is a tad predictable, it puts the changes technology has caused in our society into perspective. And with our heads always buried in our phones, we could use a little perspective.
Photo courtesy of nypost.com
RESTAURANT REVIEW:
GENES @ BARNEYS CAFÉ by Thais Derjangocyan
The lavish entrance of the Barneys department store on Madison Avenue and 60th street sets the tone for what a customer would expect to find when they make their way up to the 8th floor to the small café GENES. The doorman greets customers as they make their way into the small
Putting a modern twist on the customer’s eating experience, this Internet Café is perfect for the shopper on the go, or for anyone looking to get a quick bite. It is also a great place for people watching as you wait for your food to arrive. Set up like a private cafeteria with one long banquet table in the center, each guest is provided with their very own computer screen inset where their placemat would be. With this, visitors can browse and shop the Barneys catalog, read articles about Barneys and even order their food.
Photo courtesy of thestyletrunk.com.
elevator that leads them up to the café.
The process of ordering food is done within a few quick swipes. The customer picks out their food from the online menu like they were online shopping, and adds whatever they want to their order, and then sends it. After placing their order the customer is free to browse through the screen right in front of them and before they know it their food has arrived. As for paying, the customer just hits the “request check” button and, wallah, the server is there with the check. Café
GENES has obviously created a process convenient for the modern day New Yorker who’s always on the go. This café is modern and futuristic as it combines the use of technology with your eating experience. The menu’s options range from breakfast to late lunch, and the hours run according to Barneys department store hours. Lunch consists of healthy salads and sandwiches, while breakfast consists of homemade pastries or a light yogurt. The café also provides the customer with an extensive dessert and coffee menu from delectable cheesecake brownies, to warm and soft apple turnovers.
Photo courtesy of 2x4.org.
From my experience I recommend the Asian Chicken Salad (the chicken comes warmed if you ask). From the spices to the fresh vegetables, this salad is prepared to perfection. As for dessert, their double chocolate chip cookie is the perfect sweet ending to a healthy lunch. The cookies are also warmed if requested. The cappuccino added a smooth finish, ending my afternoon on a high note.
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THEATER REVIEW:
ILUMINATE: THE MOST FUN YOU’LL EVER HAVE IN THE DARK by Justine Gray
Technology is rapidly becoming a part of every form of entertainment and there is no better example of the enhancement of performance art than the exciting dance troupe, iLuminate. The off-Broadway production “Artist of Light,” running through January 18, goes beyond the average theatrical performance and their patent-pending light technology brings an entirely new dimension to dance performance. The group first gained recognition after taking third place on the sixth season of “America’s Got Talent” in 2011. Their use of Electroluminescent Wire and LED lights on black suits creates a fascinating spectacle in darkness, and allows for endless digital effects as their show shifts from contemporary to hip-hop dance styles. iLuminate’s technology, which was developed in 2009, has been used by performers including Christina Aguilera and The Black Eyed Peas. iLuminate’s founder, Miral Kotb, told fastcompany.com, “...in ten years, I hope iLuminate has different shows globally, similar to Cirque. So there’s a show that’s more like a cartoon, one more like a love story. A Christmas musical, a Halloween show, all over the world, and it’s a global sensation.” With changing colors on the performers’
light suits, exemplary dance moves and music to match, iLuminate creates an entirely new form of visual interest, something truly for the digital age. Kotb explains that “performing in a pitch black theater with light costumes, controlled by code, sets us apart from any other performance. We are and want to continue to be the leader in performance technology.” “Artist of Light” opens with an upbeat number featuring Chris Brown’s “Turn Up the Music.” This isn’t iLuminate’s first collaboration with Chris Brown; the dance troupe has worked with the artist on national performances including “Dancing With the Stars” and the “BET Awards.” Brown’s song is set to a group of iLuminate’s cast playing basketball and dancing. Even though dance and light effects are the center of the performance, the wellcrafted show manages to tell a story. iLuminate dancers rely on “body language to get the story across, and that’s a lot harder than it seems,” said Kotb in an interview with broadwayworld.com. From the opening number it is made clear that the main character is an outsider that doesn’t quite fit in with the other dancers. The following scene greatly contrasts with the upbeat and fun vibe of the first, and we see the main character expressing
himself through a magical paintbrush. His emotions come alive as he dances and paints, creating vibrant creatures who step out of his imagination. The performers’ movements do not stray from dance and the accompanying music serves as their dialogue. “It’s not just the lights. It’s not just the dancers,” Kotb explains, “It’s how everything just fuses together. We take a lot of time during rehearsals to discuss how the lights and choreography pair together, and their relationship with the music.” The artist’s original creations are distorted when a bully steals the paintbrush and uses it for evil. In the end, the rest of the dancers work together to prevent further mayhem. “Artist of Light” is a colorful performance that can be appreciated by audiences of all ages, whether for its innovative use of technology, or as an engaging, creatively designed dance production. Student tickets are available daily at the box office for every iLuminate performance. Tickets are $26 (cash only) with a valid student ID. The box office is located at New World Stagesv340 West 50th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues.
Photo courtesy of iluminate.com.
FIT SPEAKS Singer Spotlight: FKA Twigs by Dana Heyward
Every now and then comes along a musician thats strikes a chord in you, and makes you start to see things in a different light. The first musician that had this
“SHE’S PRESENTED AN ETHEREAL SOUND COMBINED WITH GRATED AND LOFTY BEATS AGAINST AN R&B THEME” effect on me was P!nk. For me, my angsty, yet naive years, hit me fairly young, so I
was totally into the angry and very independent-girl vibes P!nk exuded in the early 2000s. Naturally and thankfully, I moved on, but P!nk’s “M!ssundaztood” album still holds a special place in my heart. Fast-forward to 2013 and a new artist caught my attention. I had first come across FKA twigs and her video “Water Me” while scrolling on Tumblr. Normally I would have scrolled right past it because waiting for videos to load on Tumblr is like waiting for paint to dry. But the thumbnail intrigued me so I took a plunge, waited 3 minutes and then watched the video. The first thought that came to my mind while watching the video was admittedly: “Who does this girl think she is bringing back baby hairs so flawlessly?” But once I spun out of my somewhat jealous daze, I really started to immerse myself into the sound and imagery of the video. The video is simply a close-up shot of Manga-eyed FKA twigs rocking to the meditative tune. I was mesmerized by its raw creativity and had to know more about just who FKA twigs was.
FKA twigs (whose real name is Tahliah Debrett Barnett) hails from the UK and started releasing music in 2012. Since then, she’s presented an ethereal sound combined with grated and lofty beats against an R&B theme, but placing her into a genre is almost impossible. Aside from her sound, she also has opened a lot of discussion on honing female sexuality. In an interview with the Guardian she admitted that, “Weird things can be sexy too.” From her video for “Papi Pacify” where you see twigs being gagged in slow-motion to her recent video “tw-ache” where you see her dancing in a warehouse, she has shown no fear in being open as a sexual being in a completely different way from your Beyonces’ and Nicki Minajs’. But in it all, none of her work is shocking or crude, but just natural and normal. Yet still, it is full of imagination and a kind of creativity that’s beyond average.
Photo courtesy of rbmaradio.com
I’m not trying to convince anyone that FKA twigs is the pinnacle of innovation and that you should go purchase all her EPs, because she certainly shows influence from many greats, such as Sade, Janet Jackson and even Bjork. And who knows, tomorrow a singer may pop up on the scene that rocks a kufi and yodels covers of 90’s rap songs and FKA twigs could be a thing of the past. But right now, her sound and image are indisputably unique and eye opening, and for that she deserves all the snaps.
What is Feminism’s Role in Society Today? by Dana Kenigsberg
To call yourself a feminist simply means that you believe in the equality of the sexes, politically, economically and socially. But it is rarely ever that straightforward, and there are countless sects within the feminist movement that often don’t agree with one another. That said, when feminism is discussed, it is usually under the guise of blanket statements meant to include all feminists. However, the complex history of the movement and current changes encompass an abundance of ideologies, offshoots and discord within. There are liberal feminists, gender feminists, Marxist feminists, separatist feminists, radical feminists, anti-porn feminists, poststructural feminists, postmodern feminists...the list goes on. With all these terms being thrown around, it’s no wonder that there is so much confusion surrounding the topic. Add that to the continuously evolving face of feminism in the media and on social media, and questions abound. In 2005, CBS conducted a nationwide sample of 1,150 random U.S. adults. Everyone was asked two questions. The first was whether or not you considered yourself a feminist, and the second was, “A feminist is someone who believes in social, political, and economic equality of the sexes. Do you think of yourself as a feminist or not?” According to the results, 65% of women and 58% of men identified themselves as feminists when the definition was provided, while only 24% of women and 14% of men answered yes to the first question, when no definition was given. When asked about being labeled, or labeling someone else as a feminist, 17% of women in the study considered it an insult, while only 12% saw it as a compliment. For far too long and for far too many people, feminism has been
considered a dirty word. There are a host of derogatory terms used to describe the various sects of the feminist movement. One is “feminazi,” a term coined by Rush Limbaugh. Another, “victim feminism,” is often thrown around by anti-feminists, who believe that if women want equal rights, then they shouldn’t ask for special treatment. Liberal feminism, which most accurately explicates the theoretical ideology behind feminism in mainstream institutions and legislations in the U.S. today, is the belief that gender shouldn’t play a role in education, housing, employment or anything of that nature. The first wave of feminism, which took place in the late 1800s and early 1900s and was spearheaded by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and later, Alice Paul, was true liberal feminism. Securing a woman’s right to vote and to participate as full citizens by being allowed to own property, keep wages and have guardianship of their children may have been considered radical at the time, but it actually encompasses the rights that were laid out in the Constitution. The second wave of feminism came about in the 1960s, with the introduction of radical feminists. Instead of having equal power to men, proponents wanted to abolish the power that divided them, such as established gender roles. They protested the 1968 Miss America pageant, held a sit-in at Ladies Home Journal and spoke out about topics such as abortion and rape, which were considered taboo at the time. They also took on the myth of the vaginal orgasm and challenged the dynamics of the nuclear family. According to BitchMagazine.org, “Some radical feminists, in looking at the overwhelming reach of patriarchy, advocated female
separatism as an antidote - helping create the enduring myth that feminists are man-haters.” Though this was short-lived, feminism was forever changed; liberal feminists were pushed to become more radical and the idea of women’s liberation was spread throughout the U.S. Despite their influence, radical feminists are most often cast in a negative light, being called bra burners, libbers and feminazis. Fast-forward to the 21st century, and despite the progress that women have made, feminism is still evolving, and in some cases, devolving. “Women Against Feminism” is a Tumblr page where mostly millennials post pictures of themselves holding signs that read, “I don’t need feminism because…” and then finish the sentence with things like, “I love men and value their human rights,” and “Cooking for my husband is not oppression.” According to Today.com, one woman wrote about rape, saying, “getting drunk at a party and having sex with a stranger is just irresponsibility, not rape.” But most of the posts were not as heavy. Feminist supporters believe that many people simply don’t understand what feminism is really about. On the Today Show, journalist Sinead O’Brien said, “The option to have choices is actually what feminism brought about.” Hannah Cowan, a freshman at the University of Wisconsin and one of the groups’ members, told USA Today that she is an anti-feminist, “because feminists have attacked me for my political, personal, and religious views more than the ‘patriarchy’ ever did for my gender,” adding, “I absolutely loathe the stigma feminism is placing on women as being ‘weak,’ ‘delicate,’ or ‘oppressed by the patriarchy.’ As a female living in the U.S.,
I am in no way ‘oppressed’ and I pity the women who are dull enough to believe the feminists’ lies.” Juliana Rose would have to disagree. A senior at the University of Montana, Rose told USA Today, “The majority of moderate feminists want equality, and that is it. I think the women of this movement are misinformed and heartbreakingly so. They claim that because they themselves have the ability to wear revealing tops, and the men in their life [sic] respect them, and they have never been told they cannot do something, that feminism is a relic of ages past.” It is clear that there is much debate surrounding the topic. When Emma Watson spoke at the U.N. in September, she asked men to join in the fight for gender equality, pushing the HeforShe campaign. The aim is to take the view of feminism as man-hating to one that is understood and supported by both sexes. According to their website, HeforShe is a “solidarity movement for gender equality that brings together one half of humanity in support of the other.” There is no doubt that the feminist movement and the causes it supports have come a long way since Elizabeth Cady Stanton met with fellow suffragettes in secret to discuss womens’ right to vote, but recent indicators point to the fact that the fight is not nearly over. In the 150 years since the movement began, there have been and will continue to be dissenters and those who take the meaning of the word out of context. However no matter what feminism means to you, there is one tenet that remains a constant: women and men should be equal. How that equality is achieved remains to be seen.
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Month in Review: Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu Criticized by Dara Kenigsberg
The United States and Israel have a longstanding alliance. Their relationship is built on shared values, economic interests and security. Since 1949, the U.S. has provided them with critical diplomatic, financial and military support worth over $115 billion. Despite this, tensions between the two countries have been mounting for years and have recently hit a new low. In the past, the two governments have worked harmoniously to get things done. U.S. Presidents and Israeli Prime Ministers have even been close friends. However, the same cannot be said for President Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to CNN, “In 2011, inadvertently open microphones caught French President Nicolas Sarkozy calling Netanyahu ‘a liar,’ followed by Obama’s reply: ‘You’re tired of him; what about me? I have to deal with him every day’.” Despite this, the two leaders publicly maintain friendship and support. In August, Netanyahu lauded Obama for his unwavering devotion to Israel’s right to defend themselves and at a joint appearance in March, Obama said, “…I’ve said before and I will repeat, we do not have a closer friend or ally than Israel and the bond between our two countries and our
two peoples is unbreakable.” Public niceties aside, the two administrations are not on the same page. In April, Secretary of State, John Kerry pressed Netanyahu into peace negotiations with the Palestinians, and then watched as it fell apart. Because Netanyahu is so popular with voters, he didn’t feel pressured to reach an agreement, so the U.S. accused him of being responsible for nothing getting accomplished. Furthermore, the U.S. blamed Israel for an attack in Gaza this summer that killed ten people at a U.N. school. According to CNN, the U.S. said it was “appalled by the disgraceful shelling.” Though a ceasefire was eventually reached, Netanyahu told the US Ambassador to let the White House know “not to ever second-guess me again,” when it came to Hamas. Making matters worse, an unnamed U.S. official brought the current state of affairs into public view in a recent interview with The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg. In the article, which was about rising tension between Israel and the U.S. over settlement building in the West Bank and talks with Iran about its nuclear program, the identified source said, “The thing
Ebola in New York City Since March, more than 13,000 people in Liberia, Guinea, Senegal, Mali, Nigeria and Sierra Leone have contracted Ebola and over 4,900 have died, making this the biggest outbreak ever recorded. Nine of those people have been treated in the U.S., and so far seven of them have recovered and been released. The ninth patient is Dr. Craig Spencer, a 33-year old who came home to Manhattan on October 17 after working with Doctors Without Borders in Guinea. After two and half weeks of treatment, he is set to be released on November 11. Upon returning home, Spencer did what most New Yorkers do and kept busy. He went to eat with friends, walked along the High Line, went bowling and rode the subway. His whereabouts were reported on the news, shedding light on the possible spread of the virus. In an effort to dissuade public alacrity, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo held a press conference following Spencer’s October 23 diagnosis urging New Yorkers to remain calm. The following day, he shifted his sentiment and joined New Jersey Governor Chris Christie in calling attention to the risks of lax policies. Both governors imple- mented mandatory 21-day quarantines for healthcare professionals returning home from volunteer work with Ebola patients. Neither governor had notified the White House of their policy. Three days later, on October 26, faced with resistance from medical experts and the White House, Cuomo decided
to “dial back his rhetoric and stake out a middle ground,” according to the New York Times. In a news conference with Mayor Bill de Blasio, the governor said that returning volunteers who did not show symptoms would be allowed to go home and would be compensated for lost income. For Dr. Spencer, however, his time is being spent in the isolation unit on the seventh floor of Bellevue Hospital, where he is being treated with an experimental drug and, according to The New York Daily News,” has been given a plasma transfusion from Nancy Writebol, an aid worker who contracted the disease in West Africa and has since been cured.” 117 other people are being monitored in NYC for possible symptoms. The majority arrived on commercial flights from West Africa in the last three weeks. Also included are the hospital staff taking care of Dr. Spencer, FDNY EMS who transported him to Bellevue, the lab workers who did his blood test and three people who were in direct contact with Spencer before he went to Bellevue. The last three mentioned are under quarantine. Stephen Morse of Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health told the New York Daily News, “Bellevue is doing something pioneering....This is the first time since 1976 that we have actually begun to think of Ebola as a disease that could be managed rather than a death sentence. [In addition to saving a human life] There is also New York pride.”
about Bibi is, he’s a chickenshit [Bibi is Netanyahu’s nickname].” The source explained, “The good thing about Netanyahu is that he’s scared to launch wars. The bad thing about him is that he won’t do anything to reach an accommodation with the Palestinians or with the Sunni Arab states. The only thing he’s interested in is protecting himself from political defeat...He’s got no guts.” Attempting to find out if this was a widespread feeling or that of just one person, Goldberg spoke with a senior official who often deals with Israeli issues. According to the article, “This official agreed that Netanyahu is a ‘chickenshit’ on matters related to the comatose peace process, but added that he’s also a ‘coward’ on the issue of Iran’s nuclear threat. The official said the Obama administration no longer believes that Netanyahu would launch a preemptive strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities in order to keep the regime in Tehran from building an atomic arsenal.” This, however, may be the only decision in which Netanyahu is acting reasonably, because it gives the U.S. more time to negotiate with Iran. Israeli officials
have recently made it public knowledge that they are going to quicken the pace of apartment building in contended areas of East Jerusalem. According to The Atlantic, “Settlement expansion, and the insertion of right-wing Jewish settlers into Arab areas of East Jerusalem, are clear signals by Netanyahu to his political base, in advance of possible elections next year, that he is still with them, despite his rhetorical commitment to a two-state solution.” Netanyahu also criticized anyone who disagrees with his plans, calling them “disconnected with reality.” This statement was a dig at Jen Psaki, the State Department spokeswoman who said that the only way Israel will be able to live peacefully is by taking the steps to reduce tension. So what does this mean for the future of Israel and the U.S.? Things can really go either way, but many believe that once the conflict has ended, the discord can be overcome, because in spite of everything, the two countries are critical allies. Aaron David Miller, who served as an advisor on Arab-Israeli negotiations told CNN, “Unlike Lehman Brothers, this relationship is too big to fail.”
CEO of Apple Says he is “Proud to Be Gay” In an op-ed essay for Bloomberg Businessweek that came out October 30, Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, announced that he was gay, saying, “I am proud to be gay, and I consider being gay one of the greatest gifts God has given me.” Though there were rumors about his sexuality and it was supposedly known within the company, his announcement makes him the highest-profile business CEO to come out.
the freedom to put all their energy into their work without having to hide their personal lives."
It is unlikely that Mr. Cook’s announcement will have any impact on Apple’s business, either domestically or abroad. However, because no other business executive as powerful as him has ever done something like this, there are still unknowns as to the effect it will have. Indonesia, In the essay, Cook Singapore and wrote that this was Malaysia have not an easy decilaws that punish sion for him, but homosexuality he hoped acknowland in China, edging that he was gays and lesbians gay would help have no legal proothers. “I’ve come tection. However, to realize that my according to the desire for personal New York Times, privacy has been holding me back Photo courtesy of news.softpedia.com “They are not going to throw from doing something more him out or shut down Apple companies, important.” because it will be bad for their business and bad for their economy.” Selisse Berry, founder of the non-profit Out & Equal Workplace Advocates told Mr. Cook said there was no specific reathe L.A. Times, “When a CEO of a global son that he chose to come out now, but company like Apple comes out, it opens that he often asked himself a question the doors for LGBT employees around the once posed by Martin Luther King Jr.: world to be their authentic selves. It also “Life’s most persistent and urgent quespaves the way for more out executives and tion is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” CEOs to do the same; once the LGBT ceilBy coming out, he hopes he will do a lot. ing has been broken, it gives employees
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Outside Your Borough: Under Armour: Pursuing Innovation in Baltimore and Beyond by Loren Adiutori
If Baltimore isn’t one of first cities you think of when you hear the word “innovation,” think again. Okay, so it’s famously the home of Fort McHenry which is the site of the War of 1812 battle that inspired Francis Scott Key to write “The Star Spangled Banner.” But Johns Hopkins University, the first research university in the United States, is also located here. It is also the birthplace of filmmaker John Waters, who wrote and directed the 1988 cult-classic “Hairspray.” And, in case you weren’t aware of where your favorite running leggings come from, Under Armour was founded and is headquartered right in Baltimore’s inner harbor. Recently, as a part of the Merchandising Society’s semi-annual corporate trip, I was one of the few who got the chance to visit Under Armour’s global headquarters. The athletic apparel company is known for producing state-of-the-art gear for top-performing athletes. Yet the campus is situated between tanks of molasses and a long-standing Domino sugar factory. Classic row houses hedge the brick office buildings which were originally built by Proctor & Gamble in 1929, and are still named after the P&G products Tide, Ivory, Dawn, Cascade, Joy and Cheer. All of this old world charm is quite an odd juxtaposition to the modern advancements
happening inside Under Armour. The UA brand mission includes: “To make all athletes better through passion, design and the relentless pursuit of innovation.” Well, from the moment we arrived at the visitor’s center, to the moment we parted ways with our tour guide, our group was surrounded by innovations large and small. For instance, the Humble & Hungry Café, named after a common saying at UA to remind the employees to be humble and stay hungry, features green initiatives like bio-degradable silverware and take-out containers, as well as toilets with water-saving flush options. The focal point of this cafeteria is a living wall made of 10,000 self-sustaining plants. As we made our way through the building, we came upon two bright, white doors leading to a similarly sleek corridor. Aptly named the Under Armour Innovation Lab, it houses product design, research and testing. There is also a motion-capture test where athletes are brought in to run, bike, dance or play their respective sport to see how their gear performs and how it may be improved. The inner-workings of the Innovation Lab are top-secret and guarded by three levels of security, like something out of a Bond movie. Though we didn’t
get the any inside information about what is currently being designed, we were able to find out that projects in the lab start development as early as four to six years before production. Perhaps most impressive was the Under Armour corporate culture. We noticed right away that the employees were referred to as “teammates,” which is a refreshing way to boost morale. This permeated all aspects of the company, with the largest conference room doubling as a basketball court. It’s no wonder why everyone that we met with loved their job, whether they were in human resources, product development, planning and allocation or wear testing. The teammates Under Armour hires tend to be younger, which keeps things competitive in a fun, positive way and allows for an open, collaborative dialogue. The hiring process, in which executives seek talent that is creative, honest, able to handle a fast pace environment and most importantly, authentic, is just as innovative as their production techniques. It’s a fairly new concept to hire those that differentiate themselves from the pack, as opposed to those with the most experience, but it seems to work well for Under Armour.
campaign featuring ballerina Misty Copeland and supermodel Gisele Bundchen further confirms this company’s creativity. The controversial campaign is an attempt to separate Under Armour - whose employees see it as the “quintessential underdog” in its category - from other athletic apparel brands. Whereas Nike commands “Just Do It,” Under Armour’s is a promise: “I Will.” And the women they see making this promise in the new ads are not solely those playing professional sports. They are “not only women athletes, but athletic women,” according to Under Armour’s University Programs Recruiting Manager, Bryan Kaminski. That subtle distinction is a risky choice, but it has already paid off as evidenced by the increase in sales in the third quarter. Under Armour has come a long way since its CEO, Kevin Plank, started in 1995 with a moisture-wicking T-shirt for football players. That first year, the company had a total revenue of $17,000. Today it has almost $3 billion. Under Armour has 122 stores located in the United States. And with stores in China, Holland, Chile, Brazil and most recently Panama, it is sure to continue its pursuit for innovation across the globe.
The company’s “I Will What I Want”
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W27
Olivia Frederics - FMM - When my day feels black and white I buy myself a new bold lipstick color. I am wearing one of the innovative new Mac colors, Fashion Revival.
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Candy Lowen - Fashion Design - There is a large intersection with fashion and technology right now. A good example in couture would be experimenting with 3D painting and el wire.
NOVEMBER 2014
Rolaika Mcfarlane - AMC - People’s approach to feminism and how it has become a popular topic today.
STYLE ON 27 Photography by Vicky Mathew
“What is something innovative you’ve come across lately?” Susie Kim - Fashion Design - Both the old and modern architecture of NYC has been a huge innovation. I love very direct and clean lines in both the skyline and in clothing.
Alyssa Breitweiser - FMM - A jewelry designer I stumbled upon recently makes jewelry that is implanted into your veins and uses your energy to produce renewable energy.
Lindsey Parham - AMC - I’ve recently seen print ads where you can scan a barcode and it’ll bring you to a related video right on your smart phone!
Leslie Culderon - FMM - A lot of places like Uniqlo and Levi are using “Design your own Garment” apps so the consumer can create a unique garment on their smart phone.
Brianna Figueroa - FMM - Technology is infusing with fashion, like watches or even clothing.
FIT SPEAKS
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