May 2011: The Graduation Issue

VOLUME 43 | ISSUE 8 | MAY 2011

OFFICIAL FIT NEWSPAPER

Get Crafty! Designer Profile with

Erica Domesek

Author of P.S.– I Made This...

Are Graduate Programs for You?

Zeeing the Big Picture:

Joe Zee Talks Fame, Staying Current, and His Days at W27

THE GRADUATION ISSUE

MASTHEAD Patrick Greene Editor-in-Chief Taisa Veras Deputy Editor Keely-Shea Smith Managing Editor

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Letter from the Editor • First and foremost, thank you, our reader! Nothing goes into this publication without you in mind.

You and FIT are really what W27 is all about.

Adrienne Springer Copy Editor Sarah Dill Treasurer

• To the entire W27 team. Without everyone on board we wouldn’t have this little operation up and running.

Veronica Heras Danielle Pacelli Keely-Shea Smith Kevia Wright Senior Section Editors

• Finally, to Joe T., our amazing printer. You’ve been my saving grace countless times.

W27Newspaper.com: Dorelle McPherson Executive Website Manager Venus Wong Content and Social Media Manager Advertising: Kevin Butriago Advertising Promotions Manager Art: Zhang Qingyun Kári Emil Helgason Art Directors

W27

Change. Something all of us have seen in one way or another this semester. Seniors morphing from students into full-blown adults; crisp winter mornings turning into lazy, sun-drenched afternoon; Hell, even changing commencement from Radio City to the Javits Convention Center. Change is all around us as the semester comes to a close.

As I sign off on my last issue of W27, I’m thrilled to pass the torch on to my amazing Deputy Editor, Taisa Veras. I can’t wait to see what next year brings!

All my best,

My time as editor-in-chief of W27 might’ve been short, but I want to take some time for the obligatory appreciation notices:

Alan Chao Jenny Djaafar Senior Designers Joyce Lim Venus Wong Illustrators Contributors: Raquel Rose Burger Ayana Bryant-Weekes Alexander Cavaluzzo Stephanie Crisan Luis Colón [ACCENT] Fernanda DeSouza Sarah Dill Georgi Dwiggins Ryann Foulke Nicole Heller Veronica Heras Kristen Irby Armah Jones Phoebe Licata Alexandra Lippy Davita Louie Whitney Miller Marissa Mule Caroline Nelson Keely-Shea Smith Marisa Spano Samantha Vance Megan Venere Mollie Yarsike Venus Wong Kevia Wright

Letter from the Art Directors will take in the fall. One of the new changes will be a new logo, which will give W27’s visual identity more character. Other changes you can expect to see next semester will include new sections and even our very own customized newspaper stand (watch out, New York Times!)

This semester, long time Art Director Zhang Qingyun and new Art Director Kári Emil Helgason, decided to redesign the paper and hope that you have enjoyed the new look. Next semester, Zhang will be leaving us to study abroad in London, but we have been strategizing with future Editor-in-Chief, Taisa Veras, about the direction that the paper

Zhang is sad to leave the team, but at the same time he is excited for W27’s promising future. We want to thank our current Editor-in-Chief, Patrick Greene, for his invaluable input. We wish everyone a great summer!

The new logo’s W comes from Scala. The number is a customized version of Univers 39.

Photo by Romer Pedron.

Best, Zhang Qingyun Kári Emil Helgason

John Simone Editorial Faculty Advisor Albert Romano Advertising Faculty Advisor

We Would Like to Thank Our Advertisers for Their Support To inquire about advertising, please email: W27Advertising@gmail.com

W27 IS PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER

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HOT THIS MONTH: DEAR INDUSTRY 10–11 Best Companies to Work For In Fashion by Marisa Spano 10 Dana DiDomenico—A Makeup Majesty by Raquel Rose Burger 11 Print Vs. Online Publications by Ayana Bryant-Weekes 11

HAUTE CULTURE 19–22 Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty by Megan Venere 19

CORRECTION A photo credit in the story “Future Mode: Paolo Martorano” published in the April 2011 issue was improperly attributed. The photo was courtesy of Joseph Irwin, not Marissa Mule.

HERE ALL THE TIME : Restaurant Review by Phoebe Licata 18

Welcome to the Boardroom

by Alexandra Lippy 4

Contemporary Fitness by Davita Louie 18 Faculty Spotlight by Samantha Vance 4 Joseph Maiorca

Outside Your Borough 20 Farmer’s Markets

Briefcase Stories 6 Future Mode by Marissa Mule 7 Flea-ting Chance by Ryann Foulke 7

Month in Review

by Alexander Cavaluzzo 21 Campus Musings

by Venus Wong and Samantha Vance 22

Designer Profile by Taisa Veras 8 Erica Domesek of P.S.–I Made This…

Comic by Siva Jack Sernvongsat 23

Beauty Buzz by Stephanie Crisan 10

Style on 27 by Armah Jones 24

Venue Review by Georgi Dwiggins 16 Feature Film Review

by Fernanda DeSouza 21 Beginners Music Review by Georgi Dwiggins 17 Book Reviews by Davita Louie 17 One Amazing Thing P.S.–I Made This

ON THE COVER: We caught up with Joe Zee at the ELLE offices on a foggy afternoon. Romer Pedron, an FIT alumnus who is profiled in this issue, took the photo. Interestingly, this was not his first time shooting Joe Zee. He had previously photographed him for his thesis project at FIT in 2009.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PERFECT FIT 4–9 PRSSA Speed Dating by Caroline Nelson 5 Spring 2011 Job & Internsip Fair by Nicole Heller 5 Briefcase Stories 6 Tony Kushner’s Musings on Life, Art, and His New Play by Alexander Cavaluzzo 9

FEATURE 12-15 Work Vs. Grad School by Luis Colón What Makes A Good Creative Director by Sarah Dill Stellar Seniors by staff Flash! Romer Pedron...You’re It by Kristen Irby

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Perfect FIT

Welcome to the Board Room Alexandra Lippy

Club budget has been a major topic for FITSA this school year. We constantly see changes and the process that the Executive Board goes through to allocate funds are as equally and fairly as possible.

For the upcoming 2011-2012 school year the budget will be based on 6,300 students paying $60 per semester for a student activities fee. That total, combined with a prorated part-time student fee that totals an estimated $50,000 makes up a grand total of $806,000.

This then leaves the Executive Board $158,690.00 extra that will be used to allocate more funds to clubs and other FITSA related costs that benefit the FIT community. Another student fee that may be implemented next year involves a topic that students who dorm will benefit by. The RHCC will be proposing a $10 fee to the Board of Trustees that will be charged to each student that resides in the residence halls with the intent of allocating that money to fix problems on a student proposed “wish list.”

The “wish list” included everything from replacing broken microwaves to redecorating the buildings’ lounge areas but because FIT does not officially own the buildings yet, housing fees go to paying off mortgage fees and Resident Assistant fees.

Therefore, RHCC will be the only department allowed to use the new funds and all decisions and changes will be made through

Faculty Spotlight: Samantha Vance Joseph Maiorca is an Assistant Psychology Professor as well as Assistant Chairperson in the social sciences department. He graduated from Fordham University with a MA in Psychometrics and School Supervision and Educational Administration. Professor Maiorca is an amazing resource for graduating students and has endless amounts of knowledge in industrial psychology. He has been teaching industrial psychology at FIT for 22 years and admits that this is the best job he’s ever had.

the discretion of those on the RHCC board.

Also, recently several FITSA Executive Board members attended the SUNY Assembly where all 64 Student Councils in the SUNY system meet, and during that meeting there was a lot of talk about community college funding from the State. Since FIT is a community college, this leads to less funding from the State. Funding programs such as TAP and specific financial aid grants will be severely cut leading to the increase in tuition.

Celeste Weins stated, “There is something that we can do about this rise in tuition. It is going up at an astronomical rate and we as students need to and will speak up to help the FIT student body and community.” This budget cut will be used to fill in the gaps of other state budget problems unrelated to education.

Sam Kloeckener attended the assembly and reacted, “We talked about working together as community colleges in order to use our student voices in Albany to explain why, we as students need this money. We are advocating for the FIT community because tuition is already a large part of many students’ frustrations.” She also mentioned how lucky FIT is to have student Weins serve on the Board of Trustees. FIT is one of the few colleges that allow the student association to have complete control over the allocation of funds and to be a “self-sustaining student government.”

Joseph Maiorca

JM: Palermo, Sicily SV: What is your favorite color?

JM: Green.

SV: What is your favorite book?

JM: The Bible.

SV: What is your greatest fear?

JM: Not spending enough time with my family.

Samantha Vance: What do you like to do in your free time?

Joseph Maiorca: Spend time with my family and friends.

SV: What is the strangest thing you’ve seen in NYC? JM: While attending Fordham University (Ph.D. program in Psychometrics), I was taped playing Stickball in The Bronx Tale on Arthur Ave.

SV: Do you speak any foreign languages?

JM: Some Italian.

SV: What is your favorite food?

JM: Lasagna!

SV:What is your favorite movie?

JM: It depends on my mood. It could range from Gone with the Wind to Scarface.

SV: What are some of your recommendations to newly graduated FIT students who are currently looking for jobs?

JM: If you are not getting responses or if you don’t have the luxury of time, I would suggest that you open your mind to a possibility of a job in which you had not necessarily envisioned yourself. You have to start somewhere and that the alchemy

SV: Do you have any pets?

JM: A crazy Shihtzu named Nero.

SV: What is the most interesting place you have visited?

of hard work and time will eventually create for you the opportunities that you are now missing. For inspiration, you might want to read the biographies of Oprah Winfrey, Associate Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor or Bill Gates.

SV: Can you suggest a few tips on how to prepare for a job interview?

JM: Be on time, stay calm, show what you know (relate what you know about the company when answering questions), and follow-up. For more practical and hands– on tips, take my industrial psychology course (SS237).

SV: What are some at-work policies and rights that most people aren’t aware of?

JM: Pay equity, sexually harassment laws, Americans with Disabilities Act, just to name a few.

SV: What are some strategies that one can apply at work in order to stand out and/or succeed?

JM: Have a positive attitude, work well on a team, communicate well with others, be prompt, or better yet be early, complete tasks quickly, never address personal matters on the clock, be diligent and bring sweet treats.

Celeste Weins; courtesy photo

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PRSSA Speed Dating Caroline Nelson

Finding love in a city of 8 million people may be overwhelming at times, but FIT’s PRSSA chapter set out to make it easier, and create opportunities, for single students.

On Friday, April 8, 2011, women from FIT went on multiple minute and a half dates with men from Columbia University, New York University, Baruch College, Pratt Institute, Stevens Institute of Technology, and the United States Military Academy at West Point as well as a handful of men from FIT. Rose petal covered tables, candy, and confetti were seen decorated across the Great Hall, which created a fun and romantic ambiance in which the event took place. The Culinary Club provided mini-sandwiches beforehand while students started to roll in, and at about 7:00 pm, seats were taken, and the speed dating event began.

The event was organized by FIT’s club PRSSA that partnered up with DateMySchool.com, the exclusive university dating site founded by Columbia graduate students Jean Meyer

and Balazs Alexa. According to a New York Times article published on February 25, 2011, Serendipity Is No Algorithm on College Dating Site, the site was created to assist busy students at Columbia who were interested in finding love on campus, but also wanted the ability to control who saw their pages. The site has grown from serving the Columbia campus exclusively, to serving NYU, Princeton, Yale, and FIT, as well as the University of California at Berkeley and Stanford University. The New York Times also reported that the site is only accessible by students with an .edu email address and allows students to choose which schools within their University can peek at their pages, as well as which colleges have access to profiles.

FIT’s PRSSA chapter president Alyssa Dreifus, 21, an Advertising and Marketing Communications Major from Brooklyn, New York, decided to collaborate with DateMySchool on this event after reading the article in The New York Times. “They were eager to work with us,” Dreifus said.

According to Dreifus, PRSSA worked in tandem with the site, attracting attention

and new users from FIT in exchange for free advertising for the event on the participating campuses. The PRSSA members also recruited the men who were selected to participate in the event.

“As chapter members with permission from their student life [offices], we entered campus and advertised on their campuses,” said Dreifus.

The tickets were sold in advance to 80 women at FIT, and another 80 to men in other colleges. “They [DateMySchool] thought it went really well. They said they’d never seen anything like it in New York City,” Dreifus said.

Dreifus hopes that Speed Dating will become an annual event at FIT due to its huge success this time around and affirmed that this year’s event raised more money for the organization than last year’s. “I think we can get it to be a publicized event that students can look forward to,” Dreifus added.

organizing the speed dating event . . . This was also a great occasion for Columbia, NYU and FIT folks to mingle a bit since there are so few cross-school events in New York. We look forward to next year’s speed dating event and are more than happy to team up with PRSSA again.”

Students from FIT seemed to share the same enthusiasm about the speed dating event as the organizers. Laura Rabuffo, a Fashion Merchandising Management major says, “I would definitely do it again.

There were quite a few good looking boys that I could potentially date one day.” Another FIT student, Alana Pace a Fashion Merchandising Management major adds, “I thought the set up was great. The long tables were perfect to fit a lot of people and easily move ‘on to the next one.’ I think I would do it again.

It was a really fun experience and will definitely be a story to tell one day because how many times do you get to say you’re going ‘speed dating?”

Alexa, co-founder of DateMySchool. com praised the student organization by saying, “PRSSA has done an amazing job

Spring 2011 Job & Internship Fair Nicole Heller

Illustrated by Joyce Lim for W27

As the Spring semester dwindles down many students at FIT may be feeling frantic in the search of summer internships and jobs with each passing day. However, FIT’s Career & Internship Center stepped up to help this semester to ease the anxiety and worry that consumes the lives of many students during this time. For the first time during the spring semester, the Career & Internship Center sponsored a Job and Internship Fair.

With nearly 50 employers in attendance including Urban Outfitters, Christian Dior, and Net-A-Porter, many students were left with resumes to review, interviews scheduled and some were even hired on the spot! About 900 students came to survey the prospective employers, and meet and greets the employers with hopes of landing success in their job or internship search. The fair was so crowded that it was hard to sometimes even see what employer was featured at their assigned tables. According to Nancy Ross, co-chair for the Career Fair, “True value isn’t the number of people attending, the value is the results… the number of job and internships actually attained.”

Even if an internship or job wasn’t a result from the fair, the event still reaped many benefits for the students who were in attendance. “Its really all about networking, putting yourself out there and getting practice”, said the Chair of the event, Pam Zuckerman, “sometimes the job fair is a student’s first contact with employers and experience interviewing… students can really get more out of it then they think just by taking the time to prepare and attend.”

The employers were impressed by of how prepared the students were and how impressive the resumes were but those in charge of the fair reminded the students to send thank you notes in order to keep a positive lasting impression. Both Zuckerman and Ross believe that many employers will hire on the fact of who follows up.

In addition to being the first job fair offered in the Spring, this is also the first time that information about the companies and what they were looking for was available to students online. With advancements in job searching the Career & Internship Center is “moving toward a more tech-savvy way,” said Zuckerman.

PERFECT FIT

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Merchandising Society Turns 50 Venus Wong

Lights! Cameras! Fashion!

The Merchandising Society has reached another milestone as it celebrated its 50th Anniversary with a breakfast banquet at the John. E. Reeves Great Hall on April 7th. Founded by Professor Nathan Axelrod in 1961, it is now the biggest club at FIT, and it is stronger and more stylish than ever.

The event began with an introduction

by Professor Robin Sackin, chair of the Fashion Merchandising and Marketing Department, who thanked the Style Shop for bringing such an unique vibrancy to

FIT. Opening remarks were then given

by Dr. Joyce F. Brown., followed by a speech from Brittany Muraca, current president of the Merchandising Society.

She expressed her gratitude on behalf of the entire club to all the past and present members who were in attendance.

Professor Jane Werner and Professor Joseph Antee, the current faculty advisers of the club, also received honorable mentions.

Merchandising Society in 1981, remarked on the promoting skills she gained while planning on-campus Flea Markets for the club; this proved to be very useful in her career later on as the owner of her own telemarketing firm. The crowd gave Newton Godnick, former advisor of the club and former Chairperson of the Fashion Buying & Merchandising Department, a warm round of applause as he shared his personal piece of history with the club. He said that working with As guests enjoyed the delectable breakfast the Merchandising Society gave him the food and delicacies, key speakers shared grasp he needed to point him in the right their special memories of the club. direction in his career. Other speakers Maureen DiBella, President of the included Jacquelyn Miranda and Shelby

Skinner, current co-managers of the style shop and Shana Gradie, a co-manager of the style shop from 1997-1999.

Over the years, the Merchandising Society has transformed into a unique platform for students to showcase their passion and creativity and be actively involved in the fashion industry. Here’s to another fifty years of style and success.

The Merchandising Society meets every Tuesday at 1pm in room D207.

The Briefcase

Climbing the Glossy Ladder: Tips from Assistant Editors at Fashion Magazines

By Venus Wong Ed2010@FIT, brought in five assistant editors on April 11th to discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of their jobs. The panelists include Brooke Danielson, assistant accessories at Glamour; Alison Girschick, fashion assistant at ELLE; Ashley Afriyie, fashion assistant at Marie Claire; Allison Watters, accessories assistant at ELLE; and Adam Risman,

assistant editor at Time Inc.

do as many internships as possible, preferably one every semester.”

Here are some of the tips they offered: 1. First and foremost: Intern, intern, and intern! Internships are like job tryouts, and the best way to build connections with industry professionals. “I could not stress enough how important interning is,” said Girschick. “You should try to

2. Be Internet conscious: “Be aware of how you present yourself on the Internet.

Keep an eye of what you put on you blog, Facebook and Twitter. You WILL get Googled!” said Danielson.

3. Get involved, be eager to impress: “If

you stick out from the rest of the interns, you will be able to move up quickly. Find that one editor that believes in you,” said Risman, “Try to get involved in your school publication if your schedule does not permit interning.”

Ed2010 have club meetings every Tuesday from 1-2pm in room A336, for more information contact fit.eoc@ed2010.com.

“Get to Work on Getting a Job”

By Whitney Miller Looking for a job can be a full-time position in itself with writing cover letters, traveling to interviews, and sending out emails. Yet it can, and more importantly, needs to be done. The first place to look is deep within you, says Andrew Cronan, Director of FIT’s newly integrated Career and Internship Center at FIT, during the on-campus event “Get to work on getting a job.” The career center offers great opportunities for students to meet their needs and wants, which will ultimately lead to positions in the ever-changing workplace. The average person will change job careers about 7 to

9 times, and many of these jobs probably have not even been developed yet.

Once a career, industry and company is chosen, the next step is research. Helen Lane, Head of Research and Instructional Services at FIT, advises to check FIT’s career collection resources located next to the reference desk in the FIT Library.

Websites such as http://fitnyc.libguides. com/careers and Hoover.com can be used for in-depth information regarding companies and their current news, but they’re only accessible until graduation so taking advantage of these resources at FIT are crucial.

Only 10 to 15% of jobs are acquired through job posts whereas the majority of jobs secured are found through social networking. This is why networking plays such an important role in the job search because it will create better opportunities and rapport with an HR or hiring personnel rather than through an online resume.

Shari Simberkoff, Director of Human Resources at Eileen Fisher, believes the “person who will get hired is the person most prepared.” She looks for interviewees who speak from their heart and come into the interview with knowledge about the company’s history

and the possible ventures it might be heading in. This might include bringing a list of questions made from research on the company. She also mentioned that in 2009, her company ended up offering positions to interns and temporary employees rather than looking for outside hires.

In conclusion, one must work hard, be patient, and take advantage of FIT’s resources and professional experts on campus who are available to help with any job and career search questions.

The Career Center is located in room B202.

FIT’s “Masquerade Ball” located at Oheka Castle

By Kevia Wright and Taisa Veras The theme of this year’s FIT Formal was “Victorian Masquerade Ball” which allowed students to get creative with their attire choices. Students were greeted on a cobblestone driveway into a grand entrance hall of Oheka Castle, located on Long Island, and where Kevin Jonas

got hitched, with a very “Gossip Girlesque” stairway that led students into the cocktail hour dining hall. Various dinning stations were set up inside the grand luxurious rooms. A poker table was set up, which was a hit amongst the guys who attended the event; guests could win additional raffle tickets for prizes such as

a Macbook Air, the new iPad 2 in white and black, or $500 American Express gift certificates. Each room in the castle had different activities such as a tarot card reader, a photographer on-site to take photos of students and guests, which were given out at the end of the night within a frame, and a piano room. Dinning and

dancing took place in the main dining hall with a fun group of DJs that provided party favors such as light up rings and hats. The Ball was a glamorous event, and an excuse to dress up and escape the mundane routine of student life.

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Future Mode:

Candy Land, Sweet Fashion Marissa Mule

Coco Chanel once noted, “In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different.” This month, I had the opportunity to interview not only my best friend, but someone who will definitely make an impact in her fashion career. Laura Rabuffo is an aspiring fashion buyer who’s not only a Fashion Merchandising and Management major student, but also devotes her time to creative projects and fashion shows presented by the school. This month, she and her classmates are organizing a fashion show for their Creative Presentation class with the theme of “candy.” Life for Laura truly is “sweet,” as she is an inspiration for those looking to excel as fashion buyers.

Marissa Mule: How did the idea to create a fashion show come about?

Laura Rabuffo: For starters, this show is for my Creative Presentation class.

We have to put together a fashion show, and decide what kind of style goes along with our theme. We decided on “Candy State of Mind” for our theme which is a mix of candy and New York. The project was assigned by Professor Waites. It’s more about the preparation for the show, rather then the style. We had to create a PR firm and send out a press release. We had to the design the invites and even find our own models for the show. It was an extensive project that took the whole

semester to prepare for. I am really excited to see the end product of what we created.

Its fun, trendy, young, yet sophisticated.

Our target customer is based on a working woman ready to get out and have some fun. NYC was the perfect setting for this theme. None of this would have been possible without my group mates, Tyler Everheart, Sarah Rosen, and Dena Edery.

MM: Who’s your inspiration in both life, and/or for your fashion show?

LR: My all-around fashion inspiration is Kate Middleton. I especially loved her dress for the wedding. She was an accessory buyer in Britain, and I definitely want to follow in her footsteps. For the fashion show, we chose to base our designs and presentation off of a candy land theme with a entwined with New York City. So, we titled our presentation as “Candy State of Mind.”

MM: What are your strengths and weaknesses?

LR: One of my strengths is that I am a good communicator. I have excellent people skills. My weakness is that I get stressed out way to easily.

MM: What is your dream job?

LR: My dream job is to be a buyer for a high-end department stores such as Saks 5th Avenue or Bloomingdales.

MM: Who’s your style icon?

LR: I love Taylor Swift. She is a strong young woman who puts up with a lot of criticism. The fashion industry is very competitive and critical.

MM: What is your favorite aspect about FIT? LR: I love that we are located in the heart of Manhattan.

MM: At what age did you fall in love with fashion?

LR: Probably at around one year old when my mother put me in my pink onesie.

MM: Does your style reflect who you are?

LR: Yes. I dress professionally and think that is how you are supposed to work. You need to be polished to succeed.

MM: In talking about your style, what kind of style will your fashion show showcase?

LR: Everything is bright. The accessories are a secret for now, but they are definitely shocking.

MM: Where and when is the fashion show taking place?

LR: The fashion show will be held in room A321 on Monday, May 16th at 3pm.

Flea-ting Chance:

Graduation Goes Vintage I saw people wearing sandals this week.

Shorts too. I never thought I would see a warm spring day after the brutal long winter we had. Graduation Day is literally right around the corner. The caps and gowns have been ordered. Alterations and accessorizing for them have already begunwe do go to a fashion school after all.

Though I am not graduating this year, I would still recommend wearing vintage dress to graduation is a great option. I wore one for my high school graduation, and I was so happy that I didn’t have the same dress as another girl, but I can’t say the same for everyone else. To me, that is true horror, and honestly, why risk it?

After graduation take some time to

Hester Street Fair; courtesy of jerseydiary.blogspot.com

Ryann Foulke

wander around the city, visit the vintage store down the street you always wanted to. Selling your clothes at Beacon’s Closet is not a bad idea considering the fact that those dreaded student loans will have to be paid off at some point. If you’re going home for the summer search around the towns near you for some vintage/thrift stores. Whenever I go home, even if it is just for the weekend, I always make sure to go to Tova’s Vintage in Old Saybrook, CT. I find the most amazing pieces when I go and I never leave empty handed. Tove is an FIT alumnus so I love going in to see her and update her about the school.

With spring in full swing, street markets have begun creeping out of hiding from the bitter cold winter. Hester Street Fair is my favorite. It opened for the season

on May 7th, and will stay open every Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm. When I visited it in the fall, celebrity chef Bethanny Frankel was filming her TV show Bethenny Getting Married? there.

Frankel described the feeling of eating a Sigmund Aged Cheddar-and-Truffle pretzel as “Better than sex.” The street fair has clothing and food booths, which basically are my two favorite things.

School may be ending, but your love of fashion doesn’t need to cease. Take some days to unwind, go shopping or sell your clothes and make a few extra bucks before the real world comes knocking.

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Erica Domesek of P.S.–I MADE THIS...

Designer Profile:

Taisa Veras “Crafting as a career? I never expected my life to take this route. Instead of a yellow brick road I got a multicolored one with rhinestones and glue guns,” exclaimed Erica Domesek, founder of P.S.–I MADE THIS..., during a half and hour-long phone interview. The tone in her voice exuded an elation that shows that she’s a happy person doing, or better yet, making what she loves.

Domesek took “the road less traveled” as she described her collegiate path, she attended Rollins College and later transferred to a small liberal arts school called Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida. She studied fashion merchandising in the business program at Lynn and even though she wasn’t in a fashion capital such as New York, she immersed herself in the fashion industry by launching her own jewelry line called ‘Belle and Jacks’ with her best friend Jackie Trebilcock. “I was 19 years old and I was selling to Saks, doing trunk shows, attending Fashion Week, meeting with all the buyers, and being shot for editorial campaigns when I wasn’t even old enough to have a cocktail,” said Domesek.

Trebilcock still works with Domesek and she fondly described how they met in Intro to Textiles class, “We sat next to each other and she said, ‘I like your watch,’ and I said, ‘I like your glasses.’

To this day we joke that we would never wear them now but at the time they were the coolest things to have.” It is obvious that Domesek values friendships and throughout her career she admits having met “amazing people” such as the Fashion Director of Golf Digest magazine, Marty Hackel, who she met while working part-time at the Ralph Lauren store in Palm Beach. “Marty marched with me up and down Conde Nast introducing me to editors to show my jewelry line. He saw how passionate I was about what I was making and who I was as a person,” said Domesek.

The jewelry line was Domesek’s first start-up on her own as a young designer and stylist aspiring to work in fashion, however a few years later an event changed her life forever. “I was backstage at Fashion Week wearing a necklace that I had made, and someone said ‘I love your necklace’ and I said ‘Thanks, P.S.–I MADE THIS...,’” said Domesek, “And then I started a Tumblr and before I knew it got out there.”

Domesek was one of the first bloggers that emerged from a sea of thousands of bloggers as one of the most successful and influential. The P.S.–I MADE THIS... brand grew from a blog to a book and it is now a media company. Last September, the launch of the book P.S.–I Made This... has helped brand has grow immensely and has inspired other bloggers to launch DIY blogs. “There are so many other blogs that have started which is incredible,” admits Domesek.

P.S.–I MADE THIS... has an array of future projects and collaborations coming this summer including a Summer DIY series of live events throughout New York City that will kick off in June. The project is also an eco-friendly venture because people will be able to re-use items that they already have and make new things.

Domesek’s favorite words are: “Reuse, repurpose, and reinvent.” Giving back is a huge part of Domesek’s motive for her company and she strongly believes that anyone can “do well by doing good.”

Erica Domesek; courtsey photo

P.S. FIT will be hosting a book signing with the author of P.S.–I MADE THIS, Erica Domesek at the FIT Barnes and Noble on Thursday, May 19th from 4-7pm. Erica will show how to DIY your own scarf so bring a t-shirt to the event!

W27 Giveaway: Tweet “W27DIY” to @W27Newspaper to enter to win an autographed copy of P.S.–I MADE THIS. Fringe Scarf; courtsey photo

P.S.–I MADe THIS; courtsey photo

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MAY ‘11

Tony Kushner’s Musings on Life, Art, and His New Play Alexander Cavaluzzo

Angels in America, the two part, sevenhour masterful work of epic theatre that brought playwright Tony Kushner to the forefront of American culture nearly twenty years ago, is as beautifully crafted a drama as it is a dizzying agglomeration of ideas. Within over sixty scenes serious political concepts bounce off of pop culture references, tender displays of pain and suffering are peppered with deadpan humor, and outbreaks of violence transform into moments of heartfelt love. It’s a wonder to consider what kind of mind can so perfectly compose these disparate elements into a single work, but speaking with Kushner, if only for an hour, puts things into perspective.

While he admits to having avoided the FIT campus on occasion (because, as he says, it blocks your way between 7th and 8th Avenues) America’s most pre-eminent living playwright sat down with a panel of four FIT students recently to discuss his work, thoughts, and outlook on the world today. His logorrheic answers to simple questions are, with a little editing, worthy of being monologues in a play. His dramatic stories and insightful observations show how quickly his mind works and the breadth of his knowledge on nearly every subject, and his ability to deftly segue from Project Runway to Kant’s concept of the Categorical Imperative in a single breath, illustrates how he’s able to pack so much into his plays so skillfully.

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information and news, ”he says. Kushner suggests that reading is in fact one of the most powerful tools to develop one’s mind, and almost obviously so, as he says, “the ability to read critically, to think critically, is an essential faculty for understanding the world.”

His latest work, The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures (now playing at the Public Theater) continues his span of politically-charged plays. It tells the story of a retired longshoreman and lifelong member of the Communist Party USA (CPUSA)— who’s going to know what cpusa is? member, Gus Marcantonio, who gathers his family together to discuss his plans of suicide. Kushner describes it as a “really long, dark and contradictory” play that resonates with audiences. Originally produced and staged at the Guthrie in Minneapolis two years ago, the highly anticipated play was finally brought to New York this Spring.

Tony Kushner; courtesy of minneapolis.broadwayworld.com

Often what I find is the play will take shape when I begin to figure out how these things that don’t seem connected connect,” Though born in Manhattan, Kushner spent his formative years in the Deep South before returning to New York to attend Columbia in the mid ‘70s. There he had unknowingly stepped into a seminal period of experimental theater, where he was exposed to the brilliant theatrical minds­of Richard Foreman, Robert Wilson, Elizabeth LeCompte, Lee Breuer, and JoAnne Akailitis, among others­— that would pave the way for his work. He continued his education at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts where he pursued an MFA not, surprisingly, in Dramatic Writing, but in Directing. During his course of study there, he taught expository writing to students of ballet. His key pedagogical method, an almost deceptively simple one, was to have the dancers read the newspaper each and every day: “They weren’t doing it at that point, and it was incredibly exciting to see them get hooked on the business of absorbing

While the political is inextricably bound with his work, Kushner does not believe art should be created with the intention of being political. A play or any other work of art developed around a single message will, according to him, crash and burn under the reductive limits of such a concept. He believes that art possesses an indirect power that is comparable to “the relationship of the sleeper to the dream” and once an artist tries to challenge that dynamic, his work suffers. He’s not at all concerned with trying to influence people with his work; the theatre—in his opinion, attracts progressive people because that kind of art challenges an audience and forces them to face difficult questions and travel to difficult places. Conservatives simply aren’t his audience. “They say don’t preach to the converted, but that’s idiotic. My Rabbi doesn’t preach to a congregation of Southern Baptists every Shabbat,” says Kushner.

This kind of reduction of a work to a single point could never actually exist within one of Kushner’s plays. Just as his mind leaps from topic to topic, so do his plays. “Often what I find is the play will take shape when I begin to figure out how these things that don’t seem connected connect,” Kushner says of his creative process. He remarks that some of his plays belong to a genre that German dramatist Johann Wolfgang von Goethe describes as “the incommensurables,” plays that, for whatever reason, do not contain that one scene in a play where all of the conflicting themes and motifs galvanize into a single juncture where the audience realizes that “these things that they felt were private and singular

and personal are actually shared by everyone at this moment, which is an enormously powerful thing.” He counts iHo and Perestroika among his incommensurables, suggesting that they are usually the second part of a more structured work. “Maybe that’s the way creativity works,” Kushner says, “I don’t know which is better, but one is much more taut and perfectly shaped and the other is a sort of gigantic shambolic mess that’s very rich.”

However, his eschewing the didactic in art should not be a cue to ignore advice from him. The topics tackled in Millennium Approaches and Perestroika, ranging from AIDS to global warming to the Republican revolution, are just as relevant and pressing today as they were twenty years ago when they were first staged. Comparatively, nearly all of the themes in his subsequent work reflect some matter that has greatly impacted American society; most explicitly, his 2001 play Homebody/Kabul dealt with Afghanistan and rehearsals began mere days before the attacks of September 11th. His partner of seven years, Entertainment Weekly writer Mark Harris, suggested his drag name be Eera Lee Prescient (Eerily Prescient) because of his shrewd extrasensory perception.

But Kushner is not as impressed with his apparent psychic abilities as the rest of us are. “The honest truth is if you write about current events there’s a pretty good chance that the things you’re writing about are going to current,” he says.

Kushner may not be one to instruct his audience, but he does believe that we should all be political activists, positing that we have two careers: our primary position, whether that be writing or designing or healing or crunching numbers, and our second duty as citizens of a democracy, to be agents of history through activism. He’ll never run for public office, though, mostly because he’s an admittedly extremely unorganized person, and he enjoys the lack of symmetry and neatness that comes with writing plays. Like most of us, he actively pursues his second career as activist, but, explains Kushner, his primary work is writing, “On one level it’s magical, but on another, like Brecht says, it is just work. That’s the real secret of writing: it’s just sitting down with a pen and starting it.”

W27

Dear Industry

Beauty Buzz: Uncle Funky’s Daughter Stephanie Crisan

For years now I’ve been on a quest for hair products that will work wonders on my long, thick, tangled mess of curls.

I have tried, and will try, anything and everything to control my mane. During the summer months, hair products become increasingly important to me as I spend most of my summers down south. In extremely hot, humid weather my hair becomes especially dry and frizzy. Needless to say, with summer just around the corner, I was thrilled to try a new line of curly hair products called Uncle Funky’s Daughter.

I was instantly drawn to the 70’s vibe of the brand. I thought the packaging, although simple, was really fun and fittingly funky. I tested out Uncle Funky’s Daughter Rich & Funky Moisturizing Cleanser and the Richee Rich Moisturizing Conditioner. The products are chock full of moisturerich botanical ingredients like jojoba oil, avocado seed oil, and sunflower seed oil, as well as extracts of rosemary, willow bark, and comfrey – just to name a few. Both the Rich & Funky Moisturizing Cleanser and the Richee

Rich Moisturizing Conditioner are free of mineral oil, sulfates, parabens, and synthetic dyes.

Photo by Taisa Veras

I found the scent of the Rich & Funky Moisturizing Cleanser a little strong, but liked the feel and consistency of the product. As for the Richee Rich Moisturizing Conditioner, I give it four stars! The product smells great and feels great. As the name suggests it is a very rich, thick, creamy conditioner.

Richee Rich Moisturizing Conditioner detangled my hair with ease, which was a nice break for me and my comb.

When I rinsed it out and let my curly locks dry, my hair was indeed super soft but not even slightly greasy (which is often a problem with rich conditioning products). Overall, I am a fan and recommend giving these products a try.

After all, it’s all about what works for you. As for me, I am definitely looking forward to trying other Uncle Funky’s Daughter styling products in the near future.

Best Companies to Work for in Fashion Marissa Spano

There’s no question starting your job search after college is an anxiety-filled time and most people don’t want a job that doesn’t provide a fun and rewarding experience.Working in fashion should be exciting and that’s why Zappos, the online apparel and shoe store, and Nike Inc top the chart of best fashion companies to work for.

Working for Zappos provides an unique experience that you can seldom find working anywhere else. Their motto is to add a little weirdness to the workplace, and employees are known for throwing spontaneous parades in the office. Stressed about the job interview?

Well don’t be. Zappos job interviews take place in soothing but exciting environments such as rooms where that are celebrity-themed— definitely something you wouldn’t see in a standard office. The questions asked on the interview are fun and surprisingly laid-back and the company looks for propective employees who don’t take themselves too seriously. Working at the headquarters in Las Vegas offers you free lunches, 25-cent vending machines and a full time life coach who’s always on staff.

Think that sounds great? Wait, it gets even better: senior employees and junior hires receive the same benefits. Anyone who has a good sense of humor would

have the time of their life working here.

Interested in staying fit and feeling comfortable? Working for Nike Inc would be an excellent choice. The company is staffed with energetic, athletic people and as an employee, you receive a 50 percent discount on all Nike Inc products. Employees also receive discounts on brands such as Hurley, Converse and Cole Haan. The headquarters, located in Oregon, are absolutely beautiful. The headquarters is equipped with a fitness center, pool, climbing walls and trails. Nike recently received the Gigaton Award for energy saving programs aimed at reducing

global greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, their management team is understanding and flexible with time off and they even let you wear comfortable, fun work attire.

So keep these stellar companies in mind while your scouring the want ads. They may not be in New York City, but all the perks definitely outweigh that minor detail.

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FIT

MAY ‘11

Dana DiDomenico–A Makeup Majesty Raquel Rose Burger

Dana DiDomenico graduated from The Fashion Institute of Technology in 2008 with a degree in Advertising and Marketing Communications. For over a year she has been blogging about the cosmetic industry and is currently working for Estee Lauder. She sat down to open up about her experience at FIT and how she got to where she is today.

Raquel Rose Burger: How long ago did you start your blog and how did you come up with the idea of doing so?

Dana DiDomenico: My first post was in March of 2010. I’ve been makeup addicted since birth. As a little girl, my father worked for Victoria’s Secret Beauty and I idolized him (and still do!) I would try to impress him by concocting my own makeup – which was mixing existing nail polishes together and giving the “new” color a creative name. I begged him to bring my creations to work to show his boss what a great job I’d done. Ever since, I’ve been hooked. I’m constantly looking for new ways to be creative – through photography, creating collages, various crafts and so on. Having interned and worked in the cosmetics industry since

15years old, and with my obsessive knowledge of makeup products, I thought starting a blog would be a great fit for me.

events in the industry, celebrities, color stories or trends, anything that’s new and fresh makes onto the pages of my blog.

RRB: What did you learn at FIT that you feel has truly helped you in the “real world”?

DD: Learning to interact with different personalities. I enjoyed my time at FIT so much, partly because I got to share my experience with so many talented and creative people that I wouldn’t have otherwise met if we hadn’t gone to the same college. In the fashion and cosmetics industry, there are many strong personalities that you come across, which can be both exciting and challenging at the same time. How you deal with others is what makes all the difference in your career.

RRB: How is it working at Estee Lauder?

DD: It’s a dream come true! I started off interning in Product Development for Estee Lauder as part of my senior internship at FIT. After graduating, I started working for MAC Cosmetics in Demand Planning which I loved! Now, I’m back working for the Estee Lauder brand. The excitement and positive energy behind a new product launch is something that never gets old for me.

RRB: Where do you find all of the cool items and content that you post on your blog?

DD: Often times, it starts with a random trip to Sephora or Ulta. I’ll stroll down the aisles of beautiful, shiny objects and marvel at the choices in front of me. If a lipstick catches my eye, I’ll grab it, try it and blog about it. Other times, it’s current

RRB: Top beauty secret you live by?

DD: Curl your eyelashes before applying mascara. It makes all the difference and will make your eyes look bigger.

RRB: What intrigues you about the cosmetic industry?

DD: Its continuous evolution. It never ceases to amaze me the creativity of people that invent new makeup products on a daily basis. Sometimes you think you’ve found the best mascara, then a newer and better version will come along

and blow the old one out of the water.

Today, there are so many brands to chose from and it’s almost paralyzing walking into a department store’s cosmetics floor.

For me, cosmetics is trial and error.

When I try a new product, I love sharing my experience with my blog followers, in hopes that I can make the process of choosing makeup a little easier, and also gaining their feedback!

RRB: How do you promote your blog?

DD: I don’t formally advertise, but I do use social networking such as Twitter to interact with other makeup enthusiasts and gain more readers. My family and friends are so great about reading and passing my site along to others.

For more information about Dana DiDomenico’s blog please visit www. makeupmajesty.blogspot.com or follow her @MakeupMajesty.

Print vs. Online Publications Ayana Bryant-Weekes

The iPad, Kindle, and Nook are the driving forces behind the rise in digital publication. Since these devices flourished in what appears to be an overnight surge, more and more magazines have taken their focus off of the classic glossy pages of print media, and shifted in the direction of digital media. What does this mean for aspiring journalists and magazine editors? The lingering question among students seems to be, “Which industry will I have the best chance to be successful in?” Though print media is not completely out of the picture, it is not as strong as it used to be. Digital media is on the rise, but it is still in the trial-anderror stage.

The Ad Age Group listed 27 magazines that folded when the economic downturn and digital transition took its toll on the industry, moreover one-fourth of those magazines were brand extended; Men’s Vogue, Vogue Living, Cosmo Girl, and O at Home all made the list. These failures can

be attributed to a mishap in executing one or more of the “5 Rights” in marketing.

Their parent companies, however, still remain valuable resources throughout all the turmoil. Even more good news is that fashion-driven magazines are in the top ten best -selling magazine categories. When discussing the demise of ELLEGirl, Jack Kliger, CEO of Hachette Filipacchi Media, noted, “We recognize that there are times when print works best,” that ELLEGirl would continue to publish a few special issues, but “the day will never come when there is no print version of ELLE.” His statement echoes the feeling of many magazines that made the transition, confirming the permanent state of the print media industry.

On the other end of the spectrum lies digital media. The difficulty presented with this industry is the fact that people, particularly Americans, aren’t reading, let alone reading online. Young readers who have been exposed to alternative

learning methods such as video, audio, animation and interactive content aren’t satisfied with “reading,” and older readers who haven’t quite grasped the concept of technology in general will be more reluctant to make the digital switch. This leaves a narrow channel of consumers, and what is a product without consumers?

Digital media’s rise to mass acceptance could be considered a ripple effect. Many magazines caught on to consumers’ comfort with online interaction, beginning with online shopping and reaching what seemed to be its peak with social media. Job openings in this industry could be considered more readily available and easier to negotiate since the industry is relatively new. Employers will be more open to suggestions and innovative ideas that could push the industry standards to new heights; because of this they will also feel less obligated to put restraints on artistic ideas. This is the ideal situation for

entry level writers, journalists, and other industry hopefuls who more than often deal with the frustrations of creative limits.

In order to choose the right industry, the biggest factor to take into account is your personal risk level. Each industry has a certain amount of security as well as a possibility of failure and it all depends on what you have to lose. Both industries appear to meet needs that have been made permanent.

W27

GRADUATION FEATURE Work vs. Grad School

By Luis Colón

Confused on whether or not to jump right into a graduate degree after graduation? Dr. Frank Koe, Acting Dean of FIT’s Jay and Patty Baker School of Business and Technology sheds some light on a tough—and expensive!—decision for students.

Luis Colón: What did you do before coming to FIT? Frank Koe: My background involves essentially two areas- Academics and Business. I have worked at universities as a faculty member and administrator and have also established my own business based on sporting goods accessories I have developed and sell to stores like K-Mart, Sports Authority and Walmart. I have found that both my experience in academics and business has helped me relate to most of the ten programs, faculty and students in our school. Our newest department is Entrepreneurship for the Fashion and Design Industries. This has the potential of being an exciting program for students who desire to know if their ideas are opportunities.

LC: What are the benefits of going into a graduate program at FIT? Are there any prerequisites?

FK: Certainly one of the benefits of attending graduate school is to have a chance to study a subject that you should be deeply interested in, and hopefully, make you more marketable in the workplace. The programs FIT has at the graduate level relate in many ways to our undergraduate programs. For instance, Global Fashion Management and Cosmetics & Fragrance Marketing. Most graduate programs across the country require work experience and our programs here at FIT are no different. If you don’t have that requisite experience, there is a good chance that you may not be able to enter the program of your choice.

LC: What advice do you have for current students who plan on entering the work force versus enrolling in a graduate program?

FK: I think you have to be very careful about what career path you intend to take if you plan on going to graduate school. There are a lot of questions you need to ask about time, effort and funds you will need to achieve a graduate degree. I think there is a lot of value in attending graduate school but if your profession does not require an advanced degree then one could argue, why go to graduate school. However, generally speaking, graduate school brings advantages such as enhancing networking capabilities and increasing the prospects of a greater salary. And certainly gaining additional knowledge makes you a more valued employee. But sometimes an employer can value experience over an advanced degree. If you have not looked critically at your career path and where you want to go, there is no real guarantee that a graduate degree is going to put you on a fast track in your chosen line of work.

LC: Can you note anything else about attending a graduate program?

FK: It is interesting to note that a person with a bachelors degree could expect to earn up to about $52,000 a year, a masters over $62,000 and with a doctorate almost $90,000. These salaries are, of course, are dependent on where you live and what the demand is for your skills. Typically, the more education you receive the more money you make, but this not always true especially in this economy. One advantage of going into a graduate program shortly after receiving a bachelors degree is that your skills to succeed in a classroom environment are current. You know how to write papers, take tests and ‘how to be a

student.’ But if you wait five or ten years after your bachelors degree to return to the classroom you may have more difficulty dealing with the work, especially if you are working at the same time.

LC: Is there a certain percentage of students that continue from FIT’s bachelors programs into its graduate programs?

FK: I am unaware of the exact percentage of FIT students who eventually matriculate in our graduate programs. My sense is that the number is fairly small. As of last fall, there were a total of 196 students enrolled FIT graduate programs.

As noted earlier, students must have appropriate experience to apply and I believe that when FIT students graduate with their undergraduate degree they are most interested in finding employment.

Acting Dean Koe is an excellent example of the amazing administrators and faculty we have here at FIT. He is author of the book Fabric for the Designed Interior, which won Honorable Mention for the American Society of Interior Designers Foundation Joel Polsky Prize; an award given for outstanding academic contributions to the field of design. While writing the text, Dr. Koe was named Writer-in-Residence at the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution in New York City.

For More information on FIT’s graduate programs, visit fitnyc.edu/graduateadmissions.

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FIT

What Makes a Good Creative Director?

MAY ‘11 “My page was pretty popular with Lucky readers, so I just decided to boil it down to its essence, which was ‘how do I get that girl’s look?’” Linett explained, “I figured people would want to ‘meet’ real women too, so we switch the blog between photos and illustrations.”

Joe Zee; photographed by Romer Pedron Opposite: Liza Deyrmenjian with Joshua Williams, courtesy of fashionconsort.com

By Sarah Dill

For some students and recent post graduates, the idea of becoming a creative director is only a mere aspiration, but to ELLE magazine’s creative director, Joe Zee, Andrea Linett, creative director at eBay’s fashion department, and Liza Deyrmenjian, founder and CEO of Afingo.com, it became a reality.

“

On Tuesday, April 5th, The School of Art & Design hosted “What Makes a Good Creative Director” moderated by Joshua Williams, Principal of FashionConsort. com and Adjunct Professor for FIT’s School of Art & Design. The event featured the three creative powerhouses as panelists who spoke for over an hour to a packed audience of FIT students, alumni, and faculty in the Katie Murphy Amphitheater. The panelists revealed what exactly a creative director does and how they reached their current positions.

After graduating, Zee reached out to top fashion companies to transition from FIT to the real world. This came as an easy move due to his strong commitment, keen sense of style and creative eye. “Nothing prepares you for the real world: That’s only going to come with life experiences,” Zee explained. While at FIT, Zee quickly

“I love that [ELLE] is completely and utterly different every single day because I thrive on insanity. My mind works best while multi-tasking, so having my hands in a million different things on a daily basis keeps me going. That's my inspiration,” he said. Zee’s success was a result of the non-stop need for original and unique ideas as well as hard work.

Nothing prepares you for the real world: That’s only going to come with life experiences.” —Joe Zee Having to constantly come up with fresh ideas is hard, but Zee suggests, “Stay current, think unconventionally and be curious. You are only as good as what you're passionate about. Do something because you genuinely love the product and not because what you think the experience will be like. Nine times out of ten, it's not what you're going to expect and be ready to take detours in your path because that will be the best journey of all.”

Joe Zee, Creative Director of ELLE Magazine Once the Editor-in-Chief of W27 Newspaper, Zee is currently the Creative Director of ELLE and is busy starring in his new hit TV show All On The Line, attending exclusive fashion events and styling photo shoots. Becoming a creative director wasn’t always the main focus for Zee after graduating from FIT with his degree in advertising and marketing communications. While at FIT he was heavily involved with extracurricular activities; leading him to his love for creativity, fashion and hard work. “Working on W27 was some of the best practical training I could get,” Zee recounted, “At that time there wasn’t a ton of student involvement and I did almost everything: writing stories, covering events, styling pictures, creating sections and even the distribution and advertising.”

befriended frequent collaborator and FIT alum, Carter Smith. “We were akin in the way we thought; we knew exactly what we wanted to accomplish together and we did that at W27,” noted Zee. Today, Carter Smith is a highly celebrated fashion photographer, often doing shoots for Allure, GQ and all the covers of ELLE.

Andrea Linett; courtesy photo

Her commitment to iwanttobeher.com and her job at Ebay, there is never a typical day for Linett. She has her hands full everyday with conference calls in her San Jose office, on location photo shoots and traveling from New York to California. Her one advice to up-andcoming fashionistas is to “not have your eye on the prize. I never said, ‘I want to be a creative director.’ What I wanted was to be in the publishing industry, working in fashion and I stayed with it.”

Andrea Linett, Creative Director of Ebay Fashion and Founder of iwanttobeher.com More and more people are starting to believe that the digital world is taking over the print industry, but for Andrea Linett—who has dabbled in both worlds—having a firm grasp on her career prepared her for where she is now.

From her experience as the founding creative director of Lucky Magazine and her current position at Ebay Fashion, Linett found her niche in the market and founded iwanttobeher.com.

Liza Deyrmenjian, Founder of afingo.com Liza Deyrmenjian created Afingo.com as an easy outlet for contractors, designers, and all those passionate for fashion design. To her, networking and working as a team is a vital part of the fashion industry. “FIT is amazing at giving us the opportunity to explain to students what it is that we do, which help brings press and traffic to our site,” Deyrmenjian explained, “It’s a different type of networking, which I enjoy much more.”

Since launching the site in January 2010, afingo.com has gained popularity around the world because of its one stop destination for industry networking, essential basics for designers, and an exclusive gateway for consumers to keep up with the latest trends. “We knew what the focus was of what people were looking for, so now the content is going to be more getting it made focused: how to find pattern makers, how to find factories, what trade deals are going on, but in an interesting way,” she shared.

After gaining recognition in numerous trade shows, fashion events, and even just word of mouth, Deyrmenjian has big plans for the newly successful site.

“In May we launch our match feature,” she announced. Designers trying to find the right contractors will be a snap.

Deymenjian’s creative, marketing and PR teams are working on a plan to get the word out.

To learn more visit: iwanttobeher.com afingo.com elle.com fashion.ebay.com

FEATURE

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W27

Stellar Seniors Davita Louie W27 Newspaper Columnist Major: Fashion Merchandising Management How many semesters have you completed at FIT? Eight.

Please give a brief summary of activities.

This semester I’m a columnist for W27 and a peer writing consultant at the Writing Studio. Other semesters I was President of FITSA in the Florence, Italy program, Ed Skills mentor and peer leader, resident assistant and student ambassador. I’ve also been involved with Merchandising Society, the I Love New York Club, and the Chabad Club.

where everyone is passionate about writing and willing to share parts of themselves and their lives.

If you were to visit FIT in five years, what do you hope to see different?

I would love to see more interaction and collaboration of students with different majors and backgrounds.

What are your plans postgraduation?

Right after graduation I plan to travel to Costa Rica and hopefully do some backpacking in that area.

I will then start full-time as the assistant editor at The Doneger Group and after a few months I hope to get a puppy!

What was your favorite class at FIT? My favorite class at FIT is one I am currently in right now, Creative Non-Fiction with Professor Melissa Tombro. This class has really challenged me as a writer and I have learned a lot of new techniques. It also helps that I’m a part of such a great class

Kevia Wright W27 Newspaper Senior Editor Major: Cosmetic and Fragrance Marketing How many semesters have you completed at FIT? 8 semesters.

Please give a brief summary of activities.

FITSA First Vice President, FIT Volleyball Team, FIT Cross Country Team, Contributing Writer for CFM's Beauty blog, beautyfits. com, FIT Student Affairs Committee, Friends in Touch Committee, W27 Senior Editor & Writer, Snow Club FITSA Rep & Secretary, Merchandising Society, NYC Road Runners.

What was your favorite class at FIT? Public Speaking, Cosmetic Product Knowledge—very tough, but learned a lot, Art in India, and Asian Philosophy.

Christina Campagnoli Major: Accessories Design How many semesters have you completed at FIT?

If you were to visit FIT in five years, what do you hope to see different?

I have completed eight semesters at FIT as an Accessory Design major and Art History minor.

If I were to visit FIT in five years I would love to see all the sewing machines and equipment work properly and be up to date!

Please give a brief summary of activities.

What are your plans postgraduation?

I am the president of the Accessories Design Club, a Presidential Scholar, and played volleyball my freshman and sophomore year at FIT.

I plan to continue studying footwear pattern making and technical design at Ars Sutoria in Milan, Italy from September to December 2011.

What was your favorite class at FIT? My favorite class has been my senior thesis course from this current semester. I love having the creative freedom to design and construct what I thought fit the exhibition theme best.

Zed Yasay

If you were to visit FIT in five years-what do you hope to see different?

Major: Packaging Design How many semesters have you completed at FIT?

If you were to visit FIT in five years-what do you hope to see different?

I would hope to see more club and extra-curricular activities available to students such as sports teams. It is hard to meet many people and create a campus feel here at FIT and outside activities help create those friendships. I would like to see FIT become a more environmentally-friendly campus, as well.

What are your plans postgraduation?

I am taking three weeks off to go to Costa Rica and Los Angeles. Then I start my job at a small entrepreneurial skincare company called Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare where I will be the public relations and marketing assistant.

At FIT I have completed six semesters, I came from a previous college which made me a transfer student. I guess you can place me under one of those “super senior” categories since I am completing my fifth year of college.

Please give a brief summary of activities.

As a freshman I wanted to join every club. I signed up for salsa, sustainability, merchandising, and yearbook.

Unfortunately homework got ahold of me and those dwindled down to just being involved with PK club (packaging club).

What was your favorite class at FIT? I think this is a hard question.

Generally all my classes were my favorite, but if I had to pick just one it would be bookbinding. Overall, it’s just an odd class in general.

As a kid I was obsessed with making small little drawing books that I could take with me, so it’s a little weird that I took a class in college to sew and construct my own books.

Definitely the C building.

Being someone who spends countless nights at school doing homework, I would love to see what they do to improve the layout of the school. I am a big fan and admirer of sustainable architecture so I want to see how the plans for the C building will flesh out. Who knows, maybe I will come back and take classes just to sit in the new C squared building.

What are your plans postgraduation?

TO RELAX! Right now the most stressing thing in my life is school so I can’t wait to just stop working and enjoy the fruits of my labor. I am currently booked for a cruise to the Caribbean. As of right now those are my plans, but after that hopefully I will be working full-time at a design firm, so give me a call!

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FIT

MAY ‘11

Flash!

Romer Pedron…You’re It

By Kristen Irby New York, NY- Contrasted by a soft, raspy voice on the verge of a pubescent breakdown, and a roaring laugh that one might find nearly impossible to come out of someone who, when revealing his height says, “I’m 5’7 like Kate Moss and Halle Berry,” photographer Romer Pedron is shooting his way to the stars faster than the speed of light. Pedron is determined to become the next great celebrity portrait photographer in the likes of Mario Testino and Annie Leibovitz.

In his third year at the Fashion institute of Technology, Pedron was determined to intern for “one of the top fashion photographers in the game,”so he called the Steven Klein Studio to seek a position.

During his eight-month internship with Steven Klein, Pedron had the opportunity to be on set for numerous photo sessions for Vogue Italia and W magazines. “I’m a big learner by observation,” said Pedron, “Interning with Steven Klein was a great experience.”

“I hate to be a pop tart but I love pop culture, fashion and celebrities,” said Pedron, “I love to see how other people live.” Pedron was born in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, “Think Sex and the City 2,” said Pedron. He moved with his family to the United States in 1992.

Formerly, Pedron aspired to be a fashion designer but when the time came to apply for colleges and decide upon a major, he chose to study photography at FIT. “I realized I didn’t want to sew,” said Pedron,“It wasn’t for me but I always enjoyed taking photographs in high school.” As a 16 year-old photography amateur in Baltimore, Pedron submitted photos to Features Editor Melissa Walker of the defunct ELLEGirl Magazine.

Walker eventually asked Pedron to take photos of what kids at his school were wearing for ELLEGirl’s High School Styles section. “And, of course, knowing me, “ said Pedron,” followed by a thunderous laughter and then continues, “I borrowed lights from the video department and did shoots after school.” That was the first time Pedron’s photographs got published in a print magazine but it would not be his last.

A typical day for Romer Pedron is more like a typical night. “I’m definitely a night owl,” said Pedron, looking above the rim of his black-framed glasses in an over-sized plaid armchair at the urbanely chic Ace Hotel. After a day of meetings and photo sessions, Pedron travels uptown to his Harlem studio where he typically begins editing photos at 10 pm, working deep into the night as fashion shows play on the television for musical accompaniment. “Fashion shows have the best soundtracks,” said Pedron, “It’s inspiring to hear as I’m editing fashion photographs.” Although Pedron edits in color, he typically prefers the clarity and cohesiveness of the black and white versions of his photographs that he describes as clean, classic and sharp.

When Pedron enrolled in the photography program at FIT, it was only a two-year program but towards the end of his second year it was extended into a 4-year Bachelor’s degree program. Pedron, with his go-getter attitude, decided to perfect his craft by gaining experience through internships. He appreciates the advice he received from one of his favorite professors, Patricia Henry, who taught his photo styling class, for encouraging him to seek out internships at modeling agencies due to the access they have to influential people in the fashion industry.

Subsequently, to his great delight, Pedron was offered an internship with One Management, one of the top modeling agencies in New York City. “He’s very motivated and passionate about fashion, incredibly warm,” said Scott Lipps, President of One Management, and affirmed, “He will go far!”

Though he is enjoying a relatively good amount of success for such a young photographer, with only two years of post-collegiate experience, 24 year-old Pedron says he is still a starving artist.

“There are just as many photographers in New York City as there are models and actors,” admits Pedron, “It’s a struggle.”

Pedron makes a conscious effort to foster positive relationships and by also taking advantage of the right opportunities at the right time. A last minute replacement job has turned into a steady gig for Pedron as the behind-the-scenes photographer for Centric TV’s The Hot 10. After being invited to Centric TV a second time Pedron simply asked if he could bring his lights in and shoot portraits of their featured guests which according to Pedron, “They [Centric TV] thought it was a great idea.” Pedron has photographed actor Anthony Anderson, R&B singer Miguel, Vibe magazine’s editor-inchief Jermaine Hall,

Romer Patron photographed by Patricia Fuentes. Hair/grooming by Wanneta Brown. He wears a trench coat by FIT alumnus Ninh Nguyen.

Swizz Beats, Musiq Soulchild and Tasha Smith. “In order for your work to keep making money for you, you must keep connections with the people you meet,” stated Pedron.

A basic tactic that Pedron uses to help his photographic subjects relax is by simply establishing a genuine connection and commonality of interests. “Working with Romer has always been such a pleasure,” said Naima Mora, winner of America’s Next Top Model from cycle 4, “His passion for photography and fashion has always brought out the best of me as a model.”

“I’m not good at having pictures taken,” said Joe Zee, creative director of ELLE magazine and FIT alum, prior to being photographed by Pedron in a conference room overlooking the East River on the 41st floor of the Time Inc. Building. As Pedron holds his camera in hand, he moves his boyish body into a variety of shapes as he twisted, turned and lifted to capture a certain amount of light or a nuance in Zee’s angular facial structure.

It was his second time shooting Zee, who graduated from FIT in 1992. Gracefully, Pedron repositioned Zee from one corner of the space to another and gently instructed him to “tuck your shirt in a little more,” and “move your head a bit to the right.”

To view Romer Pedron’s work please visit at www.romerpedron.com.

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Haute Culture

SUMMER CONCERTS

By Georgi Dwiggins One of the best things that comes along with summer, aside from finally getting a break from our insanely hectic schedules, is the start of summer concerts. Most people can’t make it to the mega music festivals such as Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo, New York city provides summer concerts for all music lovers without the heavy costs. Here are some to consider for when you’re in the mood for some live music on a warm summer’s evening:

through July 16th hosts concerts and art events at various locations throughout the city. It kicks off with the Bang on a Can Marathon on June 19th, which showcases over 150 musicians and performers, including Bryce Denner of The National.

Other highlights of the festival include a performance by Sean Lennon and Kemp Mull’s band The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger on June 24th, Brooklyn indie-pop group My Teenage Stride on June 26th, and Rufus Wainwright Goes to the Opera!, where the singer will perform songs from his opera Prima Donna.

The Seaport Music Series has a few events for the summer season. The River to River Festival, which begins on June 19th

Also part of the Seaport Music Series, The Village Voice has recently announced their Inaugural 4Knots Music Festival

BEGINNERS Film Review by Fernanda DeSouza

Focus Features delivers an endearing and romantic film this season with Beginners.

Oliver (Ewan McGregor) is a lonely graphic designer who meets an up-andcoming French actress Anna (Mélanie Laurent) who quickly becomes his lover.

Their relationship initiates a stream of reflections of Oliver and his recently deceased father, Hal, who at 75 years of age came out of the closet. For 45 years, Hal was married to Oliver’s vivacious mother Georgia (Mary Page Keller), and he somehow hid his homosexuality throughout their marriage. It comes as a shock to Oliver as an adult that his parents’ marriage was not going as well as he thought.

The film encompasses soft shots of the kindling romance between Oliver and Anna with various shots of the couple sharing cute romantic moments about town. Director Mike Mills also focuses on the beautifully lit rooms of Hal’s Los Angeles home, a lively place in contrast to the deadly cancer that is growing within Hal. Hal throws parties, falls in love with a younger man and even goes clubbing. An interesting scene in the film shows Hal calling Oliver in the middle of the night to ask him what kind of music was being played and Oliver responds,“House music, Dad,” and Hal reacts by saying,“Oh! House music!” and he jots it down on a piece of paper so he doesn’t forget.

City Park Foundation’s SummerSeries concert; courtesy of themaddychronicles.com

that’s replacing their Siren Music Festival previously held every summer. Though the lineup is yet to be announced, it’s sure to be a great show. It’s an all-day festival that will be certain to have a lot of entertaining downtown bands.

Completely free to the public, 4Knots will be held on South Street Seaport on July 16th.

The most widely known summer concert series of NYC is the City Parks Foundation’s SummerStage. This series holds concerts at various parks in all of the five boroughs. Central Park is considered Mainstage and will host many cultural acts ranging from comedian/ musician Reggie Watts on June 22 to

South African jazz trumpeters and Haitian Carnival melodies. Brooklyn’s Red Hook Park will have catchy rockers such as We Are Scientists performing for free on June 23rd and Herbert Von King Park has a lineup of hip-hop artists set for the summer.

With Sunshine, friends and an array of free concerts to attend, this coming summer in New York City can easily turn out to be one to remember.

To see a full line up of the River to River Festival and the SummerStage Series visit www.rivertorivernyc.com/assets/2011_ R2R_Events.pdf and www.summerstage. org/music.html

Mills brilliantly segments the phases of the film from a graphic designer’s perspective. He often flashes photos of everyday objects such as the sun, the stars, the President, and families in the present or in Oliver’s father’s past. These elements give the story a quick pulse and rhythm in a seamless manner.

Oliver’s companion, a lovable Jack Russell terrier whose expression are shown through subtitles of his thoughts, and his relationship with Anne helps him reconnect with reality. Beginners is a lighthearted but complex film with a hint of a genuine and intoxicating romance.

Beginners opens on June 3rd in theaters across the country.

Beginners Film Poster; courtesy of Focus Features

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MAY ‘11

MUSIC REVIEW BOOK REVIEWS

By Georgi Dwiggins So what’s going to be blasting from speakers when you’re soaking up sun this summer? For some it may be Jennifer Lopez’s newest undertaking Love? which was recentlyreleased on April 29th. With her “Jenny from the Block” heyday left behind, Lopez collaborates with various artists such as RedOne, Pitbull, even Lady Gaga, but the album falls short as a powerful dance album due to her midtempo songs that feel dated. Lopez’s less than amazing vocals create a reliance on the poppy dance beats, which will undoubtedly do well and become that one song that will play all summer long in the clubs.

Those looking to just chill out this summer can do so by listening to Fleet Foxes’ sophomore album Helplessness Blues, which was released on May 3rd.

The Seattle-based folk rockers poured much more existentialism and emotional lyrics over their infamous Beach Boyesque harmonies and pleasant melodies.

The lyrics were Inspired by their life events such as moving apart and breaking up with girlfriends. Prominent somber lines include, “So, I guess I got old.

I was like trash on the sidewalk. I guess I knew why, often it’s hard to just sweet talk…” The band even takes a free form jazz sound on the album’s eight minute long “The Shrine/An Argument,” which shows that Fleet Foxes have really come into their own.

The Beastie Boys have been around for a while, but they’re definitely set to deliver the party tracks that their known for in their latest endeavor Hot Sauce Committee Part Two. The lyrics have obscure references like “I don’t wear Crocs, and I don’t wear sandals/The pump don’t work ‘cause the vandals took the handles,” but the album is full of catchy, in-yourface rhymes that are just plain fun.

It is their first album since 2007, and the Beastie Boys deliver a dubstep sound that’s perfect for a summer BBQ party.

Jennifer Lopez’s Love? Album; courtesy of Island Records Fleet Foxes Helplessness Blues; courtesy of Sub Pop Records Beastie Boys Hot Sauce Committee Part 2 Album; courtesy of Capitol Records

Chitra Divakaruni’s

ONE AMAZING THING

By Davita Louie The art of storytelling is widely practiced all over the world and to this day remains a form of entertainment despite technology advancements. In the novel One Amazing Thing, written by Chitra Divakaruni, she uses this practice as the premise of her book creating “the story within a story” effect.

The captivating tales of a Chinese woman and her adolescent granddaughter, a loveless Caucasian couple in their 60s, a 25 year old Muslim-American living in a post 9/11 world, and the bitter consulate receptionist and her big-headed boss, all deliver unique, heart-wrenching life stories.

The novel revolves around nine different people that are trapped inside a passport office in the basement of the Indian Consulate in present day San Francisco, CA after a devastating earthquake. Group leader Cameron, an African American who’s a Vietnam veteran, is the main reason why these mismatched strangers are able to keep it together under the circumstances. After what seems like an eternity of waiting to be rescued, Uma, an Indian graduate student, notes the power of storytelling and asks the group, who are bickering and on-edge, to share their stories in order to pass the time.

None of the nine individuals present in this story would have predicted that they would open up to complete strangers but they all seem to find that experience extremely eye-opening and the novel highlights how each character goes through their own profound changes of heart. Divakaruni does a fabulous job of intertwining the stories of these nine characters with the present and somehow melding it all together in an emotionally touching, yet page-turning novel.

One Amazing Time by Chitra Divakaruni; courtesy of Voice Publishing

Erica Domesek’s

P.S.−I MADE THIS...

By Davita Louie Do-it-yourself projects are always entertaining and a great way to re-create an otherwise expensive look. That is the concept behind DIY style expert Erica Domesek’s book titled P.S.–I Made This….

Domesek has worked as a prop stylist and creative consultant and from a young age practiced her motto: “I see it. I like it. I make it.” This lifestyle of DYI-ing led Domesek to start the P.S.–I Made This… brand which originally started as a website and has now been immortalized in print with her recent publication that was released last September. What separates Domesek’s book from others is how accessible and fun the projects are to make. The projects featured in her book are extremely affordable as well as simple and easy to complete. All one really needs is just a few tools such as a sharp pair of scissors, a glue gun, a needle, and thread; readers can create items such as a statement necklace, a colorful tropicalinspired headband, or a pretty ruffled tank. While most of the projects start with

something solid such as a belt or plain white shirt, most items can be found around the house or can be purchased at an affordable price. Domesek’s DIY projects are perfect for bringing life to a boring wardrobe. For instance, tuxedo pants can be made easily by just using decorative ribbon, fabric glue, scissors, a needle and a thread. How about trying to make a pair of gold oxford shoes by simply taking canvas sneakers, spray painting them gold, and adorning them with brass embellishments for a chic update?

Whether you’re an expert craft-er or a DIY newbie, there is something for everyone in Domesek’s book.

P.S.–I Made This by Erica Domesek; courtesy photo of Abrams Image

HAUTE CULTURE

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SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY

Contemporary Fitness

ANTIGRAVITY YOGA Southern Hospitality; courtesy of kevinsbbqjoints.com

Restaurant Review by Pheobe Licata Walking into Southern Hospitality in Hell’s Kitchen the first thing one will encounter is a young crowd of guys and girls that typically lean on the bar and an almost packed house. The atmosphere has a hip feel to it due to the loud music, pretentiously rustic décor and this location is drastically different from the original restaurant that’s located in the Upper East Side. The noteworthy owner of Southern Hospitality is singer/actor Justin Timberlake, who often stops by the Epper East Side location to dine whenever he’s in town.

Three young hosts who welcome everyone that enters the restaurant are also responsible for controlling the chaos of the three dining room areas. We sat down and ordered quickly and were pleased to see a reasonably priced menu.

Overall, an average meal came to $25 to $30 per person- an average for Midtown Manhattan area. I’d compare the menu to Dallas BBQ’s menu which similarly offers pulled pork, fritters, buffalo wings and anything that can be dipped in a fryer or lathered with sauce. If you’re on a diet, beware of this menu because they have a dish called Deep Fried Pickle Chips that is made to look like the healthiest thing on the menu.

The food came out shortly after it was ordered and the waitress was a young girl, like most of the other waitresses that worked there, who smiled for a good tip and was helpful enough to get one.

The entire tabletop was covered with only four dishes, which included BBQ Nachos, The Classic BBQ Combo, Deep Fried Pickle Chips and a Southern Fried Chicken Salad. The nachos were a delicious opener along with the fried pickles, but the entree and salad dishes were like a swamp of meat and a clump of iceberg lettuce. There was enough food to feed a football team and each dish was filling enough to make your stomach

W27

Davita taking off; courtesy photo

By Davita Louie burst but overall authenticity was lacking.

The overwhelming variety of sauces and the heaviness in the combinations of food didn’t excuse the “nothing special” feeling that I felt when I finished.

Om Factory 265 West 37th St. New York, ny 10018 212-616-8662 www.omfactorynyc.com

I had the pleasure of talking to the manager, who was a genuine guy, who offered free dessert for our entire table after a mix-up with our order. I wouldn’t say that eating at Southern Hospitality was a disappointment but it didn’t fulfill my expectations. I’m sure that every time might be a different experience but who wants to wast $30 on a gamble? After all the praise I heard about it I am unhappy to say Southern Hospitality is like the party of the year that fell short.

AntiGravity Yoga Class: $18 From the moment I heard that the yoga studio Om Factory offered antigravity yoga classes I was immediately intrigued.

On their website they have photos of participants hanging upside down in hammock-like structures which, although seemed scary and made me a little queasy, only increased my desire to try out a class. My biggest curiosity was to know what differentiates antigravity yoga from other traditional yoga practices besides the obvious “antigravity” aspect.

Om Factory describes their unique course as a combination of “traditional yoga principles with elements from aerial acrobatics, dance, pilates, and calisthenics.” The course description also states that the gravity aspect is used to “achieve physical and mental decompression.”

The class I took was taught by an instructor named Latham who guided us through an hour and a half workout.

It started with basic warm ups involving movements and stretches holding onto the hammock. For example, one part of the intro involved hooking our feet onto the hammock while doing push-ups.

Anyone who has ever done push-ups at an elevated level would know that this is challenging, but the fact that you have to balance with the hammock at the same time made the exercise even more difficult. The better part of the class was then spent getting situated in the hammock and going upside down while doing moves that were appropriately titled as“vampire” and “angel wings.”

Antigravity yoga strengthens and increases flexibility; the mental and stress-relieving aspect play the most prominent role and is also the biggest motivating factor for people who come to take the class. Latham further informed me that the greatest amount of stress we carry around is in our hip area, therefore the utilization of upside down poses helps release the stress. Another driving factor which makes these classes so popular is the fact that it allows people to get out of their comfort zones and often times the feeling of being off the ground and not in control is exhilarating. I can attest that although antigravity yoga was mentally challenging, once I conjured up the courage to let myself completely relax in my inverted poses, I was at complete peace dangling upside down in my hammock while the blood rushed to my head. Namaste.

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MAY ‘11

Alexander McQueen: SAVAGE BEAUTY

By Megan Venere One year ago from this past February, British designer Lee Alexander McQueen of the famed Alexander McQueen label took his own life. At only forty years old, his death caused an uproar in the fashion industry.

Since his passing, the McQueen label has perfectly executed the iconic British phrase “Keep calm and carry on.” Sarah Burton, who was McQueen’s right hand for many years, was named Creative Director of the label and successfully debuted her first spring and fall collections respectively at Paris Fashion Week. This year, the Metropolitan Museum of Art pays tribute to the brilliant designer with the Costume Institute’s new exhibit, Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty.

The exhibit is a retrospective look at McQueen’s nineteen year-long career, from his post-graduate collection in 1992 at Central Saint Martins in London to his last collection that was shown in February 2010. Th exhibit showcases McQueen’s inspirations, from film and literature to music and politics. As the Met museum website describes, “His iconic designs constitute the work of an artist whose medium of expression was fashion.”

Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty showcases approximately one hundred of McQueen’s creations and about seventeen accessories from his archives in London as well as from the Givenchy Archive in Paris.

To celebrate this exciting exhibit, Vogue has released a special free iPad application in conjunction with the exhibit and the Met Gala. This application gives a behind the scenes tour of the exhibit as well as interviews with Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour, Hamish Bowles, as well as various exclusive photos and videos about the Met Gala and the exhibit.

For those of us who will not receive an invitation to the exclusive annual Met Gala, The College Group, an organization of students from local New York City colleges that produces events for college students that coincide with the exhibit at the Met, is hosting their own event on May 20th , Savage Beauty: McQueen for a Night. Christine La Russo, head of The College Group, described the purpose of the event, “CGM’s mission is to enhance Museum programming with regard to local college students, to connect campus communities with the Museum, and to increase

student engagement at the Museum.

Through programming, CGM creates opportunities for all students—from all backgrounds and academic majors—to encounter and explore the Met’s collection in new ways.”

Planning an event based on the McQueen exhibit had been in talks long before the spring semester started. “It was a no-brainer to host a CGM event for McQueen” says La Russo. “His work is eccentric, awesome, and larger-than-life.

We knew students would be excited about it, and we wanted the event to provide a history of his work and influences, but to also be social and fun.”

The event is planned by the interns and it is expected to be a grand affair. La Russo anticipates about 500 students that will attend the CGM event. “We will have a really amazing photo booth, tours in the galleries, crafts, music, and more. We will also be announcing the winner of a design contest at a special panel.” The panel judges will include Julie Gilhart, a fashion consultant and former fashion director at Barneys New York. “The work of Alexander McQueen has been so influential on so many, I know that McQueen for a Night will draw a diverse and energetic group of students, all ready to learn and celebrate,” she adds.

Creating the McQueen for a Night event was no easy task and required hours of hard work. “When we develop large events like McQueen for a Night, we involve many, many departments at the Museum, like Design, Visitor Services, Communications, and more. For this one, we are working very closely with the Curatorial Team in the Costume Institute and Education,” explains La Russo. The interns receive responsibilities that are delegated among themselves to coordinate different aspects of the event.

When asked about their inspiration for the activities and theme of the event, it’s all about McQueen. “We plan to celebrate his collections and what inspired him – we’ll be screening films and reading books that influenced his work, and all the crafts will have a McQueen edge to them. Everyone who comes to the event will leave with a true understanding of what his fashion was all about, and why it is so enduring.”

The CGM interns agreed that they learned a lot from planning the McQueen for a Night party and Katherine Nemeth, one of the interns, couldn’t agree more.

“We have had the experience to learn about not only the artists and the works of art, but also how the museum is operated.

We are fortunate enough to work with many different departments and I think we all learn something new from each interaction,” said Nemeth.

“

The exhibition itself is a direct reflection of Alexander McQueen’s importance as a creator.”

—Alicia Serrani The CGM interns also learned new things about McQueen that they were not familiar with. Hannah Rosen stated, “Before the event I knew of McQueen vaguely. I knew he had made a dress for Michelle Obama and was supposedly this edgy fashion designer. “ After watching one of McQueen’s runway shows, Rosen was just as captivated by McQueen’s genius as the rest of her fellow interns, and she added, “All of his shows were so distinctive and cool because they had themes and messages—they were really saying something. They were not just beautiful or trendy clothes on a bare runway, but rather striking and artful creations expressive of his voice.” Alicia Serrani, who has been a fan of the brand, still holds the same admiration for the late designer, “The exhibition itself is a direct reflection of his importance as a creator not only of fashion but of art. For, when looking at his pieces, there can be no doubt that fashion transcends the realm of function, assuming the role of masterpiece,”said Serrani.

Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty runs through July 31st at the Costume Institute. Be sure to attend Savage Beauty: McQueen for a Night on Friday, May 20th at 6pm. For more information on College Group at the Met, visit http://www. metmuseum.org/collegegroup/

Photo by Solve Sundsbo from Alexander McQueen’s final collection; courtesy of Solve Sundsbo

W27

Outside the Block Outside Your Borough:

Farmer’s Markets

Staten Island / Marissa Mule Family Fruit 2270 Hylan Boulevard Staten Island, New York 10301-1301 +1 (718) 667-4949 Hours: Mon-Sun; 6:00am–9:00pm Nearest Transit: X1 to Hylan Boulevard. Get off at Grant City.

Do you need fresh fruits and vegetables for the spring and summer season? If that’s the case, you can check out Family Fruit in Staten Island. Located in Grant City, Family Fruit sells “farm-fresh” and seasonal fruits and produce. This is a family owned business, with a wonderful staff and great price ranges.

They strive to provide fresh produce and deli food, as well as delicious meats and poultry. Like a supermarket, they have specials that you can get great prices on certain items. Fruits and vegetables range from $0.29 per pound to $1.99 per pound.

Meats and poultry range from $2.99 per pound to $8.99 per pound. They get new produce in every day, and have one of the best delis in Staten Island with plenty of choices for both cold cuts and prepared foods.

Illustrated by Zhang Qingyun for W27

Manhattan / Mollie Yarsike

New Jersey / Raquel Rose Burger

Union Square Greenmarket E 17th Street at Broadway Hours: Mon, Wed, Fri and Sat; 8:00am–6:00pm +1 (212) 788-7476

Battleview Orchards 91 Wemrock Road Freehold, NJ 07728 +1 (732) 462-0756

Nearest Tranist: 14th St-Union Sq stop off the 4/5/6/L/N/Q/R lines

Nearest Transit: Matawan stop off the NJ Transit Long Branch line

Coming from a family that was once involved in the fruit business, made the task of finding the best farmer’s market in Manhattan an easy feat for me. I traveled to a few different markets not too happy with what I was seeing. It wasn’t until I arrived at Union Square, on my way to meet a friend at NYU, that I ran into the most fascinating market I’d seen yet. The vibrant atmosphere drew me in right away. The stands not only featured your typical flowers and baked goods, but also present was homemade honey, paintings, screen prints, and more. This one of a kind market, located right in Union Square made it seem as if the market was never ending.

Besides having such an array of items, the prices at this market were spectacular. I bought a bag of seven homemade pretzels for a mere $3! They tasted amazing and unlike any other Snyder pretzel I’d ever had. The low prices and location are what makes the Union Square Greenmarket a college friendly atmosphere. I would definitely recommend it to anyone living in Manhattan as I myself plan to go back every Saturday until school is over.

Queens / Veronica Heras Atlas Park Mall 8000 Cooper Ave Glendale, NY 11385 +1 (212) 788-7476 Nearest Transit: Middle Village-Metropolitan Ave stop off the M line Without a doubt Atlas Mall is my favorite hang-out spot in Queens. There is shopping, food and a movie theater in this popular outdoor mall. Judging from last year’s turn out, if you make the trip out to Queens you will not be disappointed (the farmers market will be held on Saturdays starting in mid-June).

Although the wide selection of fruits, vegetables and cold cuts is appealing, what I love the most are the baked and homemade goods. After trying homemade peanut butter there is really nothing else that compares.

Battleview Orchards is a family operated business started in 1908. The Country Store is open all year and sells fresh fruit, vegetables and delicious home baked goods including their secret recipe of apple cider donuts (they press their own apple cider right on the premises.) You can pick fruit right on the property grounds -in the springtime you can pick strawberries and in the summertime you have cherries, peaches, and nectarines, and the Fall brings apples. This special touch makes this farmers market feel intimate and gives you fun entertainment in the nice weather. Enjoy your summer and get your fruit the right way at Battleview Orchards.

Long Island / Fernanda DeSouza Kennedy Memorial Park Jerusalem Avenue and Broadway Hours: May 15th through Nov 17th, Sun; 9:00am–2:00pm +1 (516) 543-6033 Nearest Transit: LIRR Ronkonkoma train (The park is located on the north lot of the overpass) We know what Long Island has in store for us during the summer: the Fire Island Lighthouse, the Hamptons, polo and the Farmers Market in Hicksville. The Farmers Market Organization has extended the beloved markets to boroughs outside of Manhattan. Stop by the location, only a few blocks away from the Long Island Railroad stop. Enjoy a variety of vegetables, plants, flowers, fruits, cheese, honey, and bread & other baked goods served by Bread Alone at the market are all Long Island grown. All the produce is organic and gluten free products such as cookies will also be available. And the great thing is when you’re done with all your food shopping, the Broadway Mall is down the street!

FIT

21

MAY ‘11

Month in Review: A Time to Break Down, A Time to Build Up Alexander Cavaluzzo The People’s New Princess As the Brits donned their infamously festive hats and New Yorkers wiped the sleep from their eyes at 6 AM, the wedding of Catherine Middleton and Prince William commenced after months of anticipation on April 28th. The bride wore Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, a sleek silk gazar and Chantilly lace ensemble that suggested more Grace Kelly than Lady Di, its traditional craftsmanship designed to be her “something old.” Rounding out the wedding ritual were her new earrings, a gift from her parents emblazoned with symbols of her new family crest, her diamond-encrusted tiara borrowed from the Queen herself, and an inconspicuous blue ribbon sewn onto her dress. Whether or not she had a sixpence in her shoe is not confirmed.

Family has become since the matrimonial turbulence of William’s parents and the antics of Prince Harry and Prince Andrew. The couple, as far as we can see from our television screens, has a genuine love and commitment to one another and perhaps our best suspicions will not stand in the way of a fairy-tale ending for the future King and Queen.

To Catch a Terrorist

Kate Middleton and Prince William’s Wedding, now Duke and Duchess of Cambridge; courtesy of oddepedia.com

“

The US team took custody of bin Laden’s body and, quickly thereafter, buried the corpse at sea.”

Knowing since last August bin Laden’s whereabouts thanks to US Intelligence, President Obama bided his time and planned his demise, executed by the Naval Special Warfare Development Group with CIA aid. Reports say a helicopter descended on the compound and, within thirty minutes of the surgical strike, bin Laden was killed.

Senior administration officials suggested that bin Laden fought back, but whether this was armed or unarmed is not currently known at this time. No Americans were killed in the struggle, but three men (including one of bin Laden’s sons) were killed and one woman (allegedly bin Laden’s wife) used as a human shield was injured. The US team took custody of bin Laden’s body and, quickly thereafter, buried the corpse at sea, apparently in accordance with Islamic tradition.

The Royal Wedding inevitably drew comparisons to that other royal wedding of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana in 1981, but as soon as Kate pulled up to Westminster Abbey in a Rolls-Royce, those comparisons were rendered moot.

Her train was a mere 8 feet, nowhere near Diana’s diaphanous 25 foot train, her dress much more streamlined and selfeffacing than Diana’s fairy princess ball of taffeta. But, aesthetics aside, the wedding of the 21st Century seemed almost orchestrated to separate itself from the wedding of the 20th Century. Whereas Diana and Charles scarcely looked at one another during the ceremony, Kate and William shed their stereotypical British frisson and let their affection be broadcast to nearly 3 billion witnesses (concluding in not one, but two kisses on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.)

The newly dubbed Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, despite all the pomp and circumstance, could not seem farther from the questionable spectacle the Royal

After two wars, ten years of searching, and thousands of lives lost, the “war on terror” has seemingly reached a zenith with the death of the mastermind of the September 11th attacks, Osama bin Laden. The al Qaeda leader was killed in a compound in Abbottabad, outside of the Pakistani capital Islamabad, by US forces on May 1st.

Osama bin Laden; courtesy of littledoremi.com

In the midst of the maelstrom and jubilation as a result of this action, commentators have immediately fretted over the potential for retaliation.

Although bin Laden is dead (and DNA evidence does confirm this fact), al Qaeda is still very much in existence.

However, its loyalty and organization have been severely compromised for some time. Ayman al-Zawahiri, bin Laden’s apparent successor, does not command nearly the same amount of

followers or devotion that the former leader had, nonetheless nearly every military base is operating on high alert in response to any potential attacks.

But the real threat has for some time spread treacherously, with many recent terrorist attacks executed by “al Qaeda” supporters, not the network itself.

As to whether the US acted solely on discovering bin Laden’s cache is still up for debate. Considering he was hiding not in a cave, but a rather large, conspicuous compound (with high walls and barbed wire, to boot) near Islamabad and mere blocks away from a military academy, it seems likely that the US would have had help from Pakistani intelligence. An anonymous senior US official commented on the speculation, saying, “They didn’t tell us he was in Abbottabad but their information allowed us to track him there…” which is as vague an answer as we can expect at this point in the proceedings.

While this can certainly bring closure to people all over the world, especially to those who have lost loved ones on 9/11, it remains to be seen what difference bin Laden’s death will bring. It has been reminded in the coverage of this development that Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara’s death had little bearing on his status as a figurehead of sedition. The myth of Osama bin Laden may indeed live on, but for for all time, the man is dead.

W27

FIT Speaks

School is in for Summer Samantha Vance

I know this issue is all about graduation because tons of FIT students will be leaving us and conquering the fashion world. However, for those of us not graduating, none of this job stuff really applies yet. We will be back here once again in September ready to absorb all the knowledge FIT has to offer. Yet, September is three months away—even if it feels a lot closer—and a pretty long time without the rigorous brain activity and multitasking we usually subject ourselves to. I know you will all be busy frolicking on the beaches, visiting family and water parks over the summer, but don’t forget to keep your mind sharp. It will allow for a much easier integration come September when you’re taking six classes and interning again.

Here’s one suggestion: pick up a crossword puzzle or workbook for long car rides on vacation. Crossword puzzles involve racking your brain for specifics; the more small facts you learn, the more you increase your memory. And they’re fun to do once you get the hang. Take one to the beach and you’ll be a little smarter by the time you’re done bronzing! Picking up a workbook on a new language— or a subject you struggle with is another simple and quick way to improve your skills. Taking an hour out of your day a few times a week will provide ample time for you to see progress by September.

Commit to taking a class on something you find interesting. There are tons of programs that provide instruction on

everything from knitting and gardening to whittling and 20th century fashion.

If you will be staying in the city over summer, check out the Brooklyn Brainery. They offer tons of classes on every topic for as low as $20. Also, log on to LearningAnnex.com for hundreds of classes starting at 99 cents (!!!) with celebrity instructors including Buddy Valastro of Cake Boss and Kimora Lee Simmons.

I know this might sound like the last thing you want to do over your much deserved break, but it doesn’t have to be miserable. Get your friends involved! Start a book club and meet once a week with coffee and treats, or pick a day or two out of the month to visit a museum exhibit or

Balancing Act Venus Wong

Dear soon-to- be graduates: As a freshman who goes through daily meltdowns and trying to balance school with work, internships, extracurricular activities, social life and the various temptations of New York City, I applaud all of you. Really.

Like the majority of you, I came to the tiny but magical island of Manhattan with the hopes of making a name for myself in this fashion mecca. Being an absolute optimist and naif, I expected my life to automatically pick up on its own and enter a fabuloso world: the perfect cutesy little apartment will automatically present itself; I will get an amazing internship, and get to document my life, my outfits and my relationships in a column for a popular publication. (Can you say Carrie Bradshaw?!)

The reality could not be further from the truth. As much as I’d like to think of myself as this independent girl-about-town that has a firm grasp over own her life, I often came off as a lost little lamb. From time to time, my confidence would plummet, and I would take a tumble into a cave of endless self-doubt. That’s the thing about New York: Just when you think you are good at something,

there is always someone better, more connected, and has a meatier resume than yours.

However, as cheesy as this sounds, talking to you and observing what you have accomplished so far gives me great assurance: I mean, all of you were there, and you survived! You were able to max out the credits every semester, have full-time internships, and still work a part time job! If I can do half as much in three years’ time, I would be perfectly fine. After all, if I ask your eighteen-year-old self to picture what you will accomplish by the time you graduate college, none of you would be able to fathom that, right?

So stop worrying about your future employment for a minute, and think of all the seeming impossibilities you’ve overcome. Life is just full of disappointments, surprises, and everything in between. Everything WILL work itself out!

Here’s to a great graduation, a fantastic future, and a lovely summer!

Yours truly, Venus (nicknamed Fishball)

Illustrated by Venus Wong for W27

lecture and pretend you’re the ladies from Sex and the City. They are always going to ultra-chic, intellectual events.

Summer is fast approaching and I know all of our to-do lists are flowing over three pages right now, but soon enough you will have time to focus on subjects you find interesting. Take advantage of your summer and you’ll come out on top, because nothing feels better than being a little ahead of the curve. Knowledge is power; that will never change.

FIT SPEAKS

WT

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F

I just died a little. This was a very different phrase yesterday.

FIT building falling apart, literally...

MAY ‘11

STYLE ON

27

New York spring weather is notoriously different from one day to the next. As summer nears, FIT students prepare for every kind of weather by layering, pairing blazers, jean jackets, sweaters and even fur stoles with button-downs or loose t-shirts. FIT students were on trend this season, incorporating the 1970s style— wide leg jeans, long skirts, leggings, and platform boots and wedge sandals. Add some extra personality to any look with a great pair of sunglasses in fun frame shapes or colors. Photography by Armah Jones.

Michael Shaeffer, Senior | Menswear Describe your closet in one word: Eclectic One fashion item you can not live without: Shoes Magazines/blogs you read? designerman-whatisawtoday.blogspot.com Do you have your own blog? N/A

Diana Lapenna, Junior | Direct and Interactive Marketing Describe your closet in one word: Black One fashion item you can not live without: Combat Boots Magazines or blogs you read? Alice Dellah, Vogue Do you have your own blog? N/A

Sarah Forkin, Junior | Interior Design Describe your closet in one word: Packed One fashion item you can not live without: Wooden Clogs Magazines or blogs you read? Dwell Do you have your own blog? N/A

Jowin Batoon, Freshman | FMM Describe your closet in one word: Modern One fashion item you can not live without: Shoes Magazines or blogs you read? Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour Do you have your own blog? N/A

Amanda Thompson, Junior | Fabric Styling Describe your closet in one word: Bizzare One fashion item you can not live without: Watch Magazines or blogs you read? Nylon Do you have your own blog? N/A.

Brandi Lacertosa, freshman | Fashion design Describe your closet in one word: Mixed One fashion item you can not live without: Christian Louboutins Magazines or blogs you read? Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar Do you have your own blog? N/A.

Luis Polanco, Senior | Textile Development and Marketing Describe your closet in one word: Eclectic One fashion item you can not live without: Boots Magazines or blogs you read? TheFashionisto.com, Fashionista.com Do you have your own blog? LuisJosePolanco.tumblr.com

Dani Dvash, Sophomore | Fashion Design Describe your closet in one word: Vintage One fashion item you can not live without: A black skirt Magazines or blogs you read? Le-Glamoure Do you have your own blog? N/A