VOLUME 45 | ISSUE 2 | OCTOBER 2012
THE GLOBAL ISSUE FUSION FOR FOODIES • WHERE IN THE WORLD IS CHRISTIAN SIRIANO? • ELLE FASHION | NEXT • HALLOWEEN DO’S AND DONT’S
#VOTE2012
MASTHEAD
FIT
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Letter from the Editor
Caroline Nelson Editor-in-Chief Fernanda DeSouza Sarah Dill Deputy Editors Samantha Vance Executive Editor Richard Gilmartin Dianna Mazzone Nicole Tan Senior Editors Keely-Shea Smith Managing Editor Alyssa Kyle Copy Editor Hermina Sobhraj Treasurer Mollie Yarsike Community Manager Jessica McClintock Advertising Promotions Manager Christina Garcia Art Director Freddy Rodriguez Fashion Editor Armane Robinson Sam Verkaik Photographers
Caroline Nelson enjoying Honduras, courtesy of Caroline.
Siva-Jack Sernvongsat Illustrator Contributors Francesca Beltran Valerie Brodnikova Raquel Rose Burger Chloe Dewberry Georgi Dwiggins Meaghan Hartland Dana Heyward Dara Kenigsberg Emily Kirn Marissa Mule Ashley Mungo Desiree Perez Daysha L. Rodriguez Zachary Rosenbaum Megan Venere Venus Wong Desmond Zhengs John Simone Editorial Faculty Advisor Albert Romano Advertising Faculty Advisor
Over the summer, my family and I traveled to Honduras, a small country in Central America where my mother was born and raised. During this trip, I was able to experience a different culture, from the language to the food. Even though this was an eye-opening experience, as New Yorkers, we don’t need to travel too far to find international inspiration.
Kim.
In our second annual Global Issue, our contributors trekked downtown to find the best fusion cuisine the city has to offer. Check out their selections on pages 16 and 17. New York City is also an inspiration for our fashion design students, who looked to the urban landscape to create their winning looks for the ELLE FASHION | NEXT competition. Turn to page eight to learn about the exciting designs of Jongsuk Park and Tae Kyung
On a more domestic note, as election day draws near, it’s important to understand the policies of each presidential candidate to make an informed decision on November 6th. Our writer Ashley Mungo tells you what you need to know on page 25.
If you really want to get out of the city and try something new, read all about the unique adventures of FIT’s Italian study abroad program on page 27. Our foreign correspondents, Zachary Rosenbaum and Megan Venere are on the scene, giving you the scoop on all the fashion capital of Milan has to offer.
Until next month,
ON THE COVER:
W27 IS PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER. PLEASE RECYCLE YOUR COPY AFTER READING.
Our very own Fashion Editor, Freddy Rodriguez hit the streets of the Lower East Side to style the designs of 2011 Fusion winner, Won Ki Lee, showcasing the MENtality of fall fashion
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OCTOBER 2012
TABLE OF CONTENTS On the Block 4 5 6 6 7 7 8 9 9
Faculty Spotlight: Richard Turnbull What the Health? Range of Realities Exposed The Tigers’ Biggest Fan 24|Fashion @ FIT Talking Trade @ FIT-Global Sustainable Design and Marketing FIT Students’ First Fashion Week Foray Future Mode: Shana Warnock Mastering Bollywood Dance with Masti Club
Dear Industry 10 11 11 12 12
The StyleCaster State of Style Summit Christian Siriano Branches Out with New Store We Wore What Takes Stockholm These Shoes Were Made for Walking Beauty Buzz: Beauty Gives Back
Feature 14 16
In The MENtality Fusion Feature
Haute Culture 18 18 19 19 19 20 20 21 22
Film Review: Wuthering Heights Philanthropy: Finger Painting With Dior Tuning In Concert Review: M83 2012 Halloween Do’s and Don’ts Gallery Review: Andy Warhol and Antonio Lopez Patti Smith Pays Tribute To Andy Warhol Gallery Review: A 10-Month Honeymoon Global Citizen Festival
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Moop and Mary
23 24 25 25
Halloween Costumes OYB: Queens County Farm Month In Review November 6th: An Election of Differences
FIT Speaks 26 26 27 27
Everybody is Free to Wear Sweatpants America: Trials and Tribulations La Moda Milanese Milano: Beyond the Runway
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Style on 27
get involved with W27: To inquire about editorial, contact w27newspaper@gmail.com. To inquire about design, contact w27art@gmail.com.
ON THE BLOCK
FIT
Faculty Spotlight:
Richard Turnbull by Alyssa Kyle
the summer, whether it was stuff in the museum being pulled out or work in the trenches each day. There were a whole bunch of different projects going on around the site. I would load up my cameras with film. I had one for black and white and I had one for color slides, because this was back in the pre-digital, pre-historic era. Then I would make my way around the site a couple of times a day. AK: Did you have any archeological training before starting this venture? What did you learn from this unique experience? What drove people to keep digging everday?
Turnbull in North Cape, Norway, one of the many places he has visited. Photo courtesy of Turnbull
Professor Richard Turnbull, assistant professor and the History of Art department chair, is a man of copious cultures. Journalism, photography and archeology are just a few of his many skills and it’s surprising where they led him. “I used to write music criticism for the Village Voice. I had to interview a bunch of bands. It was the worst possible assignment because they were all really dim. It was British bands from the eighties like The Human League and things like that. I would play back the tape and go, ‘I can’t believe these people said that.’ They didn’t even form a sentence. How is this possible? But that’s ancient history,” Turnbull explained. From exploring the Islamic world to lecturing on cruise ships in Alaska, Hawaii and beyond, Richard Turnbull brings his unique international experiences into the classroom everyday. Alyssa Kyle: How was your experience in graduate school at The Institute of Fine Arts at New York University? Was it a cool experience? Did you like it? Richard Turnbull: Overall, yes. The school has really good connections with the [Metropolitan Museum of Art] so I was able to get fellowships at the museum there. I even curated an exhibition there. A lot of the professors could be a little remote, which I think is maybe the case in grad school. Well they were a little inaccessible. They weren’t all that interested in the work you were doing. They were sort of interested in their own projects. They admit maybe 35 to 40 students a year and they are all split up amongst different disciplines. One of the instances that I remember really clearly was that I signed up for a seminar that was on Byzantine art. It turned out to be about one building the whole semester because that’s what the professor wanted. There were only three of us in the class. He was in a really bad mood every single week and he kind of took it out on us. AK: How have your past experiences influenced what you bring to the classroom as a teacher?
RT: I sort of vowed then that I was never going to let that happen to me when I became a teacher. However bad the outside world is, that’s not going to come into the classroom. So the classroom is going to be like this sacred space where what we do in the classroom is all about learning, thinking, cooperating, and sharing and all the external bad moods have no place in there. AK: How did you end up traveling to Turkey? RT: I did my fieldwork in Turkey for about two years in the mid-nineties. I didn’t come back until I got hired here, which was in 2001. I lived in Istanbul and another city called Bursa, which is where the buildings I was working on were located. Then I traveled around the country as much as I could. Aphrodesias was really the last stop. To visit a culture is much different than actually living there. I lived there a total of about a year-and-a-half over a two-year period.
RT: Although I had some archeological training, I had never worked on a dig before that. It was interesting to see the way things actually happen. The one thing you realize more than everything else is that usually almost nothing happens. As a lot of stuff goes on and things are not discovered, it’s just moving a lot of dirt around. There is a lot of down time. To be an archeologist really requires a very specific kind of imagination to [be able to] try to answer some of these mysteries about these ancient civilizations. Because from digging up one little piece of mosaic you could realize this is actually a road and the road led somewhere. So in a sense it’s really about visualizing and reconstructing what’s not there anymore.
Everything is global. You can’t just stand outside of that.
AK: How did you get involved with the NYU-Harvard Excavation at Aphrodisias in Turkey over the summer of 1994? What was your role on the site? RT: I was already in Turkey doing my own work and I met the field director of the excavation the previous winter because he was in Istanbul as well. We got to be friends and he said, “we need extra people and we need a photographer, would you be willing to stay on an extra two months in Turkey?” That became the final chapter of my Turkish adventure. The site was basically Late Greek Roman and it is an old city. My work was particularly photographic. So I was documenting everything that happened over
AK: What other countries have you traveled to other than Turkey?
RT: To a certain extent in the Islamic world, I’ve spent most of my time in Turkey, Egypt and Morocco. Those were, at the time, among the easier places to travel to in the Islamic world. In Egypt I actually spent an entire summer in a language program trying, and not particularly succeeding, to learn Arabic in Cairo. It was much more exciting to be in the city of Cairo and the language program was really secondary. In Morocco, I went twice on my own ‘cause I thought the country was absolutely fascinating. People either seem to love Morocco or they can’t stand it. The second time was completely on my own, which is really the way you interact with people. It turns out I actually love Moroccan food. There is an incredible dish called the tajine with chicken, olives and preserved lemons. I had that in Morocco and have since duplicated it a dozen of times. I’ve even started preserving my own lemons.
The second you taste it, it reminds you of being back in the country right away. AK: How do you bring these experiences back to the classroom? Does it help you make material more interesting for students? RT: Particularly when you are explaining material from non-western cultures, if a lot of your class doesn’t necessarily have a background in that culture, I always explain to them that the easiest way to get curious about it is through travel, food and music. There is almost no culture we can talk about in a class at FIT that doesn’t have a restaurant somewhere in New York. I tell them about travel experiences and anecdotes and try to make them humorous, because it makes students understand what it’s like to be in that place, as oppose to just looking at a bunch of slides on a screen. AK: Have you gone abroad with any programs here at FIT or plan to in the future? RT: Not yet, although I was asked to develop a summer class for art in Istanbul. The people of international programs are very interested and we do have Turkish connections with colleges in Istanbul. To develop a new course here is a long process. They asked me, “If you’re going to write this would you be willing to go teach it,” and I said I’d give it a try. It is probably too soon to be this summer, but I imagine it maybe coming a year from this summer, so summer 2014. If you’re going to be involved in fashion, marketing or merchandising it’s not just the US. Everything is global. You can’t just stand outside of that. I think the college has been very good about recognizing the need to expose students to other cultures, countries, and languages. AK: How did your background in history lead you to a career on cruise ships? As a history buff, what did your work on the cruise ships entail? RT: Somebody came to one of my gallery talks at the Museum of Modern Art. He talked with me afterwards and said he really enjoyed my lecture on Picasso. His job was an agent who placed lecturers on cruise ships and asked me if I was interested. I said, why not? To travel to places I haven’t been to before, and see them in a completely different way than when you’re traveling on your own. I got to go to Alaska, Hawaii, Polynesia, the Baltic, the Mediterranean, Dubai, South America, the Panama Canal and lots of places. I lectured on these [places] as if I was actually an expert. I try to let them know interesting things about the places we are going to. This was a very unanticipated experience as far as traveling and has turned into a very interesting series of opportunities.
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OCTOBER 2012
What the Health?
Sugars, Spice and Everything Not So Nice The Secrets Behind Real and Fake Sweeteners Photo courtesy of fa-inkwell.com
by Sarah Dill
October is known for autumn festivities: pumpkin picking, costume making and of course THE Starbucks pumpkin spice latte, a trick—or possibly a treat—for your taste buds. There’s really no way around having a bit of sweetness in your diet, whether it be in your morning coffee or your after dinner indulgence in a bowl of ice cream. Sugar is found in almost anything and everything, in different shapes and forms that assuage your sweet tooth but also affect your daily energy. Dextrose, fructose, molasses, aspartame, sucrose and glucose are all common sources of sugar hiding in your day-to-day snacks and desserts. Although I try to stay away from sugar throughout my weekly regimen, I can’t help but grab something sweet to curb my hunger pangs and also put my sweet tooth in its rightful grave. After cutting out sugar, I turned to artificial sweeteners to get the same sweet taste but with 80% fewer calories. This may be the obvious choice to those looking to lose weight and take a healthier approach to eating, but for those always swapping sugar for Splenda, health risks are extremely high. The unsolved mystery of the battle between fake sweeteners and the real deal has been ongoing and is still plagued by both pros and cons. With the full moon October, however, the time has come to reveal the secrets behind sugar and its artificial alternative. The duel of decadence has begun!
Artificial sweeteners:
Cons: ΩΩ With anything fake or processed comes health risks and chemical changes, many of which could do damage to your heart or body in the long run ΩΩ Artificial sweeteners have also been proven to lead to weight gain because of their non-nutritional value ΩΩ Since these fakes simulate the same sweet receptors on the tongue as regular sugar does, an insulin response may be provoked as the tongue is the first step in the digestive process ΩΩ Aspartame and sucralose have been shown to put people at a risk for cancer and other health problems
triglycerides (fat materials) stored in the waist, clinging to your artery walls ΩΩ Sugar can actually weaken your immune system, making it a constant battle between Vitamin C intake and sugar to keep your white blood cell count plentiful ΩΩ Sugar and sweeteners in any form can be harmful when consumed too often. But combined with good exercise, a healthy diet, and a slow but steady reduction of sweets, you won’t have to worry too much about that next bite of vanilla cake.
Dorm Dish Recipe
ΩΩ High intake of fake sweeteners can cause a laxative effect as well as very bad abdominal pains in the future
Sugar: Pros: ΩΩ Since the human body knows how to handle incoming nutrients, it knows how to store the glucose for future use in the form of fat or muscle ΩΩ Sugar can be easily broken down and processed, making it good to eat and easy to burn off in exercise
Pros: ΩΩ Zero calories means zero things to worry about when trying to squeeze into those size-2 pair of jeans ΩΩ Since there is no nutrition behind fake sweeteners, your body is unable to process it, making it a healthier choice for losing weight ΩΩ There’s a wide variety of sweeteners from Splenda (fake) to Stevia, an all natural herbal sweetener
ΩΩ In small amounts, sugar can fend off any cravings and not leave you wanting excessive sweets ΩΩ Sugar can be your daily pick-me-up and keep you going or energized for the rest of the day Cons: ΩΩ Consumption of sugar can promote tooth decay as bacteria are found in plaque, which thrives on the sugar that we eat
ΩΩ For those with diabetes, these mock sweeteners can be the perfect thing to add a bit of sweetness to meals or desserts
ΩΩ Too much sugar can lead to diabetes, depleting blood cell sensitivity to insulin
ΩΩ Sugar alternatives tend to be lower in cost because of their long shelf life and high sweetening intensity
ΩΩ Sugar has been known to be a major factor in building fat and gaining weight because of the high amounts of
Chicken and Pumpkin Stir fry Pumpkins are making their way back onto your plate—not just through desserts but in savory dishes. In a wok or pan, cook your favorite fall veggie and get ready for your kitchen to smell like autumn! Accompany your chicken and pumpkin stir fry with a glass of apple cider and you’re well on your way to seasonal bliss! Recipe taken from taste.com.au Ingredients: 16 ounces butternut pumpkin, peeled, deseeded 12 ounces broccoli, cut into florets 7 ounces snow peas, halved diagonally Olive oil spray 2 (about 18 ounces) single chicken breast fillets, thinly sliced 1 tbs finely grated fresh ginger 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 60ml (1/4 cup) Chang's hoisin sauce 60ml (1/4 cup) sweet chilli sauce 2 tbs rice wine vinegar 1 tbs brown sugar 1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves Steamed rice, to serve
Photo courtesy of taste.com.au
Step 1 Cook broccoli in a saucepan of boiling water for 2–3 minutes. Add snow peas and cook for 1 minute. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a bowl of iced water to refresh. Drain. Add pumpkin to the saucepan and cook for 5 minutes. Transfer to iced water to refresh. Drain. Step 2 Spray a wok with olive oil spray. Place over high heat. Add chicken and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add ginger, garlic and vegetables and stir-fry for 1 minute. Return chicken to pan with the hoisin sauce, sweet chili sauce, vinegar and sugar. Bring to the boil and cook for 2–3 minutes. Stir in coriander. Step 3 Spoon the rice among serving bowls. Top with chicken stir-fry to serve.
ON THE BLOCK
FIT
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Range of Realities Exposed Hispanic Heritage Month at FIT by Caroline Nelson
A girl with short curly hair and tan skin lay perfectly still on the floor of the Katy Murphy Amphitheater while a man and woman walked around her, discussing a life many of us could only imagine. These people were actually actors in poet and playwright, Rosebud Ben-Oni’s oneact play, “Drawn from Water,” which, though fictional, focuses on the harsh reality that is the life of a Mexican border decoy. “I’ve had quite a few one act plays where the audience couldn’t wrap their head around the fact that this wasn’t going to be a more western kind of play, that this is a little bit of something different,” said Ben-Oni, who is half-Mexican and half-Middle Eastern and draws from her heritage when writing.
The play, featuring FIT Spanish Instructor Ximena Mieles as Alejandra the decoy, was staged on October 3rd and was one of the many events held during Hispanic Heritage Month at FIT. Sponsored by ten FIT organizations, the ten-day event, which took place between September 19th and October 11th, featured everything from documentaries on Latin American life to lectures on Maya mural paintings and even salsa tastings. “We’ve been working with the Diversity Council and they helped us a lot to set up. They were practicing in Katy Murphy, and Rosebud [Ben-Oni] got a director who is Bob Teague [co-founder at Truant Arts]. They came here just about every week and [rehearsed] for about three hours. So they knew the space well,” said Pilar BlancoRuiz, associate professor of Spanish who helped organize the staging of the play.
Following the performance, a number of documentaries ranging from The Take, a look at the Argentinean workers’ recovered factory movement in 2001 to Buena Vista Social Club about the aging Cuban band of the same name, were screened on the seventh floor of the Dubinsky Center. “We started to show documentaries that would show a range of realities, both positive, negative and folkloric,” said BlancoRuiz. “So it’s a reality, how do foreigners see Latin America, then within the foreigners, how does a European see Latin America? How does a Latin American see himself? What does he want to focus on?” she continued. All of these aspects were seen and discussed during the screenings.
and Foreign Languages; and Steve Zhang (Chen Zhang), Foreign Languages adjunct faculty member through the organization, Echo of Voices, are working to organize an international poetry reading and arts festival. The event will take place at FIT and other city venues during National Poetry Month, April 2014. The event will showcase poets from different countries, including those of Hispanic, Asian and European descent. Additionally, Echo of Voices, in partnership with the literary community, PEN American Center, will hold a film festival at FIT during the spring 2013 semester. To learn more about these events and how to get involved, visit echofvoices.org, or email nycpoetryfest2014@gmail.com.
The focus on Hispanic heritage and global art is not just limited to this month, however. Blanco-Ruiz; Dr. Madeline Millán, assistant professor of Spanish
The Tigers’ Biggest Fan by Samantha Vance
is not just any college. Coaches had their own expectations, especially since some of the professors actually teach design. It was such a great group though, it really aided the process and we’re definitely going to recreate the model for future projects. SV: You were asked to take this project because of your experience with collegiate logos. How would you say designing for FIT was different than a traditional college? DS: Every school is different and has its own identity. Working with a large school like USC gets very political and complicated. FIT was really unique because the student body has so much enthusiasm and life. It’s a very urban campus and I think the logo was really embraced because the students didn’t have a unified athletic logo to begin with. The students in the committee were very appreciative. DJ Stout, Photo courtesy of aaf-houston.org
FIT’s sporty new athletic logo has been well received by the student body and according to our sports statistics, the athletes are feeling it too. The sleek design of our new tiger pouncing over the classic FIT academic logo combines both our collegiate identity and our artsy roots. DJ Stout, a Texas-based partner at Pentagram, the design firm commissioned to create the logo, talked with W27 about the process of discovering FIT’s new athletic identity and what makes our school the only one of its kind. Samantha Vance: Who did you get to work with from FIT when designing the logo? DJ Stout: The main person I worked with was Carol Levin, assistant vice president of Communications and External
Relations, plus a small committee of 15 to 20 people we put together of student athletes, graphic design students, coaches and professors. SV: What were the challenges of working with students and faculty from different departments? DS: Well, it was a very interesting dynamic. FIT isn’t well known for athletics; a lot of people say, “FIT has sports teams?” But you know, the teams are actually good. I thought it was really great that FIT backed this project with the proper funding and really wanted to support a unified athletic identity. That said, the athletes on the committee wanted to look very collegiate and serious. The design students were more interested in something with a more artsy aspect, not just something athletic, because FIT
SV: What is the process behind designing a logo? DS: Well, it’s really all done in phases. Phase one is all research on the personality of the school and actually asking students what they picture. This way we can figure out what the goals are for the design. In phase two we presented rough ideas for feedback. I think in the first meeting we had about 10 different logos and narrowed it down to identify what road they wanted to go down. In phase three we listened to their feedback and came back with three revised logos and showed them on sample jerseys and basketball courts to help them visualize it. The logo we all ended up deciding on is very distinctive and visually appealing. SV: What was your goal for the logo?
DS: The goal was definitely to unify the athletic identity while making it sure it was representative of the whole student body. We wanted to make sure it was a nice hybrid of “design-y” and serious at the same time. SV: At the NYC branch of Pentagram, Michael Beirut and his team created the FIT academic logo in 2001. Were you keeping the current logo in mind while creating the new one? DS: As a matter of fact the first draft didn’t include the FIT disk. There was different typography included all together. But it was always my interest to keep the academic logo as part of it. The circle logo has different background and font colors for various institutions around campus. The dark red is for the FIT museum, the light blue is for academics, and the dark blue is for athletics. So we had this idea of the tiger jumping over the disk and it kind of showcases the athletic look of the design and almost hints at the muscular form of the tiger as well as a nostalgic image of a show tiger jumping over a large circus ball. SV: What did you most enjoy about this project? Did anything specific appeal to you? DS: Well, I love FIT and all the people I got to work with. The students were just really great and smart. They had actual opinions and were very excited and appreciative that the school was funding this project and that they were a part of it. At the very end one student spoke up and made a very eloquent defense for the logo we ended up selecting. I was so impressed and I really think his words helped the committee in choosing the sleek design.
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OCTOBER 2012
24|Fashion @ FIT by Dana Heyward
Photo taken by Dana Heyward
On September 21st, the Haft Auditorium was filled with FIT students, faculty, alumni and other guests for the “24|Fashion Runway Presentation.” The event was organized completely by FIT’s Black Student Union and represented one of the first school fashion shows of the semester. Seven FIT designers presented their individual designs, modeled by a diverse group of 30 FIT students/models. The event was hosted by co-editor of the online magazine Stuff Fly People Like, Rae Holliday, who brought a comedic tone to the event (think Kevin Hart) while keeping the audience hyped for the designers. Singer Kimberly Nichole and a live band
kept the show lively, giving the event a “party” feel while performing a selection of tunes, including a soulful rendition of The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army,” and a powerhouse performance of her own single, “Disconnected.” Erica Appleby, 22, opened the show with a collection of sophisticated and tailored dresses in a range of neutral hues inspired by her mother. Following Appleby’s presentation was Marvin Inabinet, 22, who showcased black leather, animal print and a theme of patriotism in his designs. Jordan Jackson, 21, presented a small men’s outerwear collection
from his own line, Original State of Mind. Ashley Padmore, 22, also presented her own line, Padmore. Padmore’s goal was to “push limits,” and she certainly did as she presented models wearing plum lipstick in cut-out swimwear and rugged outerwear. The most anticipated showing of the night, however, was that of freshman Eva Mohram, the youngest student to be presenting a collection at the event. Her designs were a brave mix of lace, tweed, and asymmetrical lines.
presentation of their collections. As their intricate designs went down the runway, you could hear the audience’s coos of approval. These coos, laughs, and applause lasted throughout the show. Everyone attending was thoroughly impressed not only with the designers, but the entire production.
Christine Smith and Joshua Myrie, finalists in ELLE’s Fashion Next competition, ended the show in a combined
Talking Trade @ FIT
Global Sustainable Design and Marketing by Richard Gilmartin
On Thursday, September 27th, the Department of International Trade and Marketing at FIT hosted Talking Trade: Global Sustainable Design and Marketing. The evening event was held in the Katie Murphy Amphitheater. The panel, which consisted of Lewis Perkins of Cradle to Cradle Product Innovation Institute; Sass Brown, the acting assistant dean of FIT’s School of Art and Design, Samata Angel, the global campaign director for Red Carpet Green Dress; and Diane Ferraro, founder of Urban Siren, was set up to give students insight on the international trade and marketing industry and to prepare them for entry level jobs in the field.
Patagonia and Nike, helps create products that replace the waste made during the production stage, swapping it with biological nutrients that can be decomposed and provide food for bacterial life, as well as technical nutrients, inorganic materials such as plastics that can be used many times over. Products are graded by C2C with a system based upon five categories: material health, material utilization, renewable energy, water stewardship and social fairness. Companies may even receive certifications from C2C and are encouraged to share the technology they use to improve their products with other companies in order to ultimately do more good for the environment.
The panel opened with moderator Diane Ferraro who turned the mic over to Lewis Perkins. Perkins is the senior vice president of Cradle to Cradle (C2C), a title reflecting the nature of the practice and their design philosophy. The mission of this not-for-profit certification insititute, according to C2CCertified.org is “to provide a continuous improvement quality standard to guide product manufacturers and designers in making safe and healthy things for our world.” Their work with various companies, including
Sass Brown, acting assistant dean of the School of Art and Design at FIT and author of Eco Fashion, the first book on the emerging topic, was next to speak at the panel. In addition to authoring her book, the first to be published on the emerging topic of eco fashion, Brown is also the European Editor for Coco Eco Magazine, the owner of EcoFashionTalk. com, and a content curator for Handeye Magazine and NotJustaLabel.com. Her book focuses on various aspects of eco fashion such as ecological fabrications,
community and fair trade, slow design, recycling, reusing and redesigning of garments, and also discusses new models for business, such as TOMS Shoes. Brown works to communicate that eco fashion is not just a trend; it is a necessity in today’s society. The final panelist to contribute was Samata Angel from Red Carpet Green Dress. Red Carpet Green Dress is an international dress design competition founded by Suzy Amis Cameron, wife of director James Cameron, in 2009. The idea popped up during the premiere of her husband’s film, Avatar, which had environmental themes. Cameron saw this as an opportunity to talk about something of substance on the red carpet rather than just talk about the brand she was wearing that night and voila! the “Red Carpet Green Dress” was born. All designs entered into the competition must be sustainable with an emphasis on organic fabric. The winning design will be worn by a celebrity on the red carpet in order to promote eco fashion.
Sass Brown, Photo courtesy of blog.fitnyc.edu
ON THE BLOCK
FIT
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FIT Students’ First Fashion Week Foray by Desmond Zhengs
Jongsuk Park, photo courtesy of Minsu Sun
Tae Kyung Kim, photo courtesy of Minsu Sun
One of Tae Kyung Kim’s award-winning garments, photo courtesy of ELLE
The opportunity to present a collection at the tents during New York Fashion Week is considered the holy grail of success, the pinnacle of achievement in the fashion industry. It’s a lofty benchmark for many aspiring fashion designers around not only the country, but the world. For 19 talented FIT fashion design students, they might just have “made it.” The ELLE Fashion Next Competition partnered with the Fashion Institute of Technology to invite its students to create a capsule collection inspired by daily life here in New York. Not only were these young designers able to show their collections at Lincoln Center, but they were also judged by an impressive list of industry insiders: Alexis Bittar, Catherine Malandrino, Wes Gordon, Christina Ricci, and Brad Goreski, as well as ELLE Creative Director and FIT alumnus, Joe Zee and ELLE Fashion News Director, Anne Slowey. It took four months of hard work and a much-anticipated show before Jongsuk Park emerged as the Maybelline New York Design Visionary Award winner. And Tae Kyung Kim took home the top honor, ELLE’s FASHION | NEXT Design Award and a $25,000 prize.
Park focused on the rustic scenes found in the city, from old water tanks on top of the buildings, bridges and subways, to rusty water pipes and stairways deemed useless but meaningful. “I wanted to bring in the structures of menswear to allow women to be strong and masculine, but without losing their feminine side,” said Park, “I added drapey garments made out of lightweight knits.” The leather and knits presented a juxtaposition of fitted and oversized garments in neutral colors rather than brights, though crimson red was used as an accent color. Hailing from South Korea, Park had an early passion for fashion. Along with some friends, he launched a student's fashion magazine named Le Debut in 2008, and also ran a now defunct graphic t-shirt company with his partners, acting as the creative director. Park was honored to be a finalist in this competition alongside students who were winners of their senior collections—and were given the opportunity to show at New York Fashion Week. “It was one of the greatest experiences I have ever had,” stated Park. Fashion Next New York Design Award winner Tae Kyung Kim’s collection also garnered plenty of interest. Drawing inspiration from her psychological impression of New York City, “from the time [she] first came to NYC along with feeling scared, excited and lonely, until[she] adapted [her]self to her new circumstances,” her refreshing marriage of
ombre knits, organza, and leather won the approval of the judges. A clear winner was the ombre knit dress she handmade and dyed to create a gradual degradation of color. “This competition made me approve of myself a little bit more and helped me to make my first foray into the real fashion industry. I will always remember this first great start as a designer,” Kim mused. Great experiences, respect, friendships, support and most importantly, a stronger sense of belief in herself was what Kim took away from this competition. Citing Yohji Yamamoto, Rei Kawakubo and Rick Owens as designers that she admires, she likens a designer to a storyteller. Kim stresses that a good designer must not just tell a story, but also possess the ability to stimulate and help listeners to find their creativity in understanding it. Also a recipient of the 2012 CFDA Scholarship Award, her talent in stimulating viewers is clear.
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W27
OCTOBER 2012
Future Mode:
Shana Warnock by Marissa Mule
Steve Jobs once said, “Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That's because they were able to connect experiences they've had and synthesize new things.” This month, I had the opportunity to interview a talented Fashion Merchandising Management major working for Lifetime Brands, a home products development company, who is also my roommate and best friend. Here, she explains how her internship has turned into her future – leading her to become a successful product developer. Marissa Mule: What is your main job at your internship? What do you do? Shana Warnock: Basically everything. My main job, however, is to research trends.
My job is to pull patterns and create design vectors and color palettes. I work closely with the assistants under the lead of my division. MM: What is your typical workday like? SW: I usually work from 10am to 5pm. The work that I do really depends on what projects are requested by each division on a specific day. MM: Who/what are your inspirations? SW: I am inspired by many different things. I am really influenced by color. I research a lot of trends on style sites, and attend fashion trade shows. All of those aspects influence me in my work. I recently went to a trade show New York International Gift Fair. I absolutely loved that show—it was my first experience seeing the trends I researched come to life, and showed me why I love home product development so much. The show included dinnerware, wall décor, gifts, stationery and accessories. There were even toys and childrenswear. It was truly one of the greatest moments from my internship. MM: What is your dream job? SW: My dream job would be to continue working in home product development. This internship kind of fell into my lap, and that is when I realized which direction my life would go. As a Fashion Merchandising Management major, I have the opportunity to declare a concentration in home products in my senior year. I am very passionate about what I do and my career goals. I am confident that I am making the right choice in heading toward a home products concentration.
MM: Why are you choosing a concentration in home products? SW: To be honest, I just love it. It's very different from the fashion industry and yet so similar that it's mind boggling. You wouldn't think so, but the two are very connected. When looking for pattern and design aesthetic, we take a lot of our ideas from runway shows. MM: Does your own personal style reflect your aesthetic? SW: Not at all. My style is very eclectic. I have an interesting style that reflects my personality. In researching trends, I am not influenced by things that reflect my style – everything in home products is different and varies in color and pattern. You have to produce what your targeted market will buy.
Mastering Bollywood Dance With Masti Club by Meaghan Hartland
There is a new way to workout at FIT: The FIT Masti Club, also known as the South Asian Dance Team, is perfect for those students who are interested in learning a new style of dance. The club’s founder, Hermina Sobhraj, a W27 contributor, along with her roommate, Shradha Vaghela, noticed that FIT was missing a key type of dance in the club lineup. These women enjoyed the Indian style of dance immensely, both having studied it for over a decade. Sobhraj says they decided to start the club because they “wanted to educate people on the many different aspects of the dance.” Masti promotes the Bollywood style while incorporating other kinds of dance including salsa and hip-hop.
On November 16th, the club will have its first performance of the year in honor of “Diwali,” the Indian New Year, during a celebration to be held in the David Dubinsky Center [A Building]. Sobhraj notes that the club will encompass a competitive team and a recreational dance group. In fact, Masti Club hopes to compete on a national level this year. Weekly workshops will be held throughout the month of October to help prepare those who are hoping to join the competition team. Tryouts will take place in November. Sobhraj also explains that their practices are always exciting, because they are constantly practicing new choreography and
learning more about the Bollywood style. This is what she thinks “sets [Masti] apart from other clubs.” To help club members better understand the style of dance, Sobhraj and co-president Vaghela are planning on having guest choreographers from around the city present at meetings. Students that are interested in the club may search “FIT Masti” on Facebook. Meetings are held on Tuesdays in room D424 of the Fred P. Pomerantz Art and Design Center [D Building].
Photos courtesy of Shana Warnock
DEAR INDUSTRY StyleCaster’s State of Style Summit by Dara Kenigsberg
From left to right: Judy Licht, Robert Verdi and Bobbi Thomas, all photography by Dara Kenigsberg
Elisa Goodkind and Lily Mandlebaum, photographed by Dara Kenigsberg
From left to right: Adam Brenthoughtaling, Nur Khan and Patrick McMullan
On Thursday, October 11, the second State of Style Summit was held at 92Y in Tribeca. The event was held by StyleCaster, a unique vertical media platform that allows shoppers to learn about hot trends that consumers around the world are wearing. Hosted by the company’s CEO, Ari Goldberg, the main topic of discussion was the future of the fashion industry and the various ways social media is making an impact. Speakers all agreed that video is the new direction that the fashion world is going in and that content needs to be 360 degrees. Nate Berkus, host of the Nate Berkus Show, expounded on this, saying that social media gives the fashion industry an opportunity to see what their customers think about what they are doing. He went on to note that there used to be a huge divide between print and online journalism but now online journalism is what is important. Liz Kaplow, CEO and founder of Kaplow Communications and the President-Elect of New York Women in Communications agreed with Berkus, discussing how bloggers are right in there with every bit of credibility. She also said that bloggers can bring information to the masses in real time, giving brands the chance to do their public relations through bloggers by having the them come in and see their line, knowing it will be broadcast immediately. Kaplow wisely stated that “brands are talking to consumers and consumers are talking back, and this is the future of the industry.” Additionally, speaking at the summit were Elisa Goodkind and Lily Mandlebaum, mother and daughter cocreators of StyleLikeU, a fashion social media site. This panel, which focused on the business of blogging and independent publishing, also included Laurel Pinson, editor-in-chief of StyleCaster; Joah Spearman of the Huffington Post, CEO of AvecMode and founder of SXSW StyleX; as well as Lindsey Calla, founder of influential blog, Saucy Glossie. Mandlebaum poignantly stated “if I were to just see a video of someone with style, I would think, it doesn’t work for me, but because we interview them and speak to them you get a more powerful message and can relate to it with pictures. You just get these preconceived notions but when you talk to them you will realize that these people are more like you – our message is inclusion and aspiration – be a better you.” Calla, who uses pictures of herself on her blog, concurs with this idea. Real women want to see other real women. The majority of women in America are a size eight or above and the small percentage of women who actually fit into sample sizes are not representative of the average woman. By using pictures of herself, Calla is
able to give a different perspective on how something can be worn, not just how it is worn on the runway. None of this would be possible without social media and the growing credibility of bloggers. However, credibility can only occur when you are accountable to yourself and your audience, and this is one of the major differences between brands doing PR for themselves, and those that have bloggers come in and express their real opinions. The next panel included Frederick Williams, head of design at Thomas Pink; Donata Minelli, CEO of Yigal Azrouel and Cut25; Uri Minkoff, president of Rebecca Minkoff; and Amy Shecter, president of C. Wonder. President of FIT, Dr. Joyce Brown, led this panel. Each speaker expressed the various ways they got into fashion, and while everyone’s path was different, they all shared an organic love for fashion from an early age. When Minelli started in fashion 14 years ago there was really no electronic component, but now she said, “Social media is critical on a day-to-day basis. We try to focus on what it means to be on-brand because there is a face behind the brand and how it’s taken care of is really important. Being experimental and reactive and trying new things is also really important and we like to be open to new opportunities. Sometimes there is failure, but you should always try, taking risks is a good thing.” Minkoff described himself as “the consumer advocate.” He is always trying to find out what the consumer will or will not buy, does or does not like, and because of this, he and his sister were one of the pioneers in the fashion industry in terms of social media. They knew back in 2006 that the best way to find out what the customer really wants is to ask them. One of the biggest movements in the fashion world today is e-commerce. These sites are able to reach people on a global level and bring fashion to the masses. Alisa Gould-Simon, co-founder of the app Pose explained “at Pose we are an interactive platform with all our content created by our users who upload their styles and make them shoppable. We also have famous stylists who share their information and style tips with regular people.” Stacy Santo, Vice President of Marketing at Rue LaLa divulged that success comes from knowing what works for you. Joel Weingarten, Founder of StyleOwner said that his success came from democratizing fashion; by bringing in regular people, showcasing their fashion and giving them a voice. He also stated that “it’s important to provide a clear value proposition for our users. They get a clear picture of what we do and the best marketing tool is a recommendation and regular people can make money by bringing stuff to our
site – making it different from shopping from a regular store, and this is the future of fashion.” Nur Khan, Patrick McMullan, and worldrenowned DJ Mick Boogie examined style by night. They all agreed that in New York City, the streets are a runway, especially when you are going out on the town. According to Khan, having great personal style and an opinion counts more “than being Lindsey Lohan.” McMullan said, “With social media people want attention. Everyone has style and an opinion and wants to get it out there and they can...but if you don’t play the game it wont work.” One of the most informative touch points in the panel came from Boogie, who pointed out that 10% of all photos ever taken have been taken in the last year. This is a testament to the world we live in today and the direction we are going in. The last panel of the summit included Robert Verdi, stylist and Co-Founder of First Comes Fashion, Bobbie Thomas, style editor for the TODAY show, and Judy Licht, CEO of First Comes Fashion. This panel was titled “Luxury Lifestyle for the Facebook Generation” but it ended up also being about the evolution of the fashion world. Licht started out by saying that people want content and that is why we are continuously moving in the direction of knowing everything about everyone. Thomas believes that there is really great power in Twitter because it connects people in such a way that Facebook does not. Verdi opened by expounding on the history and evolution of fashion. He said that the fashion of the late 1800s and early 1900s was dramatically different from that of the 1920s. “There hasn’t been a dramatic change in things since then and fashion has been regurgitated and because there hasn’t been any major change in the world; there hasn’t been any major change in fashion.” Thomas followed this by saying the change has been in the technology, a statement that rang true and summed up what the whole day was about. To close the summit, they each defined what they think is cool and influential. Verdi, the consummate comedian, said, “as an influencer I think I'm cool – irreverence, and rule breakers and people who are crazy are really changing the world.” Thomas believes that honesty is “really cool and influential” and Licht said, “people who are original and make a difference are cool.” Agreed.
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Christian Siriano Branches Out with New Store by Caroline Nelson
types of pieces, it’s very dress heavy. So they’ll buy cocktail dresses, and day dresses, and evening [dresses] and so I really wanted to give a little bit more of a range, and sometimes the best way to do that is to do it on a designer’s own. You kind of make your own rules at your own store,” he explained. Shoppers looking for more casual wear have a lot to look forward to. Siriano is planning to host a number of shopping
Before he sent his models down the runway in a bevy of ballerina inspired dresses, fashion designer, Christian Siriano officially opened his first stand-alone concept shop on Elizabeth Street in NoLita with a party on September 5th. “I really loved the vibe of Elizabeth Street,” said Siriano, “I think it’s an old, kind of classic New York shopping destination.” The 1000 square foot store furnished with dark floors, heavy wooden displays and contrasting white and black walls that featured backstage runway photos, sets the stage for Siriano’s ready-to-wear garments, as well as a number of exclusive items from bags and shoes to zebra striped pillows and home
furnishings at a range of price points. “I wanted it to feel very homey, very sexy and glamorous, but also to not feel intimidating…we have things that are under $100, so we really wanted a lot of different people to shop and not feel that it was a designer store that they couldn’t go into,” said Siriano, whose line of wallets and clutches are priced between $78 and $120. Finding a larger market for his variety of designs was one of the main reasons he opened the store. A very successful eveningwear designer with accounts in luxury department stores such as Neiman Marcus, various boutiques, and other specialty stores in the US and abroad, Siriano hopes to add an emphasis on sportswear and use his new space as a testing ground to see what sells in a broader range of products. “Right now, most of my retailers, even though they’re buying different
we really wanted a lot of different people to shop and not feel that it was a designer store that they couldn’t go into
events at the store for the holiday season including a gifting sale for accessories, scarves and t-shirts, where according to Siriano shoppers can purchase presents for “under $150.” There are also plans for a sample sale in the coming months.
Photographs taken by Brad Walsh
as a gift, Siriano’s shop is sure to cater to your needs. “I think it’s such a cool space where you get so many different types of customers. That was the biggest goal,” Siriano said, “We wanted to capture that young downtown girl, we wanted to capture the tourists that were coming in from Europe, maybe someone who’s really shopping for designer goods in SoHo. It really is the best of both worlds.”
So whether you’re in the market for a ball gown to wear to a gala or scarf to give
We Wore What Takes Stockholm by Dana Heyward
Danielle Bernstein, AMC major and creator of the blog We Wore What, was recently the lucky winner of the #VIDEOFYMYFASHION contest hosted by social video platform, Videofymyfashion and Bon Magazine. Her video submission of her effortless shopping at Beacon’s Closet won her the chance to travel to Sweden for MercedesBenz Fashion Week Stockholm. The opportunity allowed her to sit front row at the shows and presentations of her choice while also garnering some free time to explore what Stockholm had to offer. Dana Heyward: How would you compare MBFW Stockholm to MBFW New York in terms of the atmosphere and the general operation of things? Danielle Bernstein: Very different. Stockholm gives off a more relaxed vibe, and is definitely a lot more casual in terms of how people dress and the “attitudes” of people attending. NYFW is a bigger deal and on a bigger scale (as of now) than MBFW Stockholm. DH: Did you have any favorite designers, shows, or presentations in Stockholm?
DB: Definitely Cheap Monday and Altewaisaome. [Contemporary clothing brand] Cheap Monday was amazing because it was offsite at a skate park! The models walked through this huge skateboarding park while all the attendees sat on fashionable bleachers. Very cool. Altewaisaome [founded in 2009 by Swedish designers, Natalia Altewai and Randa Saome] featured structured clothing in some amazing colors/patterns and I just loved it. DH: How would you compare Stockholm street style to New York street style? DB: Stockholm street style is the epitome of casual chic. For example, skinny jeans, black pointed toe heels, but also very structured and eccentric items. Sweaters and sweatshirts with skirts were all over the streetstyle-goers of Stockholm fashion week and the looks in general were much more defined and clean. It was simplicity at its best. DH: Aside from fashion, did you have any downtime to get to explore Stockholm? If so what were some of your favorite things that you saw or did?
DB: I did! I loved the “old town” which was petite and beautiful, like a mini version of Meatpacking District because of all the cobblestone streets. I also went out at night, and had a lot of fun to say the least. I arrived in Stockholm only knowing two people… by the end of the trip I was saying hi to at least 25 different people everywhere I went. The shopping is also to die for. DH: Would you say the trip affected your blog in any way? How has the trip influenced your own personal style? DB: 100 %. I now have more of an international audience, friends from all over the world, and relationships with companies in other countries that I would never had connected with if I wasn’t in Stockholm. This entire experience truly helped me and my blog grow. Stockholm really changed the way I look at fashion and my personal style too. It made me want to dress in more structured clothing with a sleek look. Photos courtesy of Danielle Bernstein
Photographs taken by Brad Walsh
DEAR INDUSTRY
PTK Teams Up with Bangs Madeline Thompson, a W27 contributor, is FIT’s Bangs Student Ambassador and is a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. FIT’s PTK chapter is trying to raise $10,000 for the student scholarship program. The money will be divided among two active PTK members. They would prefer to award the two selected PTK members with $5,000 each—but this will only be possible by finding sponsors. Bangs has graciously agreed to donate a percentage to the PTK scholarship program. This partnership is still in the planning stages, but if approved will be accomplished in a few steps: 1) Bangs will send PTK sample sizes in all four colors so that students can try them on at the PTK and Bangs event and environmentally based fashion show on December 6th 2) After trying on the shoes, students will be able to purchase the shoes directly from PTK using credit/debit cards or cash
These Shoes Were Made For Walking by Raquel Rose Burger
While typical college graduates search for their dream job after graduation, Hannah Davis set out to make a difference—one step at a time. By creating her own shoe line to help the less fortunate, Davis became a true humanitarian—with a sense of fashion! Graduating from Clemson College in 2009 with a major in Political Science and a minor in Mandarin Chinese, she signed a contract that August to teach in China. There she became increasingly interested in the country’s fascinating culture and the many nonprofit organizations active in social enterprise at the time. “Being in China, I experienced an entirely new culture,” said Davis, “One of my friends bought a pair of green shoes you can buy off the side of the road. They were olive green originally designed for the Chinese military.” It would be those military shoes that inspired her first foray into shoe design.
3) The shoes will be shipped to the student’s address 4) After the payment goes through, Bangs will donate 15% for every pair of $60 shoes PTK sells (about $9) and 10% of every pair of $55 shoes that are sold (about $6.50) to the FIT PTK scholarship program For more information and to purchase a pair of Bangs shoes, contact Madeline Thompson at madeline_thompson@ fitnyc.edu.
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So began her long term goal to strategically change the way of life for many people in need around the world through shoes. The name of this remarkable shoe company? Bangs. Davis explained that the Chinese character for help is ” and is phonetically spelled b-a-n-g. Davis wanted to connect the name of the company to
the inspiration and ideology behind the brand, so Bangs seemed like a natural choice. Bangs shoes come in four different colors, and the purchase of each will help a different nonprofit organization. The nonprofits supported by the sale of the shoes are Global Dirt for disaster aid, Choice Humanitarian for hunger, A Drop in the Bucket for clean water and SOUL Foundation for development because according to Davis,“They all focus on education, empowerment and self reliability—not handouts.” The shoes are made in China through a third party manufacturer. “I got insanely lucky by just searching online. I found an American-run company which was fantastic because I had previously struggled with Chinese language and culture communication barriers,” Davis said. “The manufacturing agent Bangs works with has been working in China for decades. The man who started the manufacturing company is from the US and moved to China at the beginning of his career. He ended up marrying a Chinese woman and together they developed their own manufacturing system and running their own factories. I work with their daughter and son, Sabrina and Ryan. Sabrina is based out of Chicago and Ryan is based out of China. Working in a Chinese factory is a fine, steady job in China and is not looked at negatively like it is here,” she added. Currently there are four employees working in Bang’s headquarters. Bangs also
has a university campus program where students in different schools across the nation have committed to “stand on issues to help others stand on their own.” Bangs has partnered with FIT’s Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society chapter to help make a difference (see sidebar). It is different than other shoe companies, because the company was founded solely with the goal of supporting nonprofits. Davis promotes
Bangs by word of mouth, social media and the campus outreach programs. “The end goal is education, empowerment, self reliability and giving people the tools to develop themselves,” she said. To others starting their own business, Davis cautions that there is not an immediate return and to not let small failures cause you stop or fall short of your goal. “The entire process of Bangs has been extremely humbling,” explained Davis. “It has been over two years of researching, planning, and developing and I can’t believe that it’s finally here. It has been a priceless and amazing experience. I am so excited for the future.”
Photos courtesy of bangsshoes.com
BEAUTY BUZZ:
BEAUTY GIVES BACK by Dianna Mazzone
It was Fashion Designer Yves Saint Laurent who once said, “The most beautiful makeup of a woman is passion. But cosmetics are easier to buy.” Passion—be it for art, film, music or for a charitable cause—breeds beauty from the inside out. But as Laurent so astutely observed, cosmetics are often a worthy substitute. This month, however, beauty and charity go hand in hand. For more than 25 years, October has marked National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a nationwide effort to promote early detection, prevention and research of the disease. Here, five products give a whole new meaning to pretty-in-pink.
Estée Lauder Evelyn Lauder Dream Compact, $75, esteelauder.com To commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the Estée Lauder Companies Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign and celebrate the legacy of Evelyn H. Lauder. One hundred percent of the proceeds of each Dream Compact sold will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The compact, filled with the brand’s Lucidity Translucent Pressed Powder, features a modern take on the pink ribbon. A blue ribbon, too, is
featured in the design—a nod to the 1% of men affected by the disease.
of all proceeds from each Breast Cancer Awareness package sold.
Ciate
Sonia Kashuk
Breakthrough Breast Cancer Duo Set, $28, ciate.co.uk
Proudly Pink Five Piece Brush Set, $14.99, Target
With nearly two million cases diagnosed worldwide, the statistics don’t lie: breast cancer knows no bounds. Across the pond, nail polish powerhouse, Ciate has teamed with UK charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer to create a set of limited edition shades, Pinkaboo and Pinkalilly, based on two of the brand’s best selling colors. For each kit sold, Breakthrough Breast Cancer will receive 20% of the profits.
For the girl who flaunts her pink with pride, the Sonia Kashuk Proudly Pink Five Piece Brush Set will surely make you blush with delight—in more ways than one! This easy-to-use, all-in-one set features professional quality brushes stored in a sleek silver carrying case—lined in pink, of course. The Breast Cancer Relief Fund will receive 15% of all purchases.
Clinique
Mane Message
Limited Edition Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion, $36, clinique.com
The Breast Cancer Awareness Package, $9.45, manemessage.com Buzz-worthy hair accessories brand Mane Message is highly acclaimed for its signature soft and stretchy hair ties. The elastic bands do double duty, acting as fashionable and fun bracelets when not in use. But this month, the ties take on a third and especially honorable role: as a source of charity. The Breast Cancer Research Foundation will receive 20%
Product images taken from the respective producers’ websites.
Over the course of the brand’s nearly 50 years in existence, Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion has risen to cult status. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the world-famous moisturizer has received a chic makeover, complete with a Clinique signature keychain and a Breast Cancer Awareness Pink Ribbon Charm. The Breast Cancer Research Foundation will receive $10 from the purchase of each limited edition bottle.
Look 5 (On the Cover) Coat: Won Ki Lee Button Down: Won Ki Lee Bag: ALDO Hat: Highland
Look 4 Coat: Won Ki Lee Blazer: Won Ki Lee Button Down: Won Ki Lee Pants: Won Ki Lee Shoes: Highland Portfolio: Ben Minkoff Hat: Block Headwear
Look 3 Jacket and vest: Won Ki Lee Button Down: Won Ki Lee Pants: Won Ki Lee Bag: Ben Minkoff
Look 2 Coat: Won Ki Lee Vest: Won Ki Lee Pants: Won Ki Lee Shoes: New Balance Bag: Kenneth Cole Fedora: Block Headwear
Look 1 Coat: Won Ki Lee Vest: Won Ki Lee Button Down: Won Ki Lee Pants: Won Ki Lee Gloves: Block Headwear Beanie: Highland Satchel: The Cambridge Satchel Company
Stylist: Freddy Rodriguez Model: Zach Karem Photographer: Sam Verkaik Make-Up Artist: Maria Baez
FEATURE 14 FIT
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OCTOBER 2012
This Fall, be prepared to see men strut the streets of New York making a statement as fierce as their apparel. Loose fitting cropped pants, asymmetric jackets and dapper bow ties are all paired with colorful sneakers, satchels and handsome hats. With an on-the-go mentality, these gentlemen answer to no one and never apologize for the bold lives they live.
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Fusion Cuisine Photo taken by Sarah Dill
Cafe Himalaya by Sarah Dill
Ever wonder what it would be like to live in Tibet or go hiking through the Himalayas? Although this may be a costly challenge, a slice of Nepali and Tibetan culture has been brought to New York for adventurous types. Since venturing to the city four years ago, Café Himalaya has been serving up some of the best and most authentic Nepalese/Himalayan food in the East Village. Tucked away on East 1st Street, Café Himalaya is small, but packed with great flavor, offering large proportioned meals and a cozy space for those looking to unwind from work or school. Flags from Tibet and of Asian culture are strung by
the doors and windows to greet foodies and tourists alike. Scenic pictures of Mount Everest and Himalayan foliage are scattered on the walls and a large chalkboard is hung above the kitchen, highlighting the most popular and recommended dishes from the chefs themselves. Unique plates are offered such as the chili dofu, sha momos, chasha shamdey, gyathuk ngopa and their sha thukpa, a traditional Tibetan noodle soup. Along with their Nepali and Tibetan classics, they also serve up Thai iced teas, Himalayan curry dishes and their homemade spicy coriander chutney that
accompanies every meal. Although most East Villagers come for the cheap prices and spicy chili chicken, the most popular and famous dish offered are the momos. “The momos are a traditional Tibetan dish-steamed or pan fried dumplings stuffed with beef and herbs,” said Toshi, a Café Himalaya employee. “The momos and sha thukpa are our most famous and recommended dishes,” he added. The sizzling hot plates of sha thukpa are rushed out with a side of paratha bread, giving an Indian kick to its Tibetan authenticity. Clanging pots and a warm smell of the next order of basmati rice fill the space, making it feel like you
are huddled in a hut in the midst of the Himalayan mountains. For those who can’t trek their way to the East Village, Café Himalaya offers delivery and take out to those who want to bring a bit of Tibet to the comfort of their own home. In a sea of restaurants down East 1st Street, Café Himalaya is the perfect cheap spot to grab lunch with a friend or explore with a dinner date for an Asian fusion feast.
Cafe Himalaya 78 East 1st Street New York, NY 10009 212.358.0160
Purple Ginger by Venus Wong
Dining at Purple Ginger is similar to a journey through Asia—but not quite. The gigantic purple fluorescent lights at the storefront of this East Village eatery set it apart from the neighboring Ginger and Wild Ginger restaurants. (Curiously, the word “ginger” seems to be ubiquitous in the naming of Asian restaurants here in New York.) What it also does is provide Asian cuisine aficionados a reason to doubt the authenticity of its food, as from the outside, the places resembles nothing like the restaurant it claims to be.
Photos taken by Venus Wong
Its decor, like the questionable exterior lights, is unintentionally cheesy at best: it looks like a fusion restaurant someone had imagined up after reading Interior Decorating for Dummies. Apparently, that someone also has a penchant for garish fluorescent lights, as all the wooden walls were engraved on the edges so that a dull yellow light could shine from underneath. But the most distracting feature was by
far the oddly illuminated mural depicting a purple ginger plant, which could be a tad too literal for some patrons' tastes. In comparison, the restrooms were smartly furnished and remarkably well-kept. Service was slow but understandably so, given that only one waiter was serving the whole floor that night. Food was served at reasonable time intervals, but getting the check felt like an ongoing battle for the sole waiter's attention. As for the food, Purple Ginger's menu boasts itself as a pan-Asian restaurant, serving delicacies from Thailand, Japan, China, Korea, Indonesia and more. The mango salmon, one of the chef's specials that night, was a blend between Thai and Malaysian. Paired with a smoked outer crust, the medium-rare texture was excellent, only to be overpowered by the extremely sweet mango sauce that tasted like it came from a bottle. Having this dish with Thai iced tea will leave you
yearning for refills of water all night long. The night's best surprise came in the form of fried ice cream, with its generous portions. The thick and smooth chocolate ice cream melts into the hot crispy skin rather nicely and will do the job for those who love a good "fire and ice" type of dessert. For an Asian Fusion restaurant in New York, Purple Ginger neither surprises or disappoints: it does an acceptable job of blending diverse Asian cuisines with a touch of New American for locals. Foodies, however, can certainly get a lot more mileage out of their money at other places in close vicinity of this forgettable Village joint.
Purple Ginger 507 East 6th St New York, NY 10009 212.228.96 purplegingernyc.com
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Photos taken by Caroline Nelson
OCTOBER 2012
Taka Taka by Caroline Nelson
For those who want to experiment with fusion cuisine but would rather test the waters before diving right in, Taka Taka in SoHo is a great place to start. The sign on the small corner eatery reads: “Mexican Sushi & Japanese Tacos,” and that’s exactly what you’ll find here along with breaded and grilled skewers (kushiagues and robatayaki), rice dishes, and shabu shabu, a rib eye and vegetable platter you can cook at your table grill. The décor is quirky-chic. The wooden booths provide comfy seating, and white ceramic sumo wrestler figurines cover the black wall behind the sushi bar. The first thing you notice when you enter, however, is the conveyor belt. Kaitan, or conveyor belt sushi, is one of the main attractions here and is fun for anyone who wants to taste on a whim. These options range in
price from $4.50, to $7.50 for a four-piece roll and the paper menus explain the ingredients in each of the 19 options. Many of the rolls contain cream cheese and the masago, or capelin fish egg, roll (number two on the menu) is no exception. The crab, cream cheese, avocado and cucumber taste quite fresh and flavorful. The cucumber roll (number four) is marked as a customer favorite, and features more prominent Mexican flavors with its blend of shrimp, masago, Oaxaca cheese, avocado, chipotle and rice wrapped in slivers of cucumber. The crisp cucumber provides a crunchy contrast to the soft fillings, making this large roll easier to enjoy. Once you’ve tried one of these options or a roll of fried “sushi caliente,” be sure to order the Japanese tacos. Cut like sushi
rolls, these tiny tacos pack a lot of flavor. The shrimp tempura version, with its blend of avocado, onion, jalapeno and chipotle is warm and filling, and pairs well with Taka Taka’s variety of dipping sauces including the milder chipotle and wasabi mayos, and the spicy jalapeno and onion soy sauce salsa. A fresh slaw of bean sprouts, cabbage and carrots in green salsa helps cleanse the palette. Though not exactly bargain priced, the portions and variety of flavor combinations make Taka Taka a fun, relaxed placed to share many non-threatening fusion dishes with friends.
Taka Taka 330 West Broadway, New York NY 212.966.8252 takataka.mx
Ugly Kitchen by Dianna Mazzone
There’s the good, the bad and the ugly… Ugly Kitchen that is! A Korean/ Argentinean fusion restaurant nestled between 6th and 7th Streets on 1st Avenue in the East Village, Ugly Kitchen isn’t good or bad… it’s great. Though limited to only a few tables, Ugly Kitchen is much more than a glorified bar. The eatery, with its exposed brick walls and contemporary abstract art, is at once modern and homey—the sort of restaurant to which one returns often. The menu at Ugly Kitchen offers a brief but satisfying selection of appetizers and entrees sure to delight the palates of New Yorkers and visitors alike. Even the most discerning of diners would be hard pressed to pass up the restaurant’s signature “Ugly Dumplings,” served gratis with a check-in on Yelp. Photos taken by Dianna Mazzone
Priced at $12, the grilled chicken topped with a Korean fusion marinade is also
not to be missed. Served with an Asian salad and sweet potato rice, the dish is filling but not overwhelming—an excellent option for the more hesitant guest. But for Uptown-ers and Brooklynites, it’s the “Ugly Pork Belly” that makes the subway trip worthwhile. Slow roasted and dry rubbed with aged miso, spices and herbs, the pork is cooked to delicious, melt-inyour-mouth perfection. Other highlights include the seasoned fries and spicy bruschetta—perfect for sharing over a drink with friends. And with a Happy Hour that lasts until 9PM, we’re sure you and your dining companions will enjoy an experience that’s anything but “Ugly.”
Ugly Kitchen 103 1st Avenue New York, New York 10003 212.777.6677 theuglykitchen.com
HAUTE CULTURE film Review:
wuthering heights by Fernanda DeSouza
First premiering at the 2011 Venice Film Festival, Andrea Arnold’s (Red Road, Fish Tank) interpretation of the 1847 classic tells the story of two unlikely human beings whose lives cross paths and blossom into a passionate love story.
Photo ourtesy of Oscilloscope Laboratories
As the first black actors to be cast in one of multiple installments of Wuthering Heights, Solomon Glave (who plays Heathcliff the young), and James Howson (as an adult) bring to life the troubled and lovesick character that is Heathcliff. Taken in by the benevolent Mr. Earnshaw, the young gypsy, presumably orphaned, is brought to Wuthering Heights to be cared for. It is there that Heathcliff meets his foster sister, Catherine (played first by Shannon Beer and then an adult Kaya Scodelario). The two live in a perfect state, though primitive, and act neither as siblings nor lovers. Their innocence soon ends as Cathy is sent off to the local manor house to marry the fragile Edgar Linton. The separation tears Cathy and Heathcliff apart, and Heathcliff, ostracized by his brutish foster brother, leaves broken hearted. Heathcliff returns many years later, wealthy and still longing for Cathy. Through cinematography that is well thought out and executed, Arnold transports us to the Yorkshire moors so much so that our senses are animated through a visual representation. Arnold makes sure to detail every minuscule aspect of the natural world that surrounds each of
her main characters. The narrative of the love story, so craftily captured by Arnold’s hand-held camera, substitutes for the lack of dialogue and results in a raw, cinematic feat. The film becomes something more than your typical costume drama. It is not dripping in excessive demonstrations of love. Rather, Arnold’s focus on the grit, the blood (the graphic slitting of a young sheep’s throat comes to mind), the suffering and the rain (don’t forget your umbrellas, you’ll feel wet by the end of the film), leaves a hint of realism that many love stories ignore. Glave and Beer outshine the older actors, hands down. There is a lack of chemistry between the adult Heathcliff and Catherine that was clearly apparent in their younger selves. Howson characterizes the rage and passion of Heathcliff well, but his portrayal does not translate well when he encounters Scodelario, a null and insignificant presence. The tender love of Heathcliff and Cathy is perfectly depicted in the first hour but the second half of the film drags, even the polished cinematography becomes repetitive. Famous folk band Mumford and Sons, contribute their banjo-picking, slow ballad, “The Enemy,” that plays through the ending credits— something to look forward to after sitting through the two hours and eight minutes of this period drama. Now playing in theaters
Philanthropy:
Finger Painting With Dior by Daysha L. Rodriguez
Photo courtesy of ddftherapy.com
On December 2nd, Free Arts NYC will collaborate with Dior Beauty to host the second installment of KidsFest, an event celebrating art and creativity. Previously held in August in East Hampton, KidsFest is now coming to the Saachi & Saachi headquarters on Hudson Street in downtown Manhattan. Arts and craft areas will be set up where the children and their parents can design handcrafted jewelry and tie-dye t-shirts along with a variety of other activities. In past events, Free Arts NYC has collaborated with other
big names in fashion such as Armani, Ralph Lauren and Louis Vuitton. Free Arts NYC is a nonprofit organization built solely to bring art education and mentoring services to children and families in need. Through partnerships with community schools, centers and other organizations, Free Arts NYC helps children build the self confidence, communication skills, and support they need to reach their greatest potential. The core programs that operate under the
organizations are Weekly Mentor, Parents and Children Together with Art (PACT), Free Arts Days, Cultural Enrichment, and Multicultural Arts Camp. What truly sets Free Arts NYC apart from the countless other nonprofit organizations is their unique striving to give each and every child personal attention and care. Thanks to their enormous volunteer group, they are able to maintain a volunteer to child ratio of 1:1 to 1:3. Free Arts NYC currently reaches out to
approximately 2,400 children and 150 families. The programs pertaining to the organization are funded mostly through individual donations and money raised through charity events and philanthropic institutions. For more information about the organization, event calendar, or career/volunteer opportunities, visit their website at www. freeartsnyc.org. You can also check out Free Arts NYC on Facebook .
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Concert Review:
by Francesca Beltran
On Wednesday October 3rd, in the middle of laser lights, smoke curtains, colored-light panels and astounding visuals, M83 played the second (and last) of their two remarkable New York shows at Manhattan’s Hammerstein Ballroom. At 9:20 pm the lights went down –making the audience roar, and the band’s characteristic alien figure emerged on stage, followed by the band members who began their show by playing the tour’s traditional first song, “Intro.” Anthony Gonzalez (vocalist/multi-instrumentalist) immediately set the mood with his
ethereal voice singing “Carry on! Carry on!” echoed by the blaring cries of the exhilarated fans. For about an hour and a half, the French team delighted more than three thousand attendees with their extensive repertoire of syth-melodic, shoegaze-influenced songs. Addressing the audience a few times, mostly to thank them and show their enthusiasm, the band devoted itself to playing their music in a way that stayed true to the records, but still maintained the energy and resonation that can only be achieved through live performance. As was expected, their biggest hit-song “Midnight City” was the most acclaimed of the evening; however, whether it were
danceable songs like “Reunion” or more intimate melodies like “Wait” (when the background became a mesmerizing wallto-wall screen of stars) the band never failed to energize the venue with their tunes and talent. The encore began with “Skin Of The Night,” giving the sweaty souls much needed time to chill and rest, and finally the night ended with the dynamic, multiinstrumental and electrifying “Couleurs” from Saturdays=Youth. Honoring their innovative name (after the spiral galaxy “Messier 83”), their extensive use of reverb effects, and soft vocals over instrumental pieces have succeeded in developing a sound that at times seems to indeed come from outer space.
This was M83’s third show in New York City this year, including a grand performance at Central Park this past summer. After releasing their latest album Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, the band has been busy touring the planet non-stop and evidently learning on the go; even if the setlists are pretty-much identical, those who have seen the band before will be able to appreciate how their act has evolved, proving that M83 has all that it takes to go big and produce a magnificent show. Photo taken by Francesca Beltran
Tuning In by Georgi Dwiggins
“New York is loud, and we’re turning it up tonight.” Surely at one point, we’ve each felt this rush from the city we now call home. Brooklyn electro-pop duo Matt and Kim, capture this energy in their latest album, Lightning. Bright and bouncy, the two take the listener through a somewhat manic array of sounds. They’ve carried their lighthearted, though still synthheavy sound since their hit “Daylight” from their 2009 album, Grand. Matt and Kim put emotions, both high and low, into the beats of their songs. Each one is danceable, yet carries some personal aspect of the duo. The album is a fun range of entertaining self-expressions of sound. With the sarcastic name >album title goes here<, Deadmau5 keeps that repetitive energy with a bite throughout his sixth album. Toronto-bred DJ, Joel Zimmerman has made his own original sound by mashing together songs that have already been made to varying beats and
percussion. Though Zimmerman sees the term “DJ” as a “hopelessly outdated way to describe what he does,” he does use a large amount of mixed-up recordings from others, and his own originality. The range of collaborations on his latest album reaches from the hauntingly psychedelic croons of Imogen Heap to the West-Coast hip-hop beats of Cypress Hill. With this album, Deadmau5 shows recreations and reinterpretations of pre-made themes and sounds, including pop culture songs (like the theme from science-fiction film Close Encounters of the Third Kind, or the throwbacks from a member of My Chemical Romance). Zimmerman provides mesmerizing loops, steady thumping beats, and an echo that lasts after the somber end of the album. Becoming noticeably less somber with their newest album is Band of Horses. Probably most recognized for their 2006 hit “The Funeral” and recent Grammynominated album Infinite Arms, the band
has a sound of rock with emotional roots. Acoustic chords and heartfelt rhythms make this an easy but meaningful listen. Their first album in two years, the multiinstrumental group from Seattle kicks it up a notch with Mirage Rock. The album is a more upbeat interpretation of the traditional woodsy rock they’ve honed in on since their emergence in 2004. Lead-guitarist Tyler Ramsey stretches to show this newfound tempo with quicker riffs and a fuzzy electric sound on some tracks. “Guess what you're getting old, Still gotta grow up…,” sings front-man Ben Bridwell. He’s right, but this shows you can have some fun doing it.
Photos courtesy of the artists’ respective labels
HAUTE CULTURE
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Gallery Review: Andy Warhol and Antonio Lopez By Desiree Perez
Two brilliant men, One colorful vision Girls were swimming in paint at parties filled with rectangular, silver metallic balloons that make you want to be one of the guests. That was the life of two of the most talented men of the 20th century, Andy Warhol and Antonio Lopez. Together, both men got to experience one of the liveliest decades of the century, the 1970s. Two exhibitions this fall show that the connection between the two didn't end after death.
The artists will emerge together within their artwork and illustrations in two exhibitions. Andy Warhol and other “Warholists” will be showcased at the Metropolitan Museum of Art from now until December 31st. From September 7th until October 20th, the Suzanne Geiss gallery will engrave Antonio Lopez's images in the mind of anyone that looks once and, oh yes, they will look twice. The Met’s “Regarding Warhol” takes you through various works of art by Andy Warhol (the Brillo box) and others inspired by him. It's consistent until you enter a floral room that screams flower child. Following that is a large screen making you feel like you entered the Super Mario nintendo game—except without the Mario. All you see is the blue sky with the white clouds passing by. One of the highlights, and also the last room of the Warhol exhibition, is the room filled with metallic balloons that visitors throw in the air and watch as they float above them. It was inspired by the Silver Factory that Warhol and many other artists partied at. It got its name from the silver paint and tin foil on the walls and of course the silver balloons Warhol brought in. The Lopez exhibition, “Antonio Lopez: Antonio’s World,” is not as physically
Patti Smith Pays Tribute To Andy Warhol By Francesca Beltran
Photograph courtesy of Edward Mapplethorpe
Photo ourtesy of Desiree Perez
festive as the Warhol one but don't fret. Many illustrations and photographs will catch your attention. If paint and fashion is what you live for, then you will find plenty to admire. The image of a girl in a tub full of blue green water makes you do a double take. The water wasn't just clear; it had color and movement. As you look closer you realize the water wasn't water alone, it was mixed with a paint medium. Just as blushing cheeks weren't permanent, so was the color of this water, yet Lopez had frozen a vivid moment. Unlike the Warhol exhibition, it feels less like a gallery as you walk and experience the pop art mixed with high end fashion. A colorful world of art appears before your eyes as you move past a polka dot illustration into a room that welcomes you with illustrations of stilettos with petite collars that wrap around the ankle.
only recognition of Lagerfeld would be his dark shades and his serious smirk. Oh! And the lengthy letter Lagerfeld wrote along with a sketch for Lopez. Who could have imagined Lagerfeld rolling around New York City with Lopez stopping to sleep at the Chelsea Hotel, where Lopez also stayed. It's very intriguing to know that some of the biggest names in fashion today were people just like us, having fun and trying to make the most of life. The only difference is that Andy Warhol and Antonio Lopez spread color and pop art for the world to see and die for. “Regarding Warhol” is on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art until December 31st. “Antonio Lopez: Antonio’s World” is on view at The Suzanne Geiss Gallery until October 20th.
Many photographs and sketches of a young and still immaculate Karl Lagerfeld are pinned up, a foreign image to those who only know the Lagerfeld of today with the white ponytail and his black suit. The
As part of Andy Warhol’s commemoration and outstanding exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Patti Smith and her daughter, Jesse Paris Smith, gave a performance on September 28th at the Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium.
Every song, poem, reading and anecdote of the night was related in some way or another to Smith’s relationship with Warhol and her memories of the Factory era, and even though she admitted not being Warhol’s greatest fan when she was younger—scandalous—Smith did acknowledge and praised the artist’s genius, talent and unparalleled contribution to the art world a number of times.
Twenty-five years after Warhol’s death, the “Godmother of Punk” paid tribute to hercontemporary artist with a unique event consisting of music, poetry, readings andher extraordinary charisma. In order to make the evening more Warhol-y, Smithnot only performed her own songs but also some by The Velvet Underground, The Rolling Stones, Jackson Browne, Bob Dylan and David Bowie’s, “Andy Warhol” –which she mocked, forgot the lyrics to and confessed to being forced by her daughter to sing.
As if Patti honoring Andy wasn’t epic enough, to finalize the mind-blowing event, Smith and company held hands in front of the audience and, after remembering how Warhol once said this was one of his favorite songs, sang “You Make Me Feel Brand New,” echoed by every single soul in the auditorium, without a doubt the most emotive and memorable moment of the night. When the song was finished, the rock legend abandoned the stage to a roaring audience and a welldeserved standing ovation.
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OCTOBER 2012
Gallery Review: A 10-Month Honeymoon By Desiree Perez
Imagine waking up in a room in Hawaii with colorful mosaic walls and gold Moroccan candle holders, with beautiful and intricate Arabic script leaving traces all over. As you walk out you hear falling water. It's a fountain in the middle of your home! Not a lot of people have the luck or talent to build and decorate a home like this. Especially not after spending a fortune on a 10-month honeymoon. But one woman did. In the 1930â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tobacco heiress, Doris Duke spent a total of 10 months traveling to only the hottest places in the world. As Duke made her way through Spain, India, Iran and Morocco on her honeymoon, she managed to bring back home with her ideas and treasures that helped her to plan her Islamic-inspired mansion in Hawaii, which she named Shangri La. The mansion is still there and open for tours, but in case you won't be in Hawaii anytime soon, you can experience it just as well at the Museum of Architecture and Design in New York City. At the museum you can find little treasures, such as perfume bottles and jewelry holders, that belonged to Duke. Architectural layouts are displayed to give you a tiny tour of the mansion. If you're more into fashion, you can find four of her outfits that were inspired by Islamic cultures. One of the dresses on display was a robe traditionally used in Turkish marriages. You'll be amazed at how beautiful and intricate the details are on the perfume bottles and dishes. The images of Duke's home will enamor you and inspire you to redecorate your home into a Moroccan haven. Or maybe they will inspire you take 10 months off to travel the world. Doris Dukeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Shangri La is on view at The Museum of Architecture and Design until February 17.
Photos courtesy of Desiree Perez
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Global Citizen Festival by Emily Kirn
Citizen” on the organization’s website and earning three points; these points could be earned by sharing articles about various causes through social media, signing online petitions and other methods of spreading awareness utilizing 21st century tools. A number of VIP tickets at varying price points were also available to ensure closeness to the stage.
Photo courtesy of tumblr.com
On Saturday, September 29th, Central Park hosted 60,000 spectators on The Great Lawn to take part in the inaugural Global Citizen Festival. The aim of the festival, which comprised of live music and showcases for various charities, is ending extreme poverty world-wide. The majority of attendees received their tickets by winning them in a random draw. One could enter into the ticket lottery by signing up to become a “Global
Neil Young, with Crazy Horse, Foo Fighters, The Black Keys, Band of Horses, and K’Naan (along with surprise guest John Legend) were the artists involved with the first Global Citizen Festival. K’Naan and Band of Horses acted as opening acts to warm up the audience members, many of whom had been waiting to secure their spots in line since the night prior to the show. In between musical acts, charities partnered with the festival presented emotionally charged clips about their aims and brought on celebrity guest speakers such as Olivia Wilde, Selena Gomez and Sophia Bush to champion the cause. The Black Keys, Foo Fighters, and Neil Young with Crazy Horse played hour-long
sets, with each successive band eliciting more cheers from the older crowd members and less from those born after 1990. Many festival goers left before getting a chance to witness a furious rendition of “Rockin’ in the Free World” played by members of all three headliners. Though the event was not without its kinks, mostly due to its newness, it collectively raised over $1.3 billion from pledges related to the festival—likey guaranteeing Global Citizens Festival another go ‘round next year.
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OCTOBER 2012
2012 Halloween Costume Do's and Don'ts by Chloe Dewberry
Couples
Sports
Don't: Jay-Z and Beyonce
Don't: Eli Manning
Do: Kanye West and Kim Kardashian
Do: Dennis Rodman
While looking through Facebook pictures from last year’s Halloween parties, you can probably spot at least one couple dressed as Jay-Z and a pregnant Beyoncé/Beyoncé with plastic baby doll in hand. Well, it's been a year and baby Blue Ivy Carter is probably walking by now; it's time to move onto the next couple of the year: Kanye West and Kim Kardashian. Guys simply need the shades, leather jacket, fly kicks combo and the cocky attitude to pull off the Yeezy ensemble. Ladies should take a trip to the SoHo DASH store to discover their inner Kardashian (come on, we all have it!) Any dress will do as long as you're arm-in-arm with your fashionable significant other. Publicity stunt or not, this is the couple you and your boo should be this Halloween season. But Kanye wannabes be warned—no impromptu freestyles at that Halloween party unless you have the skills to match.
Celebrity Style Phases Don't: Madonna/Lady Gaga Do: Gwen Stefani Photo courtesy of justjared.com
Sexy
Everyone knows that Madge is the original queen of constantly evolving personal style, but if I had a nickel for everytime I witnessed someone in a "Like a Virgin"esque costume I'd have enough money to legally download Madonna's latest greatest hits CD. Lady Gaga upped the costume ante and Little Monsters have been seen in makeshift meat dresses and countless other Gaga looks for the past few Halloweens. But have we forgotten the coolest girl power innovator of them all: Gwen Stefani? There are so many phases to choose from; there's Harajuku style Gwen, Caliska Gwen, and who could forget the pink hair/braces/ bindi combination Gwen rocked in the late '90s? Choose your phase wisely, but there's no doubt you'll have the coolest costume at the party.
While athletics and recreation may not be the most popular of choices on 27th Street campus, there are people out there that enjoy sports for more reasons than David Beckham's abs. Feel free to hit up your local sports bar this Halloween decked out in sporty garb, but don't just show your spirit with an Eli Manning Giants jersey. Sure—the talent is there, but Halloween is about going all out! Show your crazy rookie spirit and take that risk as Dennis Rodman. Go to Ricky's and purchase that neon red Manic Panic hair dye and clip-on nose ring you've always wanted. Rodman was known for his crazy antics on and off the court, so feel free to get buck this Halloween. If you can't find a Chicago Bulls jersey, the next best option is a wedding dress like the one Rodman wore down the aisle to wed Carmen Electra in the ‘90s. Rodman was the original sports wild child, so show the man some love!
Photo courtesy of bonanzasports. com
Wes Anderson Don't: The Royal Tenenbaums Do: Moonrise Kingdom
Don't: Typical Nurse
Photo courtesy of wallpapers.bhist. com
Do: Beetlejuice Everyone knows that as soon as girls turn about 12, Halloween is no longer about going trick-or-treating. Halloween has become the holiday where it's (somewhat) socially acceptable for girls to walk down the street practically naked. The more hoochie, the better. But come on ladies! If I see one more sexy nurse at a party, I may just check myself into the nearest mental hospital. Let's try getting creative and turn the unsexiest things sexy. Why not be a sexy Beetlejuice with crazy, freshly electrocuted hair, a pinstriped miniskirt, and black and white blazer? Or channel your inner Pebbles from the Flintstones and rock the bone-in-hair/ black spotted mini cave dress look. It's time for females everywhere to step outside of the Playboy Bunny costume box. Be a sexy anything, but enough with the typical maid costumes!
Photo courtesy of deltasdazzlingcostumes.au
Villain Don't: Cruella de Vil Do: Bane from The Dark Knight Rises "If she doesn't scare you, then nobody will." But chances are Cruella de Vil won't really scare you. While being decked out in Dalmatian print fur all night probably sounds like every fashion student’s dream (and PETA member’s nightmare), it's time to up the costume ante and dress up as an even more sinister, furry freak. Bane, played by Tom Hardy, was every furred animal (and Gotham City citizen’s) worst nightmare in this summer’s blockbuster, The Dark Knight Rises. He blew up football stadiums with little difficulty while rocking an oversized fur coat and steel muzzle. Needless to say, it's a good look. Raid grandma's fur closet and hit the pet store for that muzzle to pull off 2012's most stylish villain look. Besides, doesn't having a couple of drinks with friends, and speaking in that scary Bane voice while creeping out fellow partygoers sound like an ideal Halloween night?
Photo courtesy of thebarnone.me
While walking around the Halloween party you'll probably attend at your friend’s Williamsburg/Bushwick/ Greenpoint loft, chances are you'll run into at least two waif-like girls in fur, cigarettes in hand impersonating Margot Tenenbaum from Wes Anderson’s hit film, The Royal Tenenbaums. Not far from their side, their hip and short boyfriends with painted on eyebrows and school uniforms are going for the Rushmore look. Let's face it, dressing as your favorite character from a Wes Anderson movie is the hip thing to do, but let's switch it up. Instead of dressing as the most typical Anderson characters, go for the young boy scout style from Moonrise Kingdom or Owen Wilson's bandaged look from The Darjeeling Limited. Williamsburg can't handle another Steve Zissou.
Photo courtesy of totalfilm.com
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OUTSIDE YOUR BOROUGH
Queens County Farm
by Desmond Zhengs
Not exactly considered the perfect fall day, gray cloudy skies threatening rain loomed over my head as I arrived at an unassuming plot of farmland. Situated on 47 acres of undisturbed real estate, the Queens County Farm Museum is the largest and only working historical farm in New York City. A 20-mile ride outside of Manhattan transported me back to simpler times, complete with historic farm buildings, a greenhouse complex, planting fields, an orchard, an herb garden and even livestock. Dating back to 1697, the site is a far cry from the hustle and bustle of urban life. Synonymous with the fall season, a surprisingly welcoming pumpkin patch greeted visitors, as if urging us to celebrate or perhaps embrace the unexpected 50 degree temperature, not to mention exercise some creative skills for a Jack-oLantern carving session. Back to nature
Photography by Desmond Zhengs
activities included hayrides, animal feeding, a mini petting zoo and pony rides for the young and the young at heart. The usual suspects of goats, sheep, alpacas, cows, chickens and piglets were proudly paraded to the amusement of adults and children alike. Even the most animal averse being will turn gooey-eyed. The highlight of my trip was the fairytalethemed corn maze. Getting lost in three acres of an interactive corn maze was an eerie and exciting proposition. A map of childlike simplicity was given out to the
harvests are grown on site sans chemical treatments and fertilizers. The farm is constantly engaging with activities galore all through the fall and winter months. The Fall Festival and Halloween Haunted House will be held on the last weekends of October. Hayrides, Halloween treats and mulled cider are on the agenda, while the November happenings include the “Eighteenth-Century Tavern Nights,” an authentic eighteenth-century dinner prepared on an open hearth served on
“Even the most animal averse being will turn gooey-eyed.” unassuming teams, although the notes and clues were anything but. Muddy grounds and corn husks set the scene for the next 45 minutes of gratifyingly challenging endeavour while droplets of rain attempted to terrorize our amusement. Braving the rain, visitors insouciantly persisted bravely with the animal petting, pony riding, pumpkin picking and produce shopping. Instead of hitting up the Union Square Farmer’s Market, purchasing farm-fresh produce and vibrant potted mums on the farm is an attractive alternative. Using sustainable practices, these
period tableware. Meanwhile, “Wildlife Weekends” boasts a showing of Birds-ofPrey, Frogs, Bugs, and Animal Shows. Judging by the gleeful expressions of the visitors, Queens County Farm is the ultimate out of the city getaway, rain or shine. Although a quick weather check wouldn’t hurt. Take a date or your BFF. For more information, visit www.queensfarm.org
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OCTOBER 2012
Month in Review November 6th: An Election of Differences by Ashley Mungo
Photo courtesy of usatoday.com
With less than a month to go before the election, and one presidential debate already behind us (with more to come), the candidates are driving their campaigns into turbo mode, each trying to persuade the nation that they deserve to be the next President of the United States. In order to make a decisive, clear decision, it is important for voters to know the fundamental differences between these candidates and how the future of America will change drastically depending on the outcome. For President Obama, most of his ideas lie in what he’s already done for the country during his first four years in the White House. Some of his most prized achievements include passing the Affordable Care Act, better known as “Obamacare,” ending the war in Iraq, ordering the capture of Osama Bin Laden and repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell.” Supporters of President Obama think he has kept his promise of “Change” and “Hope” while also moving the country forward. However, critics of his administration believe he hasn’t done enough to focus on the economy and the 7.8 percent of Americans who are currently unemployed.
Mitt Romney presents stark differences to Obama, not only on economic issues but also on social ones as well. As the former Governor of Massachusetts, his pride lies in his success as a businessman, believing his economic background as CEO and co-founder of private equity firm Bain Capital will help bring America back to its former financial glory . His campaign is currently based on the “ Five Point Plan,” which focuses on energy independence (more drilling and fracking), trade, education, deficit reduction and small businesses. While the plan is the centerfold of the Romney campaign, critics argue that he doesn’t give enough specifics on how he will implement his ideas, providing gaps in what he will actually do if elected. With all the politics aside, both President Obama and Mr. Romney claim that helping the middle class get back on its feet is their number one priority. President Obama’s struggle for this election will be to convince voters that although the economy is sluggish, it is heading in the right direction. For Mr. Romney, he has to present to voters a candidate who understands the middle class, which has been a struggle due to his background and extreme wealth. The next battleground for these candidates was Oct. 16, when they debated for a second time at Hofstra University on foreign and domestic policy. To learn more about the candidates and their ideals, you can visit their websites at barackobama.com and mittromney.com. Also, if you haven’t registered to vote, you can register, find a poling place and fill out an absente ballot if needed at www. registertovote.org
Photo courtesy of amap.no
Polar Cap Melting Affects Remote Arctic Town by Fernanda DeSouza
This August measured a record breaking melting season of the Greenland ice sheets in the 30 years of record-keeping, new research finds. According to The Huffington Post, the four weeks prior to the end of the melting season saw a higher melt than the record reached in the full season of 2010. Through microwave satellite sensor, Assistant Professor of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the City College of New York, Marco Tedesco and colleagues were able to calculate the ice sheet melting. Results showed an overwhelming melting in major high elevation parts of Greenland. “With more yet to come in August, this year’s overall melting will fall way about the old records. That’s a Goliath year—the greatest melt since satellite recordings began in 1979,” said Tedesco.
factory, stated the New York Times. Not only has this town suffered a blow in the fish market, but it also experienced a population decrease by half. The melting of the ice sheets has not just affected the arctic town in a negative way, however. Large deposits of gems and minerals have been found through the ice cap receding, thus creating an opportunity for booming mining industry. Rare earth metals, used in the manufacturing of electric cars, wind turbines and cell phones, too have been discovered outside of Narsaq. For years, Greenland has relied on Denmark for welfare payments. This may prove a great turning point for the country and help it become self-sufficient, economically speaking.
Towns like Narsaq, located in southern Greenland, are seeing their cultures swallowed up along with their towns as sea levels drastically rise. When once Narsaq housed eight shrimp factories, the vast loss of shrimp to warmer waters has resulted in the survival of only one
YouTube Video Triggers Hell in Middle East by Fernanda DeSouza “Innocence of Muslims,” a YouTube video created by Californian Israeli Jew Sam Bacile, sparked riots and assaults on the US Consulate in Egypt and Lybia on September 11. The anti-Muslim video, hinting Islam prophet Muhammad as a homosexual and fraud, was used as a form of expression of its creator’s views on Islam. Calling the religion a “cancer” in an interview with the Associated Press, Bacile, 55, has admitted to writing, producing and directing the two-hour long film.
declined to identify them. The video, posted in July and receiving little notice, was unknowingly dubbed in Arabic and found itself on the computers of Egyptian citizens. It was not only watched thousands of times, but also aired and discussed by Muslim preachers over satellite television stations. Conservative protesters then marched the US Embassy in Cairo and chanted outside its walls, “Say it, don’t fear: their ambassador must leave.” Protesters then scaled the walls and tore the American flag down.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Bacile was funded $5 million to create the film by about 100 Jewish donors. Bacile
“I feel sorry for the embassy. I am mad,” Bacile told the Times of Israel. Bacile has now declined distribution offers. “The
main problem is I am the first one to put on the screen someone who is (portraying) Muhammad. It makes them mad,” he continued. “But we have to open the door. After 9/11 everybody should be in front of the judge, even Jesus, even Muhammad.” Steve Klein, a member of a far-right antiIslamic Christian group and co-producer of the film told ABC News that Bacile is not Israeli but rather an Arab Christian in hiding using the name as a pseudonym. Following the Egyptian riots, a large mob also stormed the US Consulate in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi, killing US Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans. A witness at the attack
said protesters fired automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades, coming head to head against Libyan guards hired to protect the facility. The religion rejects depictions of the prophet in any fashion, let alone an insulting one. This is not the first time a controversy has surrounded the prophet. In 2005, a dozen caricatures appeared on a Danish newspaper that triggered riots in Muslim communities.
fit speaks Everybody is Free to Wear Sweatpants by Richard Gilmartin
Photo courtesy of svpply.com
ourselves through. If you go to FIT and don’t have a 15 year plan for your future career as a buyer at Barneys than you are simply wasting your time and should just drop out now, or so they say. If you show up to class in sweats you will be glared at for the full three hours. Why? Why do we subject ourselves to such masochism? Let’s all just relax and maybe vote in a day where we are allowed to be normal college students for once and wear sweats to class. Who are you trying to impress anyways? That girl behind you who has a part time job at Urban Outfitters? That will get you far in life.
If you have never listened to Baz Lurhmann’s “Everybody’s Free To Wear Sunscreen,” stop right where you are. First, listen to this song and after, grimace because you didn’t grow up in the 90’s when you would have fully appreciated this song. All jokes aside, I hold this song incredibly dear to my heart, especially the verse about living in New York City at least once, but leaving before it makes you hard. Now, if you’re a student at FIT and you have absolutely no idea what that last sentence means, shame on you. I’m not here to bash New York, after all it is one of the greatest cities in the world. You have to wonder at times though, what is the price that we pay for living here? The streets are filthy; the subway is covered with trash and infested with rats and we all work harder than most of the people we know. Living in the city that never sleeps definitely has its price. If you pay that price though, the results could be extreme. You could have all your wildest dreams come true or land straight on your ass and realize you didn’t want any of this after all. Neither is bad nor good. It’s all about the learning process and figuring out what you really want and if it’s worth it or not. The truth is, this school stresses students out to such extremes, most college students would be baffled to see what we put
Now that we’ve completely torn up our school and its values limb from limb, let us not forget why we are here. Sure, the curriculum may not be the hardest thing in the world, but we do work damn hard. Design students literally never sleep. Business students often juggle a full course load of 21 credits at a time along with club affiliations, not to mention part time jobs and internships to top it off. On top of all that we all wake up at 5 am to get ready for a 9 am class when we probably went to bed at 2 am at the earliest. Seriously though, how do we do it? So as I conclude my monthly rant of feelings, I leave you to ponder this question. Do you love what you do? I ask you this because, after all, there is no time like the present. If you aren’t fully enjoying life to the maximum, something has to give.
America: Trials and Tribulations by Fernanda DeSouza
If my name isn’t a dead giveaway, I will let you know now—I am not American, at least not in the sense of how American you might be, dear reader. I hail from the suburbs of São Paulo, Brazil (far from the Amazon, geographically speaking). Growing up in South America was a completely different experience than growing up in the United States. We roamed the streets barefoot and didn’t have curfews—or any rules for that matter. We rolled in the grass and made mud pies without being hounded by a mother, hand sanitizer in hand. 99.99% fun, always guaranteed. It made you tough and forced you to grow up faster than the sheltered kids on Main Street, USA. With luggage at my side and a confused expression, I found myself inside an airplane, my first time in a contraption so technologically advanced. The seats reclined, the food came wrapped to perfection in little trays, and the stewardesses were straight out of a PanAm catalogue. Little did my seven-year-old self know what was in store for me on the other side of the hemisphere. The Souza’s change in scenery—rural Brazil to Miami Beach (queue Will Smith’s “Miami”) was nothing short of drastic. We only had a faint notion of what America was like through television and films, never knowing we would soon call it home. Assimilation to a new culture is the closest example I can think of to prove Darwin’s theory of survival of the fittest. Assimilation ensured you survival in the foreign land. I enrolled in the local elementary school, not knowing it was going to be so similar to entering Mordor. I knew nobody, nor did I speak a word of English. Try going to school without knowing how to ask your teacher to use the bathroom, #firstworldpains. Luckily, through a child’s capability of learning a new language, due to a critical period of cortex development, English came slowly but surely…and after a few crying sessions, much to my teachers’ dismays.
I can’t say it was simple. The process consisted of corrected mistakes, a lot of sign language back and forth between my classmates and I, and more than enough ESOL classes and after school reading programs. My parents admitted it was painful to leave me to fend for myself every day. I couldn’t agree more—the mile run I had to do for my gym teacher because of my limited knowledge of English was painful. Our paper was “due” that day. Instead, I understood that we had to “do” the paper that day. But needless to say, I fell in love with America, especially the Disney Channel—Out of the Box and Rolie Polie Olie anybody? Seven moves and three states later, here I am. Writing for a college publication when, 13 years prior, I couldn’t distinguish one homophone from another. I’ve come and gone through Mordor unscathed and haven’t been able to shut up since. Good riddance, America!
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W27
OCTOBER 2012
La Moda Milanese
All photographs taken by Zachary Rosenbaum
by Zachary Rosenbaum
If there’s one thing associated with Milan, it’s got to be fashion! Italy is a fashionable country in general and Milan serves as its industrial and economic powerhouse. Historically, it’s home to some of the biggest fashion houses, namely Versace, Valentino, Armani and Dolce & Gabbana. Take a walk down Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II or through the “Golden Triangle” to find luxurious textiles, pristine leather accessories and dazzling prêt-à-porter.
speaking to vendors and ogling at all of the beautiful women’s collections. Next, we visited the Costume Museum at Palazzo Morando, which is decorated with oil paintings and exquisite gowns from operas at the world famous theater, La Scala. It served as a great precedent before visiting the Laboratorio Ansaldo where the costumes and stage sets are envisioned, developed and hand made by a small team. We received a behind the scenes tour of the facilities, and saw the seamstresses tirelessly stitching away at tutus and magnificent headpieces.
Those studying in Florence were fortunate enough to have a very eventful, week long academic field trip set up for us. Bright and early on a Monday morning, all 60 of us set out on a fast train to the Milano Centrale station. We immediately dropped off our bags and began our fashion-related escapades!
work with computer technicians to make prints for an unbelievable amount of designers—among them Pucci, Versace and even Ralph Lauren. The factory was even more impressive and we even viewed top-secret prints that have yet to hit the market! I’m grateful to have seen the best and most fashionable places of Milan. Returning to Florence made us realize what a small, historic town we’re in. While Firenze is quite fashion forward, we’ll miss the big hustle and bustle of Milan almost as much as we miss our very own New York City!
We caught the very last day of Vogue’s “Who’s on Next” exhibit which showcased the work of up and coming young designers. Let’s just say, the future of fashion looks very bright!
First, we hopped on the metro and headed to the White Tradeshow, a leading event for international contemporary fashions. It was a very insightful peek into the industry and allowed us to spend hours
An entire day was dedicated to a special trip to Mantero, the most widely used silkprinting facility. We toured their archives and were shown vintage prints, laces and century old textiles. Here, skilled artists
Milano: Beyond the Runway by Megan Venere
Milan, in many ways, is reminiscent of New York. It has a vibrant energy like New York, and once you’re there you can get swept up in all the excitement. There’s a coffee shop (“un bar” as we call them here in Italia) on almost every block, and shops both international and local are crowded with customers morning and night. Like Times Square, the Piazza del Duomo is always crowded with people, no matter what time of day (though thankfully it is void of any flashing strobe lights or jumbotrons). And like New York, Milan has its share of arts and culture, some dating back hundreds of years. The Empire State building is probably the most iconic symbol of Manhattan. The icon of Milan is the Duomo di Milano, an Italian Gothic cathedral built in the 1300s. Visitors can take a tour of the rooftop of the Duomo, which provides incredible panoramic views of the city. Taking in the view from the Duomo, one sees how
diverse the city’s architecture is. Look one way and see ornate 18th century architecture along with classical structures. Look another way and skyscrapers and industrial buildings fill the area. The city has much to offer visitors and residents and each neighborhood is different from the next. It was strange going from Florence, a world UNESCO site that feels as though it hasn’t changed since the Medici walked the Ponte Vecchio, to the bustling traffic and energy that is Milan. One final moment stands out in our “avventura Milano” viewing Leonardo Da Vinci’s The Last Supper. Thousands of replications have skewed its grandeur, as the fresco is the length of the monastery wall. Though the church and monastery were both bombed during the war, the wall containing Da Vinci’s masterpiece remains perfectly intact. The silence in the room adds to one’s viewing of The Last Supper. Just standing still and
staring at the work from the center of the room, one can feel the magnificence and awe of seeing a piece of art and history that has survived through so much. After experiencing both cities (and recovering from an exhausting week), it is hard to decide which city is “better.” Although they share similar characteristics, both cities are wonderful in that they are true to themselves. New York runs on its own schedule and at its own pace, as does Milan. Milan doesn’t try to be Venice or Rome; New York doesn’t try to be Boston or Chicago. Each city is comfortable in its own skin, and that’s what makes them thrive.La Moda Milanese
STYLE ON 27
FIT
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Kimberley Liburd | ITM I would like to go to India because I love the Indian culture and their food.
Raiza Ali | Fashion Design I would like to visit Korea because of the night life, I have heard that everyone is always partying ‘till really early in the morning.
Photography by Armane Robinson
Nataly Garcia | Fashion Design I would like to visit Spain because of the food and culture. It just seems like it would be a cool experience.
Nicholas Vo | AMC I would like to visit Ireland for the gorgeous green hills or Paris because the fashion is phenomenal and I’ve never been there before.
Julia Marssico | AMC I would like to visit Australia because of the people’s accent and of course the kangaroos.
Andy Luong | AMC I would like to visit Paris, France because it is the city of love and I want to go there to either find love or to enjoy love.
With the drastic change in weather over recent weeks, students have made the switch from carefree summer wear to the copious layers that New Yorkers are known for. From infinity scarves to combat boots, women wearing menswear and men wearing spiked heels, personal style on 27th street is once again taking on a life of its own. W27 ASKED THE FOLLOWING STUDENTS WHAT COUNTRIES THEY WOULD LIKE TO VISIT THE MOST AND WHY.
Allisa DiPolito | AMC I would like to visit Italy because my family is from there and it seems really beautiful. I would also love to go shopping in Milan.
Khanh Nguyen | FMM I would like to visit Japan because of the fashion; the culture is very unique and Japan has lot of subcultures within it.