Monday, February 22, 2010
IT'S FASHION WEEK!!.2
There are two things that I have always loved: New York City and fashion. In order to better understand what I’m about to tell you it is important that I start from the beginning…
My mother after growing up in California for the majority of her life moved to New York City at 18 in hopes of becoming a mod
el. She was beautiful and wild: New York gladly took her in as it’s own. It wasn’t long before she was noticed or rather “discovered” and eventually she became rather successful in the modeling world (via the 1970s and 1980s). It is easy to assume that fashion was her life and always had been. In time, however, my mother met and married my father. They purchased a home in Eastern Long Island where they would spend time away from Manhattan. After I was born she settled down – likely because she no longer had the body of a model, although I doubt she would ever admit that. My father, mother and I remained in the city for three years, until my father, concerned about the crime and violence of the city (keep in mind this is the early 90s), decided we would move out to Long Island and he would commute. It would be in Long Island where this quote un-quote obsession with fashion and the culture around it began.
My mother had a strong belief when raising us (my brother and myself) that the only way we would “discover ourselves” was through self-expression, in all of its forms. This, unfortunately, meant that my mother would allow me to “express” myself through dress. So while most of the children I went to school with wore adorable outfits hand picked by their mothers or their fathers, I tended to wear outrageous ones courtesy of myself. To give you a quick snapshot, in most of the photographs taken during this time I either bare a frightening resemblance to a homeless
person or I am naked. It’s difficult not to wonder what my classmate’s parents must have thought of my parent’s child raising beliefs. On the other hand, my father has told me how during this period he often argued with my mother before I left for school in the morning. “Are you actually going to let her go out like that,” he would say. She would simply shake her head, insisting that in the end it would only be beneficial. My father, a creative thinking person himself, would in turn bite his tongue and attempt to disregard my – literally- horrifying outfits. While I would like to say that this unique fashion sense I had so miraculously acquired improved shortly after my toddler years, I sadly cannot. It would take several more years for my mother’s proposed self-discovery to manifest itself successfully. Fast-forward a bit in the future and I would like to consider myself a stylish person, debatably thanks to the untraditional methods of my mother.
So why is any of this important? Well, as some of you may know currently it is Fashion Week in Manhattan. Over the course of the week designers will showcase their Fall 2010 lines; an extraordinarily exciting time for someone like me. While having missed Fashion Week that took place during September of last year I decided to make a conscious effort to witness firsthand some of the anticipated events occurring throughout this week. This is where my background information becomes relevant. During my mothers career she was able to make friends with significant individuals involved with fashion. One of these individuals happened to be Isaac Mizrahi, a notable designer for whom she worked for. After meeting him this summer, I decided to track down his email address within my mother’s address book and see what he would say if I were to ask to attend his show. While it may not seem like a big deal, emailing a famous designer to me was a bit nerve racking. To my surprise, not only did I get a response but also I was told that I could indeed attend. There just isn’t the right set of words to describe how happy I was in that moment. And currently there isn’t the right set of words either to describe how excited I am for his upcoming show. Maybe its moments like this that allow you to better reflect on the reasons of why exactly you are the way you are. While I don't believe that any of the outfits I wore as a child would be runway worthy, they do, however, remain important aspects of who I am today. Fashion has become something I am fascinated with as well as something I would like to incorporate into a career later in my life. And maybe it was necessary to wear thirty layes (all different patterns) to become like that.
To come to a simple close, this week in the fashion universe and in my universe is one that will never be forgotten.
My mother after growing up in California for the majority of her life moved to New York City at 18 in hopes of becoming a mod
el. She was beautiful and wild: New York gladly took her in as it’s own. It wasn’t long before she was noticed or rather “discovered” and eventually she became rather successful in the modeling world (via the 1970s and 1980s). It is easy to assume that fashion was her life and always had been. In time, however, my mother met and married my father. They purchased a home in Eastern Long Island where they would spend time away from Manhattan. After I was born she settled down – likely because she no longer had the body of a model, although I doubt she would ever admit that. My father, mother and I remained in the city for three years, until my father, concerned about the crime and violence of the city (keep in mind this is the early 90s), decided we would move out to Long Island and he would commute. It would be in Long Island where this quote un-quote obsession with fashion and the culture around it began.My mother had a strong belief when raising us (my brother and myself) that the only way we would “discover ourselves” was through self-expression, in all of its forms. This, unfortunately, meant that my mother would allow me to “express” myself through dress. So while most of the children I went to school with wore adorable outfits hand picked by their mothers or their fathers, I tended to wear outrageous ones courtesy of myself. To give you a quick snapshot, in most of the photographs taken during this time I either bare a frightening resemblance to a homeless
person or I am naked. It’s difficult not to wonder what my classmate’s parents must have thought of my parent’s child raising beliefs. On the other hand, my father has told me how during this period he often argued with my mother before I left for school in the morning. “Are you actually going to let her go out like that,” he would say. She would simply shake her head, insisting that in the end it would only be beneficial. My father, a creative thinking person himself, would in turn bite his tongue and attempt to disregard my – literally- horrifying outfits. While I would like to say that this unique fashion sense I had so miraculously acquired improved shortly after my toddler years, I sadly cannot. It would take several more years for my mother’s proposed self-discovery to manifest itself successfully. Fast-forward a bit in the future and I would like to consider myself a stylish person, debatably thanks to the untraditional methods of my mother.So why is any of this important? Well, as some of you may know currently it is Fashion Week in Manhattan. Over the course of the week designers will showcase their Fall 2010 lines; an extraordinarily exciting time for someone like me. While having missed Fashion Week that took place during September of last year I decided to make a conscious effort to witness firsthand some of the anticipated events occurring throughout this week. This is where my background information becomes relevant. During my mothers career she was able to make friends with significant individuals involved with fashion. One of these individuals happened to be Isaac Mizrahi, a notable designer for whom she worked for. After meeting him this summer, I decided to track down his email address within my mother’s address book and see what he would say if I were to ask to attend his show. While it may not seem like a big deal, emailing a famous designer to me was a bit nerve racking. To my surprise, not only did I get a response but also I was told that I could indeed attend. There just isn’t the right set of words to describe how happy I was in that moment. And currently there isn’t the right set of words either to describe how excited I am for his upcoming show. Maybe its moments like this that allow you to better reflect on the reasons of why exactly you are the way you are. While I don't believe that any of the outfits I wore as a child would be runway worthy, they do, however, remain important aspects of who I am today. Fashion has become something I am fascinated with as well as something I would like to incorporate into a career later in my life. And maybe it was necessary to wear thirty layes (all different patterns) to become like that.
To come to a simple close, this week in the fashion universe and in my universe is one that will never be forgotten.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
all too familar
Maybe it’s just me but unlike the praises of many fashion critics, I wasn’t particularly fond of Marc Jacob’s Fall 2010 collection. After watching a video of the show I couldn’t help but feel a bit dissatisfied with what I was witnessing. I will admit that the show itself was beautifully put together. Playing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” was indeed a nice touch. Good Job! But it’s a little manipulating to believe that the surreal state I was put in would be enough for me to disregard what the models were wearing. I love Marc Jacobs but his new collection is simply too familiar. I want to see something new and fresh, not last years Fall collection – just in different colors. Style.com interviewed Jacobs after his show; "There's so much striving for newness now that newness feels less new," he said. Okay, I absolutely understand how attempting to transform your line completely isn’t the wisest decision. But really? No change at all? Come on Marc, I KNOW you can do better! Maybe I’m expecting too much from him but is that honestly wrong of me? I can only hope that next season he will take more of a risk.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Runway Review
New York Fashion Week is far from over; there still exists a tremendous amount of anticipation as many designers have yet to unveil their new fall collections. After looking through photographs from this past week shows I already believe that Fall 2010 is going to be fabulous! I was particularly impressed by Anna Sui’s collection, however, when am I not? I have always been fond of her as the majority of her designs are vintage inspired, not to mention absolutely beautiful. It is very evident that Ms. Sui is aware of the importance of detail, as her new collection possesses the most stunning colors, prints, and textures that I have ever seen. According to vogue.com, Sui drew her inspiration for this particular collection from the American Arts and Crafts Movement, "that celebrated artisan handcrafted decorative arts as a response to the mass-produced products of the Industrial Revolution."
Anna Sui has designed an incredible collection for the upcoming fall. By combining an ultra-feminine look with chunky accessories and bulky outerwear Sui has created a seemingly perfect Fall line.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
LOCAL FUNDRAISER PROVES SUCCESSFUL
Thursday, February 4, 2010
This past Sunday an Italian dinner was held at Pierson High School to raise money for the students traveling to Italy this coming February.
Hosted by the students themselves as well as parents and faculty members, the fundraiser was able to collect close to $5000 from ticket sales as well as other donations. Jennifer Houser, one of the parents who helped organize the event, after contacting numerous restaurants in the local area was able to get 11 to contribute hefty portions of food for the dinner. Ms. Houser, also a decorator, offered her personal talents to help create an atmosphere similar to something seen in Italy. Ms. Houser, said “Myself as well a few other mothers began the project in December and were determined to make this event as successful as we possibly could. Let’s just say I’m thrilled at the turn out but very happy that it is finally over.”
When entering the cafeteria, where the dinner was held, the amount of work that went into perfecting it was apparent. Before even entering the room there was a coat check – very professional for a student run event. The tables were covered in red and white-checkered cloths –similar to something you would find in a New York Italian restaurant. Italian flags were hung from the ceiling, traditional Italian masks were covering the walls, and the waiters, or rather students, were all wearing a red handkerchief tied around their necks. Elizabeth Oldak and Luis J. Murillo, two current students at the High School, sang classic Italian songs (in Italian) while families enjoyed traditional Italian dishes. George Hoglund, currently a senior at Pierson, expressed his excitement about the dinner, and more importantly the upcoming trip: “I am very impressed with what was able to be done in the few months up to today,” he said “It’s really incredible what can be done with the right amount of determination. This trip will be amazing, and the fact that our families might be able to save a little money is even more amazing.”
Pierson High School is located in Sag Harbor, New York, –a small town near the end of Long Island. While a hot spot during the summer months, Sag Harbor has a significantly smaller population of people living in and around its area during the wintertime. Perhaps, it is because of this close knit community that events like “A Taste of Italy,” are able to be so successful. “While at times the winter can be tough,” one parent says, “it is the response and contributions of the local community that makes me happy I decided to raise a family here.”
The annual Italy trip is scheduled to leave on February 10th. Students and their chaperones will visit cities such as Florence, Venice and Rome, where they will be able to gain first hand experience involving art, history, literature, and of course food.
This past Sunday an Italian dinner was held at Pierson High School to raise money for the students traveling to Italy this coming February.
Hosted by the students themselves as well as parents and faculty members, the fundraiser was able to collect close to $5000 from ticket sales as well as other donations. Jennifer Houser, one of the parents who helped organize the event, after contacting numerous restaurants in the local area was able to get 11 to contribute hefty portions of food for the dinner. Ms. Houser, also a decorator, offered her personal talents to help create an atmosphere similar to something seen in Italy. Ms. Houser, said “Myself as well a few other mothers began the project in December and were determined to make this event as successful as we possibly could. Let’s just say I’m thrilled at the turn out but very happy that it is finally over.”
When entering the cafeteria, where the dinner was held, the amount of work that went into perfecting it was apparent. Before even entering the room there was a coat check – very professional for a student run event. The tables were covered in red and white-checkered cloths –similar to something you would find in a New York Italian restaurant. Italian flags were hung from the ceiling, traditional Italian masks were covering the walls, and the waiters, or rather students, were all wearing a red handkerchief tied around their necks. Elizabeth Oldak and Luis J. Murillo, two current students at the High School, sang classic Italian songs (in Italian) while families enjoyed traditional Italian dishes. George Hoglund, currently a senior at Pierson, expressed his excitement about the dinner, and more importantly the upcoming trip: “I am very impressed with what was able to be done in the few months up to today,” he said “It’s really incredible what can be done with the right amount of determination. This trip will be amazing, and the fact that our families might be able to save a little money is even more amazing.”
Pierson High School is located in Sag Harbor, New York, –a small town near the end of Long Island. While a hot spot during the summer months, Sag Harbor has a significantly smaller population of people living in and around its area during the wintertime. Perhaps, it is because of this close knit community that events like “A Taste of Italy,” are able to be so successful. “While at times the winter can be tough,” one parent says, “it is the response and contributions of the local community that makes me happy I decided to raise a family here.”
The annual Italy trip is scheduled to leave on February 10th. Students and their chaperones will visit cities such as Florence, Venice and Rome, where they will be able to gain first hand experience involving art, history, literature, and of course food.
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