Peace Out NYC, It's Been a Little too Real

 Okay so I am extremely excited to leave NYC! Yeah I'll miss my job and the easiest access to food ever, but I think I am ready to take a break from this busy lifestyle (maybe even a forever break). My job is awesome, and I have learned more than I had ever imagined, but living here really takes a toll on your physical, mental, and emotional health. I know that once I move back to Philly I'll start to feel more like myself again. I feel most comfortable in a laid back environment, so if I end up moving back here after I graduate, I'd really have to search hard for a quiet area. There are definitely positive sides to living in the city, which are mostly self explanatory. You can find almost anything in NYC, and it's a great place to explore and learn more about yourself. I've made so many friends and memories here, and I will never forget this experience. I'm confident in my work at Nation Design, and it feels great to be leaving on such a positive note with the company. I've worked my butt off for the past six months! Knowing that I can handle working a full time job is a huge confidence booster.
     I've been reflecting a lot on when I first got here, and it's crazy to think about how much I've grown as a person since I've moved here. I remember that when I first moved here, my phone broke, and I had to be completely phone-less for a month- right when I moved here! This means that I had to figure out the subway system without (get ready) google maps or a subway system app. It was terrifying at first, but immediately getting thrown out of my comfort zone like that pushed me to be more independent and figure things out on my own. That situation really set the tone for the rest of my time in NYC, as this experience has been all about getting thrown out of my comfort zone (and I literally mean thrown with full force). I feel so much more independent after living in NYC, and it's a great feeling!
     I've been packing up my room all week, and I make the big move to Philly tomorrow morning. I'm looking forward to seeing my family for a few days, and to being reunited with my friends and boyfriend soon. There are still lots of great things to come, even though I will miss living in NYC!

6 Months Later

     My final week at the FHCC has been, honestly, pretty uneventful on my end. I’m okay with that, though. The Dirty Room spreadsheet is around 2/3 of the way done, and I plan on continuing to chip away at it during break, so the first version will be finished by the time classes start back up.

     Considering I also plan on volunteering here when I can, the slow burn ending seems appropriate. Some Co-Op students end their internship and say goodbye forever – I’m not.

     Aside from that, I’ve been doing other odd tasks like making “arms” for our mannequins (nylon pantyhose filled with cotton batting does a nice job of filling out sleeves), picking up items we need, cleaning, and whatever else I’m asked to do. Really, there’s not much to talk about in terms of what I’ve been doing at my job since the last time I posted.

     I guess the only thing left to talk about is this: Where am I going from here?

     Well – I won’t be going into the Art History world. As much as I’ve fallen for it, I feel I’m too far behind in too competitive of a field to even try getting in. The realization was somewhat disheartening at first, but I’ve accepted it and moved on. Once upon a time I heard someone say, “Crushes are called crushes for a reason”. It’s pretty applicable.

     I’m absolutely going to continue blogging, though! Writing was a daily part of my life for years, and while I’m not sure how it managed to become dormant for so long, I really appreciate the d&m@Work blog for reintroducing me to that side of myself. I created a personal blog back in January that I haven’t attended to lately, so that will be something I continue working out outside of Drexel. I’m also very much beginning to consider making writing a possibility for a job. I would love to work at a magazine or on a blog!

     In terms of academics, I’m going to keep on with my D&M coursework, but also try and fit some classes that I personally would like to take (like History of Costume!) I will graduate in Spring 2016, which seems far & close at the same time. From there, life is a little bit of a mystery. I’m not scared, however, but am excited to see what the future holds. :)

     Thank you, Drexel, for creating the Co-Op program.

     Thank you, Clare, for choosing me out of all others.

     Thank you to the people I work with for being patient, teaching me, and showing me new things.

     I am eternally grateful.

The End

Today was my last day at Shoshanna and to say it was bitter sweet would be an understatement. While I’m excited to head back to Drexel and see me friends (after going home to California for spring break) it was so sad leaving. My last week there was full of jobs that I needed to finish, as I was the only intern who was able to do them. This made things very busy but it made me feel that my presence really would be missed.

For my last day my bosses got me Baked by Melissa cupcakes and made me the sweetest card. Shoshanna has a tradition of having everyone gather in our showroom to surprise people with their favorite baked goods and a card on their birthday. I was not expecting them to do anything like that for my last day so I was so surprised when I got up from my area to ask one of the sales assistants something and everyone was gone! It was so nice to have everyone together and the VP of our company telling stories of the early days of Shoshanna. She has been there for over 10 years and when she talks about the styles they made and what the office was like it all sounds so different! One of the things she was talking about was how Stacy Bendet who created Alice and Olivia was the first person to design a website for the company. I had no idea that Stacy Bendet started out as a web designer! It was so fun to get to learn fun facts about Shoshanna on my last day.

Talking about how Shoshanna started made me think of what I was like when I started! I was so nervous and so scared of doing a bad job that I ended up working extra hard which ended up opening so many doors for me. Since I had done a good job with the daily tasks that they were giving me I was allowed to do so much more then some other interns I work with such as helping work our fashion week event and showing the collection at market. Looking back I didn’t need to be anywhere near as nervous as I was but in a way I am happy I was since it benefitted me in the long run.

When I first started writing in September, I wrote about how I wasn’t 100% sure what area of fashion I wanted to be in. While I had a pretty good idea I wanted to do PR I took my job at Shoshanna so that I could see what every department was doing. I defiantly got to see everything and even became more interested in Ecommerce thanks to seeing a variety of departments. Shoshanna was defiantly the best place I could have chosen to work as I got to work in every department and seeing what everyone does solidified my desire to work in PR or Ecommerce. I can’t wait to go back and visit!

Last Few Days

            It is coming down to the last few days of my time here in New York and it is very bitter sweet. I am so excited to move back to Philly and be with all my friends again, but I am definitely going to miss working at Rebecca Taylor. My time working in the PR department has been very special and unique. I have learned more than I every thought I would, and it has given me true insight into what a job in this field would be like. I’ve been working in a fast paced environment where a lot is expected from everyone, but at the same time the office is always in a fun high-energy mood.

            My last few weeks on the job have been very different than the past 6 months. My boss is going to be a man down once I leave and she wants to make sure the new interns will be able to handle the workload. My main job has been to mostly supervise the interns and train them to be more efficient. The two other interns have been with the company for about a month now, but since they don’t work everyday they just aren’t able to complete tasks as quickly as my boss and me. Also, they don’t know the collections as well, so there are always a lot of questions when they have to do sample pulls and check outs. I was asked to minimize the about of questions they will have after I am gone, and make sure they are capable of completing all their tasks correctly. My boss has other things she needs to focus on, and she doesn’t want to have to worry whether the samples are being checked in and out correctly. 

            It has been very interesting changing my roll in the department a little. I no longer have been doing my daily tasks, but rather running an “intern boot camp”.  I know the first few weeks of an internship are difficult, as you are learning how everything runs and learning all of the clothing; it is a lot to memorize. I hope my last few weeks of training has helped them feel more comfortable in their position, and more capable at their jobs. Rebecca Taylor is trying to grow and expand, which means each department has increased goals they have to meet. This equals more work for everyone, and I don’t want to leave my boss with any more work than she already has.

            Although my time is almost over, I look forward to being back in Philly. I plan to go back and visit everyone in my office since we have gotten so close, and I can’t wait to add this amazing experience to my resume!

Snow Daze

     Being in the dead of winter right now leaves me regularly reminiscing on how much more beautiful Montreal was a few months ago. When I first arrived in early September, the days were comfortably sunny with temperatures around 65 degrees or so. I’m not sure what type of weather you enjoy, but for me this was absolutely perfect. I made the best of the good weather, knowing that it wouldn’t last. Temperatures stayed reasonably nice throughout October as well, before finally turning to complete winter in November.

     During mid-October my mother visited from Texas. During her stay we looked for a variety of things to do around the area. One thing we read about was “The Festival of Colours”, which is the couple of weeks in early October that the trees on the Laurentian Mountains change colors beautifully. After seeing pictures of the unique colors we were sold, and decided to head up there the following day. The next morning we left for our drive, taking a little over an hour to arrive at the mountains. Once there, we viewed the map of potential walking trails we could take. We ended up deciding on a path that would lead us through the woods, up the mountain to a lookout point where we could have a good view of the entire range. The trail seemed a relatively short distance of about 2 miles, but that wasn’t considering that the majority of it was straight up the mountain.

     We began our walk, stopping along the way to observe the unique plant life that existed within the mountain. Beautifully luscious moss adorned large rock forms and boulders in ways neither of us had ever seen. Other interesting growths, such as mushrooms and fungi, stuck to the massive trees in an almost prehistoric way. After hiking for some time, we came across a gentle stream that seemed suitable to picnic by. We laid out the meal we’d packed, and took a much-needed break. Once we finished, we set off again for the lookout point. We walked for another hour or so before coming to it. Once we arrived, we were more than satisfied of our decision to take that path. The view was absolutely breathtaking. Rows and rows of trees lined the valley below, all in vibrant colors you’d swear were right out of a Dr. Seuss book. Within the valley also laid a perfectly calm lake, only adding to the picturesque beauty. We took about a half hour marveling at the wonder before us, leaving us thankful that natural beauty exists in such a way. We headed back down the trail, as it seemed the sun would be setting soon.

     That adventure is one that I will always remember, and remains one of the most enjoyable things I’ve experienced during my time in Montreal.

Reflections

    I am sitting here on the Gold Coast of Australia, looking out on my balcony and reflecting on the past 6 months and how much I've grown as a person. I will not forget my first day in NYC I had a full blown anxiety attack, I started questioning all of my decisions and i wasn't sure what I was doing alone in this new, and ridiculously large and overwhelming city. I remember my first week in the office at Derek Lam I was so timid, I didn't want to bother anyone or ask anyone too many questions. Fast forward to my last week at work, I said my bitter sweet goodbye's to all of my amazing coworkers who became my friends. They and I both hope that we will work together again in the future. What I learned at Derek Lam for the 6 months I was there is more than I could have ever learned in any classroom. Not only have I gained knowledge about the industry, but I have learned how to communicate and work with others in the work field, how to manage my tasks and prioritize. I learned that there are tough decisions to be made and I'm not always going to make the right one, but I will always learn from it and better myself from it. This taste of the real world has certainly got me hungry and ready to start working. I think the most important lesson I learned is to always be your best self and others will respect you and want to work with you. I am so thankful for my co-op experience and I would not change a single thing about it. I hope the opportunity will lead me back up to NYC and working full-time in the next year when I graduate.

New York I Love You

On Friday night my boyfriend, James, took me out to an amazing Asian/sushi restaurant called, Zuma. The restaurant has only been open for six weeks and has quickly become one of the hot spots in NYC. We found out the original restaurant is in London. I found out last week that I'll be studying abroad there this summer, so I'll definitely will have to check it out. The restaurant had a very cool ambiance with laser cut metal designs on the walls, stone panels and wooden floors. We had a late reservation, not till 10:00PM. The restaurant was very fun to people watch. For dinner we had an incredible meal. For appetizers we got prawn and black cod dumplings, tuna maki roll and seabass sashimi with yuzu, salmon roe, and truffle oil. It was absolutely amazing! Our entrees were very good as well. James and I had so much fun talking about all the amazing and hilarious memories we have shared the past six months. I still can't believe how fast it went. I feel like I just started.

On the way to the restaurant there was an advertisement for the Empire State Building and in the ad it said that you could go to the top of the Empire State until 2:00 AM. So after dinner, James and I went to the Empire State. It was about 1:00AM. There was no line, and not many people so it almost felt like we were sneaking in. The view from the top was absolutely spectacular. The city looked gorgeous all lit up. All the buildings and cars looked so small. It was such a romantic spot and such a fun adventure to do on my last weekend.

It's been an amazing six months. I've learned so much about myself and have become a stronger worker and overall person. I came to NYC nervous and afraid but now I'm leaving as an independent hard worker. I learned so much at my Co-op and loved everything about it. From the events I got to work, becoming friend with the intern, who I'll keep in touch with, becoming close with my co-workers, exploring NYC and even finding my Mr. Big. It's been an incredible six months and I'm going to miss my Co-op, NYC and boyfriend very much when I leave this week. Luckily, Philadelphia is so close to NYC and hopefully a year from now I'll be back in the big city working. I love NYC and it's where I want to live for the rest of my life so this city hasn't seen the last of me yet. 

Lessons Learned

     ~2 months. 1 ½ boxes of rubber gloves. 50 pages of notes. 200+ boxes. 5 albums on my iPhone played on repeat. More objects and photos than I can even think of trying to calculate right now. 

     It is truly hard to believe that the Dirty Room is finished (for the time being). The fact that it lines up so well with the end of Co-Op is pretty equally mind-boggling, to be honest. I’m sure that my fellow Co-Op students would agree when I say that the time just flies by.

     I want to use this post to describe what I’ve learned from the past 6 months of being an intern at The Robert & Penny Fox Historic Costume Collection. As cliché as that might be, I’ve had an amazing ride and it would please me immensely to be able to share with anyone seeing this now.

So, what have I learned?

1.     There is more than meets the eye. While appearances are incredibly important in a collection such as ours, histories can be just as much a source of interest as the physical garment itself. There is a story for every object – you just have to look for it.

2.     Never be afraid to ask for help or ask questions. In the case of the collection,  trying to do something you aren’t 100% on can potentially lead to damage to an object. I definitely had to get over my general fear of asking questions/“feeling stupid”. When it comes down to it, though, one’s ego pretty much means nothing in the grand scheme. Build a bridge and get over it – your pride will be okay.

3.     Most importantly, you have to work hard for the things you want most. The world of Art History can be, at times (from my own perspective), pretty brutal. It’s competitive, and much of the work is thankless. For example, my work in the Dirty Room is invisible except for those who know about it already. But goodness, I have seen more passion and enthusiasm in the last 6 months than I have since I stopped dancing. The people I’ve been surrounded by do what they do out of love and commitment, not for glamour or huge paychecks. It’s really inspiring.

     My last week will be spent working on the master spreadsheet of everything that’s in the Dirty Room. I’ve managed to edit and rename all of my object photos with their correct ID numbers, so a chunk of the work is already done. Aside from that, I’m not really sure. Needs and tasks to be finished seem to change daily. I’ll do whatever I can to help while I’m still there. :)

Saks and Bloomingdales

            While I’ve known for a few weeks that my last weeks at Shoshanna were coming up I hadn’t really hit me until this week. It somehow has gotten out around the office very quickly that next week is my last and now all anyone seems to be able to say when I walk into the room is some variation of “ we can’t believe you’re leaving already”. While it has been sad to think of I can’t say I have too much time to linger on it. I have been busy calling every store we sell to in order to make appointments for next weeks Atlanta Market. At this point this seems like something I could do in my sleep as I have done it for other markets and each time we have over 100 stores to call.

            Luckily things still felt fresh this week as I made a trip to Bloomingdales and Saks to merchandise our sections as well as do some detective work about how the clothes is doing. While I didn’t expect much of difference in the stores they were actually much different then I had though they would be. Everything in Saks was so beautifully displayed and there was very little for me to do in terms of reorganizing and making presentation up to standards. When I spoke with one of the women who worked in the department she said the merchandisers had been there recently and I could tell she wasn’t lying.

            On the other hand Bloomingdales was much more disorganized and the racks that they had our merchandise on were not very big so the clothes really couldn’t be displayed in a beautiful way. I fixed what I could with what I was given but there defiantly needs to be another rack added to the area so it is easier to see our dresses. Also unlike Saks, Bloomingdales carries our swim line and when I went to the swim section there was almost nothing there! After calling the office we were able to figure out that all the merchandise from our original shipment was sold and they just needed to order more. It was a bittersweet moment as everyone was happy swim was selling so well but at the same time was disappointed that it was allowed to get so low.

            In these last few weeks its great to have new and interesting things to do but it also reminds me how much I have to learn since there are so many things that can be new.