S+S Week 10

This week a new luxury apparel collection called Figue, which is a brand Snap+Style partners with, has agreed to lend us sample clothing in order for us to photograph the pieces and post them on our social media.  The goal is to promote both brands as we are both very new to the fashion industry.  This is very similar the the Ann Taylor shoots I spoke about a few weeks ago. This time, I have been one of many chosen to model the apparel and was so excited to be given the opportunity.  First, I needed to choose merchandise that I would want to wear during the shoot, so I chose a pair of printed pants that I fell in love with.  The next step was to take items from my own closet as well as items from our other brands and create a total outfit that our users would find appealing but that also stayed true to my own personal style.  With help from our stylists, this look was complete and we were ready for the photoshoot.  We walked over to Madison Square Park and shot a few photos there and the end result was really great.  We are now just waiting on the photo edits and in no time you will be able to see my face and the beautiful Figue merchandise on the Snap+Style social media pages!

S+S Week 9

This week we were planning for an event with Theory, which was similar to the event we had a few months ago with Rebecca Minkoff. Only this time we invited around 400 people instead of 30 like last time. We provided champagne and snacks while our guests shopped all of Theory’s merchandise for 30% off the original price.  We were hoping to have a large turnout, and were very pleased to see the store packed with friends and coworkers from affiliate businesses.  The goal for this event was to connect with theory and show them what kind of a customer we can offer them in hopes that they would agree to partner with us. Many purchases were made during our event and Theory was very excited about the clientele we brought in.  We have scheduled a meeting with them in the New Year and are excited to see what 2016 has in store with our brand collaborations.

Week 12 @ Freedom Rains (Final Post)

For my last post this term, I thought I'd do something a little different! Instead of lamenting about how I had to go to Mood a million times this week or how we had to figure out every zipper that would be used for each coat, I'd recap some of things I've learned thus far on co-op: 

1. A conscious designer is a good designer. Often times I think people overlook all the tiny details that go into making a piece of clothing - and I'm not just referring to things like color selection or shape. We have to consider so many things like zippers, fit, how durable a certain fabric is going to be, the list goes on and on... At the end of the day, we're not always making an art piece. The design element is the first step and any issues we cause will only trickle down. A real person needs a functional garment that can survive the real world and we should be able to give that to them. 
2. A perfect pattern makes the perfect piece. I don't know how many times I've heard this from our lead designer (I'm not referring to prints here, know the difference!). When you're working with different factories, there can be numerous opportunities for miscommunication. When you're not in control of making your own patterns, the work you'll get back will never be up to  fit standard. Save time by making and perfecting your pattern early on so you'll save your company money later. 
3. Fabrics come first. Oddly enough, we sourced most of our fabrics and determined our color story before we even began sketching and looking at different coat bodies. In my head it still seems weird; one would think that you would sketch first and then decide which fabrics to use. Everything works out in the end, however. Once all the sketches are complete and we know what we're putting into work, we can distribute color evenly across the line and make sure we're using a variety of different materials. Everything must be merchandised to create a consistent story for the line.
4. Vogue is not your bible, tech packs and line sheets are. I mean, I'll still be a lifetime subscriber and WGSN will always be one of my favorite websites to browse. This is the real world though, and it's easy to get lost in the fantasy land that the rest of the world thinks our industry is. A lot of times, our design team is spending hours inputting measurements into Excel spreadsheets or recording every single trim that will be used in one of our coats. It's definitely not as glamorous as it seems from the outside, but these are things that are vital to our process. 
5. Inspiration can come in unexpected places. One of things that I think will stick with me for the rest of my career in the fashion industry is my mentor telling me that "Any dress can become a coat if you just use your imagination." I just think that's absolutely genius and I think it'll influence the way I take inspiration from the rest of the world. 

I'm so excited to continue the rest of my journey on co-op! I'm really proud that I pushed myself to take a fashion design job instead of doing something like PR or marketing (I think I would have been really bad at packing gift bags anyway). Not only am I witnessing the growth of a company and brand, but I'm seeing the lifecycle of a product and the infinite amount of care that goes into planning a line. This whole experience has opened my eyes to things I would have never learned otherwise and I know I will only continue to learn over the next few months. I wish everyone the best of luck on the rest of their co-ops! 

Rhinestone designs

My boss is finally back from Los Angeles, California and it's actually quite exciting to work with her again. I was held responsible for a lot of things by myself which taught my a lot of responsibility and I eventually got the hang of things. There was mistakes made on the way but it only inspired me to work harder and learn harder. This week I was assigned to pull together a collage board of accessories for the Chanel runway show in Rome. This was actually really interesting to notice that the accessories are all thoughtfully put on the models to compliment the runway outfit. A lot of these jewelry pieces also showed the current resemblance to the jewelry that was trending in the fashion world. As a jewelry company, it was important to gather this type of research so we could keep posted with the latest styles that could possibly inspire future designs. I was also assigned to create several ring pieces with rhinestones, which was a fun exercise to practice my creative side. I used Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop to create some designs on my computer. It was not only stimulating my mind but it also felt like an accomplishment for me to be able to use these programs. I'm looking forward to the other design tasks that I will be assigned! Already three months down, and only looking forward to the continuation of my co-op experience!
 

S+S Week Eight

This week we were extremely happy to learn that Ann Taylor will be giving Snap+Style sample merchandise so we will be able to dress our stylists and shoot them for our social media advertisements. Ann Taylor is the first of many brands that have recently agreed to lend us their merchandise, and since they are trying to rebrand themselves, they were just as enthusiastic about this opportunity as we were.  We chose a few of our stylists to wear the Ann Taylor apparel but asked that they make the clothes look like their own personal style.  This was extremely fun as I was able to see the same article of clothing worn in many different ways, which reflect what Snap+Style does for our users.  Although the photoshoots were incredibly chaotic and physically draining, the end result was remarkable and I cannot wait for the photos to be posted.

S+S Week Seven

As the year-end quarter comes to an end, we felt is necessary to gather for a team meeting.  This entails all the in-house members of the New York office as well as the D.C. office where the company originally started. Due to the small size of our office, we needed to book a conference room big enough for the entire team and making sure it was a more corporate setting. As always, tasks like these are left up to the intern.  So I decided to book a conference room in the Pillsbury Law Firm found in the heart of Times Square.  This location was sure to wow the team and keep them comfortable and organized during their eight hour meeting.  I got to the office before anyone arrived so that I could make the necessary arrangements such as making sure the space was clean and orderly, checking to see the projector was working and ready, collecting the wifi information, and that the breakfast and beverages were hot and awaiting the team. As everyone filed in, I handed them a lunch menu and collected their orders so that their food would be waiting for them when their 11:30 call finished.  During their lunch break, I ran over to The Skylark where I made arrangements to have drinks and appetizers after the meeting.  I wanted to see the venue in person and make sure the team would be pleased with the menu and the scenery. Although I was running around the city most of the day, I learned so much about the company from what I did hear.  It was amazing to sit in a room with so many brilliant people who had so much experience in entrepreneurship. The biggest thing I learned however, was planning.  I normally play things by ear, but this situation required me to plan everything very strategically, and this will absolutely help me in the future.

S+S Week Six

As our social media has been growing, Snap+Style decided we needed a better way to track our growth more efficiently. This way happens to be manually, and this task was assigned to me to be completed on a weekly basis. We have five different forms of social accounts; Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Pinterest. It is my job to write down the information and track our growth.  I compare the number of likes received, the number of comments received, the amount of traction gained from week to week to be sure the company is making progress.  In order for our social media accounts to be successful, we really need to understand the demographic of each site.  For instance, Facebook and Pinterest advertisements attract women 40 years and older where Instagram, Twitter and Tumblr attract a younger crowd.  Each advertisement is designed for the specific viewer which tends to be a little difficult for a start-up to distinguish.  But so far this has been a great learning experience for me!

S+S Week Five

This week we were preparing for a large meeting with a potential business partner in Germany.  This is a huge step for Snap+Style as we begin our international outreach.  It was left up to me to research the company and their existing partnerships and create an outline for my bosses to speak about during their meeting.  This was a big project for me as it was not only time consuming, but there was a lot expected from me.  I came up with three pages worth of bullet points about the German company and gave multiple ideas of how our companies could partner together.  I was very nervous that my bosses were conducting such an important meeting based solely on the notes and information I suggested. I later found out that the meeting went extremely well and they have decided to work together and move forward with a business proposition. It was such a good feeling to know that I contributed to the success of the meeting.

S+S Week Four

This week I have been focusing heavily on social media and helping to improve our sites so they are user friendly and appealing to the eye. We are looking to launch our website very soon and have been over analyzing each aspect so we are sure the finished product is perfect. This is very tedious as I need to pay attention to every detail to make sure everything's running smoothly and that is can easily be used by the clients. This also involves looking at other websites to decide which aspects we look to recreate and which aspects are too difficult to use. I have done a lot of research on the top most successful fashion blogs and Instagrams and look for ways to incorporate their strategies onto our own. I fix and update everything from web design to which links the buttons send you when activated. The website is predicted to launch in a few months and we are all very excited.

Christmas Time in NYC

It's starting to feel like Christmas more than ever in New York right now. Walking home from work is way more interesting than it was in the beginning with all of the lights on the trees and the stores playing Christmas music. Along with all the eye-catching scenery in the city, it's also the time of year the office seems to be the most hectic. People were running around like crazy just trying to get mailings done in time for editors. It's nice to be able to help, although sometimes I think I can put too much on my plate at one time. I don't think I've ever done as many mailings as I did this week. One for Dollar Shave Club, two for Kerastase, one for Laura Geller, one more for Blushington, and 2 others for Urban Decay. That day I don't think I sat down even once other than lunch. But the next day was relieving seeing as I got that done all in one day and had much simpler things to do the next few days.
All of my intern friends that I've made and gotten so close with are leaving this week and I'm so sad to see them go, but I'm beyond happy to have been able to meet them and have gotten as close as we did. Hopefully the new batch of interns are just as awesome as they were.
Other than work related things, my boyfriend came to visit me and I got to show him around the city and get dinner. It was really nice to have a relaxing time after a crazy week. At night we walked around and got to see all of the awesome Christmas themed windows on 5th Avenue, something I've been waiting to do. Next on my to-do list is to definitely see the Christmas tree!

Weeks 10 + 11 @ Freedom Rains

Week 10 was cut short due to the Thanksgiving holiday. I only worked two days that week, which was mostly us getting ready to host a sample sale in our office. Then, of course, it was nice to go home for the rest of the week. Hopefully everyone had a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving!

Coming back into the office this week was absolutely crazy! We hosted a sample sale in our showroom in order to get rid of some left over stock from this Fall. The sale got busier as the week went on and our entire office was pretty much consumed by boxes and women fighting over shearling coats. With all of the distraction, not much got done. However, on Thursday myself and the two designers holed up in our office, away from all the crazy, to finalize all of our fabric choices. When planning a line you often have to order all of your fabrics before you even know what the designs are going to be. Now that we have most of the sketches complete and we've started to see prototypes, we can work out where each fabric will be used. We also have to pay close attention to our color story, so that when placed together the line looks cohesive. Our meeting pretty much lasted all day because of all of the other nitty gritty detail we had to discuss, like lining fabrics and trims.

I feel like time is flying by! Co-op is almost halfway over, but I'm loving every minute of it. It's been such an honor to work under the Zac Posen design house, to which I have so much respect and admiration for. I'm also really excited to be in New York over the holiday season. All of buildings are being decorated so beautifully and I love seeing all of the store window displays! 

Week 11: Star Wars force4fashion

This week was extremely busy at the office. Most of the workers were at the Skylight Modern setting up for the Star Wars event. The other interns and I were taking care of all of the office work. It was very stressful to have such big responsibilities, but I really got to learn about a full day in the fashion PR world. I think it is important to experience this and learn a lot while on co op.

On Wednesday, I was able to attend the Star Wars launch event for Force 4 Fashion. It was hosted by Bloomingdale's, Disney, and Bollare. I was super excited to be invited to such an amazing event in New York City. There was a huge guest list and a lot of different people there including designers, actors and actresses, and fashion bloggers. The cast of the newest Star Wars movie even attended! Fashion designers such as DVF, Rag & Bone, and Parker New York created Star Wars themed clothes, which were showed at the event. I had an amazing time walking around the event with the other interns and networking with people.

Weeks 9, 10, & 11

These past few weeks have been all about planning for an event that's happening in the Boutique. This Thursday night is a champagne and cupcake kickoff event for our weekend long trunk show featuring New York based jewelry designer Stephen Dweck and a local handbag designer named Conrad Booker. There's just been a ton of promotional work to do for the Boutique itself as well as the trunk show/kickoff event. Hand in hand with postcard and flyer design is dispersion, sometimes including a welcome office break to run around the Bellevue and surrounding restaurants to drop off some postcards.

Additionally, my boss and I are working on redoing a curio display case in the lobby of the Hyatt at the Bellevue as well as a shadow box display by the Bellevue's Walnut Street entrance. Lots of wintery decorations have been ordered/put up in them and we're currently working on pulling products from the Salon & Spa as well as the Boutique to match the color scheme of them. Let's just say that during all of this I've become very framiliar with glue dots and glitter.

I can't believe that co-op is almost halfway done! My boss is phenomenal and just today was helping me aggregate projects to add to my portfolio --- we've done so much! I'm exited to see what winter term holds for the Salon & Spa, Boutique, and my role in both of them.

week 10!

I can't believe how fast the weeks have been going while I'm on co op! My week 10 was cut short because I had Wednesday off for Thanksgiving. The week mostly consisted of checking in samples and preparing for an event involving Star Wars. Bollare has been having many meetings about incorporating Star Wars into fashion. The event is called Force 4 Fashion. The president of Bollare came to the office along with girls from Los Angeles and London to plan the event. It was really cool to meet the president of Bollare. She is super nice and proud of her company! I am not a big Star Wars fan, but I am excited to see what the event and clothes will be like.

Working in New York was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I feel like I am getting the best experience in my industry. There is nothing like being in the city and working in fashion. I am proud to tell people where I work and what I'm doing. I've been using my free time to explore and travel through the city. I love trying new things and going to new places. This weekend I went to Radio City Music Hall to see the Christmas Spectacular. It was an amazing show that I really enjoyed! I also went to the top of the Freedom Tower, which was a really cool experience that I'll never forget! I'm so excited for the next couple of months in New York and working at Bollare!