Wednesday, December 8, 2010

ECHO, The Sustainability Fashion Magazine Launches TODAY!

"Where sustainable voices are heard." Washington State University’s first Apparel Merchandising, Design & Textiles student-run magazine focused on bringing to light issues of sustainability abroad and also on campus.

CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE PDF PREMIER ISSUE!

http://www.coroflot.com/echo_fashionmag

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Sneak Peek of "ECHO." Launching Wednesday, December 8th, 2010!

CLICK ON THE PICTURE CAPTIONS TO GET MORE INFORMATION ON THAT PIECE

The Following is an article from the new Sustainability Fashion Magazine "ECHO," launching WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 8TH 2010.
 
Sustain-Ability: Entwined with Nature

 “Best New Visual Artist” Prisha Brown shares with Dustin Enrique Larsen her passion for all things naturally and sustainably beautiful, the thread that is woven throughout her already highly successful jewelry line.

Paper Chains: New Crayons
“Many artists are inspired by natural elements and there is definitely a reason for this in the Pacific Northwest. With each changing season we have a rich array of colors and textures all around us. It is so easy to just go for a hike or drive and take your camera and come back with so much new inspiration.” This organic act of receiving inspiration is what Prisha Brown has based her career as a jewelry designer on, giving birth to her very own line: Entwine by Prisha Brown. Organic also finds its way into her actual jewelry itself. “Sometimes my bead patterns in my bracelets actually look like a forest path or river stream winding through the bracelet. The organic elements of my gemstones and pearls offer a natural beauty that is easy to connect with and wear.”

Brown started her journey as an undergrad at Central Washington University where she studied Apparel Design and Fashion Merchandising. Being in central Washington and fairly secluded from major cities, she was surrounded by the natural beauty that came with living in that part of the state. After building a solid background in textiles, as well as completing a course in metal-smithing, Brown set off for Florence, Italy to study jewelry design during a summer abroad program.

Upon returning back to the states she pursued two fashion design internships in San Francisco. When she had accomplished those as well, her fire for jewelry design began to burn even brighter with the desire to learn more. “I felt the longing to study jewelry design further while still wanting to incorporate the textile background I still found very fascinating and inspiring.” This led her to pursue her Master’s degree in Apparel Merchandising, Design and Textiles at Washington State University in Pullman, WA.

Turquoise Wave Cuff Bracelet
Entwine; named for the techniques traditionally found in woven, knit or crocheted textiles and basketry that she uses to create her jewelry; was born out of all her hard studying at home and abroad, and the inspiration that she obtained from nature. The process in which she creates her jewelry, from the ideas formulated in her mind to the actual physical jewelry, is as organic and natural as the inspiration that drives her. “In the past I have done a lot of sketching out of ideas and designs, but now I really let my materials speak to me from the color, shape, size, and texture of my beads to the color and gauge of my wire. I lay things out and just play with bead palettes before I start, adding and taking away colors until I have a combination I am really excited about.”  She uses fine gauge spool wire; usually .999 pure silver, which is a very soft and supple material to work with, and recently began enjoying using brightly colored enamel coated wire. “I begin my freeform crochet process by very randomly stringing each bead onto my fine gauge spool of wire. Once I have several feet of beads strung onto my wire, I start by making a slipknot in the wire, which becomes my very first crochet stitch. Depending on what I am making determines my starting width row of crocheted chain, from there on out everything is freeform as I work in all directions and delicately make spider webs around each bead. The lacy web-like look of my freeform crochet is very organic.”

Brown has already accomplished a lot while pursuing her dream, but she is not planning on letting up anytime soon. She has many goals for her line that she would like to accomplish. “I think the idea of sustainability is really important and something I am currently researching and moving toward. I love the idea and want to support and share this whenever I can.” She finds that this state of mind and behavior makes it so that “everybody wins.” She has already chosen to live by these values in her everyday life by shopping in her community to support her local economy, reusing and recycling items as much as possible, and making sure that her jewelry maintains the cultural and social ideals that she acquired along her journey.  She hopes that others will adopt this lifestyle as well and that it will grow to become the norm on a national and global level.

Having already been living with these sustainable values for most of her life, she feels that incorporating them and creating a sustainable jewelry line is “something that will be easy for me to get excited about moving toward.” She already has a mission plan that will help her accomplish this. “Ideally, I would like to use all recycled wire. I also love using reclaimed vintage beads in my work. I have taken apart some beautiful necklaces found at antique stores. Vintage beads definitely offer a unique source of inspiration that can easily be designed around. It is wonderful to give materials a second life!”
Forest Path
Not only is Brown a talented artist, but she is also a savvy businesswoman. “I have also been thinking a lot about the idea of ‘scalability.’ For example, if I get an order for many pieces, how do I fulfill the job if I am a one-woman show? I need to plan for the growth of my business and more production capability along with the sustainability aspect. I would love to expand nationally. It would be an honor to have more work sold in galleries and museum gift shops across the country.”
     
     She has also tapped into the innovation of social media and marketing; which now is becoming the most sustainable method of marketing and PR, to broaden her clientele. “Social Media is a new and very powerful way of marketing your business. It is so new that people are in the early stages of understanding it’s fullest potential. In my research, I have heard it called ‘Engagement Marketing.’ It is a very effective two-way channel. The product that you offer is no longer the whole story. People buy from an artist because they trust the artist and want a piece of that artist’s personal story. I enjoy regularly updating both my personal and business Facebook pages and believe that my new blog will also add another dimension to my jewelry…a deeper, more personal story of my journey as I experiment, learn, and grow as an artist.”

Watercolor Burst Earrings

Please visit the following links to learn more about Prisha Brown and Entwine Jewelry:


Liked what you saw? Watch for the launch of "ECHO," The New Sustainability Fashion Magazine, WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 8TH 2010! Also watch for information on how you can get YOUR OWN FREE COPY OF THE VERY 1ST ISSUE!

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

The Fashion Show: “Body” of Work Fails to Come to Life


It is said that if you truly have a passion for something you’d be willing to put everything into it, including much of your own blood, sweat, and tears. This week’s episode of Bravo’s The Fashion Show: Ultimate Collection took it a step further, having the contestants challenged to put in their veins, bones and muscles as well. Well, not exactly their own, but their interpretation of those elements of the human body. They were challenged to find inspiration from “within,” literally.

Unfortunately, this challenge was “dead on arrival” and only got worse as the show progressed. It seems that the only thing that this show depends on to help it cling to life is the unnecessary drama that occurs throughout the episodes. If only the designers spent more time on their designs and less time screaming at each other (Calvin vs. The Rest of House of Emerald Syx) and sabotaging their own house (Mike, you showed you really have no backbone and neither did your look,) then maybe they could produce looks that would take the breath out of the judges lungs.

Once again the House of Nami won the challenge, which I agree with, but not with the flying colors that they did last week. Most of their looks were quite messy, unfinished, and cheap looking. The colors, textures, and techniques that they used made it look like they were designing for a really bad zombie movie, in which their models were the half eaten victims of some VERY angry Fashion Industry individuals, and angry they should be with the quality that was shown.

Photo from BravoTV.com
The winner of the individual look was Eduardo, who I was rooting for last week to win and was pleased when he actually accomplished that this week. Of all the looks, his was the one that looked the most chic. He went for another cocktail dress, but changed up the silhouette and his technique, producing a much more structured and body conscience look. He lowered the hemline and added a dramatic detail at the shoulders, almost an exaggeration of the model’s collarbone. Even though the color palette he chose was very fleshy and could have ran the risk of washing out his model’s already pale skin tone, he avoided this by darkening his model to accentuate the hue of the dress, a move of sheer brilliance.

Photo from BravoTV.com
Photo from BravoTV.com
The House of Emerald (formally known as the House of Emerald Syx) delivered a collection that all I can say looked like a “bloody mess.” The only cohesion within their collection was the color, other than that they were all equally disappointing and did not fit well together. Because Mike left the show, no designer was sent home, and as a result Calvin and Cesar swapped places. I do not agree with this course of action. A designer from the House of Emerald should have gone home, and that designer should have been Golnessa. Her look was extremely unflattering, poorly executed, and the ruffle detail on the front was just plain tacky. There was nothing new or innovative about it and it was boring overall. The rest of the looks had potential; but no amount of resuscitation in the world could have saved hers.

I feel that this episode belongs in the morgue and is a strike two for this series. I give it a C-.


Look that WON and SHOULD have won.
Look that SHOULD have lost.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Stand By “V”


And the plot thickens. As I was reading this morning’s Daily Evergreen, (well actually I was on my way to the Horoscopes in the back because who are we kidding? Those are really the only content with substance worth reading in that newspaper,) I came across a headline that caught my eye. Hacker domain address leads to Floyd. I couldn’t help but snicker, quickly showing my father the headline. His expression was identical to mine. It was like some old Robin Hood story, in which the “hero” fighting for the masses continues to outsmart “the man” and continually leaving him with egg on his face.

Let me back track a bit. On November 5th, 2010, students at WSU were unexpectedly surprised with an unscheduled special guest appearance of “V” from V for Vendetta welcoming them to their class. A very clever and skillful student had “hacked” into the WSU Media Services and began to play a YouTube video of their creation. As the students were being entertained (and if they weren’t they should have been, how often does something of this nature happen?) the professors were left helpless as they tried to regain control of the projector system. I can only imagine how that scene could have looked, probably something out of a Three Stooges silent film. 3:34 later, students and professors were allowed to go about their normal routine, well as normal as it can get after you have just experienced George Orwell’s 1984.

As you can expect the story of the “masked man” spread throughout the town and the World Wide Web, thanks in part to “V’s” link to his own website on his YouTube page, which in turn had a link to his Facebook page. Views of the video skyrocketed to within the thousands and fans on Facebook rose to almost 900, all in a matter of 24 hours. I’ll admit I was one of the curious ones that followed the breadcrumbs. I have recently developed a tremendous interest in social media and social networking as a means of quickly sharing information with the cyber and physical world. I would have to credit this hunger for this topic to David Meerman Scott, who has written multiple books on Social Marketing and PR, of which I have plowed through like a starved cow in overly green pastures.

What this student did I found truly impressive, but I was left slightly disappointed because such an amazingly talented individual did not fully use the power that social media and networking had given him. He simply left his endeavor at just the YouTube video, blog, and Facebook page, allowing it to whither into just an escapade that could be chalked up to nothing more than just a college prank. His explanation for this abandonment was that the felt the students no longer needed him; it was their turn to speak up and turn away from “apathy.” Maybe that is true, or maybe this kid is scared almost to the point of messing his pants at the thought of getting caught, which I don’t blame him. Either way, he did a pretty darn good job of covering up his tracks, which leads me full circle back to an explanation of my introduction.

Countless hours and effort have been wasted on the search for the identity of “V.” And what do these crusaders have to show after all this work? The hacker (or at least the hacker’s address and phone number) was found to be none other than Elson S. Floyd, the president of Washington State University himself! Wah, wah, wah. Talk about a “pay no attention to the man behind the curtain” scenario! Ah, if only this were the case, what a Scooby-Doo episode it would be! But truth of the matter is this was just another clever tactic used by “V” to crack another egg on the establishment’s face. Turned out the “yolk” was on them (pardon the pun.)

Now that this story is unfortunately starting to become a cold case, I will return to what really awed me about the whole situation; though I do have my own problems with the university, but let’s not go there given it would make this blog 100 pages longer. “V” only got a small taste, just a lick, of what social media and networking could have done for him. If he had continued his efforts without the fear of being reprimanded and had continued to engage with students, the media, and whomever else in real time, think of how BIG this whole incident could have turned into. It could have been a nationwide movement; because Lord knows that other universities are going through the same things due to this current economy. All he had to do was add Twitter to the mix with a dash of strategically thought out hash marks, and he could have developed an army for justice behind him that spanned the globe! Okay, I may be becoming a little over dramatic, but the power of real-time social media and networking is remarkable. There is no denying that my eyes have been opened to that. Thanks Mr. Scott!

For recent coverage of this incident, visit:

To view "V's" YouTube video:

To view "V's" Website:

To view "V's" Facebook Page:

To see what a GENIUS Mr. David Meerman Scott is, visit his blog at:

The Fashion Show: Really the “Ultimate Collection?”


Being an avid Project Runway fan, it was hard not to go into viewing the first episode of the second season of Bravo’s replacement show about fashion, The Fashion Show: Ultimate Collection, with an objective eye. Since I did not see the first season, I used that as motivation to view this first episode through virgin eyes.

The overall idea of the show I find to be truly innovative, taking 12 designers and separating them into TWO fashion houses. They are given the task to create looks that convey their own personal voices as designers while at the same time having their designs WORK COHESIVELY as a complete fashion line for their fashion houses.

My expectations for the show were raised with the opening credits. I really enjoyed the new use of special effects and graphics that strayed away from the typical ones that Bravo tends to use for their reality shows. However, my expectations were then lowered back to a neutral level with the introduction of Stefan Campbell, the show’s “fashion show coordinator.” I found his presence to be a bit cheesy and in a way unnecessary. It made it seem like there were too many people in the position of “host,” and the show could easily do without him. But who knows, maybe his role will become more pertinent in future episodes.

I found it to be very clever how they delivered the first task to the designers, choosing their models and order of show randomly by having them choose a sewing kit as they arrived. I felt that this started out the show with and energy of intensity, much like the innovation first challenges on Project Runway. I was however left disappointed when this first use of the designers looks on the models just sort of stopped there, and really made it seem like the whole fashion show intro was just that, a “show” to introduce Iman as the host. I really wish that more was done with the designers first looks, maybe having them use their garments as the material for the first outfit with the challenge of making them work cohesively with their fellow designers in their house. Now that would be “making it work.” But sadly this is not Project Runway, and the show is definitely not trying to be.

I immediately fell in love with the Blue team that worked marvelously from the beginning, quickly deciding on the name of “The House of Nami” (Iman’s name spelled backwards,) and their decision on the theme of their lines. I love how the use of mood boards is incorporated into the challenges because it really shows the process of product development from beginning to end. The house of Iman truly worked as a team, which showed in their spectacular collection that was clean, chic, cohesive and innovative. I whole-heartedly agree with them winning the first challenge.

On the other hand, the Green Team who named them selves the House of Emerald Syx had a work ethic and collection that was as disappointing as their name. From the get go, a villain emerged in the form of Calvin Tran, an arrogant, self-important designer from New York City. From the very beginning I grew a strong dislike for his disrespectful and annoying demeanor. I really felt he had a negative affect on his other team members, and it really showed in the House of Emerald Syx’s sloppy, tacky and unfinished collection. Definitely agree with the judges, they were the losing house in my book.

Photo from BravoTV.com
Though I agreed with the winning and losing houses, I completely disagreed with the winning and losing looks. The judges chose Cesar Galindo’s look as the winner. I felt that this was a huge mistake and not a very good take on the judges taste level. It was a VERY simple one-shoulder dress that has been seen over and over again. There was nothing new or innovative in the silhouette, in fact the one thing that made it stand out was the detail on the shoulder, and it did not stand out for a good reason. The construction on the shoulder detail looked poor and unfinished and as if it were a bow that had unraveled and was continuing to do so. His look also was the only one that strayed away from the all white palette and used a print, which I feel made his the least cohesive of all the looks of the House of Nami.

Photo from BravoTV.com
If I were the judges, I would have picked Eduardo de las Casas as the true winner. His cocktail dress was breathtaking. Everything from the construction to the silhouette to the fit was just impeccable. It had a draping that gave it a very voluminous and innovative structured look to it. It was the perfect length, had the right amount of detail to it without looking overworked, and he did this all using WHITE. His look could have easily become boring without colors to help distinguish him from the other designers, but his design didn’t need that. If I were I buyer I could definitely see that look selling out in stores, and being able to be manufactured in different colors that would add to its HUGE success. Eduardo is already showing his genius as a designer straight out of the gate. He is definitely on my list to root for.

Photo from BravoTV.com
Photo from BravoTV.com
As for the losing designer, I also disagree with the judges. Though all the designs for the House of Emerald Syx were equally bad, I did not feel that Francine Simmons’ look was the worst and qualified her to go home. In fact, I feel that her look was actually one of the better designs in the mess that came down that runway. If I had to choose the losing design and send someone home it would be Calvin. This would not only be based off of his foul attitude, but also the fact that his design was just horrible. He kept making mistakes (and of course blaming them on other people) and then covered up those mistakes with tacky details, contradicting his professional persona the he so tiredly tried to force onto the other designers.

Overall I would probably rate this episode as a B-. There things I liked, things I didn’t, and things that I could live without. I’m still skeptical whether or not I will be hooked to this show, but I will definitely give it a couple more episodes to try.

Look that Won













Look that SHOULD HAVE Won.

Look that Lost
Look that SHOULD HAVE Lost

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

EcoGir & RS POP get ready for Fashion Week Spring 2011



Fashion Week NYC this year isn't just about a change in location, Ecogir is making its debut. The world of fashion better prepare!

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Warm Up: Culture According to Me, With a Lil’ Help from Facebook

Culture According to Me, With a Lil’ Help from Facebook
By Dustin Enrique Larsen

What is the definition of culture? Better yet, what is my definition of culture? When contemplating this I found that the best way to construct a definition of my own was to base it on the definitions of others, and to do this I would have to channel the great Dr. Frankenstein, or at least Heidi Montag’s plastic surgeon. Every definition I came across I would dissect the piece that I found most appealing and cut away the fat and discard it. After I had gathered a heaping pile of bits of definitions, which alone were no more attractive than that of random human limbs, I then strung them all together creating a definition that was indeed unique to me.
            When searching for definitions on the Internet, I began my journey at none other than Dictionary.com. Many definitions were present, but there were two that really stood out. One such definition was "the quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as excellent in arts, letters, manners, scholarly pursuits, etc." After cutting away all the fat, the definition basically said: a quality (from any area in that particular society) found in a person that is seen as excellent and is then praised. Another definition that stood out was "the behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group: the youth culture; the drug culture" Subtract the fat and you get: behaviors/beliefs/characteristics that are common throughout, and in part, define a group. After sewing all the favored pieces together and adding some meat of my own, I arrived at my definition of culture. Culture: the behaviors/beliefs/characteristics that are common throughout, and in part, define a group. These behaviors/beliefs/characteristics are at the same time unique to the individuals in the group. Within these groups there are then qualities (from any area in that particular society) found in an individual that are seen as excellent and are then praised.
            Now, how does my definition apply to a cultural phenomenon? In order to answer this question I first had to find a cultural phenomenon that I wanted to link my definition to. When brainstorming ideas for possible phenomenon, I kept finding myself becoming distracted with the social networking site Facebook. I found myself wanting to spend my time updating my profile and surfing other people's profiles rather than completing this article. I then realized that I probably wasn't the only student feeling this way about a task they weren’t exactly thrilled about. Then it hit me. What is a better cultural phenomenon than Facebook that is influencing Americans at this very moment?
            In order to apply Facebook to my definition, it needs to be compared to it in pieces. The first part of my definition states: the behaviors/beliefs/characteristics that are common throughout, and in part, define a group. These behaviors/beliefs/characteristics are at the same time unique to the individuals in the group. Facebook helps define our generation as the "technology generation" We have grown accustomed to doing everything using technology. Technology has influenced our school assignments, our shopping, and now has become the focal point of our social lives. Facebook is an environment where people can come to together and interact with people of similar behaviors/beliefs/characteristics. People search through others' profiles and find people with similar interests, and if desired, begin a relationship with them. A person's profile not only lets them find similarities in others, but also helps them define themselves as individuals. The management of the profile is completely up to the owner. They have complete control over the style of the page to the point where they choose the pictures and multiple other features that will be included on their profile.
The second half of my definition states: Within these groups there are then qualities (from any area in that particular society) found in an individual that are seen as excellent and are then praised. Facebook has allowed itself to be used as a venue for people to express and inform others of their excellent qualities and experiences. Others are then given the opportunity to leave comments "praising" an individual for these unique qualities. People can also write notes about their unique experiences, and others can give them a “thumbs up," or, praises for their accomplishments or insights into society.          
Therefore, Facebook is a cultural phenomenon because it allows people to be individuals while at the same time helps one find a commonality in others, thus defining and developing a culture. It then allows people within those common groups to praise one another for their unique abilities and experiences, thus bringing them closer together as a culture.

Warm Up: Review of Chapter 4 From Fashioning Society by Karl Aspelund


Review of Chapter 4
From Fashioning Society by Karl Aspelund
By Dustin Enrique Larsen
           
Paul Poiret, credited as being one of the world’s first influential fashion designers, saw an immense change in the world of fashion during his lifetime, especially from the American market. They were not any type of consumers he had ever seen nor dealt with before.  They were a society in which the “aristocracy was based wholly on wealth,” and had “little connection to any idea of place or birthright.” (Aspelund, 2009). It was much like an out of touch parent trying to connect with a pubescent child where the child either does not understand or does not care about the customs of their elders. Americans had taken up the custom of spending their wealth on “anything anywhere” (Aspelund, 2009). They were individuals who had worked their way up through the class system through railroads and shipping companies, not by being born into a family line of importance. They were “new money” and were developing their own behavior rather than following those that had been passed down for hundreds of years in Europe.
            This began to alarm and bewilder Poiret.  He tried to revive old customs from before the war and was met with great disappointment. He was also alarmed at how American women and the American market took to the fashion of Europe. He described their behavior as a “childish willingness to obey the whim” of fashion designers (Apselund, 2009). Rather than realizing exactly what they were purchasing and placing on their backs and understanding the deeper meaning behind the garments, they only were concerned with the fact that it had come from Paris, which was good enough for them. They “lacked personality,” purchasing items that were solely to show off their status, not their sense of style, attitude, or any other traits that made up an individual with substance or culture.
What alarmed Poiret even more was he felt that the woman of America were “the most beautiful in the world, “ and “woman who have won their freedom, cinema, ‘stars,’ [who were] rich, liberated, independent” (Aspelund, 2009). Rather than using these freedoms and physically going to Paris for themselves and seeing the culture, the people, and all the aspects that made Parisian fashion what it was; they sent people for them and believed wearing the garments was experience enough. Poiret had every right to be alarmed. Watching Parisian fashion become mass produced and not fully appreciated must have been like slaving for hours over a four-course meal just to have it devoured in seconds without leaving time to fully experience the moment.
Poiret was in no way wrong being alarmed by American woman not taking advantage of their freedom and by expressing this freedom in the form of apparel. Every woman has a right to look fabulous, and as do men. Having the right to look fabulous is like having the right to have high self-esteem, one might even compare it to having the right to wake up in the morning and take a big breath of the morning air. Humans are a species that need acceptance and belonging to fulfill their purpose in life, as found in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs that has been drilled into our heads in multiple courses. Expression through apparel is the most significant way for a person to quickly get instant gratification for themselves and from people around them. The sparkle in the eye of a little girl picking out her first dress, or the grin of a father receiving a necktie from his young son is proof enough that everyone desires and deserves the right to look fabulous. More and more people are exercising this right by having high-end designers develop lines for mass production and labels that are focused on remaking Hollywood looks for less.
This right to look fabulous can be very affective if people acknowledge it and know how to use it to their advantage. High fashion played a major role in politics in the early 19th century and still has prevalence today. During the presidential race of 2008, President Obama’s campaign had a little edge over the opponents and could credited to the wardrobe of his wife. Her being one of the best dressed first ladies of the decade, and even being compared to Jacqueline Onassis Kennedy, showed just how much fashion can still influence politics, even if the theory of it is not that well known. The fashion of the candidates is always a topic of discussion, from Mrs. Obama to Sara Palin.
Legendary designer Coco Chanel believed in this right for woman to be fabulous, fashionable and functional at the same time; making her “inspired by the moment.” A designer of today that follows that same inspiration is a newer one named Frank Muytjens. He is a men’s designer originally from Holland who came to the states and worked for Ralph Lauren after which he took over J. Crew and added a military flare to the already preppy line. As the wars over seas rage on, the military influence can be seen creeping into fashion and this particular designer has saddled that (GQ 2010).

A Step In A New Direction

Now that I have completed my internship and experienced life as a New Yorker, I want to dabble in something that I have always had an interest in. Before making my journey to New York City, I purchased a book titled Writing for the Fashion Business. Since there are no formal classes at my university that teach fashion journalism, my goal is to use this book as my teacher, and read and complete all the exercises (which I can actually develop a portfolio from) before I graduate in May. That gives me 10 months to complete the 12 chapters that are in the book. I plan on posting each piece on this blog for others to enjoy and for me to see my progression. However, the next two posts I make will be of works that I have already done prior to reading the book. I will call them my "Warm-Ups." Enjoy



You Better Work!


 While working at Bagir International there were multiple opportunities for me to propose, develop, implement and evaluate major projects within my work environment. I was able to do so using my apparel, merchandising and textiles expertise. The following are the projects that I accomplished during my time in New York City and my input and accomplishments for each project:

Celebrate Manhattan Chic VIP Event

Designer Macy's Matthew Ossenfort, Six time Stanley Cup Winner Glen Anderson, VP Marketing Bagir International Tim Danser, Designer Jay Godfrey, Sr. Account Manager Bagir International Tina Birica
Goal: Host a world-class reception at the Atelier Sky Lounge in New York City to promote designers Simon Carter, Jay Godfrey, and Bagir International as a global brand.

Tasks:

·      Worked with every department of the company to help put event together.
·      Designed graphics for Step and Repeat that was used for photo opportunities at event.
·      Helped design invitation for the event.
·      Sourced a Gelato catering company to come and serve at the event.
·      Prepared all necessary items to be shipped to location prior to event.
·      Helped set up and break down event.
·      Prepared nametags for Bagir employees to help with networking at event.
·      Served as one of the hosts for the event, escorting people from the ground floor up to the sky lounge, making sure that all guests were enjoying themselves and all necessary tasks were being accomplished.

Accomplishments:

·      Over 175 guests were in attendance.
·      Positive press exposure and featured on PRWeb and MR Magazine’s website.
·      Multiple new business connections and possibilities were created.

Male Super Model Zenel (Center Left) and models dressed in Jay Godfrey, Simon Carter London and Simon Carter West End

To learn more about the success of the events and see more photos, please visit the links below: 

 
  


MRketNY

Goal: Prepare, construct, and work at the Simon Carter Booth at MRketNY in New York City, the largest Menswear Market Expo in the United States.

Tasks:

·      Artfully and efficiently catalogued, set up/broke down, and merchandized booth at expo for a high level presentation that was critical for sale pitches at event.
·      Filled out order forms for customers.
·      Took those orders and then compiled them into an excel spreadsheet to be sent to UK offices to process and fulfill customers’ orders.

Accomplishments:

·      Gained many new clients and customers because of presentation of booth.
·      Created a more recognizable and prestigious image of the Simon Carter line in the United States.

Cintas Marketing Boards

Problem: Boards that were originally assembled and sent to client arrived damaged due to weakness in assembly process.

Goal: Develop a new process that would allow a safe shipment of boards without damage during travel or arrival to client.

Tasks:

·      Developed new process of assembly.
·      Manually combined over 800 pieces for boards.
·      Ensured that there were enough materials to fulfill task.
·      Affixed balls to over 160 posters.
·      Managed supplies for assembly by continually replenishing and monitoring them.

Accomplishments:

·      Successfully reassembled marketing posters and gained approval from and satisfaction of client.

Eco-Experience Presentation

Problem: Current packaging of uniforms was dull and reflected poorly on the market campaign for client.

Goal: Recommend a new packaging strategy to make the customer feel “empowered” that they were helping the environment by purchasing the item.

Tasks:

·      Created a presentation for new packaging strategy.
·      Provided own input into the overall concept for the new strategy.
·      Designed packaging and elements of packaging to be presented to client.

Accomplishments:

·      Bulk of my creative concepts were adopted and presented to client.
·      Received positive feedback from client, and concepts are now to be reviewed for implementation on company wide packaging program.

Getting To Know You


Bagir International's US office may be small in numbers, but it is gargantuan in the affect they have on the fashion industry. It is an Israel based company, but the American office has many responsibilities of their own. The following are the individuals that I worked with, their responsibilities, and the career path they chose to get to the position they were in:

President/Vice President:

o   In charge of marketing, PR, sales, merchandising, while also serving as the liaison between the US office and the Israel office.
o   Made all final decisions as far as product development, marketing/PR campaigns, and any other major decisions that needed to be approved before being presented to Israel for international approval.
o   Careers that they had before joining Bagir included being a buyer for Sears and JC Penny.

Senior Account Manager:

o   In charge of specific clients and accounts.
o   In charge of pricing and sourcing of orders requested by clients.
o   Creates their portion of the tech pack that includes finishes, findings, trims, etc.
o   Oversees Product Development after it has gone through creative (factory-samples.)

Account Manager:

o   Have many of the same responsibilities as the Sr. Account Manager, but on a slightly different level and with different types of clients.
o   Studied Fashion Merchandising at FIT and started out as an Executive Assistant at Bagir before becoming the account manager.

Creative Director:

o   Develops the concepts/moods/colors/themes and possible fabric choices and presents them using concept boards.
o   Begins creating sketches that are then turned into flat patterns and digitized with the help of the Pattern Maker.
o   Creates specifications for construction of garment for tech packs that is then passed on to Sr. Account and Account Managers and they collaborate on fabric, lining, trims, piping, finishes, etc.
o   Plays a part in the approval process of final sample of garment.
o   Served as designer for Sears before coming to Bagir.

Fashion Marketing Specialist/PR:

o   In charge of marketing and PR.
o   Writes press releases.
o   Develops marketing campaigns.
o   Designs graphics for various purposes, such as packaging, labels, etc.
o   Serves as liaison for company between celebrity stylists, media, other organizations and companies.
o   Began doing marketing for the pharmaceutical industry with Duane Reade.

Office Coordinator:

o   Organizes office and employees schedules.
o   In charge of all incoming and outgoing shipments.
o   Answers phone calls.
o   Assists wherever needed.
o   Attended FIT and worked for multiple PR organizations before coming to Bagir.

Controller:
o   In charge of all the finances.

Logistics Manager:
o   Keeps track of all orders, units, warehouses and shipping details.


Interns
o   Assisted and completed tasks and provided input when needed.

    Though each individual had their own set of responsibilities, we all worked together to make sure that not only the company succeeded, but each individual did as well. In the end they became my new family, and I grew to love each and everyone of them.