Lex In The City

[thebigcitybylex]

Randa Accessories

7.25.17

Randa Accessories is a wholesales men’s accessories company. It was founded in 1910 and continues to reach more and more companies in the market. They design, manufacture, and distribute many different products. Some of them are belts, wallets, neckwear, backpacks, luggage, jewelry, etc. All of the merchandise is for men’s wear. The company has partnerships with Levi’s, Tommy Hilfiger, Guess, Macy’s, Ralph Lauren, etc. There are so many more retailers. So Randa will produce and distribute the product, but based off of contract and licensing, you will never know that they did the manufacturing. Each partnership has their own agreements. 

I learned a lot about my major as well and what I can do with my degree. Fashion Merchandising allows you to take so many different routes. I could go into forecasting, sales, buying, and much more. After today, I learned to keep an open mind and figure out what I really enjoy through experience. 

Randa’s motto is : “Why settle for one great brand or retailer when you can work for them all?”

[thebigcitybylex]

Stoll Knitting

7.20.17

Stoll Knitting is a producer of flat knitting machines. The company has been around for over 130 years. Based off the website for Stoll, I have a lot about the company.

They have a fashion & technology department that is your contact in the field of knitting technology and fashion, and provides inspiration and information on market trends. They assist in building up global networks in key markets.With the foundation of the Fashion & Technology Center in New York in 2009 Stoll covers now also the huge American knitting industry market. The 1.400 square meters offer Stoll America and the Fashion & Technology service enough space supplying this market with all necessary services and supports.

https://www.stoll.com/fashion-and-technology/fashion-center-en/5_7

[thebigcitybylex]

ABC Carpet & Home

7.18.17

ABC Carpet and Home is a very extravagant furniture store. It is six floors of jaw dropping home decor. It is located at 888 Broadway NY, NY.

They started in the 1800s with only selling carpet and it was and still is a family owned business. This business is still in the family, but in the 80s they expanded it to ABC Carpet & Home. They want the store to be a balance of what they care about. They allow space for people to sell their work. In the light gallery, there is work done by local designers from Brooklyn. 

The store started with carpet and it is still the main seller because it is the anchor. Even when you are designing a room, you start with the carpet and build a room around it. 

[thebigcitybylex]

Luxury Market

7.13.17

The luxury market in New York City consists of high-end stores as you walk down the streets of Manhattan on 5th ave. 

The main stop that was made was to Bergdorf Goodman. It is a well-known department store that is known for its’ designer clothing and other merchandise. It has many floors with a wide variety. 

Now there are many other stores in the luxury market that would stand out to you. Some being Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Apple, Prada, etc. Anything that is a high-end name or store that you could think of is here.

[thebigcitybylex]

Met Museum of Art: Comme des Garcons

7.11.17

Today we went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and saw the Costume Insitute’s 2017 exhibition. The Spring’s exhibit was focused on the fashion designer of Comme Des Garcons, Rei Kawakubo. She is known for her avant-garde designs. 

There are about 140 examples of her womenswear shown in the exhibit. Her designs go back to 1980 and then to present. On the Met Museum’s website where they talk about the exhibit, they said that the objects are broken down into nine aesthetics, “Absence/Presence, Design/Not Design, Fashion/Anti-Fashion, Model/Multiple, Then/Now, High/Low, Self/Other, Object/Subject, and Clothes/Not Clothes.” She breaks down boundaries. 

I really enjoyed this exhibit, it was very inspiring. I have attached pictures of my favorite garments.

"Is clothing art? Who cares, you'll love the new Met exhibit either way." —USA Today

http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2017/rei-kawakubo

[thebigcitybylex]

Cotton Inc.

7.6.17

Cotton Incorporated is a company that promotes the use of cotton. Their mission statement on their website is: "To increase the demand for and profitability of cotton through research and promotion." and "To ensure that cotton remains the first choice among consumers in apparel and home products."

This company was founded in 1970. It was started due to a funding mechanism that was established by the Cotton Research and Promotion Act of 1966. This company does everything that has to do with cotton, from having a fiber processing lab to dying the material. They are very known for their “Fabric of Our Lives” commercials, promoting cotton clothing and necessities. 

With offices all over, they are able to keep up with the trends and keep cotton a needed and sustainable fabric.

[thebigcitybylex]

F.I.T. Museum

6.29.17

The Fashion Institute of Technology’s Museum has an exhibit called “Force of Nature”. Today we had a private tour by the curator of the exhibit. It was filled with knowledge and couture. This specific exhibit lasts six months and is free for anyone to see during its hours. 

Force of Nature’s exhibit shows the correlation between fashion and nature. The curator’s inspirational quote for this exhibit was, “those who are inspired by a model other than Nature, a mistress above all masters, are laboring in vain” by Leonardo da Vinci. Throughout history, fashion designers used nature as reference and inspiration and it is shown in the display. Designers like Alexander McQueen, Chanel, Comme de Garcon, Rick Owens, Yves Saint Laurent, Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, etc. are found throughout and are using nature in many different ways. They use flowers, water, animals, organisms, etc.

[thebigcitybylex]

Dover Street Market

6.27.17

Dover Street Market is a showcase of haute couture garments and accessories. The one in NYC is not the only one. The original one is located in London, England. There are a few more and they are in Ginza, Singapore, and Beijing. It reminds me of a high-end, fashionable indoor flea market. It was super unique and one of my favorite spots that we have visited. The vibe is great and the merchandise was fun. Although the brand named items were way out of my price range, that didn’t stop me from trying stuff on. The look of the place was super unique. The brands that I saw were Balenciaga, Comme de Garcon, and Nike Lab ID. 

If you are ever in NYC and want to check it out, it is located at 160 Lexington Ave. NY, NY.

http://www.doverstreetmarket.com/

[thebigcitybylex]

Tobe

6.20.17

Tobe is a subscription based report that was once only focused on fashion, but is now much more broader. It was founded by Tobe Coller Davis, “Miss. Tobe” in 1927. Today it consists of 7 editors and 4 visual people. The team is very small, no more than about 13 people. The editors work in showrooms, check for new trends, analyze notes and write articles for retailers and merchandisers. It is a report that keeps retailers in the know by providing current and important information that can influence consumer behaviors. 

I really enjoyed visiting Tobe, it was a very knowledgeable experience. This is one of the first report platforms.

[thebigcitybylex]

Rebecca Minkoff

6.18.17

The Rebecca Minkoff store is located in Soho. It is the main store in the city. It was definitely a cool store layout. The technology that was used is what really sparked my attention. 

The technology was so unique in this location. This is something that is going to become way more popular, but this is the first time that I have seen anything like this. When you walk in, there is a three-panel mirror. Not only is it a mirror, you can watch their latest collection’s runway show and look at the items for purchase. You also can order a complimentary beverage and ask for a stylist. This allows for the stylist and the customer to connect and bond. Not only is this in the front, but in two of the fitting rooms you can see on the mirror the merchandise that you brought in and look at Rebecca’s suggested items to go with it. Also, like shown in the pictures below, you can adjust the lighting. Who wouldn’t love that??

Rebecca Minkoff’s brand is now set up so that the when the merchandise is on the runway, it is also available to be bought. This is very beneficial for a brand because trends die and this allows it to be available at that time rather than months later. The percentage of it selling is way more likely because of the timing.

[thebigcitybylex]

Material Connexion

6.15.17

Material Connexion is a SANDOW company. SANDOW also owns the magazines: Interior Design, Luxe Interiors + Design, New Beauty and Worth. The global headquarters is in NYC, but branches of the company can be found in Asia, Europe and in a few universities, Kent State University is one of them. The company makes a profit off of the subscriptions it has each year. Many of the members are big corporations and universities. 

 Material Connexion is a global materials consultancy. Their moto is “ Every Idea Has a Material Solution”. The company offers a library of materials that are unique and sustainable. They work with clients to find the best material for them and then connect them to the manufacturer. A business could not purchase materials from Material Connexion but instead, can consult and be put in the direction to communicate with the manufacturer. 

The materials shown in the library were amazing. There were materials made from wood, metal, polymer, fur, etc. The options seemed endless. Each month they change them out and put more in, which is even better. The archives are still kept and can always be looked back on, but to know that there will be more options to choose from each month is helpful. 

In the pictures below, you can see a few of the different materials that I found interesting. 

[thebigcitybylex]

Mood Fabrics

6.13.17

Our visit on Tuesday was to Mood Fabrics, ya know, the one that Project Runway gets their fabric from. It is located on West 37th street in NYC. 

This is the most famous fabric store in the world. There are three floors and then a store all the way downstairs. This fabric store offers sewing classes and drawing classes for people of all ages and workshops for people to come in and use their sewing machines. The store allows people to take swatches of almost all the fabric except furs and leather. This is super helpful when you are either a student that is putting a mood board together or a designer looking for the perfect material to use without actually having to purchase the fabric.

Fun Fact: The downstairs store sells their book, “The Mood Guide to Fabric and Fashion: The Essential Guide from the World’s Most Famous Fabric Store” and often have some books with Tim Gunn’s signature in them. The price is still the same!!!

[thebigcitybylex]

HauteLook

6.8.17

My name is Alexa and I am from a small town in Pennsylvania. I am spending my summer before my senior year taking classes at Kent State’s NYC studio. For my NYC study tour, we get the pleasure of going around to different attractions and businesses relevant to the fashion industry. Our first stop was to Nordstrom/ HauteLook buying office on West 39th street.

Our visit was very much geared towards the HauteLook department. HauteLook is responsible for providing great looking items for reasonable prices. It offers merchandise for women, men, children, home and beauty. They offer a lot of sales and “flash” sales, which are usually for 24 hours. They also post their upcoming events for the week. 

Going into the buying office, I wasn’t too sure what HauteLook was, but I did know of Nordstorm. My idea of HauteLook was that it offered very high priced clothing and other merchandise. I was clearly wrong. Once hearing about what it was, I will most likely be shopping from there. 

Hearing from someone in the field that I would like to go into was very helpful. To know that not too long ago she was in my shoes makes me feel that it is very much possible and to keep pushing!