Assignment 4

            On Thursday we were able to visit White Sposa at their offices. Simona Polli, the editor, gave us a tour around the office and then gave us details about how the magazine is produced.

            White Sposa is an Italian wedding magazine that releases a new issue during 3 months of the year. Each issue has a new creative theme inside.

            The theme can be anything that they want, and usually has nothing to do with brides. It can be a region, flower, and color. One issue the theme was rose. They were able to feature a scent inside of a rose on one of the pages.

            In Italy this magazine is very popular among the bridal market. They print 60,000 copies and distribute them through Italian newsstands, international bookshops and subscriptions.

            Currently the Italian wedding market has been decreasing since 2010. In Italy, a woman is now 35 years old when she gets married. This is because it is very expensive to have a wedding. Since the age has changed, the dream wedding has changed. A 35 year old doesn’t want a princess gown and 300 people to see her marry the man she loves. She wants a simple dress and 60 close friends and family to be there for her.

            In 2009, they created a contract with Japan. This then created the Japan version of White Sposa. At first they would take editorials from the Italy magazine and use it in the Japan version. Quickly they realized they had a different market and to reach them they needed to use a different technique. They were allowed to change the cover of the magazine. This was a big deal because the cover of the Italy version says nothing on it, but in Japan they needed to have text on the cover. If they added text to the cover this would add a larger market and they would sell more. They were approved to do this.

            Their distribution is very different from other magazines. At first they wouldn’t sell their magazine. At different trunk shows they would hand the magazine to people who walked by. They did this because they needed to make themselves known in this market.

            After 5 years they decided it would be a good idea to sell the magazine while at the trunk shows. They didn’t want people to think that the magazine was worth no money, so they started selling it at 1 euro. Eventually they started selling the September issue and May issue at the same time for 2 euro.

            Whitemagazine.it is the official website for the magazine. Currently it has 90,000 pages visited and 12,000 visits per month. To keep brides involved in the website they have other bridal sections. Some sections that they talk about are wedding planning ideas, experts’ free advice (if you are a registered member), and design ideas.

            Simona explained to us the roles that are involved in creating a magazine. There are 10 roles that need to be taken care of while publishing a magazine. These roles are Publisher, Editor (Simona), Art director, Graphic, Editorial Staff, Journalists, Fashion Editor (Christina), Print Production, Accounts office, and Sales managers. Every job within the magazine is very important.

Editorial featured in White Sposa

            

            During the visit Simona mention that there are only 3 people who produce this magazine. After seeing the magazine it is amazing that 3 people can do this amount of work.

            I really enjoyed learning about the bridal magazine market. I have always had an interest in weddings and magazines so it was interesting to learn about the two together. I never realized that so much work goes into a wedding magazine, especially this one. I was so impressed that only three people can create an amazing magazine. What they do is simply spectacular.

            This visit benefited me in my future career because I didn’t realize what it was like to work on a magazine that doesn’t produce a lot of volume. I wanted to work in a fashion magazine and being able to see what it takes to create each issue opened my eyes. I think that being able to see this side of the industry really helped me deicide what I want my future career to be.

Assignment 3

On Tuesday we were able to go to the biblioteca dela moda, which is the fashion library. The library originally was created for industry professionals. Currently the library is a great source of information for forecasting and fashion students who use the past to create the future.

            There are so many books and magazines throughout the floor. There are books for branding, marketing, lookbooks of different designers, photography, architecture, web marketing and magazines such as Vogue and Elle.

            Our guide told us that they get books from all over. At first it was just a personal collection, but now it is an honor to be able to donate something. She also mentioned that MaxMara has a collection in the library, but to see it you must be an employee.

            In the library they have the entire collection of Vogue, Elle and Marie Claire, and in different languages. While walking through the library I immediately spotted all of the Vogue magazines. It was amazing to look through the shelves and see how the fashion has changed throughout time.

            I loved going to the library, being able to look at all of these amazing resources was so cool. I never thought that I would see the entire collection of Vogue. If I was a student going to school in Italy I think I would be at this library all the time!
            I think that this library plays an important role in the industry. When you understand the past of fashion, you will realize that everything has been recreated in different ways. Being in the fashion industry everyone takes things from the past and changes them to be their own. Once you realize that everything has been created before you see a different side to fashion. You see different designers interpretations of art and architecture, which is great to see. Going to the library has opened my eyes of how fashion has evolved throughout time, which is an important concept to understand. 

Assignment 2

           On our bus trip to Florence we were able to stop at G2 Textiles in Prato, which is a textile manufacturing company. Throughout our visit they told us about how a textile is designed, manufactured and sold to companies. We met with Walter and Samantha; they were working on the fall/winter collection. They create an average of 3,000 fabrics per year and 1,200 per season!

            We first were able to look at all the fabrics in their showroom. There were so many black fabrics with different designs on it. They explained that black is usually the color the samples are produced in because the buyers can see the details easily. Every fabric that was in the showroom was different in its own way. On each sample there was a tag to differentiate each fabric, although Samantha said that when you work on all of these fabrics you know which is which.

            The first step for them is trend forecasting. They will create different trend boards based on what they find. After they are done with this step they still aren’t afraid to add more to the collections.

            Once a company orders the fabrics, a lot of waiting comes into play. Walter explained that the sample pieces take 3-4 weeks and production takes 6-8 weeks.

         He told us that if a company wants to change the color, they are able to do that. The dying process is the last step to the fabric, so if a company lets them know ahead they can change the color. I thought this was interesting because I didn’t know that they could make these changes without any problems.

            I learned from this visit that American designers are more conservative, and the Italians are more risky. The American market can’t have too much stock so they order in modest amounts, whereas the Italians love to try something different.

            They work with larger companies, such as Burberry. They are able to provide large quantities for them. Since they work with larger well-known companies they have higher standards from the companies. They explained to us that if a company purchases a large enough order then they can make that fabric exclusive to that company. They also work with small companies, which have fewer standards.

            After we saw the showroom we were able to see how a fabric is created from the beginning. The first step is done by using a computer program called CAD. This program is a digital design system. They are able to scan a picture and then use that picture for the fabric. We were shown a fabric design in the computer.

            Next we were shown how the fabric is made. It was extremely loud in the production room. We were shown the same fabric from the computer being created.

 

         At one point of the visit, Walter told us that G2 has an office located in New York City. This office is run by his business partner Phil. They are able to keep a professional relationship from two separate countries! The New York office is just a showroom, which is where Phil works directly with the customers. Walter said that sometimes they have fights about when the fabrics will be ready, but he said that they are able to maintain a strong relationship.         

            Understanding the world of textiles is very important in the fashion industry. To be able to know that when you place an order you have a short amount of time before you get your sample is important to the companies. I think that Walter and Samantha’s passion for textiles really showed during our visit. It is very important that you are passionate about what you do.

         This visit opened up my eyes in the world of textiles. There are so many different aspects in the textile industry that are very important to the fashion industry. Seeing Walter talk about his business partner, Phil made me realize that relationships are an important part of the industry. They are able to keep a cohesive relationship in two separate countries. This has shown me how important relationships are in this industry. I think this visit was very beneficial to my future career in the industry. 

       Yesterday was our 2nd free day, so everyone but 3 girls bought tickets to take a tour to Lake Como. We had to be up and at the bus by 8:45, which meant we needed to leave the hotel around 8:05. We left a little late but we made it in time. On the bus, I fell asleep and woke up just in time to see the beautiful sites of Lake Como.
       We had about an hour to explore the city before our boat tour started. While walking around we saw cute shops with beautiful views of the lake. Our time went by fast, so we quickly rushed to the meeting point.

        We were then told that this boat tour was a two hour tour. I was shocked. This was going to be a long day. The tour was nice we saw a lot of pretty sights.

        We told our tour guide to make sure that you point out George Clooney's house. About an hour into the tour she told us to look to the left and the house on the corner was Georges. I saw windows open and I knew he was inside. I asked Bridget to take a picture of "George" & I because this is the closest that I will ever be to him. ( The picture below is his house!)

        Once we got off the boat, we arrived to a town called Bellagio. I needed to get food immediately because I thought I was going to pass out it was so hot. After climbing so many stairs, there was cobblestone streets with shops and restaurants everywhere. When we all finally picked one, we immediately ordered to get our food fast. I got a personal pizza, and it was very good.
          After lunch a few of us went to shop a little. I didn't buy much of anything besides 2 postcards and a little bracelet. Since we ate we only had about a half hour left to look around.
          When we got to the meeting point with our tour guide an old woman came over to the group frantic. She was apart of the tour also, and she said that she had lost her husband. She explained to us that she went to look in a window and turned around and he was gone. My heart immediately felt sympathetic to this woman and our tour guide told us that we weren't allowed to leave without everyone from the group.
          The search party began. Everyone from our tour came together to search for her husband, Peter. She described what he was wearing and told us where she last saw him. While a bunch of us went looking through the main streets, our tour guide went to the ticket booth to make an announcement that we were looking for him.
           About an hour went by and two ferries left our tour guide was told by her supervisor that the next ferry we needed to be on it. The woman was so upset she didn't know what to do. She didn't know if she should stay in the city and continue the search, or get on the ferry and see if he was on the other side. When the next ferry came (in about 5 minutes) she made her decision quickly, that she would come on the ferry with us and see if Peter was there.
          This ferry ride was only about 10 minutes (thank god) and reminded me of the ferry that I would take home from school. It allowed passengers and cars to take the ferry, just like the one I take. When we arrived at the other side, this woman and our tour guide went to the ticket booth to see if Peter was inside. We received word that he wasn't. Everyone on the tour was very worried and hoped that he was okay.
          A few minutes later the tour guide and the wife came over with smiles on their faces. The tour guide then told us that Peter was on the other side and would be on the next ferry to meet us where we were. Everyone was so relieved that he was okay. Then our tour guide asked us if we were okay to wait 20 minutes for the ferry to get back to the island and get to us. Everyone in unison agreed that we would wait. We were then told that she needed to call her supervisor to ask if it was okay that we were going to wait to come back to Milan.
       She received a phone call and came back smiles. We were allowed to wait for Peter! Everyone was standing around to see the old couple reunite. Bridget told us that she was going to take pictures of them reuniting.
       The wife proceed to tell us that she wouldn't be mad at him because she was just glad that he was okay. She then told us that he was a very special man. She had 5 children and he had 4 when they met, and he still agreed to marry her and take her children like they were his own. This really touched everyones heart.
      Soon the ferry was approaching and we were able to spot Peter by the description of his outfit. This was just like a movie scene. Peter got off the ferry and started to jog to give his wife a huge hug! A bunch of us started to tear up. (it was so cute) When we got on the bus he thanked us because we waited for him.

      Today was a very relaxing HOT day. I woke up around 10:15 so I would be able to get to breakfast by 10:30. After breakfast Stephanie, Blaine, Julie and I decided that we should go shop a little by Duomo. We got ready and were out the door by 12:15.
      When we got there it was so hot. I was sweating and I didn't even do anything yet. The first store we went to was Zara. I've never been before, and the store was huge. They had 3 floors of different options, so naturally I couldn't find anything.
       Next we went to Gap and I found some regular tshirts and a belt that I could wear with anything. Then we went to H & M, and something great happened. Demi Lovato was on the radio! I was so happy that she is popular here and immediately started to sing the words to the song. I also found a pair of cute jean shorts, because I desperately needed a new pair.
      After all this shopping we were so hot and tired we needed coffee. We went to a place called American Cafe and on the side of the window it said the "american coffee experience". I was so excited to get some iced coffee. When I looked at the menu I saw they had iced caramel macchiato I made my decision. When I took a sip it was like heaven. It was so good, until after the 3rd sip and it wasn't even cold. I went to the counter and asked the barista if I could have more ice. He gave me a weird look and only gave me 2 ice cubes! How can I have a cold drink if there isn't any ice in it!
      This ended my exciting day, and from then on I did homework, then went to a meeting with everyone on the trip and then I had my group meeting about our Mila Schon project. Now I need to pack for Florence, where there will be no internet! My next blog will not be until Saturday!

Ciao!

     Today is the first free day that we will have throughout this trip. A bunch of us decided that we wanted to go see the little shops that are by the Duomo. We left the hotel around 11:00 am and were off to the metro! We took the metro to the Duomo, which is only 4 stops away and we were immediately shocked when we saw that it was transformed into tents for a soccer event.
     We started walking towards the castle that we visited earlier this week. On our way we saw a man sitting down on the side of the road creating flowers and animals with fruits and vegetables. It was so cool to see how he was creating these unbelievable things with food.

     By the time we reached where the shops were I was already sweating. It was unbelievably hot today. We started to walk around and found the cutest cafe. Immediately we went inside and saw croissants, sandwiches, and fruit cups! We decided it would be a good idea to get lunch then while we were at a nice place. I got a ham sandwich with lettuce and tomato on a roll with a fruit cup and water. It was so good!
     After lunch we started walking around to all the different shops. I didn't find anything that I wanted, but some of the other girls bought different things. Just walking around was amazing, all of the buildings are so beautiful.

     After we were done shopping on the way back to the Duomo we stopped for some gelato. It was obviously delicious. I got a small cup of coffee (caffe) and vanilla with chocolate chips ( I don't know how to say that in italian!)

     While we continued walking we saw a group of people gathered around with cameras. (I needed to know what was going on). When we walked over we saw that people were in line and one by one they would open up a refrigerator and would be blasted with fake snow and grab a water bottle. We were all so thirsty and wanted to get hit by the cool snow so we got online.
     I was first to go and as I opened the door the snow was coming at me so fast it went everywhere. I then opened up my mouth (to say something to the girls) and the snow was immediately in my mouth (it wasn't tastey). I quickly grabbed a water bottle and stepped to the side. As soon as I stepped to the side I was approached by someone who was working and I needed to sign a release form. After everyone signed the forms, we were approached by someone else to asked us to casually pose talking and drinking water. We felt so awkward but we did it! They told us that the video and pictures would be up on the water website so I need to check it in a few days. Overall it was a great experience (hello international superstar!)
     So far the first free day has been a blast. I just noticed that from walking around all day my shoulders and back are burnt! I didn't realize how powerful the sun is! I'm glad that I brought sun lotion. (Thanks mom!) Later most of the girls and I are going out to the disco (weird thats what it is called). Fulvio invited us and I cannot wait to experience the nightlife here. Ciao!

The first 4 days

             After a 7-hour flight I finally arrived in Italy! As soon as I got off the plane I was so excited to see everyone and start our trip. We immediately started our web show for Fashion Times by telling Fulvio our very first impression of Milan on the bus to the hotel. By the time we got to the hotel everyone was exhausted and wanted to take a nap (me especially).

            To keep ourselves awake a bunch of us went next door to get some lunch. It was very good, and I was starving! (I had a kosher meal for dinner and breakfast on the plane, not good at all) After lunch Fulvio bought us our first cappuccino! It was so good.  Of course he took many pictures and videos of us experiencing our first cappuccino.

             On our second day we finally were able to meet Maria and Eleonora from Pink and Chic. We met them in their showroom and offices. Maria explained how she is able to run such a successful business. We were then able to ask her questions based on her job. We learned that she wants to expand her brand to the United States in Miami! We were given an opportunity to create a plan to globally expand their brand. The person with the best idea for her is able to come back to Milan for either 3 or 6 months and work for her. I am definitely going to try to think of something great for her because that is such a great opportunity!

            Tuesday we went to the Sforza Castle Museums and went into many different museums. After walking around in the rain, we decided that going into the museums would be fun. The first one we walked into was the Mobili e Sculture Lignee, which has furniture and woodwork. While walking through it was so amazing seeing all of the hand carved woodwork. One cabinet really stood out to me, the detailing was impeccable. I think that based on the time periods, the furniture that were used did have an influence on fashion. When there was more detailing on the furniture, there was a lot of detailing and craftsmanship in the clothing worn. 

            Then later we met with Angela Marcato. She produces all of the fashion shows in Milan. When we first walked in we saw a Madonna style event with many “Mdolls” in glass cases with pictures of Madonna. We were able to look around and take pictures of everything.

            When Angela came in she was so excited to talk with us. We immediately started asking questions and she had many important things to say to us. She was asked where she gets her inspiration from for her fashion shows and she said she is inspired everywhere. She told us a story about when she went to lunch she had oysters and the color and shapes inspired her immediately. She also told us that she has a staff of 3 women. I was so shocked that such an important job only has a few people working for her.

            Also while we were talking Angela, Francesco (a sales manager) joined our meeting. He told us that you have to consider you customer like your friend. Every three months you need to try to understand the market.

            After our meeting, we went to the store Corso Como by the office. The store was so amazing. Everything in the store was exquisite I was so mesmerized. After looking around for a few minutes I wanted to buy everything! The items were all beautifully made. I saw such a cute blue tote bag that I would love to have!   

            Our industry visit for Wednesday was a visit to Luisa Cevese’s store in Milan. Her store is so cute and detailed based on what her brand is built upon. Inside the store she uses tree branches to display her bags on the wall. Also for a shopping bag she uses newspapers that she has manipulated to look like a bag. She creates handbags with recycled fabrics. She also created a plastic coating to place on top and behind the fabric. The handbags are simple styles, with different patterned looks. 

            After since it was such a beautiful day it was perfect for us to go to the top of the Santa Maria Necente. First we went inside, but apparently my dress was too short, which I didn’t think it was! Sarah let me use her neon scarf as a long skirt, which was very fashionable with my flowered black and white dress and white cardigan (not really). After I got past the guards, I was able to walk around and look at all the incredible detail that is in the church. While walking around I saw two bishops corpses that were being preserved. You couldn’t tell that they were real because they had masks on their faces, I could only see their hands. After we were done looking around, the nerves started to kick in. I thought that it would be so scary going to the top of the church, but it wasn’t at all. It was so amazing seeing all of Milan.

            Later that night we went to a wonderful fashion show presented by the senior class of Istituto Secoli. It was so amazing to see what students can do with hard work and dedication. The collections were so innovative and detailed. All of the students work together to create a cohesive collection and the best pieces are chosen for the show. There was one mistake, one model was wearing a very long gown with tulle underneath the only problem was that she couldn’t walk in it. She kept stepping on the tulle and the dress, which slowed down the show and started to rip the dress at the bottom. The worst part was, this model was wearing the finale piece for the collection. She stopped half way through the runway and posed, then lifted the dress and did her best runway walk of the stage. After the show was over, they did awards, where students are offered amazing internships and scholarships to continue their studies.

            Today we had an early start to the day, we had to be ready by 8am for an amazing industry visit at Missoni. When we finally reached the Missoni offices, I was ready to get off the bus and walk around. We were greeted by Vittorio Missoni (so cool to have met him), and we began our tour. He took us through the entire place, which is so beautiful. I learned the beginning steps of designing a piece. While walking through the production lines and seeing how everyone works together was really inspiring. Whenever Vittorio walked by, everyone looked genuinely happy to see him. I was even able to ask him a question!

            The first 4 days have been amazing! I am so excited to see what will happen next. If this is how the rest of the trip will be like I will be more than happy with it! 

Ciao!  

About me

On Saturday the 9th I will be starting an adventure of a lifetime to Milan, Italy. I was chosen to travel to Italy for a month with 18 other fashion students and two of my professors. I am unbelievably excited to start this new journey!

This will be my first time to Italy and I cannot wait to see and learn everything I can. From the fashion, to the architecture, and even the food I am ready to see and experience everything Italy has to offer!

It's time to start getting ready, and so far my biggest challenge is what to bring! I cannot decide what clothes or shoes to pack. Since I will be away for a month, I don't want to forget anything.

Map of Italy

During my time in Italy I will be posting as the weeks go on. I will talk about the influential people I will meet, post gorgeous pictures and share different stories. I cannot wait to start this trip!