...this summer. This summer came and went without barely any notice of it. All that is left are memories and photographs tainted with my hopes and dreams for the future. The only exciting event worthy of explanation is the one hell of a trip to The city, The big apple, The jungle that is New York City.
For one thrilling week of my life I had the privilege to leave behind the confides of the cookie cutter town in which I live to actually learn from experiences and lectures that are relevant to me. Well relevant to the fashion industry. Through LIM college I was given up and close encounters with different aspects of the business.
For instance, on the third day day during the program we had a field trip to The Knit Resource Center in the garment district. While there we were able to talk to the Manager, this amiable woman who instantly made you feel like you were part of their tight knit family. She really opened up my mind to product development and went in depth of what she really does. What makes this company so unique is their mission. They work with designers to solve their issues with any items involved with knitted materials and also to provide samples of the designers vision. They truly are what transforms the idea in to reality.
While on the tour we visited an archive of thread and yarn and everything else you could imagine. It was all categorized by which designer had used them in the past and which designer still owned all the materials. I immediately gravitated towards the sticky note labeled with the infamous name of Alexander Wang. What lied before me was fluorescent gold. Our kind tour guide laughed at our astonishment and kindly gave us a demonstration of how the thread worked and also explained the obstacles that came along with it. Often times she referenced to Mr. Wang as "Alex". At this point I felt sick because she is on a first name basis with a man I adore and hope to have the pleasure of working with in the future. And also because it isn't everyday you get to hear this enthralling gossip. Then came the time when we saw it illuminate and brought to life. I kid you not I was in such shock of what was happening in this cramped closet that I couldn't even speak when I was able to touch it. Part of me wanted to rip off a piece of this infamous thin glow in the dark thread and take it back with me. But another part of me wasn't ready to take the risk of going to jail. So yes, my love for Mr. Wang and his ease of infusing modern beauty easily made The Knit Resource Center the highlight of my week.
Throughout the week I tried to accomplish as many tourist things that I could do while trying to look like a native. The most difficult proved to be transportation. Navigating public transportation and walking around city blocks are extremely difficult to the average suburbian, even my iphone5 was lost. By the end of the week I was still unsuccessful at catching a taxi, very uncivilized of myself. However without my friend Christina I would have easily never made it out of the city.
Below are some pictures of my favorite memories
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| Entertaining myself on the plane with Grace Coddingtons: Grace A Memoir |
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| The first real view of the city |
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| Peaceful evening in Central Park |
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| A break during the first class of the day in Bryant Park |
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| "She's got the city in her eyes" |
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| My partner hard at work |
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| A little tour on top of the Empire State with the good old mom |
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| This was kind of a big deal |
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| Arguably the best meal I have ever eaten in the chicest French bistro |
That week was the the feeling you get during turbulence on an airplane. At first its unsettling and it feels like your stomach is going to soar out of your body, yet odd enough you can handle it and are craving for more of the rush. The rush that is life, that is experiences, that is more than you have ever had. That is when you you know that you are ready for the world beyond the suburbs.
-Nina
