Day 1:
Today, we were able to attend the virtual Eleanor Lambert exhibition at FIT. Faith Cooper was able to craft a lovely presentation and curate one of the first exhibitions on Eleanor Lambert. One of the main things that I enjoyed about this presentation was how it was able to highlight the significance of fashion journalism. Getting the chance to get a look at the contribution of a famous fashion publicist demonstrates that it is not only the designers who play an advocate role in contributing to a fashion capital. More importantly, this exhibition allowed me to realize how an influential and successful fashion publicist like Lambert can be the initiator of curating change for the better. Eleanor Lambert is truly a historical fashion icon. Later in the evening, we were able to attend a virtual Vogue interview with Emily Farra and Sarah Spellings. This interview session was very informative in terms of getting to know the daily life of being a fashion editor/writer at Vogue. More importantly, it was able to give me some insight into how the content and dynamics have changed the fashion industry since the pandemic hit. I was very please that we got the opportunity to discuss and ask questions with these ladies! Overall, the virtual trip to New York has been able to highlight the importance of American fashion designers and the journalism that was able to uplift them.
Day 2:
Today, we were able to attend a virtual lecture in Paris with Françoise Bathie. Through this informative lecture, we were able to attain a deeper sense of knowledge and understanding when it comes to Parisian cultural identity and the relationship that it has with fashion. Professor Bathie was able to provide insight into how the promotion of the values of luxury and craftsmanship was able to be reflected in the craft of French fashion. One of the most important things that I found interesting is that Paris has always made sure to prioritize fashion and establish itself as a reference. The involvement of the French government and its Kings played an advert role in the investment in the artistry of fashion and that is the fact that many capitals can not attest to. I truly believe that Paris will always be the main fashion capital because you can not deny the fact that its rich history and cultural identity thrives off its fashion identity. I can definitely say that I learned a lot about both French and fashion history. I’m glad that Professor Bathie was able to curate a presentation that allowed me to retain new knowledge about fashion capitals. More importantly, I feel like I can appreciate Paris more on the level of its fashion history rather than its beautiful infrastructure and architecture.
Day 3:
This morning, my classmates and I got the opportunity to have a virtual Q&A session with Françoise Bathie about the works and lifestyle of Gabrielle Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent. During the Q&A panel, I asked a question concerning gender and personality and Professor Bathie asserted that it was Gabrielle’s personality that has to do with some of Chanel’s commercial success. However, I think it is a combination of both gender and personality that has to with Chanel’s success. Gabrielle’s ability to design clothes from a women’s perspective is significant. Without that crucial perspective, the implementation of her radical yet simplistic style would have never happened. In terms of personality, Gabrielle’s Parisian attitude is reflective of the ideal woman at that time, so the appeal is what gave Chanel the upper hand. I am glad that we got the chance to do this Q&A because it was refreshing to have an outside perspective on these things that we discuss in class. Later in the day, we were able to have a live discussion with a fur coat fashion designer, by the name of Linda Brett. You could tell that Linda was beyond enthusiastic about fashion design and was excited to inspire a younger generation of designers. During our live session, we got to hear about some of the life lesson stories that Linda went through. Not only were those stories informative but they were beyond funny. Overall, the main theme that I noticed throughout today is the idea of consistently following your dreams.
Day 4:
This afternoon we got the opportunity to have a live Q&A session with the director and filmmaker of The True Cost. Throughout this session, you could really tell that this film changed and impacted Andrew Morgan on a personal level. I must say that I do admire the amount of passion and empathy that Andrew has for those who are oppressed by the repercussions of fast fashion. After this session, it made me appreciate this film on a whole different level. It is not lost on me that I need to be more conscious regarding my fast fashion consumption habits and become more hyper-aware of the ethics behind them. It is upsetting how mainstream fast fashion has become. With its popularity, the consideration of the welfare of the workers who make these clothes is constantly being ignored. It makes me wonder how can an effective transition to a more sustainable and ethical way of producing fashion can be enforced when the dominance of fast fashion remains the main player. More importantly, how can sustainable fashion be affordable without the expense of a garment worker’s welfare? And how can sustainable fashion be more size-inclusive? Although these are tough questions, it seems as though to get one thing there must be a tradeoff between efficiency and equity.
Day 5:
Our last destination for this week was Italy. During our last day, we had a live Q&A session with Dr. Renata Rizzo. Beforehand, Dr. Rizzo was able to prepare several presentations about Italian fashion and luxury. Through these presentations, I was able to learn a lot and I gained more knowledge surrounding Italian fashion. In terms of our Q&A session, I enjoyed how Dr.Rizzo described what luxury means to Italians. You can tell that Italians place sentimental value, personal experience, and psychological feelings in terms of what they consider luxury. I wish that Americans could adopt that same mindset when it comes to luxury. I agree that there should be more sentiment and less class focus in terms of the stigma behind luxury. Additionally, I thought it was interesting how Dr.Rizzo mentions that the output of Italian design and images cater towards the world rather than internally. In that case, it makes me wonder if Italian fashion brands who make immigrant models the face of a brand comes from a performative place. Unfortunately, Italy is known for its racism, so it makes me question how genuine designers and brands are being when they know they have to cater to a global market.
Day 6:
To recap the overall virtual traveling experience, I can say that I learned a lot and that I am very glad that I was able to emerge myself in being able to participate and engage to get this full experience. In terms of favorite activities, I enjoyed attending the live discussion with Andrew Morgan and the Q&A session with Professor Renata Rizzo. I think one of the main factors as to why I enjoyed both these activities is because both were interpersonal and they were informative to the extent where it leaves you with the conscious thought of consumption and luxury. I like being left with the thoughts of critical self-analysis because I value self-improvement and learning more about social justice issues amongst any community. In terms of how this journey trip could have been improved, I wished that the professionals that we met came from diverse backgrounds. The perspective on fashion from a white female is already at the core of how fashion functions as a subject, so it would have been nice to hear from somebody with a unique perspective. More importantly, one of the most apparent observations that I made is that fashion has a huge elitist and ethical problem. When it comes to production, distribution, and image there is always some level of a class, race, or ethical issue. As much as I love fashion from an artistic perspective, it is not lost on me the type of privileges that are required to enter and sustain a position in this field.
