Fashion Business

See You Next Semester!

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See You Next Semester!

By: Jewel Watters, Fashion Merchandising Major

 

As the fall semester is officially coming to a close yet again, and the holidays are upon us. I thought I would reflect back on all the amazing memories I made this semester. This semester taught me many things, such as visual display, the behind the scenes of the fashion business world, and a sneak peek into how it’s really like to work in the fashion industry.

This semester, I was in an internship class where I needed to complete 150 hours at a job site related to my major and career goals. I am honored to say I am working at Charles Men’s Shop, Inc. right here in Batavia, New York at 200 East Main Street! While working here, I was able to acquire the necessary skills that I will need in the fashion industry and further my career. I am very thankful that I was given the opportunity to practice what I have learned in the classroom.

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Our fashion students  worked on deciding for a theme for the next fashion show, “Limitless” taking place on May 4, 2019 at 7 pm. I am so excited to announce that my scene concept has been chosen for the show. My scene “Promise” is wedding scene and will transport you to a winter wedding. I can’t wait for you all to see what I have in store for you next year!

Open HouseI was also given amazing opportunities to travel to Rochester to go to a speaker series with my fashion program, and learned valuable information, and learned a few things about starting my own business later on in life. I was also given the opportunity to travel to Buffalo to go to the Buffalo Niagara Sales and Marketing Executives meeting where I was able to interact with fellow entrepreneurs, and find some amazing contacts along the way.

I hope you all had an instructive fall semester and hope you have an amazing Winter Break. I hope to see you all at GCC’s 38th annual fashion show ‘Limitless’ on May 4th at 7 pm where you will see “Promise”.

Experience the Creativity Conference This Semester!

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By: Jewel Watters, Fashion Merchandising Major

When you were growing up, did you ever look around at all the businesses around your local town when your mother was driving you around, and think ‘owning my own business might be a fun thing to do’? You probably were also thinking that owning your own business will make you lots of money, fame, and a big nice house to live in. Well, what if I could tell you that there is a chance to learn more about what being an entrepreneur really is, and what it can do for you if you choose to pursue entrepreneurship?

Next month on Wednesday, February 28th, 2018 in the Conable Technology Building at Genesee Community College’s Batavia campus, the Business program will be hosting a ‘Creativity in the Entrepreneurial Zone’ Conference to inspire people to become entrepreneurs. This conference will have a keynote speaker, multiple breakouts with lots of speakers from different industries, and will also have a continental breakfast, and lunch. Registration will be beginning at 8:15 am, and the conference will start at 9 am with a keynote speaker.

Our keynote speaker will be Erica Swiatek, who is an entrepreneur from a company called Innovate Faster, she is also the one who does the Escape Room activities you have probably heard about. We are also hoping that Erica will demonstrate some of these escape room activities to the students here. Swiatek blends the stuff she knows best into activities, courses, and programs for other people to enjoy. These activities, courses, and programs are all about innovation, professional development, change management and team building.

How did I earn the blisters on my feet?

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By: Donna Rae Sutherland, Associate Director of Marketing Communications, GCC
The past three days I’ve had the distinct pleasure of being the ‘chaperone’ for a terrific group of GCC Fashion Business students on their annual sojourn to NYC.
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We toured FIT & LIM and I saw some amazing sites & sights! I got to know my colleagues, Professors Ehrhart & Taylor, and appreciate their dedication to their craft as well as their creativity. (I also was wowed by Busdriver Bob who maneuvered our vehicle through some tight spaces in mid-town Manhattan.) 20171006_111705_resized
Besides FIT & LIM, the places I saw for the first time that truly impressed me were The High Line, Ocula, Miss Saigon, and definitely, The 9/11 Memorial.
We were blessed with summertime weather & a full moon to boot!
#GCCinNYC was a blast in 2017 and well worth the blisters. I can’t wait to see what these students will do in April for the 37th Annual Fashion Show.

Student Blogger: Sarah Melani

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Hi Everyone,

So, I am here in New York, a Fashion Business Major. I am studying the fashion Business, creating my own company. I love the arts. I am a singer, a writer, a fashion designer, modeling, I love the arts. I cook and play sports! This is what I love, what I do. I go places, I am traveling a lot.

My new life is amazing. I have my gifts, my talents, full force, my blessing, everything is all great. Everything is all good and the great days are endless. There are no bad days, nor bad times to look to! No one can touch me. I don’t open my mind, my eyes, nor mysarah-burnett2c ears to problems. I am fearless, I am not afraid of anyone nor anything. Except for my God. I couldn’t care less.

Focused.

One day at a time.

Using the time I am given well. My eyes stay on God, every day, everything, in and with Him, in His presence.

This is the beginning. And my life will be good for always! This is mine, and this is me. This is my blog, and I am Sarah Melani, and I invite you here to join me. Hello, I welcome you!

Next blog, Thanksgiving! There will be Pumpkin Pie verses Sweet Potato Pie, and, Black Friday shopping, and plenty of fun time, all of these I will be writing on in my next blog, hope you all enjoy!

NYC Visual Diary Day 2

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Hello everyone! Day 2 in New York City started off right with a visit to the Gitman Brothers Showroom. After Gitman Brothers, we headed to the Tommy Hilfiger flagship store, on 5th Ave, to have a tour of the store from GCC Fashion Program Alum, Connor. Following Tommy, we headed to the fashion forecasting giant, The Doneger Group. It was an amazing day and in the coming weeks I will be posting more in depth on each of the wonderful places we were able to visit. All of us in the GCC fashion program want to thank the individuals who were willing to take time out of their day to meet with us. We cannot thank you enough.  Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @trendy.gcc, on Twitter, @trendygcc, and on Snapchat, @trendygcc.

The Benefits of A Summer Internship

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As globalization continues at a rapid pace, the competition for jobs continues to increase as well. In this day and age you no longer just have to be more qualified than the person sitting next to you, you have to be more qualified than the countless others all around the world. This is where the role of the internship becomes more crucial than ever.

Employers increasingly want to see previous experience in their new fresh out of college hires. Seems like an impossible situation right? Well not if you’re willing to get out their and “pound the pavement”, metaphorically or otherwise. Internships not only allow you to develop your skills, they also allow you to build your professional network, build your confidence, and perhaps most importantly, they allow you to take your career plan out for a test drive. Put in 3 or so months, and find out if that “dream job”, is really a dream, for you.

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This summer I was fortunate enough to intern as The Press Release Manager for the startup fine jewelry company, JEWELv:

“JEWELv is not just another jewelry shopping site; it’s a shopping experience where you can create the perfect piece of custom fine jewelry each and every time. At JEWELv, we want to help create lasting memories and lasting impressions with unique pieces that you have the opportunity to design yourself. We believe the gift of jewelry should be as individual as the person it is designed for, and our state of the art technology allows you to make that happen.  The average jewelry store limits you to the inventory they have selected.  At JEWELv our goal is not to sell you a piece of jewelry out of the case, but to help you create something unique for that special person or special occasion. We craft gifts to be treasured for decades to come by those near and dear to you. From stories that start with once upon a time all the way to happily ever after, JEWELv provides the perfect jewelry pieces for every moment in between.”

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I cannot begin to describe how formative, and enriching this internship was for me. I’ve known that luxury PR was my passion for quite a while(I have my Public Relations certification from PRISM, and served as PR Manager for the 35th Annual GCC Fashion Show), but this position really cemented that passion. As the name implies, I was in charge of press releases for the company, weekly blog posts, and influencer/media outreach and collaboration. Interning for a startup was an amazing experience because I was one of a term of nine core employees; I reported directly to the CEO.Working for JEWELv not only gave me PR experience, but experience in luxury retail, and working with startups. It was invaluable.

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While I no longer work for JEWELv, I credit them for where I am today. If not for the skills and experience I received under their employment, I would have never landed my current Public Relations internship position with The Lingerie Lab, which I am working diligently day and night to transition into my permanent dream position. Yeah, PR Manager for a luxury lingerie company is my dream position, trivia fact about me.

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To sum things up, if you’re currently in college, or even a recent college graduate, INTERN! Intern now, intern a lot, and intern passionately and ferociously. Be hungry for the experience, and personal and professional development. Employers increasingly view their internship programs as the best path for hiring new entry level candidates.

 

Fashion for All

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The fashion program is gearing up for the upcoming fashion show, Fashion is… on April 30th and we would like to showcase what individuals who are not in the fashion program think fashion is. I asked people what they thought fashion is and these were their responses:

Fashion is personality. A portrayal of a person even if you conform or stand out. It describes how you feel and how you choose to present yourself. -Olivia B.

Fashion is personality. -Annie H.

Fashion is clothing, but an extravagant piece or garment. It is not something you see everyday. Fashion is a statement piece. -Jovany J.

Fashion is expression. -Evie C.

Fashion is interpretive. -Bridget C.

Fashion is crocs, sweatpants, and some Bills gear. – Corey L.

Fashion is a person’s thought shown through material. -Grace K.

Fashion is culture. -Monica V.

Fashion is the way you dress yourself and how you present yourself. -Payton C.

Check back in the following weeks to see more updates on the fashion show and to see the unique definitions of what fashion is.

 

#GCCfashionis

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We announced the theme, Fashion is…, for 35th Annual GCC Fashion Show just two weeks ago and already we are in work mode on the fashion show! Each student in the fashion program was asked what they think Fashion is… and we had them write it down. The amazing, Lauren Countryman, took those notes and created a video to show just some of the many words and phrases that can be used to showcase what Fashion is…

We are asking you, the public, to tweet or post what you think Fashion is… using  #GCCfashionis Also you can email Lauren or myself and tell us what you think Fashion is… and why. Your thoughts on what Fashion is… will be featured in the monthly blog posts showcasing what fashion means to individuals outside the fashion program. You can email us at:

lcountry@my.genesee.edu

jbaile21@my.genesee.edu

What is Fashion?

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What is fashion?

Fashion is a ruffle, fashion is a crease. Fashion is for the head, fashion is for the feet. Fashion is denim, fashion is diamonds.

Fashion is safe.

Fashion is risk.

Fashion is reflection.

Fashion is vision.

From leather to lace, from sandals to stilettos, from art to music, fashion is…..everything.

Fashion is subjective and open to discussion.

I am happy to announce the theme for the 35th Annual GCC Fashion Show is Fashion is…

Fashion is… seems like a broad theme for the 35th Annual GCC Fashion Show, but fashion is broad and all encompassing.

Each scene will be called Fashion is… ________.

Each individual in charge of a scene has the ability to name the scene and showcase what fashion really means to that individual and how they interpret the theme.

We want the people of Western New York to think and have an understanding about the role of fashion in our culture. We want them to develop their own definitions of what fashion means to them, but we also want to show and educate them on what we think fashion is.

The GCC Fashion Program is excited to educate you on what fashion is on April 30th, 2016!

 

Starting at an Early Age

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Loving to meet and interact with individuals is how Fany Loughlin found her path in life. Mrs. Loughlin’s love of interacting with people came from going on missionary trips when she was a young girl. The missionary trips also fostered a love of travel, which can be showcased by the fact Fany is a Honduran immigrant who has been in this country for over fourteen years. Fanny is the owner of a home open to students as an alternatives to dorm living and a lot of international students take advantage of this wonderful opportunity for off campus housing. Mrs. Loughlin was invited by one of her tenants, Kaisei Sugawara, to come in to our Professional Sales to speak on Friday, November 6.

Fany grew up in a big family that was centered around a business environment. She started at a young age by selling leather key chains in order to make money because her dad told she had to start making her own money. The desire to succeed and make money pushed her into college for two years until she met her future husband, who was a member of the Peace Corps. She ended up moving to the states to be with her husband where she continued to work in business in various ways. In addition to being a landlady, Fanny is attending GCC to obtain a degree in international business. She is planning to become a buyer and act as a middleman between Chinese companies and South America. She would like to represent companies and help import products to South America.

The presentation was an engaging and story like presentation that the students learned various lessons in business and life.
• Learn a language- it connects with individuals and gives you an open mind.
• Want to make your customers/tenants comfortable.
• Use the internet to learn about the world.
• Learn how to interact with individuals.
• Learn what is needed for a job or task.
• Sell yourself all the time.
• Go into business early.
• Do the extra things because it shows.
• It’s ok to make mistakes.

Fany is a very good role model for students. She pushes herself to be a better student and individual in life. Fany is a mother of two, she takes seven classes a semester at GCC, knows three languages and teaches languages to others, and she is a member of Rotary and a leadership program at her church all while running her business! Fany demonstrates that you need to push yourself to become a better person in business and in life.

 Thank you Fany for a very inspiring and entertaining presentation!