Today@Sam Article

UofNYFW Enriches Student's Experience

April 9, 2024
SHSU Media Contact: Mikah Boyd

By Jaidin Shaw

The University of New York Fashion Week, or U of NYFW, is a program that includes an all-expense-paid trip to New York Fashion Week for fashion merchandising students in collaboration with Sam Houston State University and the Collegiate Licensing Company. SHSU’s Athletic Department and the Department of Human Sciences’ Fashion Merchandising Program work hard to present this opportunity to its students to gain real-world fashion industry experiences.

Senior fashion merchandising student, Carlena Blanco, was selected to be immersed in this opportunity.

“The application was super simple, I answered questions regarding what I want to do with fashion in the future and why I should be selected,” Blanco said of the application process for U of NYFW.

An email was sent out to all fashion merchandising students who met the requirements for the program by Keila Tyner, associate professor of practice and program coordinator of fashion merchandising in the Department of Human Sciences. After a year of waiting, Blanco was awarded with the opportunity to apply.

“I explained that I wanted to open a bridge between different cultures around the world. As we know, the United States is diverse, and almost everyone wants to be represented. Fashion is an avenue that I believe can bring people together and get to know each other intimately,”  Blanco said about her goals for fashion in her application and how she wants to diversify the industry.

Due to NYFW being a huge inspiration for fashion designers, models, influencers, celebrities and anyone in the fashion industry, preparing for NYFW can be stressful and requires a lot of research before the huge event. Blanco mentions how the clothes are only a small part of NYFW and the event is mostly meant to educate those involved or wanting to be involved in the fashion industry.

“I made it a point to visit the MET while I was there because they had a fashion exhibit. The ‘Dressing Women’ exhibit was powerful because it takes you through fashion history,” Blanco said. “Walking through the museums I was able to see how designers used different periods and different cultures to make designs which circle back to what I want to do with my future endeavors.”

When first arriving in New York, Blanco was surprised that it was “just like the movies” and found the hustle and bustle of the city to be inspiring. She mentions that as she walked through the streets of New York, she took an interest in everyone’s unique and personal stories, and how the energy fueled her creativity.

“I felt like I could be myself and not care what anyone else was thinking about me,” Blanco said.

Blanco also got the chance to go behind the scenes of the Badgley Mischka show and see the models get ready. She talks about how different everything is from what she imagined. She says she learned that it’s not all fun and games, everyone is working hard to produce a good show and prepare for the next one.

“At the Badgley Mischka show, I sat next to a designer. I introduced myself to Ron Ramos, who runs his namesake brand based in New York,” Blanco said. “I learned that his office was a floor above where the show was taking place. Hearing about his work gave me insight into how a brand is run.”

Additionally, Blanco attended workshops and seminars to gain some valuable insight while in New York. Her favorite seminar she took was an IMG Panel. When she asked: “How will I know I’m not just another diversity hire chosen to fill a role?” the response she got stuck with her for the rest of her trip.

“If you were chosen to be here it’s because we see something in you and that’s far from the exterior,” the top executives from the IMG Panel said.

Although she was there to learn the ropes and take in as much information as she could, Blanco knew that she also needed to do some networking as well.

“I connected with Champion executives and asked questions about how they ended up working with Champion. I was surprised to hear that many of them did not see themselves working in fashion, which reassured me because sometimes we have a plan, and that plan doesn’t always come to fruition. A different path can be better than what you expected,” Blanco said about how her discussions with fashion professionals alleviated her doubts about being selected for this opportunity.

Beside connecting with industries and company executives, Blanco had the opportunity to also connect with fellow students from across the country going through a similar experience as her. Blanco even mentioned how this was her favorite part during this entire event.

“Everyone shared a common interest. There was design, marketing and even journalism students. To me, it seemed like everyone had their pieces in a puzzle in the fashion industry,” she said.

Although this was a learning experience, Blanco made sure to capture as many moments as possible to remember her time in New York, specifically capturing snapshots that sparked her creativity. When walking down the street, she would take a picture. If a building was pretty, she took a picture. If someone wore an interesting outfit, she took a picture. Blanco even took pictures of her colleagues and any cool things they had bought while shopping.

When asked how NYFW influenced her perspective on the fashion industry and her own aspirations, Blanco didn’t hold back.

“My NYFW experience solidified my decision to work in the fashion industry. Looking back on my journey with fashion merchandising, I thought it would be exceptionally hard to get a job. However, that has since changed now that I know how many jobs there are within fashion,” she said.

Blanco ended with a beautiful message and a life lesson she learned from her time at NYFW.

“The biggest lesson I learned was to stay true to yourself. There are many people with different ideas but you’re the only one who holds a specific vision. It’s good to take advice but you know yourself more than anyone,” Blanco said.

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