2009: The day I met Cynthia Rowley! See my post for more info.
Fashionteacher on Project Runway
Obviously, as a Fashion Merchandising teacher, I LOVE “Project Runway”. I just can’t wait for Thursday night to roll around to watch it! Then, when the episode is over, I am so sad. I talk about it often in my classes and am finding that not very many of my students watch it. Yesterday, we ended a unit of study, so I let them watch an episode online. They loved it! I even had some stay after class to finish the episode.
The episode we watched was the “This is for the birds” episode, with birds serving as the inspiration! I always try to follow trends and inspirations, but this bird thing has got me baffled! I know that many designers showed “feathers” a few seasons back, which is certainly part of it, but otherwise, I’m not sure where it came from! I also have a jewelry business on the side (that will be the subject of another post) and I can’t keep in stock on “owl” necklaces and feather earrings!!! Of course we also see lots of birdcages in decor for homes and weddings. I’m just not sure where it all got started! If you have an idea, post it!
I am not sure who I think will win this season. They all have had good and bad moments, but I think the most consistent has been Victor. I am excited to see what they all come up with for the fashion week show. I entered the contest to win tickets to the finale so many times, but NO, I didn’t win. I was once looking for some clips of the final runway shows on youtube. I saw designers showing from previous seasons that I knew were not finalists. It was weird to see them! I have since found out that the top 8-10 (I think) all get to make collections for fashion week, as it will happen before they have narrowed it down for the final show. Then, they just show the top 3-4 on TV. CRAZY!
I am excited for the “Project Accessory” show that is coming up but I’m not sure if it will be as good as “Project Runway”.
New York, April 2011
Welcome to my first post on my first blog! We will see how it goes. My name is Kris Caldwell. I have been teacheing Fashion Merchandising classes at the high school level for 23 years. I love fashion, photography, Broadway shows, Project Runway, Chanel, shopping, travel, and, of course, my family! I have a son and a daughter and an awesome husband!
I just returned from my 30th trip to New York City. I took some of my fashion students on a “fashion field trip” over spring break! It was awesome! I learn something new every time. Our seminars this time included: Hearst Corporate Headquarters (home of 14 magazines, including: Marie Claire, O, O Home, Good Housekeeping, Redbook and more!), fashion designer George Simonton, fashion designer Cynthia Rowley, and The Hat Shop in Soho. At Hearst Corporation, we toured part of the building, and got to go to the “Good Housekeeping” test labs! Who gets to do that? It was very interesting and eye opening. Then, we had a seminar at Marie Claire Magazine. We got to see the “fashion closet”, with the clothes waiting for photo shoots for upcoming issues. We saw the rack waiting for the cover of the July issue, but we are not allowed to tell who it is going to be! You will have to watch for it and see! We met with 4 employees, including Anne Fulenwider, Executive Editor and Zanna Roberts, Senior Fashion Editor. I learned so much, including some “secrets” about Project Runway.
We went to see George Simonton, who designs coats for department stores and also has a line called “Simonton Says” on QVC. I have had many seminars with him before and he has become a good friend.
We also went to Cynthia Rowley. Her assistants showed us the line and told us about her. We didn’t get a chance to meet her like we did 2 years ago, but it was fun to see her fall 2011 line, including her new men’s line she designed based on her husband’s taste.
A favorite stop is always “The Hat Shop” on Thompson Street. Linda Pagan, the owner is a great friend and the students love her! She not only teaches about business and hats, she teaches about life choices and decisions. She is an inspiration!!! I am grateful to count her as a friend.
We went to see STOMP and Wicked (2 of my favorites). I have seen over 80 Broadways shows in my trips to NYC (that includes seeing some of them numerous times). I think Wicked is my all time favorite, because it “has it all”; humor, drama, great story, great music, awesome scenery and costumes, etc. I also love STOMP and had several students say it was their favorite part of the trip. Other favorites include: The Color Purple, Aida, Les Miserables.
My dream was to go to NYC one time and to see a Broadway show. As you can see, I have taken that dream and expanded it. I have become an unofficial NYC tour guide. The company I use to plan my trips lets me lead my own tours now. I often have friends and family members who travel to NYC who ask me for help in planning their trips. I love NYC!
