Fashion and Social Media: What's the Catch?

Technology has proved itself to be the most impactful and efficient strategic gateway to visual gratification. To satisfy all aspects of the fashion industry, social media has created different platforms through which endless users share their passions, interests, tips, ideas, and photos. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Wanelo, and Pinterest are a few of the 20^th century social media life changers.

            The fashion industry is known to change every season with new and innovative color palettes, patterns, influences, and inspirations; however, it is now through social media that true style is created. Fashionistas around the globe are now able to connect with other passionate fashion lovers through the sharing of photos, text, or blog posts and inform one another of the latest runway shows, glamorous events, or hot new releases of merchandise in stores. In the past, the latest updates of the fashion industry were released periodically through newspaper articles, magazine spreads, and word of mouth. Today, however, thanks to social media platforms, these updates can be shared instantaneously and globally. For example, the new season of Rachel Zoe premiered last night and the celebrity stylist/designer was tweeting live the thoughts on the episode about New York Fashion Week. Fashionistas around the US were going, as Zoe would say, "bananas" to the point that #RACHELZOE became a trend. 

            Students undertaking fashion studies, whether in business or creatively, have the fortune of knowing the upcoming trends almost two seasons of ahead. They are also trained to “catch” or “spot” the influences impacting upcoming themes and trends. To better suit their market, brands have immerged themselves in their consumers’ lives and connecting with them and building relationships. Brands are able to showcase their lifestyle through tweets, posts, and photos creating a relationship between the brand and social media users that leads to purchase intent or positive word of mouth. For free-lance designers, social media has also been a gateway for designers to “study” their customer and provide the best options for them. 

IS THERE ANYTHING NEGATIVE ABOUT FASHION AND SOCIAL MEDIA? It's major. 

Top 10 Tips on Surviving FIDM

As all of you have already read in my previous blog posts, I am still pretty "fresh out of high school." Well kind of.. :) This morning I registered for my last quarter in my Associate's program at FIDM, and let me tell you, everything just got real. What a wake up call! It feels like yesterday that I moved to Sunny SoCal to pursue my dreams and now I am slowly progressing into "the real world."

Looking back on my first two years of college, I only have positive memories (and some stressful times). When I decided to attend FIDM, I knew I was making a BIG choice, but the drive, passion, and excitement I had made everything ten times easier. When I was undergoing the admissions process, they warned me about the excessive amount of homework that was assigned for each course due to the short amount of weeks per quarter. Considering that at the time I was about to graduate high school with Honors, I didn't think it was "that bad." Little did I know, during my first quarter's finals week that following Fall, I was on the phone with my parents begging them to make me come home. I didn't give up, though. It was tough, but I was even tougher. I have never stayed up for an all-nighter, but during that week, it was more like a "week-nighter." My 20th Century Designers final project took me about 35 hours to put together, including the research and edit process. On top of that, I was handling a group project for my Marketing Essentials course that involved the improvement of Aldo Shoes and their branding. I hated FIDM during that week, but I then looked at my final grades for the quarter and fell in love all over again at the vision of a 3.9 GPA.

It really is all about how much passion and drive you have for your major that makes you succeed. With that said, here are the top 10 survival tips I would give any future or current FIDM Student:

1. Make enemies, not friends: you'll eventually relate with your fellow classmates on the workplace after graduation and there is nothing better than competition. 
2. Choose a passionate group of friends 
3. Get involved as much as possible: volunteer at fashion shows as a dresser 
4. Get business cards: they will help you look more professional 
5. Network: attend as many events as you can and pass out business cards
6. Look professional: but show your enthusiasm 
7. Be the class' over-achiever: and don't be ashamed to be
8. Get to know your professors: they will be able to spread "your name" to network 
9. Make a budget: the Cali life can be expensive
10. Manage your time: quarters can be overwhelming so make a schedule and stay on top of tasks! 

Don't forget that it's a college experience, but that it's also a fashion college. Be involved and remember everyday that you're going or will be going to FIDM to turn your dreams into goals! 

Trend Alert: S/S 13 Features Mr. Grey Once Again

Donna Karan, Valentino Men,  & J Brand S/S 13 Campaign

Sisley & Alexander Wang S/S 13 Campaign

Ladies (and Gents), Mr. Grey is back. This time not as the handsome, thrilling heart breaker, successful New Yorker, but it's a feature of a "Fifty Shades of Grey" theme in upcoming Spring/Summer 2013 ad campaigns. Who would have guessed that the New York Best Seller's trilogy would be an influence for brands' ad campaign themes? 

The theme behind the sexy, yet romantic trilogy has been featured in various ad campaigns - from the basics to couture, Mr. Grey has captured hearts again. As seen above in the photos, different typologies of brands feature their Spring and Summer collections on an ad campaign that includes various shades of Grey--Valentino, Armani, and Donna Karan are a few of the brands. Lower end brands include Bershka and Sisley, both International brands founded correspondingly in Spain and Italy.

WGSN’s February 7, 2013 article “S/S 13:Top 10 Campaign Trends” has all the details behind the importance of the color grey in ads this upcoming season. Below a few main points:

•  It’s no more black and white scales, or a combination of monochromatic greys. It’s different hues of grey added to already colored images. For instance, flesh colors stand out in the Donna Karan and Valentino Men’s campaigns.

•  Lighting and shadow techniques affect the ad campaigns. For examples, the shapes are cast on the wall for the Bershka campaign, whereas for J Brand, it’s an “almost a blueing filter placed over the top.”

• The grey story is a leading theme in the Fashion Industry. This color is trending to be the new black. Minimalistic designs, free spirit invisible lines, and a sense of purity embrace viewers’ emotions making them feel as light as feathers. With the recent recession, brands are hoping to lift its consumers’ spirits by bringing and uplifting sense of security.

Mr. Grey is back and in full effect. For the S/S 13 upcoming magazine spreads, be ready to reminisce of the love story one page after the other -- this time in advertisement form.

...Has the color Grey robbed your heart away again, fellow readers? Any thoughts?

Yours truly,
Katia Agius

My One & Only Love

All of those who know me are aware of my passions and what my only, true love consists of. It's about the color white, the sense of purity, the unconditional love one exposes, and flowers, and themes, and decorations, and preparation..

Oh, the joys of the Bridal Industry. 

Ever since I was a little girl I dreamt of building an empire made of pure white chiffon, taffeta, and love. I first fell in love with the idea of bridal when I was going through my mom and dad's wedding photos. They married and became one on July 2nd, 1992. I am not sure what kind of action triggered the passion, but I do know it's still all flames. I am so very excited to continue on sharing this passion with my mom. She's truly the best. She has spent so much time on developing and continuing to instill this passion in me.

My two most favorite bridal brands of all times are St. Pucchi and Monique Lhuillier (FIDM Alumni). 

If you read the previous post, I did state that the only true reason I applied to FIDM (other than my urge to move away from Michigan) was to achieve an understanding of business and the basics of a retail store. And become a Buyer, too. Little did I know, FIDM has done more than I could have imagined! Merchandise Presentations (taught by Joy Sprink) has helped me construct the visual merchandising portions of my boutique so to match my mission statement, or rather the main reason I open the boutique. In addition, Merchandise Buying (taught by the one and only JoAnn Jack) has helped me achieve an understanding of numbers, rather than just looking at them and reminding myself how much I hated math. There will always be a reason behind $5.4 or a 65% Mark Up. ALWAYS. 

Let's start a new paragraph before I continue to brag more about FIDM. Shall we? I have recently applied to GVSU - Grand Valley State University for a Minor in Chinese. Yes, I know. Chinese. It was a decision based on the future. Thanks to FIDM, I have had the pleasure of taking two Trend Forecasting classes that have taught me how to take clues from today and cohesively create a picture, or perhaps a forecast, of how it will affect the future. I have learned to seek patterns and construct rhythm so to understand what society is seeking. We all know times have been challenging, and as we await for the future, we want a new start. Not just a new year, but a breath of fresh air on all levels. A recent guest speaker at FIDM from Perclers Paris (a Forecasting firm) states that for Spring and Summer of 2014, society seeks new things. Not renovated or reinvented, but new. It's all about being extravagant rebels that go against the arts of nature and proclaim themselves as achievers without sacrificing anymore. We're tired of the recession and want to step out of it so to create relief and serenity. Spring and Summer of 2014 will be filled with laser cut lace, matte gold, bedazzles, and dull pastels. Juxtaposition much?

Because I am now able to forecast the future (not as likely as a glass ball LOL) but I know that with an AA in Merchandise Marketing, a BA in Business Management, a Minor in Chinese, and a Masters program in Luxury Management, I will have better opportunities on finding a position that will lead me to a career. I will also be able to travel the world - which, let's be honest, it's the always the coolest! :)

Going back to bridal, my fellow readers. In the near future (really near) I see the opening of Veloblanc. For those of you who have had me in class, you have already heard about this. But yes, it is really happening. My mom and cousin Luisa, bless her heart, have decided to invest into the opening of a bridal boutique in Italy. I'll have a post dedicated to this by next week! We are very excited and busy collecting orders, making phone calls, and working on providing the best experience possible for our future brides. It will be a representation of the American culture and lifestyle as showcased on Kleinfeld's "Say Yes to The Dress," and we will provide designers such as Tarik Ediz, Martina Liana, Joan Calabrese, Jane Wang, Pnina Tornai, and Allure. Pictures that have inspired Veloblanc are posted on my blog! Look out for them as I will be switching them weekly!

I hope all of you have had a blessed week so far and thank you for stopping by! :) XOXO

In Candyland! October 13th - New York's International Bridal Market S/S 13

1: Who am I?

7: 07 AM of September 12, 1993 in Palermo, Italy. 

I was born on a rainy Sunday morning into the loving arms of my parents, Rosalia and Salvatore. I remember my childhood as a traveling suitcase - I visited endless wonders around the world and have encountered many strangers that have made an impact in my life. You may ask, how is that possible? Well.. It's all about memory. Memory is a vital element in an individual's life that has the power to change any kind of emotion, feeling, or situation. For me, memory is the only tool I have that helps piece together different events of my life.

19 years later, here I am. Introducing (and training) myself into the Blogging world -- who would have thought? Those who know me are aware that I am technologically handicapped. I can only function my iPhone -- when "Instagramming" that is.

Raised for 9 years in Sicily, I grew up surrounded by a BIG, ITALIAN family and was raised with important values. And yes, my dad is one of those Italian, super-protective, obsessively loving father. And I love it. My family and I are not a typical "American-Italian" family, just simple and traditional Italian. On my 10th year of life, we moved to the United States to good ol' Michigan and started our own business in the Food & Beverage Industry. I attended Byron Center High School, which is part of a small school district. In all honesty, I hated high school and couldn't wait to leave. The only thing I enjoyed was my Yearbook class, to which I was first Assistant Editor to my dear friend, Emily Petrowitz, and then Editor in Chief under the loving and attentive guard of Mrs. Sanic. I didn't "party" in high school, nor did I get high or get drunk every weekend. I have always been the odd bean in the mix. By the end of my Junior year I was working two jobs and saving for upcoming college expenses. When I started applying to different colleges, I still didn't know what I wanted to do exactly. Typical right? But then my heart found its true passion - bridal. I have always loved Fashion, but I also really loved the business aspect of retail stores, so I put 1 and 1 together and got FIDM.

FIDM, oh my. The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. The best thing that ever happened to me, other than my little brother Andrew! It's not a typical college or university, but it fills my heart with joy and passion like no other human or situation could. I chose to complete their Merchandise Marketing AA program to become a Buyer, and let me tell you -- it's been the craziest 15 months of my life. I have never been so positively overwhelmed. EVER! I have met the most outstanding, loving, caring and passionate people at my San Diego campus.

Oh yes, side note: I did move to San Diego, California. Yes, CALI-FRICKEN-FORNIA. 

Other than the incredible and caring staff, I have to brag a little about my professors. FIDM has the greatest advantage when it comes to providing educators that have experienced the "real world." We don't have professional teachers, we have professionals that teach. These people have dedicated their life to the Fashion Industry and the retailing world, and have decided to share their passions with students who seek to experience only a fourth of what they have accomplished. The Networking possibilities have been endless: from career fairs to guest speakers, to personal meetings with designers to job opportunities, and let's be honest -- the fashion shows!! FIDM has it all -- and I LOVE IT.

This may seem repetitive or a bandwagon statement, but college has changed me. I have grown personally and in skills, as I have moved out from my parents' house and live with two wonderful roommates in SoCal. I am so glad my parents pushed me to move out of state and live for what I believe in and, most of all, follow my dreams. I encourage anyone to experience a different life -- wether it's not swapping your Frappuccino for an iced tea, or taking the longer way home, change will always be good. It may take time to adjust, but it'll be worth the wait. Change is a step of courage that can only lead you forward, never behind. No one should ever settle for something, especially when following one's dreams. Dreams are goals -- anyone can achieve if they only believe.

I believe, and this is my road towards my dreams. Xo

Katia