FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising Alumni Magazine SPRING 2016 VOLUME THREE // ISSUE FOUR FIDM AND THE CITY 2 “ONE BELONGS TO NEW YORK INSTANTLY, ONE BELONGS TO IT AS MUCH IN FIVE MINUTES AS IN FIVE YEARS.” —TOM WOLFE Students come to FIDM from all over the world, to receive a top-notch education. The fact that our four campuses are located in fashion, retail, and entertainment capitals in sunny California is a huge part of the draw. And while hundreds of graduates each year remain in the Golden State, others are drawn to the bright lights and big city of New York. The college’s ties to the Big Apple have always been strong, from our annual Study Tours, where students spend a week in the city, to exciting industry events and our thriving FIDM Alumni Chapter (the last holiday mixer featured over 100 attendees). We recently caught up with six FIDM graduates who are living, working, and succeeding in New York City to learn more about what brought them there, how the city inspires them, and the challenge and benefits of living in the most famous metropolis on earth. “I’ve actually moved to New York City three times now,” reported Merchandise Mar- keting and Business Management graduate Brenda Silva ’12, an expert marketer and founder of BXNY, a company that helps independent brands grow. “I’d wanted to live here since I was six years old and was just waiting for the right opportunity to come along.” Brenda said that the city can be tough, especially on those who don’t have a thick skin. "THIS IS A PLACE WHERE YOU KNOW THINGS HAPPEN. EVERYONE HERE, FROM THE SUBWAY PERFORMERS TO THE BIG GUYS ON WALL STREET, ARE ALL WORKING HARD, AND BEING SURROUNDED BY THAT IS INSPIRING. IT MAKES YOU WORK HARDER AND PUSH YOURSELF TO YOUR LIMITS." Merchandise Marketing graduate Alexander Sikkema ’08, who is original- ly from Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, is currently the manager of social media at Ann Taylor. He moved to New York City after graduating “for a year of fun,” but he blossomed in the fashion industry doing social media. “I love how you can hop on a train and have a different experience in each of the neighborhoods,” he said. “You never know where the night will take you or whom you’ll meet.” Arnold Jeremy Castro ’09, who has degrees in Apparel Industry Management and Business Management, is the director of marketing for Authentic Brands Group, which includes Jones New York, Tretorn, Frederick’s of Hollywood, and a secured strategic partnership with Shaquille O’Neal. Arnold oversees the marketing budgets and the im- plementation of marketing projects with his team. Of his move to New York City in 2010, he said, “The company I was at was acquired by ABG, and I received the opportunity to continue and expand in a new role, but it meant moving. The city never sleeps and presents countless opportunities. This is a place where everyone can get ahead if they decide to make the move.” 4 Beauty Industry Merchandising & Marketing graduate and Yvonne Kai ’10 first moved to New York to take a job with Estée Lauder, before working for a boutique beauty public relations firm. She recently started her own holistic beauty company, Come Clean Pop Culture Soap, and still finds New York to be full of inspiration, great ideas, and cultural events. “Working in New York allows you to touch all parts of the coun- try and world because it’s such a hub for innovation,” said Yvonne, who recently col- laborated on soaps with Joseph Gordon-Levitt for Pivot TV and Rihanna for PUMA. “I MOVED TO NYC AT THE END OF 2013, LITERALLY THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS, BECAUSE I WANTED TO WAKE UP IN A NEW CITY,” explained Business Management alumnus Michael William G. ’14. “After spending sev- eral years in San Francisco, where I enjoyed the city's then-unique culture, I knew it was getting me ready for something bigger.” Within a year of moving to the city, Michael was styling for publications such as Vogue, Modern Lady, and Time Out New York, among other clients. In September of 2015, he launched MAN’edged Magazine, a men’s online fashion outlet. “New York makes you grow, and grow fast,” he said. “It teaches you to ask the right questions and get to the point, and the energy this city offers always makes you feel like you need to keep moving.” Fashion Design alumna Archana Archana ’07 noted, “New York City moves at warp speed, constantly, and you’ve got to love that energy to live here. You’re either going to love it or you’re absolutely going to hate it. There is no middle ground—this city can be unforgiving like that.” As a senior account manager for Intertek, Archana has lived in dif- ferent parts of the city, from Astoria to Turtle Bay to Washington Heights. “It’s called the greatest city in the world for a reason,” she explained. “There’s the innumerable cultural resources like the museums, music, and art, then there’s food, architecture, and the people. At every turn, whatever your source of inspiration, you can find it here.” FEATURED ALUMNI“ FASHION DESIGN GRADUATE ANNE MARIE MANIEGO ’08, WHO STUDIED AT FIDM IN HER NATIVE SAN FRANCISCO, IS THE WOMEN’S DESIGNER AND PARTNER OF THE NEW YORK CITY– BASED CONTEMPORARY FASHION LABEL, MAX ‘N CHESTER. 6 The four-year-old company—which crafts it's design using 100 percent Japanese cottons—recently showed their Fall/Winter ’16 Man | Woman collections at Industria Studios, presented by Cadillac, during New York “ Fashion Week. New York City serves as inspiration for Anne Marie, whether it’s simply walking the streets, being surrounded by iconic landmarks, or the dynamic culture. I LOVE THE SPEED, THE LIFESTYLE, AND THE CITY ITSELF. IT'S SO SPECIAL AND HAS A DRIVE “NO OTHER CITY HAS, she said. “I love being able to walk outside my apartment and having the Empire State Building at my first glance, then the High Line; it's just amazing and still shocking to me, how I've been able to make it here in such short time with the help and opportunity of the connections I've made since the day I arrived.” It helped that Anne Marie had a lot of experience and creative director Peter Trainor. The brand has prior to making the move from California to New York. garnered press from Women’s Wear Daily, GQ, and After graduating from FIDM, she was a freelance de- Esquire, among other publications, and looks forward signer at Gap Inc., where she worked with former to opening a storefront in New York. creative director Todd Oldham, and later worked While Anne Marie has no plans to leave her adopt- as a menswear designer at Welcome Stranger and ed city of New York, she credits FIDM with helping also as a freelance personal stylist. her prepare for this fast-paced, successful career. After moving to the city in 2014 (with no job or in- “The San Francisco FIDM staff has been so close to come, but a lot of moxie), Anne Marie landed a job my heart. I have nothing but the utmost respect and as a designer at Calvin Klein, where she worked for forever grateful for their help and support until this a year before launching Max ’n Chester with partner very day,” she said. Apparel Industry Management and International Manufacturing & Product Development graduate Gabriela Galarza’s ’15 made-to-order womenswear label, Gabriela Carolina, aims to redesign the classic American jacket. Using the finest fabrics and hardware sourced from artisan manufacturers around the world, Gabriela Carolina’s jackets for Fall 2016 feature structured shoulders, gold zipper detailing, and a tailored, high-fashion fit. DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT Visit gabrielacarolina.com to learn more. DESIGNER LOOKBOOK Fashion Design alumna Chanelle Laurence ’07 and Graphic Design alumnus Christian Ojeda ’07 are the design duo and real-life couple (they are currently engaged) behind cool-girl label Valley High, which was founded in 2014. “We design for the girls that like wearing their boyfriend's clothes but also like to put on a dress or skirt when the occasion calls for it, and it’s still within their edgy style,” said Chanelle, a popular fashion blogger who has been profiled on Racked LA. Christian added, “I like bringing items to the market that I can’t find already, or really perfecting pieces that I like but just aren’t fully there.” For Fall ’16, expect to find customized prints, streetwear-style graphics, and vintage-inspired separates that strike the perfect balance between girly and tough. Visit valley-high.com to learn more. FACULTY TOM HENKENIUS WRITER, PRODUCER, AND INSTRUCTOR TOM HENKENIUS CURRENTLY TEACHES COURSES IN BEAUTY INDUSTRY MERCHANDISING & MARKETING, AND SOCIAL MEDIA, SAID, UPDATE “AT THE END in addition to his busy schedule at FIDM’s Los Angeles campus, Tom owns and runs a cooking brand, The Cooking Lady, and has OF THE DAY, a cookbook coming out this fall. He also runs a boutique market- ing company, Thunder Communications, and has clients in beauty, fashion, and food—all areas he’s passionate about. THE CLASSES Tom, who is an Emmy Award–winning journalist, credits FIDM and its students with keeping him young at heart. “They come to cam- I TEACH pus every day with creative, inspired ideas; they think outside the box and push boundaries. So many of us lose that as we get old- START WITH er,” he explained.