Internship experience

Being an intern for Eden Dawn, a multi-talented style editor for the Portland Monthly Magazine, has been nothing less than fabulous. She introduced me to a lot of great people who are well known for their respectable duties in the local fashion industry. Eden has been an inspiration as well as a person full of great knowledge that appeals to my career direction. When she gives advice or critique, its always constructive.

Back in the beginning of October, the Emerging Designer’s competition went underway as 5 unique designers showcased their collections on the runway. Alicia Wood, owner and designer of Ms. Wood’s Kimono Boutique (available currently on Etsy) gained the most votes from the audience and the judges that night.

And then came the photo shoot. I, for the first time, was behind the scenes shooting the editorial spread of the elegant collection of kimonos, wide-sleeved trench coats, and handmade wooden platform shoes and jewelry. 


The January fashion spread in the magazine is something I am proud to place in my portfolio, and inspires me to do more. It would be my pleasure to continue the internship even after I’m contractually finished with my hours. It’s been a continuous learning experience with a great, clever woman who is open for my ideas and is easy to get along with.

A new job

Starting a new job at a clothing store has brought to me a sense of renewal in the journey to my career. Once again, I know the feeling of excitement about my direction in my career and am motivated to learn more. As a sales associate, I am expected to know each of the sections (a total of 7) that make up the store and what clothes pertain to each of them as well as so many other things. Keep in mind, this is a fairly big store (maybe 350,000 square feet). My first day was on a Saturday, which is one of the busiest days. Not only had I never worked in retail before, I had also not been trained on my first day simply because it was a Saturday. That’s a pretty normal thing in my work history though, so it wasn’t that big of a deal. I just asked a lot of questions and learned how to do everything through my co-workers.

Recently I have reflected on all of my past experiences in other jobs, good and bad. Obviously, there is no such thing as the perfect job. I realize now that it’s not necessarily how well you do at your job (though that is just about as important), it’s about being able to connect with others efficiently for the same common goal. Of course there’s going to be miscommunication, but when we make connections with people that share the same dream as us, it certainly makes the workplace more enjoyable. I look forward to my job and that brightens my day.

Creativity

Sometimes creativity doesn’t come easy for me. I have to work for it because it certainly won’t pop out of nowhere if I’m sitting around doing nothing. I use a few different techniques to start up my creative juices:

Browsing art galleries

One of my favorites is the art gallery inside of upper playground that changes every few weeks

Looking at blogs

One of my favorites is  Booooooom.com because it has such a large archive of art, projects, design, film, music and more. It's a hotbed of creativity and I love to immurse myself in it.

Taking photos

One of my favorites photos I've taken was on the shoreline at a luau in Oahu, Hawaii. It was such a simple picture, but the combination of the bright yellow in the plumeria and the soft neutral colors in the table and the ocean makes for an ethereal picture, reminding me that beauty is all around us.

Reading

One of my favorite books is  Be Here Now by Ram Dass. This book has changed my life and I haven't even finished it yet. This isn't any old book where you read it cover to cover, acknowledge the lessons from the story, and put it on the shelf to probably never be read again. This book takes time, understanding, and the process of looking inward towards our true selves. 

Memorable experience

One of the most memorable and positive educational experiences I’ve had was during the time I was a part of the Fashion Event Production class last winter and spring. The whole purpose of the class was to plan and produce The Art Institute’s annual fashion show. That year, the concept of the show was “A Feast for the Eyes”

I had the privilege of creating the template for the press kit as well as interviewing designers for their biographies in the program. Overall, the learning experience didn’t just end at the fashion show. I made some great connections with others and most importantly learned about all the time and effort that goes into a fashion show. There is so much more to it than I thought and still think, so I can’t wait to learn more.

My Mentor

The topic of today is on someone who has been a mentor for me my whole life and is the biggest pusher for my success and happiness aside from myself. She is my mother. Not only has she always been there for me, she continues to remind me of my strengths and keeps me going when times are tough. Without saying anything, she can brighten up my day and bring me a sense of tranquility with one of her huge bear hugs. I know that if I ever needed anything, she would be there for me. What else is there to ask for but a parent who will do whatever it takes to help when you simply just can’t do it all on your own?

My mother is the one who convinced me to go to Art School. She was the one who took me on that first initial tour of the campus and encouraged me to follow my heart. When I first registered at The Art Institute of Portland in the fall of 2009, I had no idea what to expect. What's more I had no idea exactly what I wanted to do with my bachelor’s degree in Fashion Marketing. The Art Institute of Portland certainly isn’t the cheapest school to go to, and my family is by no means wealthy. This, of course, made me doubtful when I began at school. My mind was full of anxiety thinking about all of the student loans waiting for me to pay off once I graduated. I second-guessed my capabilities to succeed in the fashion industry.

It’s great knowing my mom is there to remind me that at the end of the day, if I’m doing what feels right in my heart and what I know I’m passionate about, the rest will work itself out. There are no words to explain the gratitude I have for this wonderful woman I so thankfully get to call my mom.

A designer that inspires me.

An Avant-Garde fashion designer named Hussein Chalayan sees fashion through a very different perspective. He remains someone who has prepetually inspired me as well as his audience. He makes pieces of clothing move on its own with just a touch of a button. There is such thing as a remote controlled dress and it is certainly a jaw-dropper.

One of the most interesting pieces I came across was the laser   dress. Hussein did it again with his wild ideas and concepts!


   The laser dress had a dominating presence that symbolized the
idolization and worshipping our society does over celebrities.

Here is a video on the making of the laser dress

Here is another video on Hussein Chalayan and his characteristics within his designs.

Hussein is very inspiring to me not because he executes such beautiful, feminine couture, but he has revolutionized the relationship between technology and fashion and making it work with the body effortlessly.

Personal career choice and motivation

I cannot put my finger on just one reason that has pushed me to my career choice. However, I can certainly explain what aspects of my career choice I value the most.

I chose Fashion Marketing as my career choice about 2 years ago. Throughout my attendence in different interesting classes at The Art Institute, I have learned so much. Not only have I learned more about fashion, drawing, art history and business, I have learned how to apply my knowledge and skill sets to the real world. Ever since I started at the Art Institute, I have been constantly inspired by others to hold on to my dreams for all their worth.

At school, I was presented the opportunity to work as an intern for Portland Fashion Week.  Little did I know,  I was going to be sent on a whirlwind journey where the possibilities seemed limitless as to what I could learn from this internship.

Last year, I attended Portland Fashion Week for the first time, and fell in love with the energy of the production. The models, the clothes, the lights, the music and fabulously dressed people stirred my soul up and I vowed to myself that I’d make it a tradition to attend Portland Fashion Week. If someone were to tell me a year ago that I’d be writing the blog for Portland Fashion Week, I’d probably laugh at them in disbelief. Little did I know, just a few months later I’d be on the team of creative minds who are the brains of the operation.

Throughout the 5 months I spent interning with PFW, I got to meet so many interesting and influential people. Working closely with the executive producers humbled me and I felt like a sponge, absorbing as much information with each team meeting and task given to me. It was such a warm group of people, passionate about Portland’s local designers and boutiques and some from across the world. What was even better was being able to chat with some of the designers and learn more about their inspiration.

During the 5 days of Portland Fashion Week, I got to do what I’m most passionate about, and that’s writing. If the seats weren’t packed, I got to sit in the front row, pen & paper in hand, and resonate with the attitude of the clothes, striking my own inspiration. If this is just the beginning, then I can’t imagine what exciting things the future will bring!

One of my favorite designers of Portland Fashion Week, Amelia Toro.

 As the days go on and more adventures ensue, I will add on to what else motivates & inspires me in my career choice.

-Samantha

Ah, Inspiration.

"Inspiring(v) definition - stimulating or exalting to the spirit."

When I am inspired, there aren't any boundaries in my idea processing. It's that moment of freedom when the flow of the pen or the paintbrush is automatic. Whatever the art tool is that i'm utilizing, to create something from nothing or to exemplify the beauty of mother nature that is often overlooked feels right in that moment of inspiration. 

And who would we be without our inspiration? Life would be boring without the projections of others and each person’s unique impression on the world.

Portland, Oregon has been my landscape growing up in,

 where inspiration lingers on every street corner. One of my favorite things to do is take pictures of things that inspire me or strike up my artistic drive. 

One of my favorite professional blogs is Lookbook.nu.
It is a hotbed of creativity and style in an appealing “endless scrolling” format that tends to leave me on the page for long periods of time. What's great about it is it is a great marketing tool for designers. 


Nowadays, social networking on the internet is one of the most lucrative marketing tools to use. Everyone's online. It's the "instant gratification" generation and it's moving at the speed of fiber optics...how ever fast that is. 

PDX Neat Sheet is a local blog that keeps all of Portland’s fashion freaks in the loop. 
Neat features include: shopping guides, discount announcements, giveaways, style calendars and event details.

Another aspect besides fashion blogs that inspire me in my life is the city I was born and raised in. 
There’s just something about the fall season that gets me going. Portland Fashion is great in the fall.

Samantha