Today’s Alumni Updateis with Stephanie Hoffmann, a 2010 B.F.A. Knitwear Design graduate. She was awarded an internship with Diane von Furstenberg at the May 2010 Graduation Fashion Show and is now back in San Francisco working on a line of accessories – you can check them out at San Francisco boutique Circle & Square! Read on to learn more about her experience in NYC and what she’s working on next!

After graduating, you were awarded an internship with Diane von Furstenberg. What was that experience like?

It was such a interesting learning experience. Even though I was hired to help with the knitwear department, I was able to help a little bit with all the departments there, including embellishments, accessories, and their famous print department. I even had a few of my prints put into production.

What was the most valuable thing you learned?

I guess just the way a major fashion line is produced was the most interesting part. I was lucky enough to work on the DVF Spring 2011 collection pretty much from start to finish, and just to see it take shape from the first inspiration boards to the final pieces was such cool thing to be part of. The evolution of the collection was pretty astounding.

What did you enjoy most about your internship and living in New York?

The other interns while I was there at DVF were all so awesome, and all so talented in their own ways. They were from all different corners of the world too, from Paris to England, to Israel and Sweden. I loved the multicultural environment. Just living in New York too was such a culture shock, and a learning experience in and of itself. I’m from a very small town in Northern CA, and even though I’ve been living in San Francisco for the past 6 years, living in Manhattan was a whole other beast. Part of me loved it–there was always something cool to see or do, and the art and culture there is amazing. But part of me also hated it; just the darkness and loneliness of it at times. San Francisco is my home, it’s equal parts cosmopolitan and beautiful, and it has its own sense of humor about it–pretty much no one in San Francisco takes themselves too seriously, which I like.

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House of 950. L-R: Alice Spies, Lauren Haut, Eric Holbreich, and Julien Charrier.

On Saturday, February 11th the House of 950 gave an innovative presentation at the Cue Art Foundation gallery in New York during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. The House of 950 consists of a group of artists, three of which are designers: Eric Holbreich, Alice Spies and Lauren Haut, who attended Academy of Art University, and Julien Charrier. This wasn’t your typical runway show – instead, you were invited into the House of 950 as a guest.

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In today’s Alumni Update, we spoke with Ksenia Avdulova, a 2010 M.F.A. Fashion Merchandising alumna who now works in Social Media at Gilt Groupe. She centered her senior thesis on the e-commerce retailer, worked her way up, and eventually landed her dream job! She was also one of the panelists at the online student workshop in New York. Read on for Ksenia’s insights into the growing role of social media in fashion – and for some awesome NYC recommendations!

You recently started working as the Community Manager at Gilt Groupe. What does your job entail?

Being a social media manager has many different aspects to it, but if I had to break it down to three main fields that I work on daily, they would be:

1. Ensuring that Gilt Groupe’s vision and voice is consistently represented across the social media channels, mainly by creating content for Facebook and Twitter. The company has several businesses; all of them have social media presence, and I am responsible for managing and growing the largest one – the Women’s Wear Business.

2. Listening, analyzing, and implementing. I can’t stress how valuable social media is in terms of listening to customers (present and potential). It’s not just about knowing what interactions are taking place on our Facebook and Twitter pages, but much more so about using that information to cater to our followers and provide them with content that they want to engage with. A big part of that is working closely with the Social Customer Support team, which does an absolutely amazing job of answering customers’ questions and resolving their issues via our Facebook and Twitter pages.

3. Project managing social partnerships with external partners. Besides being very social, interactive, and fun, the Community Manager job involves a good amount of project management. For example, currently we’re running a Sweepstakes in partnership with Milly. It was my job to act as a liaison between various teams within Gilt, Milly, and the app developer to ensure a smooth launch and running of the campaign.

Being a community manager is a very exciting and fast-paced role, especially at a company that is known to be a trend-setter in its field. There’s never a dull moment: there’s always a new online conversation to monitor, a new trend to watch, and a new idea for a Facebook post. The most rewarding part about the job is the communication that happens with followers of the company, as well as being a part Gilt’s creative, driven and dynamic team.

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On Friday, February 10th, School of Fashion Online Students gathered in New York for a workshop and portfolio review. Industry speakers and teachers gave beautiful presentations about their knowledge of the industry and offered great advice to the students that attended.

The day began with School of Fashion Executive Director Gladys Perint Palmer giving a fashion illustration demonstration and passing on some words of wisdom:

“It’s not what you do, it is what you don’t do you regret”

 “Learn the rules to break the rules”

 “Communicate through drawings”

 “Learn to look and you will see”

 “You can’t do everything”

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Karl Lagerfeld’s collection for Net-a-Porter, simply titled Karl, launched yesterday with pop-up stores and parties in Paris, New York, Sydney, Berlin and London. In an interview with Vogue’s Hamish Bowles, Lagerfeld explained that the collection was an expression of his style and taste – he designed clothes that he likes.

The collection of mostly black and white sleek separates flew off shelves yesterday, and several designs are already sold out online. The price-point is much more accessible than Chanel, but it will still set you back a few (average price for an item is around $250). Proving that the line really is all about Karl, he even interviewed himself in a promotional video.

Which items are you coveting? Tell us in the comments below!

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Nexus Showroom, a high-end luxury fashion showroom in Midtown Manhattan is looking for 10-15 interns.

This is a definite track to a full time position.

Duties/Tasks involve, but not limited to:

• Assist on special projects and events such as our fashion shows and sales market
• Assisting the sales department
• Merchandising showroom
• Scheduling appointments
• Assist in sales appointments
• Customer service: preparations of sales campaigns, after sales services
• Administrative duties
• Helping with daily activities
• Updating accounts, sample tracking, etc.
• PR activities: Social Media, Assist stylists, Tracking pulls and updating lists

School Credit is offered and you have the Opportunity To Display Your Own Line In Our Showroom!

Please contact Jeff at NexusShowroomNYC@gmail.com or call 917 340 1101

Zenia Kim is an M.F.A. Fashion Design student, who recently debuted her work as part of the Italian Trade Commission Collection at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. She also interned at Yigal Azrouel over the summer, and has spent the past few months exploring NYC and finding inspiration for her Senior Collection. Read on to hear about all of her eye-opening experiences!

What did it feel like having your designs shown at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week?

It was very rewarding and I was so proud of my fellow classmates. It also pushed me to work that much harder on my own collection for NYFW in a year from now.

You also did an internship with Yigal Azrouel over the summer, what was that experience like?

It was a lot of hard work and quite an eye-opening experience. Yigal is closely involved at every stage of the design process, from the color of thread that is used on a garment, to the precise fit of each individual piece. This created a hands-on learning experience and I was able to work alongside him on various projects that led towards Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. I cannot wait to show my instructors how much I’ve grown in both my work and as a person.

What was the most valuable lesson you learned during your internship?

How competitive the fashion industry is in New York. There are thousands of people who all want the same thing. It’s all about what you can bring to the table that is different and unique so you can stand out, and of course with confidence. I admire Yigal for how talented he is and how hard he works, but is so modest to say that he simply loves what he does. He is a smart business man and has honestly pushed me to one day have a business of my own.

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This past week, Soul Artist Management, who represents some of the world’s top male models, celebrated their first anniversary and the addition of stunning female models to their roster at The Hotel on Rivington in NYC. Guests toasted to the agency’s first major milestone and met founder and veteran model agent Jason Kanner. The gorgeous guests enjoyed a night of drinks and dancing to the beats of DJ Derek Milhem. Wish we could have been a fly on the wall at this party!

Models Doug Pickett (face of Louis Vuitton and Ralph Lauren), Simon Nessman (the face of Michael Kors) and Robyn Sinclair at the Soul Artist Management One-Year Anniversary Party

Models Danny Beauchamp (the face of Calvin Klein) and Max Rogers (the face of Tommy Hilfiger) at the Soul Artist Management One-Year Anniversary Party

Looks from the latest collection - loving the soft desert pink hues

During Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York, Fashion School Daily had the chance to chat with Derek Farrar and Laurieanne Gilner, the dynamic duo behind the line Parker. We met at their studio/showroom in the heart of the Fashion District, and talked about everything from their start in the business to their inspiration for the line, even how they came up with the name.

Both Laurieanne and Derek paid their dues before they started Parker. Derek attended Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York, where he studied Fashion Design. After he completed school, Derek started his own line, positioned in the designer market. After five years, he was ready to move on and decided to work in the contemporary field. He helped to launch the line Shoshanna, known for their dresses and swimwear. After the launch, Derek was ready for another change – and it felt like the perfect time to begin a project with Laurieanne.

Laurieanne studied fashion at Altos de Chavón in the Dominican Republic and at l’Ecole Supérieure des Arts et techniques de la Mode (ESMOD) in Paris, before coming back to the U.S. She began designing at Theory, and was a member of the team that launched the line in 1998. After several years, Laurieanne decided to start her own line, Tehya by Laurieanne, which was a great learning experience and helped pave the way for Parker.

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Company Name: VPL

Job Type: Internship

Major: Fashion (Any)

Job Title: VPL – Design Internships

Key Skills: Sketching, draping, sewing

Job Description: VPL is looking for fashionable, dedicated interns with a desire to learn, a sense of creativity and an understanding of the VPL brand. Interns must be passionate about fashion design and eager to learn and assist the design team with all aspects of design for the Pre-Fall and FW12 collection to be seen on the runway during New York Fashion Week in February. This is a very hands-on opportunity to experience the development of a RTW collection from gathering inspirations to sending models down the runway. Responsibilities include: – work with fabrics and trim, sketch flats and work with patterns for sample development – manage design area of the studio – work with mood boards and inspirations to develop ideas into final pieces and new samples – coordinate with factories, pass cut tickets and assist with sample fittings – light office work such as filing, organizing and answering phones. Applicants must have some design experience, proficient in Microsoft Office, Acrobat Suite a plus.

Job Qualifications: Sketching, sewing and draping. Applicants must have some design experience, proficient in Microsoft Office, Acrobat Suite a plus.

How To Apply: Email Resume to Anya Popova at anya@vplnyc.com

Location of Job: New York, NY

Length of Position: Flexible (usually 3 months)

Contact Information
Contact Name: Anya Popova
Address: 5 Mercer St. New York, NY 10013
Phone: 6469126141
Email: anya@vplnyc.com
Website: http://www.vplnyc.com
Company Profile: Women’s wear, sportswear