Do you know the difference between cap sleeves and bell sleeves? Can you spot a dirndl skirt from a skater skirt? Do you school your friends on the contrast between herringbone and houndstooth, and why they should never be worn together? We have a special tour just for you and your fashion-forward peers.
Fashion, as well as being a booming industry, is a long-running art form that, whether you realize it or not, is central to everyone's daily life. Take it from Meryl Streep's character in "The Devil Wears Prada," based on the editor-in-chief of Vogue, who informs Anne Hathaway's character that her dowdy blue sweater is not just "stuff" by declaring, "That blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs and it's sort of comical how you think that you've made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when, in fact, you're wearing the sweater that was selected for you by the people in this very room from a pile of 'stuff'." We'd have to agree, Meryl!
Your group can choose between the two top U.S. fashion capitals -- Los Angeles and New York City. In NYC, you can visit Bloomingdale's, a massive block-wide high-end department store that's been the hub of fashion since the late 1800s. Macy's enormous NYC store offers tours throughout all their levels, explaining why each designer has a unique look to their space, why certain departments are next to each other, and how Macy's became the most popular department store in the U.S. Tour the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum is the only American museum dedicated exclusively to historical and contemporary design and has plenty of galleries to inspire the blossoming designer in your students. Explore the Fashion Institute of Technology, one of the top 5 fashion schools in the world, to see where Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, Nina Garcia and "Project Runway" winner Chloe Dao got their start, finishing off with a jaunt through the school's museum of influential clothing, textiles, and accessories. End your NYC tour at Fairchild Publications, the leading source of fashion news and analysis for industry leaders and the global fashion community, where you can sit down for a Q&A session with a top industry professional.
If you're a West Coast kind of guy or gal, try our Fashion theme tour in Los Angeles. Your first obvious stop is in the L.A. Fashion District. Here, you'll find wholesale showrooms where the industry's top designers gather to decide what items will be influencing the rest of America, the largest selection in the U.S. of various fabrics for your own personal design-making, and Santee Alley, where a festival-like atmosphere is paired with incredible bargains from street vendors. Stop by Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills and shop where they always do in the movies! For celebrity sight-seeing, The Grove is the high-end fashion district, where you're bound to see at least one famous face. Visit the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, which offers courses in entertainment, fashion, beauty, interior, and graphic design, boasting alumni such as Amanda Bynes, Lauren Conrad, and "Project Runway" winner Leanne Marshall.
Whichever destination you choose, your group will have an immersive experience in the beautiful art of fashion and design and will leave feeling confident in their choice of passion.
