The Storm King School, with its close proximity to New York City, has the unique ability to offer activities to our students that take advantage of the professional, creative, and cultural resources available there. One such excursion took place this month when Visual & Performing Arts Chair John Carruthers and the Fashion Club took learning about style to new heights – all the way to the 82nd floor of the World Trade Center.

On Tuesday, October 17, the group visited the offices of Mic.com in the Conde Nast Building at One World Trade Center. There, they attended a session with Style Editor Evan Ross Katz to talk about their views on fashion today and their future aspirations. The visit was organized by Carmela Spinelli of SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design). Ms. Spinelli came to Storm King earlier this month to do workshop about branding in the fashion industry.

The views of Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty, and Long Island were spectacular as the group made their way up to the 82nd floor. First, the students were treated to a 360 degree tour of the Mic.com offices. During the tour, they learned about Mic.com’s company culture as a news resource for today’s young, global, fashion-conscious millennials that is based on diversity and respect.

 

 

Next, the students were greeted by Mr. Katz in one of Mic.com’s meeting rooms. He began with a short discussion about the company and how the Style Section of the website got started. “We want to support young people like you that are doing exceptional things,” Mr. Katz explained to the students. “Age, race, gender, ability, and size are aspects we report on in the fashion industry, aspects that your generation is tuned into. For example, ability –or disability- is important in the fashion world today. Many brands are hiring people with disabilities and creating collections for them. Size is also a hot topic. More and more designers are breaking through the tall, skinny stereotype of models and embracing larger sizes,” he said.

 

 

Mr. Katz asked a few students to participate in a mock interview on camera to teach the group about public speaking and media skills. Several students volunteered to play the role of a celebrity while Mr. Katz interviewed them. “Whether you want to be in fashion, or any other profession, communication is essential,” explained Mr. Katz. “Famous personalities go through media training to learn different techniques for answering and deflecting questions. This is very important for building your image or your brand,” he explained.

 

 

A group discussion about the students’ future aspirations in the fashion and creative industries followed. The question many students had for Mr. Katz was: “What does it take to be successful?” His answer: “You must take your ideas, build on them, look deeper into them, and develop them. Then seize the moment and take the world by surprise. That’s what your generation can do, and that’s power.”

 

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