Challenge !

As a senior at LIM College, one of the last visual classes you take is Visual Merchandising: History, Theory & Practice. Surprise challenges are given each week & in the past week the challenge was definitely one that we all enjoyed. In numbered order, we were to each pick a product on the table. As one of the last students to choose, I decided on Kirkland Green Tea. With all the past research I have done on Asia for the Stationary Show, I quickly found a character that symbolized 'tea' and from there choose a particular color scheme and went to work!

Let's Play Catch Up...

Between college and work it's been quite difficult to fill you in on whats happening visually. Let's recap ... here's a quick summary of what I did this summer at Grottini. While staying in Italy for the month of July, having the opportunity to be a visual intern for Grottini Retail Environments, I was able to work on a number of hands-on projects. All of the work that went in to these projects was well worth it considering it had a high chance of actually being used in retail stores. Carlo Pazolini, Piazza Italia and Shoe & Co. were some of the retail stores which I worked on. While at Grottini I worked on window displays, store design, fixture design and wall graphics. Below are some images of he work I've done during my stay.

These fashion illustrations were created in Illustrator and designed for Piazza Italia wall graphics. 

Above are two fixtures designed in Google SketchUp for Shoe & Co. The top fixture I imagined as a window or wall display as a way to display shoes. The second fixture is a creative solution when dealing with columns. 

Lastly, designed in Google SketchUp, is a touch screen kiosk for Carlo Pazolini. Keeping with the aesthetic of the company, the black and white staggered shelves fit right in. 

& We're Off !

On July 1st, myself and Erin Mino (another student from LIM College) headed to Porto Recanti, Italy to intern for Grottini in the visual department. We were both chosen from the visual department at LIM College and are very grateful for the opportunity. As we are approaching our last weekend here, I'll start by saying it's been a great experience. After traveling for countless hours, we finally arrived in Porto Recanati, a beautiful small town located along the Adriatic Sea. Throughout the month of July, Erin and I have had the opportunity to work on many projects and have also explored Italy to our fullest capability. More updates on our travels & work soon!

DDI Window Challenge at Saks Fifth Avenue

In the early week of June I had the opportunity to compete in the DDI Window Challenge at Saks Fifth Avenue. The competition featured six students from LIM and six from FIT, all chosen to participate. Paired in teams of two, each team had the challenge of creating a window display with a limited amount of time and materials. We worked from 7:30 to 5:30, as people from the streets gathered and watched as we rushed to get our visual thoughts across. My teammate and I  choose to take a simple and clean approach to our windows, following the Saks aesthetic. Creating layered pieces with textured squares and rectangles and also a structural hanger piece, we were happy with our final results. Though we did not have the winning window, it was a great experience to work with the visual team of Saks Fifth Avenue and to even have the chance of working within the Saks windows. Hopefully I'll be back soon! 

DDI Window Challenge at Saks Fifth Avenue

National Stationary Show

This year LIM faculty and a few visual merchandising students, including myself, sat down and brainstormed, researched, created and built a Japanese themed display for the National Stationary Show. With our main medium being paper, we were able to use the material and create extraordinary works such as the 16 foot origami dragon, the wall of cherry blossoms or the many Harajuku inspired paper dresses. I, myself, created the graphic indicators of the different categories of entries. These graphics were made into decals, risers and trophies as well. With much hard work and many meetings, we completed the 1,600 foot exhibition display at the New York Convention Center.

LIM - Visual Students Create Japanese Themed Display

The Art of Fashion

After a long Spring semester, my Product Presentation class came to an end and my group's final was finally completed. Given the theme "The Art of Fashion" my group was also given the guidelines of: a high-end customer, avant garde style and expressionism as the art form. We were mainly inspired by the moody art and colors involved, so we all agreed that the melting crayon art was the best way to achieve our idea. It will be on display until the end of the Fall Semester at LIM College.

Take a Walk through The Web

The Web - Jon Kessler

This exhibit is one of my favorites that I have visited and explored. I really enjoyed how interactive it was and how the artist, Jon Kessler, incorporated an app which everyone is drawn to nowadays. This artwork relates heavily to the world and society, which we live in today. It confronts how we act and who we have become. The use of materials used was clever, especially how Jon Kessler had TV’s placed in the TV box that it came in only cutting out where you see the screen. The artist doesn’t just let the viewer look at his artwork but invites them to come inside and explore what it is truly about. We are constantly on our phones and tablets, which inspired Jon Kessler to create this piece as he was riding the New York subway. After viewing The Web I will be paying more attention to just how many people are engrossed in their technologies while on public transportation. 

This exhibit is located at the Swiss Institute (18 Wooster Street, NY) and will be up until April 28th - I highly suggest visiting!

Shadow Boxes for Days

Bergdorf Goodman

Saks

Macy's

Vintage Shop 

After weeks of sketches, hot glue gun burns, cuts from breaking mirrors, here are the four shadow boxes I created for my Product Presentation class. Each box displays the same product, a brooch, but must be displayed in the way specific stores would. 

From left to right: Bergdorf Goodman, Saks, Macys, My own Vintage Shop. 

The Painted Garden - Macy's 39th Annual Flower Show

Macy's Flower Show

       Over spring break I took the opportunity to head to Macy’s Herald Square location to check out the retailers 39^th annual flower show. The Painted Garden transported visitors to the Middle East. When first stepping inside the tent, a room filled with flowers and a decorative life sized elephant greets you, celebrating Middle Eastern culture. Jewel tones and lively colors cover the room, along with painted walls in traditional Middle Eastern matter. When passing through the archway into the next area, fountains surrounded by beautiful, vibrant flowers filled the space.  The environment inspired by India also included sacks of spices and carts stacked with foods, bangles, Buddha’s, brooms and gold accessories. The show is on until April 7th - I would def try and see the show for yourself! 

Tea for Two

Sanctuary T

After a day of exploring the Macy's Flower Show and visiting the Swiss Institute, my mother and I stumbled upon Sanctuary T. This adorable little cozy spot in Soho was delicious. I enjoyed a watermelon lemonade along with a BLT that included a fried egg. It was a perfect little brunch as it drizzled in New York. 

Kill Time with Rolex

Inspired by To Kill A Mockingbird, for my Visual Presentation class I paired the iconic brand Rolex with the classic book. Made almost entirely of installation board this is by far one of my favorite projects I have done. 

Russian Ice Castles at the Dream Hotel

Dream Hotel Winter Installation

Along side five of my classmates and with the help of our professor, my Visual Presentation class at LIM College was given the opportunity to design, create, build and install a winter display for the Safria Boutique located in the Dream Hotel. After many hours and hot glue gun burns, above is the final product. The installation was up until this past January.