May 1, 2024
This past March, members of the Fashion Forward club at High Point University embarked on an adventure of a lifetime. They explored various fashion outlets, made connections and even new friends along the way. From the lights twinkling in the city that never sleeps to the street fashion, it is to no surprise that the annual New York City trip is highly anticipated.
The trip took place from Thursday, March 21 to Sunday, March 24. Due to some unfortunate events regarding flight arrangements, the students were stuck in NYC for one extra day extending the trip until the 25. The members were able to take advantage of the time that they were given although it was a surprise.
Some students were given the opportunity to explore parts of the city they have never been to before.
“Our flight got canceled the day we were supposed to return, which actually ended up being a bonus. It gave us an extra day to tour the Victoria’s Secret flagship store which wasn’t originally planned,” said freshman Gustavia Gooding.
Despite the change of events, the trip was a success. The club wants to give fashion students or even people just interested in the field of study an opportunity to network with those with a similar interest. The students were even able to meet with HPU Alumni and talk about their fashion experience.
“I feel like that is such a good point of this trip is getting to see the ins and outs of the industry,” said club member Sarah Beychok.
Each day, there were a few planned events as the club visited important landmarks of the city. Many of the experiences were fashion related while other events on the itinerary were just for fun.
When arriving after a long day of travel, the group found themselves at the Fashion Institute of Technology where the members were able to see outfits worn by famous models and created by designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier. Then the students were allowed to spend some time exploring on their own.
As someone who was a part of this amazing trip, my friends and I were able to explore downtown and go thrifting. We also had a nice dinner and ended the night with a mini photoshoot in the city.
“I have been to NYC multiple times but this experience was like no other. I was there with my friends and we got to do our own things for most of the day, which was super exciting,” said club member Chloe Koper.
The trip was fantastic for the students and a great way to connect with their fellow club members. As the Fashion Forward club looks forward to the next school year they have begun brainstorming ways to make it an even better experience.
“I would hope that next year on the trip people are able to see the costume department of the Metropolitan Museum of Art because that was unfortunately closed during our time there,” said Beychok.
“Some things I would like to do that I didn’t get the time to do this time is visit some sample sales, the Empire State Building and definitely the Edge,” said Koper.
The Fashion Forward club is excitedly anticipating not only next year’s trip, but also the new executive board members that were recently chosen and all of the new memories and events they plan to make a reality.