Senior Co-Op at the World’s Most Famous Arena

Some people need no introduction. I think the same goes for some places, and Madison Square Garden is one of them, because it has earned the tagline “The World’s Most Famous Arena.”

I feel a smile spread across my face when I tell people that I am an intern for the Madison Square Garden Company, and that I’m supporting one of my favorite teams, the New York Rangers. An equally wide smile usually appears on the faces of those I tell. Then I get asked two questions:

“That’s awesome! I want to go to [insert name of any live sporting event or concert here.] Can you get me tickets?!”

The inevitable ticket question was funny the first time my mom asked it. Sadly, I have no tickets for you.

Then they ask:

“But I thought you wanted to go into fashion? Why aren’t you in fashion?"

I got tired of this question even quicker than the first. Just because I’ll watch an awards show only to see what everyone is wearing, or that I have a closet that will metaphorically burst if my sister or I attempt to put another pair of shoes in it doesn’t mean that I only live and breathe fashion. I do not need to be immersed in fashion 24/7.

More importantly, sports and fashion do not operate mutually exclusively. Everybody has to get dressed, right? Many athletes have expensive and stylish tastes. Look at David Beckham, or a personal favorite of mine (and of legendary photographer Bruce Weber), New York Rangers’ goalie, Henrik Lundqvist pictured left. The man is always in a slim-cut suit, and some of his favorite brands are Dior, Hugo Boss, and Tiger of Sweden! Who says athletes don’t have style?

Of course, I won’t be spending my days at Madison Square Garden styling the men on the court or the ice. However, I will be dressing some other important people – the fans. For the next few months, I’ll be joining MSG’s Merchandising and Licensing department, which is responsible for buying and merchandising all of the apparel and novelty items in the team stores at the arena (as well as the store at Radio City Music Hall). I’ll be working with the buyers and brand managers in the department to ensure that the fans have a great assortment of products to choose from and show their team pride.

Until next week, Let’s Go Rangers! Let’s Go Knicks!

One of the Boys

by Alexis Michaelides

My friends say that I have three trademarks:

1) perfected, black-as-night eyebrows,
2) a voice that’s a mix of Marisa Tomei, Fran Drescher, and an Italian mother who was born and raised in NYC
3) a supposedly unhealthy obsession with the New York Rangers (that’s NYC’s hockey team for all of you non-sports enthusiasts).

The eyebrows and the voice are obvious traits; the second you see me or the second I open my big mouth you’ll notice them. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take much longer for someone to recognize my passion for New York Rangers’ hockey, either. You might be thinking, “How could this girl possibly work hockey into a conversation with a stranger?” Well, I don’t have to TALK about my enthusiasm for this team because the gold New York Rangers’ emblem hanging around my neck speaks for itself. When I do talk about the sport, though, I become instantly excited; I’m pretty sure that you can see the happiness in my eyes. I love the thrill of the game, the brisk air in an arena, the history of my team, the players, the rivalries, and the camaraderie of the fans. Put me in Madison Square Garden, and I feel like I’m in my second home and the boys on the ice are my brothers. Ask me if the Rangers won last night and I’ll tell you, “yes, WE won,” not “yes, THEY won.” If we lost, forget about it. Don’t even mention there was a game last night unless for some unfathomable reason you want me to give you a dirty look or impolitely gesture at you. Sad? Maybe. Irrational? Another maybe. But, New York Rangers’ hockey is one of the few things that I really, truly am passionate about, and that passion is reflected in my opinions and actions. That said, I can’t wait to see how my boys finish the 2011-2012 season to begin. Let’s Go Rangers!

We Made Fashion “Art” -- Chrome & Couture at the Mattatuck Museum

by Alexis Michaelides

Some say fashion is art; some say not. But this past spring, I was one of seven LIM College students whose fashion project became a successful art museum exhibition.

Our project definitely had its beginning in a “trade” show rather than an “art” venue. The National Stationery Show challenged LIM visual merchandising students to make art from paper to be featured in a contest at the show called “Paper Runway.” (Vendors donated the paper materials.) The industry experts, trade leaders, and vendors who attended voted on the best design. My collaboration with Margie Carroll, “Feather Fantasy,” was lucky enough to be chosen the winner.

That led to another success. Sydney Voghel-Ochs, Director of Development for the Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury, Connecticut, saw “Paper Runway” and loved it. Her museum—which for more than a century has collected American art and history with a focus on local artists—was working hard to create edgier exhibits. She found our paper fashion concepts unique, the colors bold, and the details of our creation just what the museum needed.

The business of fashion has to work hand in hand with innovation and imagination. Although in the eco-fashion movement a few paper garments have been successfully marketed, it takes an extra spark and a bit of whimsy to transform a stiff and unyielding material into something fluid, beautiful, and inspiring.

When I helped Professor Woo and my classmates create our first paper fashions for the 2010 National Stationery Show, I had no idea how our designs would be received. Would they get a quick glance, like a craft project, or be seen as an intriguing fashion statement? With Professor Woo’s guidance, the audience responded to our designs as fashion and art. I felt honored when Sydney, a museum professional, also reacted that way to our work. We were even more gratified when she invited our team to create a special exhibit for the museum.

On October 1, 2011, the fashions from the “Paper Runway” were featured in the Mattatuck Museum’s “Chrome & Couture – Say ‘Yes’ to the Paper Dress” exhibit. It will be on display for the rest of this year.

The exhibit pairs LIM student and faculty fashion designs with collectible items from Doc’s Motorcycle Superstore in line with the museum’s focus on local artwork. Our designs were presented along with Harley-Davidson’s from World War I, scooters from the 1950s, and high-tech bikes just brought to market.

That was on-trend with contemporary androgynous fashion—such as male models like Andrej Pejic being used to sell women’s clothing. The mix of powerful and masculine motorcycles with feminine and delicate as paper dresses was thoughtfully bold. The stark contrast highlighted what was distinctly masculine and feminine about each piece. I was glad to see visitors of the exhibit’s launch marvel equally at the intricacies of the motorcycle engines and the gentle folds of the paper fashions. 

They may also have been thinking about the artificiality not just of gender stereotypes, but the weakness of the divisions between fashion, beautiful industrially produced machines like motorcycles, and “art.”

“Newsworthy” hat by Professor Marjorie Lee Woo; Engine of 1996 Sportster 1200, FAT Tire Drag Style Custom