As a member of the fall 2025 class of Jefferson’s New York Fashion Immersion program, I get to embark on bi-weekly trips to New York City for class to gain industry experience and build my network. As a Fashion Merchandising and Management major, this program is an amazing opportunity to further my expertise in the industry and make connections that will help me build my future career. Earlier in the semester, we spent a few days in the city while we attended and volunteered at New York Fashion Week shows. Since then, we have gone every other week to visit industry professionals and other sites to become more immersed in the inner workings of different sectors of the fashion industry.
That takes us to today. My day started at 4:45 am when my alarms went off. I got out of bed, got dressed, (I did not have enough time to finish my hair, so I walked out of the house with a half-styled head and brought my hair supplies in the car), and was then dropped off on campus at 6:45 am for a 7:00 am departure via coach bus to New York.
We arrived in the state around two and a half hours later at 9:30 am, but we then ran into a snag. Our first visit for the day at Lenzing (a producer of cellulosic fibers used for the textiles and nonwovens industries) was unfortunately canceled, so instead we made our way to the garment district for a retail exploration assignment. Once there, our professors gave us tours of various popular fabric stores. One being Mood Fabrics, a name that would be familiar to fans of the show Project Runway. Then on our own, we visited additional stores throughout the garment district, each specializing in different fabrics and notions. We also took the opportunity to pick out fabric swatches for our semester-long designer collaboration project.
Post retail exploration, we were given time for lunch from 11:30 am-12:15 pm. I decided to have lunch at Raising Cane’s Times Square location (I will never miss an opportunity to have Cane’s, I love the Texas toast). And then, I visited Carlo’s Bakery, which you may know from the TLC show Cake Boss, and got a sweet treat on the way to our classes’ next appointment with Haddad Brands. Haddad Brands is a family-owned licensing company for Nike and many other popular brands’ childrenswear and accessories. We had the opportunity to meet with corporate executives who work for Haddad and learn about jobs in sourcing, product development, HR, and more. We also learned more about the internship opportunities with the brand. Finally, we heard from a speaker who was a 2021 alumna of the Thomas Jefferson Fashion Merchandising and Management and Fashion Immersion programs. She had previously interned with Haddad before graduation, and a few years post-college, she applied to work for the company and was offered a job in merchandising.
Our final visit for this trip to New York was at Esé Azénabor, a bridal shop created by Nigerian Designer Esé Azénabor-Grembowski. She is globally recognized, so brides (and crazy bridesmaids, apparently) fly in from all over the world for her couture designs. Her work has been worn by stars like Taraji P. Henson, Tyra Banks, and Vivica A. Fox. Her designs have also been featured in magazines like Vogue and Essence. During our visit, we met with bridal consultants at the shop and had the opportunity to see Esé’s beautiful designs up close and personal. After the visit, our class in New York was over, and it was finally time to head home. 3 hours and a rest stop later, we finally arrived back at campus. After arriving at home around 7 pm, my day was officially over, and I took some time to decompress and do some self-care activities before heading to bed.
And that’s a day in the life.