nyc study tour: day IV

X Lee Angel

X Empire State Building

X The Accessory Center - Medusa's Heirlooms

X Bread & Butter lunch

X PRPS Goods & Co.

X Asura dinner

We started off the day by sleeping in a little later than usual, which was extremely refreshing. We went to Lee Angel, which is a private jewelry label. It was absolutely amazing, I loved the way Roxanne, the owner thinks. She goes with her gut, which is how I am. Heart over head. She's all about good vibes and reading people, I really loved it there. She is currently working on a line to introduce to Urban Outfitters, some of which are already in store. If you do not know how private label works, basically a company like Lee Angel creates the good, but their client's name goes on it. We walked by the Empire State Building, it is huge. We then went to Medusa's Heirlooms where we got to purchase what she has to offer. She is a hair accessory maven. I got a headband that she often sells at Anna Sui, which was really cool. I also got a vintage ring from the 70s because I had to. She gets a lot of inspiration from Art Deco and I LOVE Erte, so it was fun that way. We went to Bread & Butter for lunch, it was a lot like Cafe Del Sol, but better food. I think that type of place is popular here, it is basically like a huge buffet with tons of options, like Sirloin Stockade, but healthier. PRPS was next. Don Juan is the designer for this label. He was away in Hong Kong, so his wife gave us all the insight. As a child Don Juan really loved to draw, and he used that and now creates amazing works of art on his pieces. He specializes in menswear and denim. His jeans have been featured on Brad Pitt, David Beckham, Victoria Beckham, Katie Holmes, Kate Moss, and many more. PRPS competes with brands that back Jay Z and P Diddy. Don Juan, being a war buff, was once given old Vietnam military jackets, of which he did amazing war-inspired artwork all over them. We had the opportunity to see them and I was blown away. The showroom was a really creative space. We then went to Nobland, a company similar to SemSem and Julia Knits. They manufacture for Rag & Bone and others, but I love Rag & Bone, so that part really stood out to me. They had their S/S 17 available for us to view and I like what I see for next year, I hope everyone really does catch on to the silhouettes and fabrics that are being planned on. This evening we went to the asian fusion place, Asura, that is connected to our hotel for dinner. We got to network with alumni from Kansas State and see what their life is like in New York. Eye opening for sure. I actually really enjoy the hustle and bustle of what we have seen and experienced of the apparel and textiles industry. It is an entirely different world and I kind of want to live in it.