Where We’ve Been and Where We’re Going

It’s been a busy summer and I realize I’ve been slacking on my posts. I’m working full time and preparing to leave the country for my semester abroad, which has left little time to write/blog. But now, it’s time for an update.

I’ve decided that I don’t want to limit my blogging to Skidmore-related content. This blog has been a good start to get some ideas flowing, but I’ve decided to relocate to a new blog called Come Hell or High Fashion, which will be my personal fashion blog. It’s likely I’ll still post about Skidmore, but I will also feel free to post about anything related to the fashion world: anything from pictures of Marchesa’s new line to what I think of the outfits at the Olympic opening ceremonies to whatever I happen to be wearing one day. I hope this will provide me with more topics to write about and be more interesting for anyone reading what I have to say!

Mariel and a few other people I had in mind to take over What Would Lucy Wear have said this upcoming semester looks quite busy already without the added pressure of updating regularly. So as of right now, this blog is going on hiatus. I may return to it when I get back to the U.S. but right now, I’m not sure. I hope you’ll follow me to my new location: Come Hell or High Fashion !

-Liz

Barney’s goes Gaga (For a Lower Price)

My family knows me well; for my birthday last month they got me a graphic novel about Jack the Ripper, the American film adaption of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, and lots of Lady Gaga-inspired merchandise. Earlier this year, Barney’s New York carried Lady Gaga products for an event called “Gaga’s Workshop.” Now, these products (everything from magnetic Gaga dress-up dolls to pocket mirrors to Christmas ornaments) can be found at Barney’s Outlet stores. So for those of you interested in Gaga keychains and notebooks but patient enough to wait this long, you can now purchase these items for a much more reasonable price than when they debuted at Barney’s. Thanks to my mom (who fuels my love for all things cheap and chic), I am now the proud owner of yellow Gaga sunglasses that make me feel like the yellow power ranger and, my favorite, this Gaga’s Workshop tote bag:

I love the design and while the bag is really basic (no zipper, no inside pockets), it has been functioning as a perfect beach/pool bag and will definitely be accompanying me to Cape Cod this summer.

-Liz

Betsey Johnson Going Out of Business

The lover of all things pink and leopard-print is going out of business. Betsey Johnson recently declared bankruptcy and now all stores are liquidating their remaining fixtures and merchandise. I stopped by the store at the Natick Collection yesterday and everything was 30-60% off. I’m sure the sales will only get better with time, but already the small sizes are disappearing quickly so if you’re interested in this last chance to buy your fill of poofy, sparkly, yet somehow-still-edgy dresses, head over soon before they run out of your size! I found a fantastic skull patterned sweater, but, unfortunately, even with the sale it was still out of my price range (and the only one left was the wrong size).

There is some good news: as of now it seems that although the high-end Betsey Johnson line is shutting down, the brand aims to keep a few “flagship-like stores” open and the lower-priced Betsey Johnson label found in department stores will continue to be available.

Congrats Seniors!

Here’s a belated congratulations to the Class of 2012! As Largeman said in Garden State, “Good luck exploring the infinite abyss!”

Zach Braff (Largeman), Natalie Portman and Peter Sarsgaard dressed in the heighth of Garden State fashion

End of the School Year Update: Looking Forward

Hello everyone, and happy summer! I thought I’d give you a little end of the school year update on what’s to come on What Would Lucy Wear.

On Friday I finished packing up and returned home to Massachusetts. I currently have my hands full moving back in and making the belongings that took up two rooms all year fit in one. (Time to clean out my closet…the one at school was gloriously large, but it’s time to readapt to my closet at home.) However, I hope to post a bit this summer. Obviously, these posts won’t be about Skidmore happenings, but I’ll still find some things to write about, I’m sure. I hope to visit the Prada exhibit at the MET at some point and will write up a review of that. Basically anything fashion-related is going to be fair game this summer so we’ll still have fresh content.

Looking forward, I won’t be back on campus next semester, as I’ll be studying in Paris! I was recently accepted to the Paris Fall Seminar program so I’ll be heading to France in late August to study films, graphic novels, and of course, French. While abroad, I’ll try to continue posting (the resident director already mentioned something about getting me into a fashion show?!) and we’ll see about having someone back at Skidmore posting, too. We could have a transatlantic blog for a semester!

-Liz

Student Designer Profile: Victoria Manganiello

The Element Fashion show draws nearer! Tomorrow, the runway will be adorned with the hard work of designers, models, and the Element team.

This week, I had the chance to talk to Victoria Manganiello, one of the designers involved with the show.  Victoria, a senior new to Element, has not previously incorporated clothing into her work with fabrics for her Studio Art and Art History studies, but she feels that creating clothing was a natural extension of her exploration of fiber arts and textiles. She explains that she thinks of her pieces less as fashion and more as a representation of the fabrics she has made.

Victoria has created two pieces that she describes as “responses to body heat.” Her approach to this idea was not scientific, but rather “a reinterpretation” that uses colors that blend and morph to invoke the flow of body heat. When asked about the Twilight Zone theme of the show she replies, “I think it’s cool. I had my designs before I knew the theme, but it makes me feel that the atmosphere of the catwalk will be kind of spooky and will support the dramatic side of my pieces.”

Detail of Victoria's dress

Detail on Scarf

While she has incorporated a certain level of drama in her runway pieces, Victoria describes her personal style as comfortable and practical; she loves wearing geometric patterns and earthy tones. She made the sharp observation that whether someone is consciously interested in fashion or not, everyone has a personal style. She may not have favorite designers, but this girl certainly has an understanding of what people wear.

To see Victoria’s work on the runway, be sure to attend the Element Fashion Show tomorrow night at 7 in the small gym! $5 ahead of time, $8 at the door.

SkidShop Sale

If you’re part of the large portion of students that does not read the student announcement emails, you should know that this Wednesday, April 4th, the SkidShop is having a sale on all clothing and gifts. Everything is 33% off! Go forth and find ways to make Skidmore T-shirts and sweatpants fashionable!

What A Find

A few weeks ago, two of my high school friends came to visit Skidmore and while they were here I had the glorious freedom of having access to a car. After spending Saturday shopping in Saratoga and dodging snow flurries by darting into Mrs. London’s, the three of us decided to head out to nearby Glens Falls. While many shops were closed because we are poor planners who decide to go shopping on Sundays, we did happen upon two great finds.

First was a place called The Chocolate Mill, where we enjoyed some delicious coffee, or in my case, peppermint hot chocolate. This café also offers breakfast and lunch options as well as, as you may expect from the name, chocolate treats in countless forms. If you ever take a shopping trip (or any trip) to Glens Falls, I suggest stopping in The Chocolate Mill for your caffeine/chocolate fix.

Our second find (the one more pertinent to this blog) was a consignment shop called Finders Keepers. This shop is filled with everything from sweaters to prom gowns, all for great prices. There are also shoes, handbags, jewelry, and even books and movies. The shop is cluttered in the best way possible. The large selection of clothing means the clothes are everywhere, but it’s not headache-inducing or hard to maneuver. There are dresses hanging from the ceiling, plants and knick-knacks framing the racks of clothes, and cute and convenient fitting rooms in the back of the store. The racks of clothes are organized by type of clothing, making it easy to browse the whole store or look for something specific. In just the time we were there I must have heard the saleswomen on the phone with at least three people interested in selling their old clothes, so it would seem they are always receiving new merchandise.

We easily spent a couple hours exploring the store and our shopping experience ended up being a huge success. We all had a good time and found something we wanted. I found two business-y skirts for $6 each and a dress that fit perfectly for $12. If you’re looking to expand your wardrobe without spending a fortune, I definitely recommend checking out Finders Keepers.

The Chocolate Mill’s website

More info on Finders Keepers here

My Finds: Dress for $12!

My Finds: two skirts for $6 each!

 

ACA is Looking for Models and Clothes!

This year’s ACA Dinner will include a fashion show featuring an array of Asian clothing. ACA is searching for clothes they can borrow for the show. They are looking for clothes from any Asian country, either traditional or modern. If you have any pieces ACA can borrow, or if you have interest in modeling in the show, contact Dawid Pypec at dpypec@skidmore.edu.

The event will be held on April 14th. In addition to the fashion show, the dinner will include many other performances related to Asian culture–everything from dances to game shows. Don’t miss it!

Lucy Skidmore Scribner

We’ve been asked a few times who this “Lucy” is. For all you non-Skidmore folk, Lucy refers to Lucy Skidmore Scribner, the original foundress of Skidmore College. If you’re on campus, perhaps you’ve seen her featured on our posters, thinking about 2012 looks from Kate Spade, McQ, etc.

If you’d like a little background, Lucy Skidmore was born on July 4, 1853. She was raised by her aunt in Manhattan, as her mother died soon after her birth. Growing up, she was dedicated to community service and taught at the mission school related to her church. She married John Blair Scribner, but both of their children died in infancy and John died soon after from pneumonia.

In 1897 Lucy purchased a summer home in Saratoga Springs and eventually settled here permanently. She and four other women from her church established the “Young Women’s Industrial Club” in 1903, which would become the “Skidmore School of Arts” about 10 years later.

Without Lucy, there would be no Skidmore College. For more of her story, go here.