DC Magazine

I figured that my interview with DC Magazine would be relevant to the AA320 class. Although I interviewed for a marketing internship rather than an editorial internship I feel that the class has prepared me somewhat for what I am in for if I get the position.
Okay so I got on the metro to head to McPherson Square, about a block from the building. Even though it was such a short distance from the metro I still wrote myself directions to ensure I would not get lost, but of course I still managed to head for I street and end up on H street, then get back to I street but I am on 14th instead of 15th. GRRRRR!!! I manage to stay calm in the midst of it all because I gave myself an extra 45 minutes, just in case ;) Then I was finally where I was supposed to be, or so I thought :( I was on 15th between I and K streets but 927 was nowhere in sight. Ah ha! there are two 15th streets! I decided that it had to be the right 15th street this time! It just had to be, and it was. Another weirdo thing was once I got into the building the elevator freaked me out:/ I got in and the number wouldn't light up and the elevator wouldn't move, I figured it was out of order so I got out but that same elevator was the only one that would open, so I got back in and pushed the number again. I had no idea what was going on the speaker rang like a phone but no one answered. Finally the number lit up and the elevator started moving.
Once I finally made it the the office, still early if I might add, I was greeted by who I thought was a receptionist, who turned out to be the woman interviewing me, the marketing/sales assistant. Once she is prepared to do the interview she informs me that the interview is going to be a Starbucks! In the back of my mind I am thinking, yes!
So we get to Starbucks and I am so ready to get the interview going. We sit and talk about what the internship will entail and aspects of my life that I feel would be beneficial to the internship as well as what I would like to take away from the experience. She even told me some things about herself, one thing took me by surprise, the question was how did you get here(to DC Magazine)? Her answer, "I actually started here as an intern." As excited as I was to hear that I knew not to get my hopes up, but wow! I learned that the internship wasn't going to be easy and I wouldn't be a "go to" girl like other places might do their interns. I would get as much hands on experience as possible. After about 30 minutes the interview was over and I was even more excited! Even though I can't do this intern for credit the experience will be so beneficial if I get it. Wish me luck!

Obsession? Twilight Influences Fashion

According to Harper's Bazaar, "fashion thrives on obsession" and what else has fed our obsession more than Twilight, better put, its stars Rob Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. The pair graces the cover of Harper's December issue.

These are the Cover options for the Harper's Bazaar December Issue:
On the left:
Kristen is wearing a Gucci dress and Rob is wearing a shirt by Dior Homme.
On the right:
Kristen is wearing an Alexander McQueen gown and ring. Rob is wearing a Thom Browne jacket, a shirt from Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquière, jeans from Converse by John Varvatos, and boots by Dior Homme.

In this photo titled "Wild Ride" or "Hold Your Horsepower", Kristen is wearing an Alexander Wang dress. Rob is wearing a shirt, pants, and tie by Dior Homme.

In this photo titled "True Romance", Kristen is wearing a dress and skirt by Prada, a necklace by Robert Lee Morris for Elizabeth and James,available at Bergdorf Goodman,and pumps by Cesare Paciotti. Rob is wearing a jacket, shirt, pants, tie, and boots, by Dior Homme

In this photo titled "The Lady is a Vamp", Kristen is wearing a Versace gown and Yves Saint Laurent shoes. Rob is wearing a jacket, shirt, and pants,by Dior Hommeand shoes, by Yves Saint Laurent.

Twilight is definitely an obsession for some but is it enough to influence fashion? InStyle says joined Harper's with a yes! The industry is going to milk this obsession for all that its worth. For example, Nordstrom has a Twilight Saga: New Moon collection :/ "which includes everything from tops and tunic dresses (by apparel company Awake) to jewelry and key chains—all inspired by the best-selling vampire series." here are a few items:




Another tidbit from InStyle, WARNING! SPOILER ALERT! is that fashion designers are sketching Bella's (Kristen Stewart's character) wedding dress.

Christian Siriano

Zac Posen

Monique Lhuillier

Max Azaria

Lela Rose

Erin Fetherston

Brian Reyes

Badgley Mischka

So what do you think about the Twilight Hype? Are you anti or pro- Rob & Kristen? I guess I have an outside look because I haven't read the books or seen the movies! Should I join the natural or not so natural obsession?

Christmas Come Early

In light of the recession retailers are taking some initiative. One way of doing that was starting the Christmas cheer a bit early. Usually you would start to see Christmas ads and displays closer to Thanksgiving or "Black Friday" which is the go-getter of most retailers. Even on the regular, retailers need that final umph to reach those last quarter sales goals, Christmas and after-Christmas sales are their last shot. In a recession it is ten times as important. Retailers are still struggling to meet some of their sales goals and bringing the spirit of the holidays might bring some joy to people and encourage them to shop and shop some more. Here are some of the biggest Christmas displays and ads that started as early as the week of Halloween!








How do you feel about these ads? Some would say we need the push to get shopping but some would say that retailers are taking it a bit to far. The last ad from Gap, has rubbed the AFA the wrong way and they have organized a boycott of all Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic stores because the AFA claims that the commercial demeans the value of the holiday. What are your thoughts?

Forever 21: Love & Beauty

Forever 21 is a fan favorite to many of the girls here at Marymount. They are a leader in affordable and trendy fashion. Even though they are surrounded by controversy in regards to their lawsuits for stealing designs, they continue to thrive because we are suckers for inexpensive fashion. The retailer offers a variety of product lines they have Twelve by Twelve, which is a line that is meant to compete with such retailers as Zara and H&M. They have more expensive pieces and the line is targeted at a more mature customer. They also have Heritage 1981, which is a nod to Forever 21’s customer complaints about the quality of their clothing. Heritage is a higher quality line that is priced a bit higher than Forever 21 but its worth it.
More recently Forever 21 launched two new lines. One of which was Faith 21, a plus size line. This line is priced about the same as the Forever 21 line and offers trendy and fashionable clothes to the plus size woman. Another line that was launched earlier this year was Love 21, which is a contemporary line that is priced a bit higher than the Forever 21 line but offers a more sophisticated look at a price we just can’t afford to pass up. They also have a spin-off store in select locations which is named, For Love 21, and it is an accessories based store. Lastly, Forever 21 just launched their first beauty line consequently named, Love & Beauty. The beauty line is another way for Forever 21 to compete with H&M and Zara who have already broke into the beauty market abroad. According to WWD, “love & beauty marks the first major entrance into beauty of a fast-fashion retailer on U.S. soil”. That is a big step for Forever 21 to have taken and if they succeed they will have somewhat of an upper hand on the competition. This completes their customer’s look. They had it all, everything but the cosmetics, and now they have it. This new beauty line has first launched in For Love 21, the accessories focused store to see how it does, they are set to offer a wide-ranging assortment that covers lips, eyes, face, nails, fragrance and tools and accessories such as cosmetic bags, tweezers and makeup brushes. The items are priced to move and nothing is more than $10, which is exactly what we would expect from Forever 21. But we also question the store’s quality at times so will we be in for a bust? According to WWD, “industry sources estimate that beauty could generate $60 million in first-year sales.”
What do you ladies think? I am a huge fan of Forever 21 and I love it when they come up with new ideas but is it worth our money? Go try it out! Give me your feedback!