Ticket to fashion: Phoenix ASU FIDM students road-trip to LA
ASU FIDM students look over downtown Los Angeles from the balcony of the ASU California Center Grand building. Photo by Derren Versoza
This semester, 40 ASU FIDM students boarded a charter bus in Phoenix for a three-day, two-night fashion-centric trip to Los Angeles to experience ASU FIDM in LA.
The organizers hope that the inaugural trip will be the first of many, and that going forward, the PHX–LA trips will also include students from The Sidney Poitier New American Film School and from The Design School. (Like ASU FIDM, both the film school and The Design School also operate in LA.)
While there, the students took an in-depth tour of the ASU California Center Grand building. The tour included a demo of the Textile Testing Lab with Professor Deborah Young; a tour of the ASU FIDM Library and its unique resources by Jennifer Blue; and a showing of the ASU FIDM Museum Study Collection by curators Christina Johnson and Christina Frank.
That evening, approximately 80 ASU FIDM faculty, staff and students got together for a mixer complemented by a DJ set from Shaun Samson, who is a faculty member in ASU FIDM.
The next morning, ASU FIDM hosted costume designer B. Åkerlund, a frequent collaborator with Beyoncé, Madonna and Lady Gaga, for a guest lecture that approximately 75 students, faculty, staff and community members attended.
In the afternoon, the ASU FIDM Phoenix students took tours of the premier showroom locations in the LA Fashion District, including the Cooper Design Space and The New Mart.
On the final day of the trip, the visiting students from Phoenix went fabric shopping in the Fashion District, led by ASU FIDM faculty chaperones who guided the students for their upcoming projects.
"I'm super appreciative of all the work put into this trip and how many people took the time to help us students,” ASU FIDM student Riley Kennedy said. “This trip was not only a great opportunity, but also so fun. It was such a cool learning experience and also allowed us to make connections within the LA fashion industry.
"I would never have been able to experience something like this if it weren't for ASU FIDM. I hope other students will also be given this opportunity in the future years to come."
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ASU FIDM student Riley Kennedy investigates historic textiles, including silks, wools and linens, with a quilt from the ASU FIDM Museum Study Collection.
Photo by Derren Versoza
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ASU FIDM student Dejuan Russell investigates the Fashion Library at ASU California Center Grand.
Photo by Derren Versoza
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ASU FIDM students walk through the Fashion District in downtown LA.
Photo by Derren Versoza
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Moriah Robinson of The Textile Show talks to ASU FIDM students in the event space of the Cooper Design Building.
Photo by Derren Versoza
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Moriah Robinson leads students through showroom tours at The New Mart.
Photo by Derren Versoza
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ASU FIDM students pose for a photo outside The New Mart at the end of day-two activities.
Photo by Derren Versoza
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ASU FIDM Professor Galina Mihaleva discusses fabric selections with a student.
Photo by Derren Versoza
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The ASU FIDM students board the bus to go back to Phoenix.
Photo by Derren Versoza
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