Happy summer, Fashionistas/os! I know you’re all just as excited as I am about this phenomenal warm weather. My name is Michelle Igdalev and this is my first semester writing for CollegeFashionista! I am a senior (eek) at NYU Gallatin. In Gallatin, rather than having a major we have concentrations that we focus on, culminating our college career with our own individualized study. I am concentrating on Pre-Med, Fashion, Business and PR—a mouthful, I know. My parents have placed me on the Pre-Med track since junior high, but my passion for fashion—cliché, yes—has been present since way before then. At NYU, surprisingly we have some awesome fashion business courses. I have had the opportunities to be taught by the Senior Vice President/Creative Director of Bloomingdale’s, work together with the CFDA, and have some insane guest lecturers—ranging from the President of Givenchy US to the President of Burberry Americas to the woman who created New York Fashion Week!
As a first generation American, my family raised me with stern Russian principles. Their focus was more on how to wash the laundry, rather than how to wear the garments. Luckily, with the role model of my chic and fashion-forward grandmother, I found my place within fashion. For me, it’s simple. I love art—I have a past in photography, painting and drawing—and fashion is one of its most exciting and ever changing forms. My interest started with design, due to my background in art. I then moved onto PR, because let’s face it, I love the sound of my own voice. Then, I changed to advertising once I worked within the magazine world; and now is mainly within the business sector. Ever thought about how a brand decides to pick a new Creative Director?
Fashion is not only beautiful to the eye, exciting to the wearer and painful for the wallet, but it also has a unique history. It’s beyond exciting to see what other people are wearing, how they are wearing it, why they are wearing it and then compare it to your own fashion! In these next three months, I will be featuring fun and fearless styles, ranging from street chic to work appropriate to 4:00 a.m. fabulous. I can’t wait to show you all how New Yorkers take to the streets during the summer. Be forewarned, it gets hot and sweaty so at times, less is definitely more! Luckily, there will be color (yay, summer), there will be black—it is New York after all—and there will definitely be a lot of designer names. My style adapts depending on mood, but during the summer you can always find me in some fun sunnies (ALDO has chic, yet affordable options), sporting flirty nail colors and prancing around in my new go-to white sneakers.
Using my knowledge from NYU and my experiences working in the industry, I hope to bring you some exciting new trends and looks! Can’t wait to take you all on the rollercoaster ride that is NYC fashion during the summer months!
