To call summer 2016 eventful would be an understatement. As a rising senior at Emory University double majoring in English and international studies, I spent the coveted last undergraduate summer in New York City interning for designer, Kaelen Haworth’s director of operations. Each day presented itself as an opportunity to explore the wide range of neighborhoods where each possessing its own aesthetic, and master a transit system that makes MARTA in Atlanta look like child’s play.
As someone who attended high school in Nashville and currently lives in Atlanta, I fell in love with the fast pace of New York. One night, over tacos in SoHo the size of moon craters, I slowed down the pace long enough for an Emory friend to comment that love can exist in fleeting moments that Western society places too much emphasis on permanency. After you experience one of these fleeting moments, you pause, say thank you and cherish it. However, while leaving my Greenwich abode I instantly knew I didn’t want this to become the fate of my time in New York. I craved permanency in this city. I long for the day I call Manhattan home.
If there were two lessons this love reinforced, they were: dress unapologetically and hustle until you achieve results. Each day became an excuse to pacify my Napoleon complex and sport platforms like the ones worn for this shoot. I even exchanged all-black ensembles for pops of color here and there. On the flip side, the stigma surrounding New Yorkers being “rude” couldn’t stray farther from the truth. On this island, I encountered people who were staunch and self-aware. Editors, for example, are more than willing to offer insight into the industry if you take the time to pay homage to their writing—just don’t forget to dress the part when meeting with them.
In my look, I sport a hunter green maxi skirt with a fun pair of platform sneakers. My quirky shades and scarf which is the power combo of the summer complement the sleek black tops of my footwear, and I added a silver cuff to stray from the darker tones of this ensemble. After this summer ’16, you’d find yourself craving color too.
