10: I am officially ready to present

I present tomorrow. The day is finally here. I am so terrified, I'm not what else there is to say besides the fact that I'm feeling so many things all at once right now. I wish more than anything that I was presenting second, just so that I could get it out of the way first thing in the morning. However, I have all my props and everything I'm going to put to display ready and my powerpoint is ready as well. I'm actually planning on going to sleep right after I finish this post so that I can get a good amount of sleep before I present. That's a scary thing. In 12 hours, I will be presenting. 

It's almost upsetting how all this work that I've done is all going to be done. I'm officially done after tomorrow. I can say I survived senior year and iPoly. (Okay, that's only kinda true, because we will still have  product presentation. Hopefully, though, I kick that presentation in the butt tomorrow. 

9: I PRESENT ON MONDAY

I know the title of the post is in all caps so it seems as if I'm incredibly nervous, but I've gone through my entire presentation a couple of times now and it seems pretty decent. I am incredibly confident in all the research I've gathered up until this point. I'm really eager to just present now so that I can finally say I've legitimately survived iPoly. Sure, I still have product presentation to look forward to, but I'm not even remotely anxious about that because we've done so many presentations that have only helped lead us into the final presentation. I think the only reason I'm even remotely anxious about the 2-hour is because it's the longest presentation we've ever had to do.

Today, I saw Ryan's presentation (we both present for Ortega) and I was so proud of him because he was probably even more nervous than I claimed to be and he did even better than I'd expected him to do. He did really well and it was all because he knew his information and he seemed so passionate about what he did. I can only hope that I don't blank on the information I have to talk about and I hope Ortega and the rest of the class likes what I have to say.

8: The Difference Between Designer and Non-Designer Dresses

I just realized while practicing my presentation is that my best answer had the shortest explanation. I'm not necessarily certain if that's a bad thing or not because if it's something that is really noticeable and Ortega doesn't like that, I CAN back up why it's the shortest answer, but I'd rather just avoid it. I feel I might have to just talk more about my best answer. I do have to avoid being repetitive, though. That's another worry of mine. I found that my longest explanation was for my third answer because for sewing and sketching, I'm going to show an example of one dress that is not a designer dress. Therefore, on this non-designer dress the seams will be noticeable. I will then go on to show an example of a designer dress and compare the two. Clearly, the designer dress has the prettier stitching because customers are PAYING for that. This explains why designer dresses/gowns are so much more expensive than dresses you see at Forever 21. 

My mentor always became so frustrated with me when I would show up to work wearing a cute top or dress from Forever 21 or H&M because she would always point out how lazily made they were. She'd continuously talk about how dresses I would pay $25 for from H&M would cost them no more than $5 to make. Especially because they buy so much because they stock up in great bundles. Also, their materials are considered pathetic and those in the design world scoff at stores like that. 

I've witnessed first hand a lot of the pricings for dresses/gowns that David Meister creates and they legitimately cost quite a lot to make. The dresses range from $50-$200 for fabric alone and then extra for labor. They then sell it to stores for anywhere between $300-$500 and then these huge stores like Nordstrom or Bloomingdale's will put it on the rack and sell it for $700-$1,000. It's hard to believe, but definitely true. This is something I want to talk about during my presentation because it was one of the first things that I'd ever learned from my mentor and it's really important for my third answer, which is sewing and sketching. 

7: Just a Quick Update

So senior presentations are great so far. I have yet to see a "bad" one and I hope it remains that way. In preparation for my own, I've completed most of my powerpoint and am buying all my materials for my activities tomorrow. Also, something I've seen that I've enjoyed about every presentation that I hope to incorporate into mine is that I hope to have my activities on point. Everyone has activities that coordinate perfectly with their answers and their EQ. Also, I think what would work best for me is if I save all my activities for the end. This makes sense because it allows for no interruptions and I could meet time and the rest of my activities will then flow smoothly. 

I am a little scared about foundation because it seems that a lot of people had completely different things to talk about when it came to their foundation. Hence, I'm not certain if my foundation is supposed to be about what the process was to finalize my topic and/or EQ (like I've seen for some) or if I'm supposed to talk about the general idea of my topic. (Also something I've seen in a few presentations thus far.) I'm going to have to ask for clarification on that so that I can get a better understanding and do well on that portion in my own presentation. 

6: 2-Hour Preparation

I'm currently preparing for my presentation, seeing as I go a week from today. June 3rd, to be more precise. I am very glad that I present the very beginning of the second week, simply because that gives me all of this week to watch what everyone else does and decipher the good and bad in each. I will then be able to use the good from every presentation I see and try and find ways to incorporate it into mine, while witnessing the bad in some and try and find ways I can stray away from that.

Something I realized that I haven't given much thought for my presentation is the set up of it all. I haven't decided what I'm going to do with the room (if I plan to do anything at all with it). I'm not necessarily certain what I can do to go above and beyond. Something else I also have on my to do list is that I have to split up the people in my presentation and put them into groups so that I can have each table with a couple of seniors (so that the juniors stay on task).

I also got my two hour lesson plan back from Ortega with some comments written on it and I'm really glad she seemed to like what I had to say on it. This will hopefully mean that when it comes to the information I have to talk about, I'm doing well. However, she did seem a bit confused on my sponge activity. So I'd assume I'll have to email her tonight/tomorrow and try and clarify it in simpler terms so that she may understand it. OR maybe it just won't work at all and I'll have to figure something else out.

So far, everything seems very doable. I hope to have all of my powerpoint and props finished by Wednesday (Thursday at the latest) so that I can spend three days just going over the whole thing. I'm really just excited to knock this thing out so that I can focus on product presentation.

5: Update (Again)

I just got my I-Search paper back this weekend and was very pleased with my grade! I received a P on it and I'm very proud of it because a lot of research went into it. Also, there is exactly two weeks until the day I present! I'm not nearly as prepared as I'd hoped I would be during this time because it seems like so much is going on right now. On top of figuring out everything for my 2 hour presentation, I also have to worry about core stuff. There's a lot due dates for all four teachers coming up very soon and it's all just coming together.

I hope to be able to complete all my core stuff and put most of my focus for next week on finishing up a few last things for my 2-hour presentation. It seems like I have so much time because the last time I really checked, I still had several weeks (months) before I had to worry about this, but it's fast approaching. I still have to figure out what my second activity is going to be for my presentation because as of right now, I only have one activity. The first one was "promising/good" according to Ortega (my 2 hour teacher), but that isn't going to cut it. Clearly, I need another one so that I can be sure to not only meet the time requirement, but also so that I can be able to thoroughly give examples and explanations of my answers.

My lesson plan was completed and written in great detail, too. Hence, I'm very proud of that. So within this week, that leaves me with several tasks to complete. I have to finish my Powerpoint and start running through it a couple of times within the next two weeks. Then, I have to make one poster to be a visual aid (I already have one from my 30 minute presentation. Finally, I'll have to gather together all my props for my presentation/activities.

4: Update

Here's just an update with how things are currently going for me. My exit interview was this past Friday and I did alright. I did not use specific examples, hence Purther said I should consider using specific answers for why my best answer is the better answer for my 2-hour presentation.  As for Pittman, she didn't suggest anything and for the most part, I'd assume she'd enjoyed what I had to say. It was nerve-wracking, but because it's something that I've been researching for months now, it also flowed really well. 

Also, my mentorship hours were completed Friday, as well. I completed a total of exactly 50 hours with my mentor, Mary Vilchis. As far as I know, I'm going to continue going and doing hours with her until summer begins, simply because I love it there and if they need the help, then I'm certainly available. I hope this is a good sign and that they invite me to go from time to time. I also have high hopes for myself and hope that eventually they even hire me.

As for my actual 2-hour presentation, I just recently started working on the powerpoint because that is currently the only thing I have to be worried about. Now my exit interview is over, my I-Search paper was turned in, my research count has been finalized (for quite some time now) and I've found out who/what to prepare for. Now all I have left to really prepare for is my 2-hour itself and my product presentation. I would definitely say that I'm nervous, but I'm also just glad to finally be getting it over with. By getting it over with, I don't mean I had a terrible time doing all of this, but I am anxious about several things. I'm afraid of not making time and not having enough people interested in what I have to say. I hope I find the right words and do really well. Overall, I am very happy with how far I've gotten. 

3: A Very Important Source (Also referred to as my bible)

Although my mentorship has been one of my best sources, I can say that my bible has come in a very close second. The Teen Vogue Handbook: An Insider's Guide to Careers in Fashion is one of the greatest books I've ever picked up and I'm not just saying that because I feel like I have to. This book has given me insight on a world that I thought I knew and could have sworn I was familiar , but really didn't know a lot about. This book is a resource for those trying to break into the industry, but have no idea where to get started. It talks about how to be a fashion designer, stylist, model, photographer, etc. It was unlike a lot of my other research because it was enjoyable. Researching isn't always the most entertaining thing to do, but I actually looked forward to cracking this book open. One of the greatest things it taught me was that one does not attend a specific school or follow a certain study, because the possibilities on how to make it big in fashion are pretty much endless. One does not just emerge just ready to be employed. There are common threads of advice and this book serves as a road map for younger people such as myself. The book is a practical reference guide that teaches things like; how to build a portfolio, how to dress for an interview, and how to land the internship of your, uh, dreams. Well, not necessarily the internship of your dreams, but cut the book some slack, it isn't a miracle worker. You have to start somewhere! Referring now to my title, this book was my bible. I thank my parents for having given this to me for Christmas because I don't know where I would have gotten a great majority of my research without it. This is why this book is now my bible. I praise this book for having all the answers I've needed and more.

2: A Day At The Office

The last time I'd gone to do mentorship house, I was asked to "bag dresses", meaning I just had to put dresses in these fancy bags that would later be picked up and shipped out to stores. Believe me, it isn't as easy as it sounds. I bagged a total of 200 dresses/gowns and it took me a total of three and a half hours to do just that. So you can just imagine how tedious the task is. At the time, it didn't seem like a great task to do, but since I'm only allowed to do so much at the office, I wasn't going to complain. I'm not even going to lie, my arms were killing me the rest of the day and the day that followed. However, I was told just today by my mentor that these dresses were some of the ones I'd bagged. My fingers made contact with dresses/gowns worth more than my closet. Of course I was incredibly careful and I already knew that these weren't cheap, but these were expensive. Since they're from the signature collection, they're worth quite a pretty penny.

 Today, we also got some new fabric samples in. There weren't many, but I felt like a child opening up gifts on Christmas morning. Although it was just a box of scraps of fabrics, these were new possible fabrics that would be used for the next collection they would be working on. As much as I would love to post some of the example fabrics, I can't because they're "in the works" and I'm very limited on what I can and cannot post.

We also watched an ad for something for the website and me along with everyone else in the office spent more than fifteen minutes trying to guess whether or not "slenderizing" was a word. Indeed, it is a real word. After I confirmed that it was a real word, I was offered a donut. I was incredibly excited about that donut (and the cool cow print napkin they sat it on), so I posted a picture of it. 

All in all, today was a rather eventful day and I was incredibly proud of myself because I spent a great deal of it communicating 

with those in the office and I'm not typically one to speak. I was even 

congratulated for my work ethics today because I was socializing 

and I finished double the amount of work I typically do in less time.

1: Mentorship

As of right now, I have a total of 34 hours completed (not including the ten hours I did this summer) and my mentorship/internship with David Meister will soon be ending. I'm incredibly happy with what I've completed so far. I've had the opportunity to work with plenty of incredible people that I wouldn't have known otherwise and for that, I am grateful. Although this experience is in a sense, supposed to be seen as work, I consider this just doing something I love. It seems with every time I go in, I'm trusted more and more. Who else would trust an eighteen-year-old high school student with gowns that costs more than my closet individually?

Anyway, here's a really recent photo of some of the newest gowns added to the David Meister collection. These are dresses that are going to be used for celebrities for upcoming events. This is also the same rack that once held dresses that were worn to the Oscars just a few months ago. At this current moment, I'm not sure where these dresses are going to be worn to, but I'm certain I'll be told soon.

Now this photo is just about 1/4 of the binders that hold designs. This is typically my "usual". The task I'm asked to do most often is look through, file, and just organize these binders in a specific order. These binders contain cost sheets. Cost sheets are sheets in which show the design and how much the design is worth and how much it'll cost to put together. Cost sheets are important because when someone needs to look back at a design/sketch or details that went into making it, they look at the cost sheets. They're put in alphabetical and numerical order.Whenever one cost sheet is out of place, I'm typically to blame.