Is there fashion in their future? If so, leave it to the capable team at Adventure Student Travel to design a New York trip that promises to be a perfect fit for your group of budding moguls and models! The sample itinerary, below, tenders a truly tantalizing tour of NYC hotspots and highlights with an emphasis on industry icons, including Macy’s Harold Square, Bloomingdale’s and the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum.
1
Times Square
Day one of your New York - fabulous fashion adventure kicks off with a bang - you and your students are heading to Times Square! Its colossal digital billboards, brilliant neon lights and dazzling and delicious storefronts are just a part of the enticing explosion of sights, sounds, and attractions awaiting visitors to this bustling intersection in the heart of the Theater District. Portrayed time and again in popular cinema, Times Square is the home of the annually televised New Year’s Eve Ball Drop, the Paramount Building, Planet Hollywood, the Good Morning America show and so many other hotspots and highlights it’s earned another nickname: “Center of the Universe”! Don’t be timid; rally your troops and go boldly forth into the dizzying crush!
Macy’s Herald Square
Next up: a trip to Macy’s Herald Square! This beloved NYC tradition, especially enchanting around the Holidays, is billed as the largest department store in the world, featuring eleven floors showcasing a vast inventory of more than half a million items! Constructed in 1902, Macy's Herald Square was the first building to house the modern-day escalator; it presently occupies an entire city block. Visitor Tip: Isidor and Ida Straus, co-owners of Macy's, perished tragically in the sinking of the Titanic; a memorial plaque honoring the two can be seen on the main floor at the memorial entrance. Experience all the historic magic of Macy’s – and be sure to bring your cameras.
2
Central Park
Rise and shine! The second day of your fashion-geared getaway begins with an enchanting stroll through the Big Apple’s gloriously landscaped 843 acre back yard - a mainstay of any NYC travel experience and perfect example of nature’s inspirational role in design. This iconic landmark is a verdant oasis in the heart of the bustling city, offering visitors a sweet escape from the frenzied crush of crowds and dizzying pace of life in the shadow of the serious skyscrapers. Our Country’s first real park features two ice skating rinks, 21 playgrounds, one of the largest merry-go-rounds in the States, its own Zoo, a stunning heirloom rose garden and is wound about with scenic footpaths and stitched together with dozens of beguiling bridges. Birding and wildlife watching opportunities abound, and boat/kayak rentals can be secured at Loeb Boathouse. Carriage rides through Central Park are an enchanting tradition, and plenty of open-air performance venues treat audiences to countless concerts and productions – the Shakespeare Festival is a must!
Bloomingdale’s
The Bloomingdale Brothers’ response to the hoop skirt fad of the 1800s soon burgeoned into an upscale bazaar showcasing the latest European Fashion; the rest, as they say, is history. Today, Bloomingdale's is committed to leading the way with exclusive merchandise, customized services, and alternative venues. Carrying on the Brothers' dream, today’s stores stand apart from all others and tender guests a truly memorable “destination” shopping experience-right down to the designer shopping bags!
Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum
Groups of budding interior designers and decorators won’t want to miss a trip to this treasured landmark attraction in upper Manhattan. Housed in the impressive Georgian-style mansion of industrial magnate Andrew Carnegie, Cooper Hewitt’s displays presents compelling evidence of the impact of design on daily life and is the only museum in the nation dedicated exclusively to historic and contemporary design. Founded in 1896 and a branch of the Smithsonian since 1967, the institution boasts one of the largest compilations of decorative arts in the world, with its collections of more than 217,000 design objects, world-class design library and myriad exhibitions exploring a span of nearly two and a half centuries of design aesthetic and creativity. Thrilling recent renovations tender guests an entirely new and invigorated experience, with interactive, immersive creative technologies at the core of every visit and 60% more gallery space to explore!
3
Fashion Institute of Technology Museum
Day 3 in the Big Apple dawns, and you and your fashion-minded troupe are off to the FIT Museum, renowned for its innovative, award winning, ambitious and ever-fresh special exhibitions. Its three floors house a permanent assemblage encompassing more than 50,000 garments and accessories from the 18th century to the present, and represent important designers including Balenciaga, Chanel, Westwood and Dior. The collecting policy of “the Most Fashionable Museum in New York City” focuses on aesthetically and historically significant “directional” clothing, accessories, textiles and visual materials, with emphasis always on contemporary avant-garde fashion!
Garment District
New York assumed its role as the center of the nation's garment industry by making affordable work clothes for slaves on Southern plantations; additionally, its tailors produced ready-made garments for sailors and western prospectors whenever regular business slowed. Present-day NYC is undeniably the Nation’s fashion capitol, with $14 billion in annual sales. The beating heart of the industry is Manhattan's Garment District, where the majority of the city's major fashion labels operate showrooms; no other metropolis houses a comparable concentration of fashion businesses and talent in a single district. Once dominated by the fashion industry, the area has evolved into a truly diverse neighborhood; in addition to “talking shop” and taking in the endless sights, you can pop by a bakery for a yummy pick-me-up, check out the local arts scene, snap up some fur trim for that favorite jacket, pore over rainbows of fabulous accessories and shop beyond incredible sample sales for things you never knew you needed! P.S.: Don’t forget a group shot with the colossal “needle threading a button” sculpture!
Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island
The 151 foot tall Statue of Liberty was a generous gift to our Nation from the good people of France, and is one of the most recognized statues in the world! She stands, vigilant, tall and proud on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, a breathtaking monument to freedom and democracy around the globe. No one comes home from a trip to NYC without at least a few photographs of this iconic maiden, and Statue Cruises will ferry you and your grad group out to meet our beautiful Lady, then on to landmark Ellis Island’s Immigration Museum for a little family tree research. Did your ancestors enter America through this National Gateway, once a hanging site for pirates? Here’s your opportunity to do a little digging!