Day 1 You'll See:
- Fifth Avenue Walking Tour
- FIT Campus Visit
- FIT Museum
- Empire State Building
- Times Square
Day 2 You'll See:
- Bloomingdale's
- Garment District
- Broadway Show
Day 3 You'll See:
- Central Park
- M&S Schmalberg
- Mood Fabrics
Your group of budding department store moguls, fledgling designers and runway hopefuls, alike, will thrill to the prospect of three whole days in New York City geared to exploring fabulous Fashion Industry highlights and hotspots with a few Big Apple icons tossed in for good measure. They’ll kick off their tour on 5th Avenue, check out the FIT Campus and Museum, wander the Garment District, enjoy a gorilla’s eye view of the city, frolic in Central Park, browse Bloomingdale’s - and more!
1
5th Avenue Walking Tour
Kick-off your three-day fashion extravaganza with a trot down legendary 5th Avenue! Discover the prestigious stores and iconic landmarks that have made this fabled thoroughfare an enduring favorite destination for NYC shoppers for decades. This five-mile stretch of road beginning at Washington Square and ending at Harlem River is loaded with designer shops and architectural stunners; walking tours can be customized to include your very own “NYFabulous” 5th Avenue shopping experience!
Fashion Institute of Technology Campus Visit
No NYC Fashion Tour would be complete without a visit to the fabulous Fashion Institute of Technology. This internationally acclaimed college for design, fashion, art, communications, and business tenders groups of prospective students an excellent opportunity to try “FIT” on for size through its regular series of information sessions and student-led campus tours.
Fashion Institute of Technology Museum
You’ve toured the campus – now it’s time to explore The FIT Museum, best known for its innovative, award-winning, ambitious and ever-fresh special exhibitions. Its three floors house a permanent assemblage encompassing over 50,000 garments and accessories from the 18th century to the present and represent important designers such as Balenciaga, Chanel, 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 the emphasis always on contemporary avant-garde fashion!
Empire State Building
This iconic 103-story skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan has a roof height of 1,250 feet, and with its antenna spire included (a feature originally designed to be a mooring mast and depot for dirigibles) towers a jaw-dropping total of 1,454 feet above the city. The Empire State Building proudly owns a few notable distinctions: it’s recognized as one of Seven Wonders of the Modern World, is #1 on the AIA’s list of America’s Favorite Architecture and is currently the fourth-tallest completed skyscraper in the United States. This beloved skyline symbol of dreams and aspirations draws crowds of sightseers to its famed lookouts, year-round, and its dazzling LED light shows delight audiences from all walks. Whether you choose to stop at a comfortable 86 floors or continue 200 feet higher to the climate-controlled privacy of the 102nd-floor observation deck – the highest public point in New York City - both vantage points offer unmatched 360-degree perspective; the view from the top is exhilarating!
Times Square
There’s nothing in the world like experiencing the cosmopolitan vibrancy of iconic Times Square; its huge digital billboards, brilliant neon lights, and dazzling storefronts are just a part of the amazing explosion of sights, sounds, and attractions awaiting visitors to this world-famous intersection in the heart of the Theater District. Times Square, referenced and portrayed time and again in popular cinema, is the home of the annually televised New Year’s Eve Ball Drop, the Paramount Building, the Good Morning America show and so many other hotspots and highlights it’s earned another nickname: “Center of the Universe”!
2
Bloomingdale’s
What started as 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 shopping venues. Carrying on the Bloomingdale's brothers' dream, today’s stores stand apart from all others and tender a truly memorable “destination” shopping experience-right down to the designer shopping bags!
Garment District
New York first assumed its role as the center of the nation's garment industry by making affordable work clothes for slaves on Southern plantations; in addition, its tailors produced ready-made garments for sailors and western prospectors whenever regular business slowed. Present-day New York City is undeniably the Nation’s fashion capital, with the core of the industry being Manhattan's lively Garment District, where the majority of the city's major fashion labels operate showrooms; no other city houses a comparable concentration of fashion business and talent in a single district. Once dominated by the fashion industry, the Garment District has evolved into a truly diverse neighborhood; in addition to enjoying the considerable sights, you can sample the wares of its delightful bakeries, pick up a bit of fur trim to spiff up your favorite jacket, browse endless rainbows of accessories or shop some pretty amazing sample sales!
Broadway Show
Select the Broadway play of your choice, get to the theatre, find your seat, then sit back and enjoy the show – there’s absolutely nothing like catching a live performance on one of the World’s greatest stages. You simply can’t come to the Big Apple and miss out on the time-honored tradition of a Great White Way theater experience. P.S.: Don’t forget to wait by the stage door for autographs!
3
Central Park
Rise and shine; your student group’s third day in the Big Apple begins with a visit to its gloriously landscaped 843 acre back yard! Central Park – a peaceful oasis in the heart of the city - offers NYers and tourists, alike, a fabulous respite from the frenzied urban crush. Our Country’s first real park showcases two ice skating rinks, 21 playgrounds, one of the largest merry-go-rounds in the States, its own Zoo and a stunning heirloom rose garden. It’s laced with scenic footpaths; birding and wildlife watching opportunities abound, and boat/kayak rentals can be secured at Loeb Boathouse. Carriage rides through the park are an utterly enduring, enchanting tradition, and plenty of open-air performance venues treat audiences to countless concerts and productions – the Shakespeare Festival is not to be missed!
M&S Schmalberg
Ever wonder where those intricate little silk posies on accessories, hats, and wedding favors come from? M & S Schmalberg, located in the fashion district of NYC, is the largest direct manufacturer of custom silk fabric flower pins in the USA, perfectly complementing the apparel, millinery, accessory, and bridal industries since 1916. Their unbelievably beautiful fabric flowers have been featured in countless magazines and on runways the world over. Using the same delicate process they’ve employed since 1916, they continue to provide an exquisite quality product and offer clients truly unmatched artisanal customization service. Some of their flower molds date all the way back to the turn of the century, and their endless styles can be created in any fabric - leathers, suedes, silks, kinds of cotton, velvets, felts and even exotic skins! Informative and fun factory tours detail the intricate manufacturing process and outline the company’s rich history and relationship with the garment industry.
Mood Fabrics
Aspiring young designers, hobby sewers and fashion mavens, alike will THRILL to a tour of the ULTIMATE NYC designer fabric store! Without question, Mood Fabrics is the number-one shopping destination for fashion and home fabric in the world; the NYC flagship store greets more than 1,200 customers daily! Named one of “Fashion’s 50 Most Powerful” by The New York Daily News, Mood has “stitched” itself a truly impeccable reputation based on honesty, creativity, and hard work; the company takes great pride in being a family business and true American success story. Avid followers of Project Runway will recall how quickly it became one of the most successful reality shows ever; even non-sewers flock to the three-floor NYC store for a peek at Tim Gunn or Mood mascot, Swatch. What better way to neatly tie off your three-day fashion extravaganza than a visit to Mood Fabrics?!