23rd November 2010.

Times Square

Day 2

Today In a small group I made my way to the Guggenheim on foot, stumbling across Times Square, the heart of New York City. The buildings were once again overwhelming, not only in numbers but in height, when you gazed up to admire the city, it was often hard to find a patch of blue sky. Advertisements were plastered across every building, ranging from TV screens advertising movie previews, billboards advertising broadway productions, flashing lights advertising products to giant flashing chocolate bars, advertising confectionary. I had never truly experienced a city until I experienced Times Square. There were masses of people on foot, all in a hurry and all in black, I was surprised to see that The fashion students on this tour were the only people in Times Square wearing anything quirky, or wearing colour.

Fifth Avenue

On my venture to the Guggenheim, through Times Square we found ourselves patrolling up Fifth Avenue starry eyed. Fifth Avenue is where you will locate the high end fashion department stores, outlets and boutiques. Gliding past such stores, I was most enchanted with the window displays at department store, SAKS (SAKS ON FIFTH AV). The clothes were displayed amongst moving mannequins, props and sets which each felt as though they told a story. With a cue designed just to enclose the masses of people viewing the window displays, I was inspired by the interaction the clothing was having with those who were simply walking past the department store, and who 9 times out of 10 stopped to become one in that cue and take a closer glance. I was inspired into thinking of a different design approach. If i were to write a story, design a set and then design a garment that would have the power to tell this story in one frame, as if it were to be designed to be displayed, a costume within a tale. The designed garment would then be a story in itself.

Central Park

Fifth Avenue meets Central Park, an iconic New York landmark that i was anxious to venture within. As I had imagined, there were horse and carriages lined up within the park, there were buskers and performers pulling in small crowds and there were homeless people lounging on the park benches, but what i never had imagined was that there would be a Seal in the middle of Central Park or a zoo for that fact.

Guggenheim

Through Central Park and many blocks later, I finally came across the Guggenheim where the rest of the group were waiting. I was unable to take photos of any of the art work that was displayed in the Guggenheim today, but I did snap a shot of the internal structure of the building. Each level flowed through to the next, which took my attention more so than the art. The structure reminded me of a sea shell that you often find crabs inhabited within, they swirl up, however the Guggenheim did not swirl into a point, it did come to an amazing round ceiling window. I was inspired by the idea that many art works reside within a piece of art, the Guggenheim itself.

Times Square

The bright lights had me fixated during the day, so I was eager to see what Times Square was like in the darkness of the night. The atmosphere was electric, the brightness of the lights only made the city seem that much bigger.