When I was a little girl, I pictured myself being an astronaut, until I realized how much science and math was involved in that, and then I pictured myself being a pediatrician for quite some time. Purely, that was based off of the fact that my mom was in the medical field. I remember when I was in junior high, so like the 7th or 8th grade, we had to take these quizzes that would “decide our future career paths” and we had to make presentations around them. I remember that one of my choices was a fashion designer, and I clearly did not think anything about it.
I feel like when you’re a young girl, all of the room décor offered to you is centered around Paris, France and I just was not about that. I didn’t have dreams about walking around Paris eating macarons and watching the tinkling lights of the Eiffel Tower. I was more drawn into the décor and aesthetic of New York City. The Empire State Building was something that drew me in and was the background of nearly every mobile and digital device I had as a young tween. My junior high took us on an eight grade trip to bustling New York City and as soon as my 12-year-old self crossed into the Lincoln Tunnel, I knew that I was destined to live here one day.
Fast forward nearly seven years later and I made that dream a reality for myself. While studying at Kent for Fashion Merchandising, most people opted for the Florence, Italy to study abroad while I knew in the back of my head that I would have to study in NYC for my minor, Fashion Media, no matter what. As someone who transferred from another school with an entirely different major, I had to hustle to get the necessary classes done for my curriculum at Kent State. After the midst of pandemic times, I knew that I still had to “study abroad” to fulfill my major requirement all while having to studying in NYC for a semester to fulfill my minor requirement. Luckily for me, my college was willing to “double dip” NYC as my study abroad requirement for both my major and my minor.
Suddenly, I was thrust into the decision making process of what classes I would be taking in the city, what neighborhood I was going to live in, what internship I could see myself flourishing in, and was searching high and low for scholarships that would help support this requirement. Meanwhile, in the back of my head, I was nonstop thinking “Holy cow, I get to live out my childhood dream of living, working, and going to school in the greatest city in the world.” NYC has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember and if you ask anyone, then they will tell you that New York City has always been part of the plan for me.
Present day, the summer of 2022 has constantly reminded me of how lucky I am and how proud my 12-year-old self would be of me. I never imagined that I would end up in the fashion merchandising field at a school that is ranked third in the nation. Hell, I started out my college career in 2016 at Ohio University studying Journalism where I thought I was going to end up being a writer for Saturday Night Live. Throughout my college years, I realized that my true passion was fashion, with the help of multiple retail jobs, and I knew that I wanted to end up on the corporate side of retail. I have learned so much throughout my years in retail and endured a ton of learning, determination, and transition while being a full-time retail manager while being in fashion school full-time.
If you were to ask my 12-year-old self “Madeline, where do you picture yourself in ten years?” I quite frankly would have never told you that I would be living in NYC, interning at Marchesa Fashion, and be finishing out my fashion merchandising degree in NYC. It has honestly been a crazy ride and I often catch myself feeling moments of imposter syndrome while I’m in the city. On one of my first days at my internship I had to enter into a file that a dress was “cerulean blue” and it sent chills up my spine. The Devil Wears Prada has been one of my favorite movies since I was a little girl and if I were to know that in the future, I would be working with cerulean blue dresses and having all of the beautiful, fascinating moments as an intern in the fashion industry, I truly would not have believed you. I feel like I'm walking into a dream every time I set foot into the building on 8th Avenue where Marchesa is and the fact that I get to work with stunning luxury gowns everyday is a feeling I don't think I will ever get over.
I feel so grateful to be finishing out my degree in the city I’ve always dreamed of and having class consist of going to the Hermes Flagship store, wandering around The Lexicon of Fashion at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, or getting an inside tour of the NY Embroidery Studio. As I walk around the city admiring spots that I grew up seeing in iconic tv shows and movies, I feel like I have done my younger self a favor. I don’t think she would have ever envisioned us actually doing the damn thing and finally living here (even if it’s just for the summer) but I know that my 12-year-old self and my current, almost 24-year-old self, are nothing short of proud. This has been an amazing journey for myself and is something I will carry on with me for the rest of my life. It’s cheesy to say that dreams do come true but when all of my family and friends back home tell me “Madeline, you are finally living out your dream of being in NYC”, it is truly something special.
Commentaires