The mural of Andy Warhol on Spring street next to Sant Ambroeus Soho sparked the flame of interest towards Studio 54.

As I researched more, Studio 54 made perfect sense within the project context and provided some very good inspiration that informed my final outcome.

First of all, looking at the fashions worn by partiers at the club was so interesting, going from the exposed and plunging necklines, sparkly fabrics, carefree ensembles, smart tailoring for the men… All of these aspects came to into play with my jacket, going from the open front alluding to the women’s necklines, my fabric choice, the tailoring reminiscent of the men’s jackets…

Studio 54 exudes a feeling of mystery, at least nowadays, since the club does not exist anymore and was transformed into a theatre for Broadway productions. As someone who was born in 1998, I would have loved to attend a party here for one night- mingle amongst artists like Andy Warhol blending with normal people, wear a fun and carefree disco outfit for one night, listen to the amazing tunes, dance the night away, observe the promiscuous behaviors happening in the club like a sociologist taking field notes… The spirit is infectious.

Studio 54 also feels perfect within the context of visiting the rooftop of Le Bain at the Standard Hotel. In NO way is Le Bain Studio 54… But Le Bain is still an important outpost of today’s New York nightlife scene, and it exudes similar traits of promiscuity and late night drama that are associated with any night destination.  The walls by AIKO were such a fun treat (even fitting my color theme), and now I have researched more of her work and I am obsessed. And as always, the space itself is absolutely gorgeous and awe inspiring, with the sweeping views of the city that make you feel like the luckiest person in the city.

I spent my childhood performing all of the children’s roles in New York City Ballet’s Nutcracker as a young student at the School of American Ballet. This was honestly the most magical experience that every little girl dreams of when she goes to see the Nutcracker for the first time (this feeling happened to me, it is what inspired me to audition for SAB)

Hence, being in New York over the holidays always brings these childhood memories back to my mind… the 100+ performances, watching the show from the wings, knowing every step of every piece from the ballet, performing the adult roles in ballet school as I got older… Every ballet dancer can claim that whether we like it or not, The Nutcracker forms a part of our identity.

The costumes from the Waltz of the Flowers felt extremely fitting within the context of my project. The billowy and pleated fabric echoes the pleated silk appliqués that adorn the wrists and neckline of my jacket, and the colors feel perfectly tied to my final outcome and the research I picked up around the city. The performance aspect is also so intriguing to me, seeing how the fabric reacts to different body movements, becoming a performance in itself.

Throughout my street art search in downtown NYC, different shades of dubbed “millennial pink” are extremely prevalent. Is it that artists, cafés, businesses are selecting to use this color due to its high traction on social media? I think yes answers this question to a large percentage.

But I cannot blame these people for this color usage- I personally am extremely attracted to these shades of pink, as pink has been my favorite color since I was little. These lighter shades of pink are not as offensive and in your face as say… a HOT pink from 2002 Juicy Couture tracksuit pants. This pink feels calming, yet bold and fun.

I collected traces of pink all throughout the city, and noticed this to a higher degree once I went through all of my photos; I actually did NOT go purposely searching for the color. The colors spoke to me through my photographic research process.