Hey everyone!
Another semester has gone by, and this was the busiest one so far, with 19 credits worth of classes, hours of interning, and weekend after weekend staying at home doing projects and writing papers. Of course, the ever-lasting cold and gloomy weather definitely didn't help. However, I don't remember ever feeling this productive, so I guess it is good that I am always doing things instead of lying around on my couch, even though I would love that every now and then.
Classes this semester went surprisingly well, but I put quite a lot of work into them. I did schedule a few online classes so I could have more free time for myself, but the homework I did for these put me in work mode quite often. I actually like the online classes at LIM College quite a lot. They give you a lot more freedom, but definitely require some time management skills and self-control. I've already planned to take a couple of online classes again next semester, so wish me luck!
My internship at DVF took up a lot of my time. I usually went in two days a week and I definitely learned a lot about the fashion public relations field. I experienced many different aspects of fashion PR at this internship and learned some very valuable lessons. I found out that I like working in this field and I realize this could possibly be a career for me in the future. Internships are all about having new experiences and figuring out what role you want to play in this industry. This will benefit us so much in the future.
It has been such a crazy journey this semester. I can't wait to see what's in store for my junior year! But before that, I am going to have a blast this summer. I will let you all know about the details the next time I write.
Until next time…Xoxo
Aaron
New York is such a small place that there's always a chance you will run into someone you know, or even celebrities. Don't get me wrong, I am not one of those crazy fans running around New York City to look for celebs, but I have met my fair share of them by coincidence. But bumping into this particular celebrity a couple of Saturdays ago has to be one of my coolest adventures so far.
It all started that sunny afternoon. I met up with my old friends who were visiting from Boston. We walked around the city to shop and eat and then we met up with some of their friends for karaoke in Chinatown. It was just past midnight and we were all standing at the corner of Bowery & Doyers, shivering in the freezing weather. It was then that I saw the legendary "Man Repeller," Leandra Medine, walking towards me.
I told myself, "Be calm Aaron, be calm." I was whispering to my friends and trying to explain to them who and how amazing she is. They thought I was joking, but for once I was being serious past midnight.
I understand that Leandra is not a movie star, but she is quite famous among certain groups, especially for fashion-obsessed people like me. Leandra was with her husband and they ended up waiting for a cab across the street. I thought for literally five minutes about whether I should go over to say hello and take a picture with her. I can't believe the socially awkward me waited that long to walk up to her. She smiled at me when I first made eye contact with her but I zoned out right away and then there was two seconds of awkward silence. Eventually I said, "You might think I am crazy but I think I know who you are." "Hi. I'm Leandra," she said while laughing.
We chatted for a couple of minutes and just when I was about to ask Leandra for a picture, I realized that my phone was dead and I thought to myself of course my phone would run out of battery right when I needed it. She told me she liked my jacket and asked me to make her one, to which I casually replied before she hopped in a taxi that I would make her one in a few days.
This was the jacket I was wearing the night I saw her, I got all those patches from eBay and it was just a little DIY project I had always wanted to do.
I was kind of sad that I couldn't get a picture with her, but then I told myself that New York is such a small city, and the chance that I will run into her again is very high. You never know.
In case you don't know who Leandra Medine aka the Man Repeller is, go check out her blog, you are going to love it!
The Man Repeller: http://www.manrepeller.com
Until next time… Xoxo Aaron
Hey everyone! I have an internship that is making this semester both productive and crazy at the same time. Back in early February I interviewed at Diane von Furstenberg. That was my second interview that week, and I was very nervous as usual, but I got an email a few hours after the interview from my now-boss, Ayanna, saying that I got the job!
Now I am one of the public relations interns at Diane von Furstenberg. It is quite surreal going to the Meatpacking District for work. It is such an iconic New York fashionable neighborhood and that’s where their office is located.
The work in the department is quite intense. We are responsible for dressing celebrities, loaning garment samples to publications, and many other tasks. Back in February, I prepared lots of clothes and accessories for my supervisor when she headed to Los Angeles for Oscars week.
Some of my friends had warned me that working in the public relations field is quite intense and busy, but I have slowly begun to think that’s where my passion is. There might be a heavy workload every day, but I love being so productive and I am very interested in communicating with different people, instead of having a job where I just sit in a cubicle from 9 to 5. I am very interested in my supervisor’s daily tasks and hopefully one day I will be able to do this as a career.
Until next time…
Xoxo
Aaron
Hello there! I promised you I was going to tell you all about my classes and school life this semester, so here it is. I am taking quite a lot of classes this spring, and there are a couple of fun ones I would love to give you the inside scoop on.
Menswear is one of the electives I am taking this semester. Everyone keeps saying that it’s so typical for a guy to take the menswear class, but the fact is there are actually a lot of women taking this class with me. It’s quite interesting that the male to female makeup of this class is about 50/50, which is quite unusual here at LIM College.
Professor Cockle, who is teaching the class, is such a cool professor. He had many years of experience in the menswear industry, which makes him the perfect professor for this class. He often tells us stories about when he was traveling all over the world and doing business within the fashion industry. He has been to Hong Kong many times, which makes his stories often relatable for me. Professor Cockle’s humor and wit definitely make this class one of the most fun parts of the semester.
Field trips also show me different aspects of the fashion industry. For one of the visits I went to a mannequin showroom, and to be honest, I hadn’t thought much about how many different varieties of mannequins there are and how important they could actually be in different fields within the industry. This was definitely an eye-opening experience for me in terms of seeing some of the different things happening in the fashion world.
And finally, I just want to kindly let you all know that YES, I am the guy on the cover of the acceptance packet and you will see me all over Instagram if you put in #limcollege
Here it is:
Until next time… Xoxo Aaron
Hey there! I hope everyone is well-rested and had a great Spring Break! This semester has been crazy for me so far, and a lot has happened in the past couple of months. Now please let me catch you up.
First, I went home for Christmas because it was such a long break and I missed my parents a ton! Our family has a tradition of going on a trip together every Christmas and this year was no different. I was the organizer this year so I planned a trip for us to go to a small island called Koh Samui in Thailand. We were there for a week and had a whole villa to ourselves.
I think it’s best to let the pictures do the talking.
It was fun being home but somewhere deep in my mind I wanted to be back in New York. This city just holds some mysterious magic for me and many others. It’s always good to be back, hanging out with friends around the city, doing some shopping, studying fashion, and eating amazing food.
I also celebrated my 20th birthday in early February. My great friends Catie, Eleana and Jemma came over to my place and we had a blast catching up and eating. It was a real cozy and fun night.
I will tell you all about my classes and fashion internship the next time I write. I’d also like to say thanks for all of the positive feedback you guys have for this little blog! I’m glad you all are interested in what’s happening in my crazy life studying fashion in New York City. I can't wait to tell you what’s next!
Until next time…
Xoxo
Aaron
Rainy day in the Meatpacking District
Peace and quiet in Central Park
What an amazing city to study fashion in!
Here are some of my favorite parts of New York City (in Instagram photos). Enjoy!
Please also follow LIM College on Instagram.
Sunny city view from downtown
Some of the best cupcakes in NYC - at Georgetown!
Rainy day on the High Line
Hey there,
Here in New York City you might wonder how we have time to meet with our friends, because we all have very different, busy schedules.
I can definitely tell you that it is not as easy as it was in high school. Back then it was such a close community and everyone saw each other every day. Even if you didn’t have the same classes, you eventually bumped into each other at lunch, soccer practice, etc. I had many friends back then, but there were only a few that were so close that we are still in contact with each other.
In college, it’s harder to see your friends every day, especially with LIM College's non-traditional urban campus, but somehow you do meet people and develop meaningful friendships faster.
Kingsley was one of my roommates when I lived in the residence hall freshman year. We definitely got off on the wrong foot, but when we look back now that's all just funny memories that eventually really bonded us.
We didn’t agree on many things at first, but I was very used to the dorm life by then, so time flew by. We slowly became good friends when the weather got warmer in the spring - all those late night McDonald's runs and other adventures really brought us together. Now we've both moved out of the residence hall, and despite the distance between our apartments, and the differences in our schedules, we may not see each other as often as before but we are still great friends and meet regularly for dinner or some retail therapy.
I met Victoria when I was interning at Chanel. She was the only other intern there and she went to LIM College as well, so we got along right then and there. We saw each other practically every day when we were at the Chanel internship. We talked about everything and anything. Our friendship carried into the next semester, and we had lunch together all the time because we both had class in the LIM Townhouse right before lunchtime. We had so many memories together that when I came back to New York City this year after the summer, she was the first person I saw and I dragged her along on my furniture-hunting. We also went to the Meatpacking District for Fashion’s Night Out. We always have so much fun together.
Great friends don’t come along every day, so I really cherish the friendships I have with all my partners in crime all over the big city.
Xoxo
Aaron
Hey Hey Hey, Christmas is around the corner and that means the semester is over soon! Everyone here in New York City is very excited -- and I am quite anxious to go home for break. This semester studying fashion and business at LIM College was quite an adventure -- moving in to my new apartment in New York City, the crazy weather -- it was all memorable.
Because I have my own kitchen now I cook quite often. I save so much money by not eating out at lunch and whenever else possible, but some of those savings of course end up in my clothing budget eventually.
I am definitely going to get some interesting cookbooks for Christmas so I can change up my cooking next year. As you all know from the previous post, I roasted an 8 pound chicken this Thanksgiving, so I do have some decent skills in the kitchen. Now I am definitely ready to take things up a notch.
Now that I live alone, sometimes I enjoy my alone time a little too much. I guess I am just a homey person like that, but sometimes I feel like I should really should just go out and explore New York City more, as I am living in such an amazing place. The great thing about being at home is that I can do my work on the couch (see photo below) without stress. But no matter what, I do not regret my decisions. After all, those decisions have helped create some of the most astonishing memories while I've been studying the fashion business here in the U.S.
I wish you all a happy holiday and until next time, stay warm and safe.
Now let’s get the party started.
Xoxo
Aaron
Hello there everyone,
I hope all of you had a great Thanksgiving holiday, because I did. I finally roasted a chicken this year! I know it’s supposed to be a turkey but, that would have taken me weeks to finish.
I have experienced quite a few Thanksgivings already, when I went to boarding school, but it was a first to host my own Thanksgiving meal this year. Two of my best friends from high school, Temi and Brittany, stayed with me for a couple of days for the holiday and it was tons of fun cooking, eating and catching up with them.
People often ask me if it's hard to be so far away from home, or they tell me that they would never be able to do that. But usually they don’t know I am from that far away. People have asked me if I am from upstate New York or even New Jersey.
I think that because I have been studying away from home for such a long time that I have really grown into it. But also now I am going to college in New York City, and it is very similar to my home, Hong Kong, as they are both international, world-class metropolitan cities.
Most of the things I want to get from home I can pretty much find here. The food might not be as local as it is back home, but there are enough similarities. In some sense, there are things that I think are better in New York City than back at home. Many more brands have their own boutiques here, and it's much colder here, so I can pull out all of my winter wardrobe pieces as much as I want to, as that is my favorite fashion season.
Although there are times that I just want peace and quiet, and that’s not easy to find in the city. That’s usually the time I wish I was just somewhere in the middle of nowhere in the woods for a day or two, just to clear my mind. After all, New York City is the city that never sleeps and there is just so much to do and to explore here. I am just thankful that I can live in two of the most of the most amazing cities in the world.