I find SoHo to be one of the most intriguing neighborhoods in New York City. Everything about and in SoHo screams fashion and art, even the people walking the streets. When given this engagement project, I was excited because it gave me a reason to stroll the streets of SoHo and look at it from another perspective. I went into many clothing stores and cafes, noticing the different vibe that I got by just being in that neighborhood. It’s an environment where there is a sensation to fully express yourself through fashion and art. No one really judges, as they find interest and attraction in how unique one can be.
From what I gathered, the majority of the people wear vintage or high end clothing. But no matter what they wear, almost everyone’s style was different in one way or the other. I found, just like many other people, that there was more to SoHo than just the fashion. As I walked down the streets, what really seemed to appeal to me were the buildings. Personally, I found the architecture more than amazing. The majority of the buildings are cast iron buildings. In the designs of the buildings, it is easily noticeable that the architects must’ve been inspired by classical French and Italian designs.
I chose the clothing store, Brandy Melville, as my fashion of focus. Brandy Melville is a clothing line that has come straight from Italy. Most of their stores are in Italy. Only recently did they start opening up smaller stores in the United States, starting with California. Since the first store location in the United States was in California, the clothing design has more of a beachy-cali look to it, which attracts to more young females. At the same time, it is mixed in with the European- vintage style. I find that the majority of the clothing are on the basic side, with most of the colors ranging in white, grey, and black. There are, however, a few bright pieces that are still on the more basic side. It makes it easy to incorporate such simplistic, yet outstanding pieces into your wardrobe.
I find it interesting that the designers were able to combine their Italian designs with those of California. It makes the clothing line much more appealing, especially since there is still simplicity in the vintage pieces.
