Center Grove High School students from Greenwood, IN spent four days in New York City exploring the fashion industry — from the Garment District and Fifth Avenue to FIT, Macy’s, and Mood Fabrics — alongside visits to the Met Museum, Ellis Island, the 9/11 Memorial, and other iconic landmarks.
Students attended WindowsWear presentations covering 400 years of New York fashion history, from the origins of the Garment District to Fifth Avenue’s evolution into the world’s premier retail destination. The group walked Fifth Avenue studying the window displays and retail environments of Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Tiffany & Co., Cartier, Coach, Skims, Victoria’s Secret, and more.
The group received a private tour of Macy’s Herald Square hosted by Richard Mitchell, learning about the history of the brand, retail operations, and marketing strategies.
Students visited Mood Fabrics — the Garment District’s iconic fabric showroom known from Project Runway — learning about textile sourcing, fabric selection, and the materials that underpin fashion production.
The group visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art, including the Costume Institute, learning about the history of fashion and costume design across cultures and centuries, and explored Central Park.
The group toured the Fashion Institute of Technology, hosted by Nicole Palmetto from FIT’s Office of Admissions and led by FIT students Julia Howard and Alexia Prada, learning about career paths and degree programs in fashion design, merchandising, and business.
Students explored SoHo‘s cobblestone streets and cast-iron architecture, learning about the neighborhood’s history as a manufacturing district and its transformation into one of the world’s most influential retail destinations, with a stop at the Museum of Ice Cream.
Students crossed New York Harbor to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, learning about the history of immigration and America’s founding ideals.
Additional visits included Grand Central Terminal, Bryant Park, Times Square, and Rockefeller Center, exploring New York’s architectural and cultural landmarks, as well as Dorit Levinstein’s sculptures on Park Avenue and the WindowsWear Museum at Berkeley College, where students explored the history of fashion through window display and visual merchandising.
Students explored the Financial District, visiting the 9/11 Memorial and the Oculus, learning about the history of Lower Manhattan and the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site.
The group was led by teacher Debra Maupin and included students Adele Fry, Adrian Martin, Amelia Valentin, Brooke Maciejcyk, Keira Goins, Laila Deem, Makenzie Lessor, and Sam Allen.
Learn more about WindowsWear educational and student tours in New York City.
