University of Kentucky students in the School of Human Environmental Sciences recently received first hand knowledge from the best and brightest in their future careers as they attended Fashion Week in New York City.

Merchandising, apparel and textiles students along with Professors Elizabeth Easter and Scarlett Wesley spent five days in New York City studying the many sectors of the fashion industry. The students were members of Easter's MAT 480 class, which travels to New York City each year.

"It gives them exposure to career opportunities they may not have thought of or been exposed to before," Easter said.

During their trip, the group attended seminars, visited various sectors of the fashion industry and attended fashion shows in Bryant Park. They visited the flagship stores of Niketown, Abercrombie & Fitch, Kate Spade and Jovani, the world's top prom dress designer. They also took a walking tour of the city where they studied, compared and discussed store layouts and window displays. Unique to this year's trip, they attended an exhibit that celebrated Barbie's 50th anniversary at Bloomingdales.

Not only did the students visit many of the country's fashion powerhouses, but they also talked with many industry professionals and learned about internship possibilities in New York City. Several students in previous classes acquired internships as a result of the connections they made during the study tour.

"It's a great opportunity for them to see and talk with people in the industry that they may not have the opportunity to otherwise," Wesley said.

The students will write a research paper on one of the companies they visited and compose a professional journal based on their experiences.