I cannot believe that I only have three weeks left here in Florence! Once daylight savings time happens and the sun starts to set at four, the days just seem to fly by.  The month of November just came and went.  It feel like just yesterday that it was Halloween, and now it is already December.  This past month has been so busy for me and unfortunately I have been sick for most of it! However, I didn’t let my cold stop me from doing all that November had to offer. My internship was in full swing and I have had amazing opportunities that I will cherish and remember for the rest of my life.  I work at La Gare 24, an upscale boutique that sells merchandise which is handmade in small tailor shops around Florence.  I work under a man named Brian Brogi and I am grateful for how much he allows me to do in the boutique.  He has put me in charge of changing the window displays and has allowed me to participate in buying meetings.  I have also got the opportunity to work with a fashion stylist here in Florence.  The shoot I got to work on was for a company called Pop Shoes and we shot their ad campaign in Pisa where we had to outfit 22 young women!

The month of November has primarily been focused on my internship and I have worked a lot of hours! in addition to all the great experience I have had with my internship, I have also had some wonderful projects in my classes.  For my fashion marketing class we went to Milan to visit flagship stores and understand the importance of the retail experience that these stores offer to their customers.

My favorite part was getting to see 10 Corso Como, a store that people will travel to Milan to just to shop at.  The clothes were some of the most beautiful I have ever seen, and the setup of the store was absolutely phenomenal.

I have also had some wonderful opportunities in my fashion photography class.  In the last two weeks we have done two photo shoots for two different company’s ad campaigns. In addition to these shoots, my teacher asked me to style a photo shoot that he was doing of Susan Nevelson.  Susan Nevelson is an artist that did all the prints for Ken Scott whose designs were worn by such icons as Jackie Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn, and Bridget Bardot. Now that was cool to say I did that! Susan Nevelson is 88 years old and she is beyond fabulous.

I am so thankful for all the opportunities I have had and I am so grateful for all that I have learned here in Florence.  This is the most beautiful city and it has changed me in so many amazing ways.  I am terribly sad that my time here is coming to an end, but I am excited to continue my personal journey and see what life has in store for me after Florence.

– Hannah, Colorado State University