Advanstar

My name is Alexa Florio and I’m a Senior Graphic Design Major here at MICA. This past summer I was an Intern at Advanstar Fashion Group. Advanstar provides a powerful assortment of resources for the worldwide fashion industry. Advanstar hosts the worlds most comprehensive apparel, footwear, and accessories fashion retail tradeshows, Project New York, Project Las Vegas, and Magic Market Week. My uncle works with Advanstar and connected me with their Creative/Marketing Director Laila Schmutzler. I worked closely with Laila as well as the two in house Graphic Designers Joseph Cerutti and Amanda Rios to produce sales collateral, logos, exhibition collateral, web design and development, e newsletters, as well as brainstorming projects and marketing strategies. 

Most of my work at Advanstar was for Project New York, which I was able to attend in July. I assisted in designing advertisements, e mail blasts and signage surrounding the event, and was then able to attend the event to see all of my hard work in action! As I entered Pier 94 the morning of the opening day I was immediately greeted by the full scale beach scene and enormous “PROJECT” logo which I helped produce. The venue looked beautiful, and I was so proud to be a part of the excitement for the three days that I worked the event. The most important thing I am taking away from the experience is some real world experience working with professional designers as well as working with professionals from numerous other departments within the Advanstar offices. This experience has secured my confidence as a Graphic Designer and excites me to enter the real world as a young professional. I plan to stay in touch with all of the amazing people I met at Advanstar and ask for their input as I continue to narrow down my career path. I would love to work in the fashion Industry and I am excited to see what the future has in store for me!