Max Meyer: A Hidden History

Name: Sarah Stein

Major: Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing ’21 The Pivot: Can’t go to the lab for “Fragrance Knowledge” class? Check this out. Stein, president of the student-run Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing Association club, discovered how to increase participation in virtual group meetings.

Does Rockland County, New York, where you live, feel like FIT?

I set up an offi ce in my basement because it was too distracting to take classes in my room. This fall, I’m used to it, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss being in school.

You’re taking the “Fragrance Knowledge” class. Outside of a lab, how does that work?

Our professor, Virginia Bonofiglio [chair of Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing], worked with suppliers to send us kits with 36 diff erent raw materials—naturals and synthetics— in little vessels [lower right]. I got a pocket scale. Each week I follow the formula sheets to create fragrances. There are pipettes, and a stand for blotters to tag everything. Honestly? At this point it just feels normal to me.

You’re the president of the CFMA Club. What’s it been like this semester?

We’ve had great success with Google Meet. We have like 25 to 40 people each week. I can record sessions so students who can’t make it don’t have to miss out. We’ve had guest speakers, including the cofounders of Fempower Beauty, a budding brand focused on activism and self-empowerment. One of them, Alexis Androulakis, is an alumna.

Have you done any virtual workshops?

We couldn’t send members raw materials, so we did one on lip scrubs you can make with ordinary items in your home: sugar, honey—or vegan alternatives—and any type of oil. I used olive oil. It was cool to see everyone on camera, doing the mixing. We’re industry-focused, so we took care to connect this activity to the self-care and wellness industries. They’ve skyrocketed during this time.

Final plans for the end of your tenure as president?

We’re bringing back Alexis from Fempower. We’ll encourage everyone to bring their own lipsticks and show them how a developer evaluates product.

BUSINESS AS

(UN)USUAL

Is that, like, a thing?

It’s kind of a thing, but no one is making ones like mine. I use Photoshop and Illustrator. I make jewelry, stickers, decor, and photo lockets. We started selling custom face masks because people need masks. To date I’ve made over 300 sales, some of multiple items.

Do you feel like you’re missing out on the college experience?

The college experience is diff erent for everyone. Some people like a large college, and some want to be in a class with five other people. For us, right now, the ideal college experience is online, where we can all be safe and learning to the best of our ability.

Name: Juliana Gonzalez-Rivas Major: Communication Design AAS ’22 The Pivot: Gonzalez-Rivas is at risk for complications from COVID-19, so she’s glad to be home; plus, virtual education means she doesn’t have to commute. She has used the time saved to develop Liana Rivas Designs, her Etsy business.

What’s it like to attend your first year of FIT virtually?

It was a very smooth transition. My teachers replicate in-person classes so completely, I’m not missing anything. I’m so impressed.

But isn’t it harder to learn something over the internet?

Learning virtually has been easy, actually easier D-printed items in some ways. We can get 3 mailed to us for CAD design. We share and get critiques on class calls, and if there’s a problem, the professor can show us how to fix it in real time. There are no learning barriers.

Do you wish you could see your classmates in person?

I’m glad I’m not on campus because I am at high risk for complications if I get COVID-19. We have a group chat for our major, so we’re in contact with one another. I definitely feel like I’ve made friends. Plus, virtual classes level the playing field. I don’t have to travel, and I have more time for my business.

Tell me about Liana Rivas Designs, which you organized on Etsy.

Last year, a friend had to wear this uncool M&M costume for her job, so I made her a pair of M&M earrings. I’ve always been in love with crafts, but I never tried to sell them. She insisted on paying, and I thought, Hmm . My first items were person- alized photo Rubik’s cubes.

If history is a living document, it was never more alive than in 2020. A global pandemic raged, George Floyd’s killing ignited a national reckoning with racism, and households worldwide adapted to surreal new routines marked by physical isolation and virtual connection. We awoke each morning, fearful of what the news might bring. Alumni, student, and faculty photographers captured each riveting moment.

Their remarkable images, many of which were published in leading magazines and newspapers, demonstrate the extraordinary artistic vision cultivated in FIT’s Photography program. Student Maiya Imani Wright’s image at left reveals the passion and grief of a Black Lives Matter protester; other images depict anti-mask demonstrations, the once-bustling Oculus in Lower Manhattan devoid of life, and a Queens funeral home, suddenly inundated. Taken together, the photographs in these pages tell the story of our year, one of turmoil, desperation, bravery, and defiance. —Jonathan Vatner

MAIYA IMANI WRIGHT ’21

Documenting a protest in Foley Square in Lower Manhattan on May 29, Imani Wright was moved by this unknown protester’s tear. “The one teardrop that is falling from their face expresses how the majority of the world is feeling,” she says.