Macy's Flower Show 2020

For the past six years, students on the San Francisco campus of FIDM have had the unique experience of designing and executing displays for the Macy's Flower Show. Each year, we’ve transformed an area into a breathtaking scene based on a theme developed by Macys HQ using mostly recycled materials. 2020 was "Voyage to Oceanum". 

This year was very different however. This year we ended the project as Covid-19 began spreading around the country. We installed the epic scenes the students produced only to find out the following day that Flower Show would be canceled. A couple of days later the stores closed. The designs would have been completed with live plants to breath even more life into the work. 

The installation was also designed to include an activation. Throughout the display participants were encouraged to spot fabric fish. There were three special fish with red star buttons attached. When found, we asked everyone to take a photo, post it to Instagram with the hashtag #MacysXFIDM, and be entered to receive a prize. 

2020 Flower Show Teams: “Coral Queen and Mobiles”: Christian Jouvin, Jordan Gancas, Marie McCarthy, Annelise Nolting. “Bubble Creatures on Star Island”: Danny Do, Victoria Duong, Saffia King, Dolly Xie. “Tidal Queen and Wave”: Edith Garcia, Cat Boozenny, Hannah Brock, Christiana Rodriguez

We were thrilled to be named a finalist in this year’s WindowsWear Student Competition. From the WindowsWear website:

“The WindowsWear 2020 Student Awards reached over 100,000+ people around the world, with 3,000+ submitting their votes! Each voter selected their favorite project per category, and the project with the most votes won! 

Participating schools included Berkeley College, Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM), Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), King Abdulaziz University, Marist College, Marymount University, Parsons School of Design, Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), Seneca College, Sheridan College, University of Minnesota, West Virginia, and many others.”

The Original Man in the Hat, Larry Harvey

Yesterday Larry Harvey, the founder of Burning Man, passed away. In tribute to him I wanted to share the story of the design of the 2013 BRC Map which was inspired by his iconic hat.

I always wanted to embed a game into the Map and I decided 2013 would be the year to pull it off. The theme Larry Harvey chose for Burning Man that year was “Cargo Cult”. As I began doing research and tossing around ideas for the BRC Map, Larry’s iconic Stetson kept coming up for me. Cargo Cults tend to worship objects left behind by travelers. Larry’s hat was one of those symbolic objects. 

My main collaborator in the design of the game was Brent Boe. As we began the game design we developed a story (poetic version included below). In the story the person who held the hat, held the power to lead and we wanted many people to take a turn wearing the hat. For those patient enough to solve all the puzzles, they were led to a special shiny version of the Stetson. The hat was to be worn for a period of time and then returned to its place so that others could take their turn as the wearer of the hat.

While we were in early development of the game, Burning Man Project’s Global Leadership Conference took place. At the conference that year Larry tossed out his hat during his keynote address proclaiming in essence, the hat belonged to everyone, and Larry thought it looked great on everyone who tried it on. This was a completely synchronistic event that made me feel even more confident that we were on the right track with this concept.

Larry, thank you for the hat and all that you inspired while wearing it. We will keep those memories alive always.

STANZAS FOR THE CULT OF THE HAT

== The Man in the Hat ==
The Man in the Hat, Builder, Originator
Seeking a Perfect Workspace, The Man in the Hat found Playa
Smiling in Delight and Exclaiming with Joy
"Here we create freely"

After Seven Days of Building, The Man in the Hat built a shelter
Shelter from the Sun for rest
A Great Wind descended upon the shelter, and Destroyed it

The Man in the Hat rebuilt from the ruins.
Something new, not built before
Skilled Hands of Effort, Perseverance, and Creativity Begot the Man

== Lady Dustmask ==
To glance in her eyes would ignite a spark
And bring forth a flame to conquer the dark
Burn out your false idols, tis no easy task
And so do we turn to Lady Dustmask

The Wind it did howl, the dust it did sting
And Lady Dustmask had the spirit to sing
She stood in her camp, back straight and chest tall
for nothing of hers would break, bend, or fall

A tribute! She sought to make the night bright
Desire expressed, that we might ignite
Destroy all your demons, you might rightly learn
Refreshment of spirit and watch the man burn

=== CoyoteSpider/Trickster ===
I buffoold two-legs skilldidly
At minds time redo laughs, all eyes
You, sly eyes, comprehentionate this
When do the game make move play hand?  Moves it?
Force with rules? Turn eyes backupwards and sly eyes see

All howling chase self to flat dust
Dances wind circles, clouds make, bamfuzzled she
Howls find two legs, now self free
I tricks every-all!

Has trinkets, which time trisksties on self
Moon-time flat dust has fire spot
Two legs has pretties, fun.  Make tricksties, show fun and join
Tricksties builded it, destroyed it, wised the none.
 

Larry Harvey’s Flying Stetson – a true story from the Global Leadership Conference

https://journal.burningman.org/2013/04/global-network/regionals/the-legend-of-larry-harveys-flying-stetson-a-true-story-from-the-global-leadership-conference/