Month: June 2024

My Home Away From Home: The Florence Vintage Market

written by Kyla Pehr for Special Project: Experiential Learning in Journalism

As a study abroad student, I am constantly looking for activities that both cater to my interests and will help in immersing me with the Florentine culture. So, when one of my roommates found a vintage market taking place inside a beautiful, historic building while scrolling through TikTok, I was hooked.

The Florence Vintage Market, which took place May 17 to May 19 , was held in the Palazzo Corsini sul Lungarno. The event takes place twice a year — in spring and autumn — and sells vintage women’s and men’s clothing, accessories, and home items to raise money for “seriously ill people and their families,” according to the website.

I nervously entered the building after making my way to the Palazzo Corsini. It was dimly lit, and yet, a feast for the senses. I meandered through sprawling hallways littered with racks and racks of vintage textiles. People bustled in and out of each room, chattering with one another, prizes in hand. Piles of clothes filled crevices where racks could not fit, organized mess juxtaposing with the ornate ceiling, adorned in sculptures and paintings reminiscent of the Florentine Baroque style I have observed in other locations across the city. The smell of the antique items hit me almost immediately; sweet, sour, oily, herbal. I relished in it.

I have long been a fan of buying secondhand, not only for the environmental impact but also for the excitement of making something old new again. I take great joy in the idea that I am giving something that was once loved by another a new life, a new light. Maybe this is my Textile & Apparel Management (fashion, basically) minor speaking, or maybe I am just enthralled by the bridge across time that vintage items provide. Regardless, it is not uncommon for me to attend events much like this one with my loved ones in my home country, where I experience similar sights, sounds, and smells and leave with a barrage of repurposed articles in tow.

The latest edition of the vintage market saw 70.000 euros raised, according to the website. This made me smile to myself; I felt proud that I could be a part of something so important, giving back to the community that has already given me so much in my short time here. I look forward to seeing how much would be raised this time around.

After making my purchase — a black tie-front top with a v-neck and beaded details along the sides — I approached the exit, or at least, what I thought was the exit. A man stood in front of the door, arms crossed. Quickly I was shooed away, left to wander the racks for a while longer, taking in my last moments of the vintage market. I found another door, unguarded, and stepped outside, momentarily blinding myself with the abrupt shift in light.

Ciao, Palazzo Corsini. Until next time.

Lived Moments

written by Valerie Tiscareno for Special Project: Experiential Learning in Journalism

This is a collection of photos showcasing places, things, and experiences that I would have liked to share with my dear friend who passed away in January. He passed away pursuing what he loved: photography. He was 19 years old when the accident happened, 4 months away from his 20th birthday.

We had always talked about the adventures we would go on as photographers. Our aspirations of working for National Geographic, traveling the world and seeing what it had to offer. I had told him my story of giving up my Quinceanera in order to travel in Europe.

I remember one of my last calls with him. I had told him I was finally going to Europe. I remember seeing his smile for one last time. The way his mouth curled up and the indents on his cheeks. That call felt like we were both going towards the path we had both talked about.

Here now, I am filled with memories of him, of things I wished to tell him. This collection of photos are my last adventure with him.

These photos were shot either how I think he would have taken them, or as photos I would have been excited to share with him. These all have been shot on the camera I met him with.

I remember him meeting me and the first thing we bonded about was photography. The next weekend he drove 4 hours to be able to take photos with me. I remember he thought my camera was a film camera and the disappointment on his face when I told him it was a digital camera.

This project is a reflection on the experiences we take for granted as living, but even more so, as lived moments. I challenge viewers not to think about the personal stylization or the absence of people; rather, look closer at how we as people decide to live our lives.