Volume 137, Issue 8
BY KHIAECIA KEY
Contributing Writer
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Durand Guion breezes into the classroom every Tuesday night, promptly at 6:30 p.m. He is always impeccably dressed in well-tailored clothing softened by a personal flair best described as a testament to masculine chic. His day job is, after all, Fashion Director for Menswear at Macy’s West.
“When people find out that I am enrolled in the Fashion Merchandising program at City College of San Francisco, they inevitably ask ‘Why not another school?’” Guion said. “I always explain that I couldn’t get a better education for the value.”
City College boasts a roster of highly experienced professionals as instructors and Guion is no exception. As a former student who earned his associate’s degree in Fashion Merchandising and Marketing, Guion brings a unique experience to the classroom. Shortly after completing his studies at City College, Guion returned to the school, but this time he was on the other side of the desk. That was 15 years ago. Now Guion is teaching Visual Merchandising, Fashion Merchandising and a new course, Fashion Forecasting.
As Fashion Director for Menswear for Macy’s West, Guion describes his responsibilities as determining the trend, color and silhouette direction of the company’s menswear departments in several states. He also influences anything related to the company’s fashion image whether it be store windows or events. “The biggest perk of any job is that if you have determined what you are passionate about and you are able to a living at it, that is clearly by far, the biggest plus,” he said.
The passion that Guion has for his work, both at Macy’s and City College, is apparent.
At Macy’s West, he must anticipate the needs and desires of customers far in advance to insure that the merchandise they desire will be in the stores when they need it. Guion describes fashion instruction as challenging. “A lot of students think that Fashion Studies are fun and easy and [involve] a lot of playing with clothes, and that’s it,” he said. “So preparing them for the analytical aspects and the communication aspects is a challenge.”
Guion’s success as the guide and advisor that he strives to be is measured best by the sentiment of his students. On the first evening of his Fashion Forecasting class, he asked each student why they were taking the course. Many repeated the same answer, “Because you are teaching it.”
BY MARK FOLKMAN
Editor
Look at our Photo Essay!
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On November 6, the North Gym dance studio sprang to life in a whirlwind of color, sound and movement. City College's swing, folk and ballroom dance teams, along with Stanford's Cardinal Whirlwinds, The Swing City Dance Company, Kaiaulu, and Nora Dinzelbacher's Tango Team combined forces to present the Folk and Ballroom dance concert. Blending traditional and modern dance styles, the performances went back in time and traveled across the globe to represent the diversity City College is known for. It began with the CCSF folk dance team, getting everyone's attention with a foot-stomping Mexican square dance. The swing dancers showed their skills and excited the room with their big band style music, classic 1920s dress and tricky Lindy Hop moves. The pace slowed down with jazzy Norah Jones hits and a romantic tango for two. Other highlights included the ornate dances of Hawaii and Eastern Europe. After the show, the exuberant audience joined in the action and danced to live music by Vecernica, playing polkas, waltzes, and swing.