Summertime in Seattle is coming to an end, though you wouldn’t believe it given the glorious weather we’re having this week. At Curator, we work with a number of retail clients and as a result have added two seasons to our calendars, back-to-school and holiday. I was feeling a bit nostalgic as we’ve started wrapping our 2013 back-to-school campaign and so I thought it would be fun/entertaining to survey my fellow Curators on their all-time favorite back-to-school supply and fashion must-haves. Personally, I’m a shoe gal. My mom (also a shoe lover) always took my brother and me shoe shopping at the beginning of the school year. One of my favorite selections was a pair of high-top L.A. Gears! They were white, with three sets of laces in black, white and hot pink. Seriously, who really needs three sets of shoelaces? Even better than the laces, though… the black and hot pink flames on the side!

“My must-have back-to-school item was a fresh box of Crayola markers and gel pens in every color you can imagine. Can't forget the gel pens for passing notes in class!” – Noelle

“For me it was Beauty and the Beast everything. From lunchbox to backpack to the video game that didn't have a silent button and would play automatically when sitting in my backpack. Those were the young years but I think from 1st to 12th grade I begged my mom for a new pack of pentel markers. You can't beat a fresh pack with the sharp tips and shiny new carrying case! (I might buy one for my desk now.)” – Brooke

 

"A separate, individual folder and notebook for each subject (no 3-subject notebooks for me), colorful gel pens, a mirror for my locker and new shoes. Bonus… my mom used to label every item (including each marker in the box) with my name or initials!” – Maria

“In 5th grade I was really stoked on my Lisa Frank binder (it had a 3D sparkly circle with water in it) and matched these fabulous folders.” -- Chelsey

“I would also use Abercrombie bags as book covers.” – Chelsey

“My love of school and office supplies goes way back — I could, and can, wander around Staples for hours — so for me, it was all about new stuff for my desk. Even if I had a perfectly usable box of crayons, I needed a new set. There's just nothing like breaking out a fresh crayon for your first big project of the year.” – Paul

“It was all about the sparkle puppy folder and making sure you had a different colored pen for each subject in school.” – Annie

“My favorite school supply was obviously turtlenecks!” – Megan

“I wore a uniform, so jewelry and makeup was one of the only fun ways to personalize your back-to-school look. I was stuck on Revlon Zinc Pink lipstick from about grade 7-10. That frosty pale pink was *the* perfect way to highlight that hard-earned summer tan.” – Ann Marie

 

“I was a bit obsessive compulsive about organization while I was in school, so three-ring binders with labeled dividers were a must. I preferred loose-leaf paper rather than spiral bound notebooks so I could sort my notes by date, topic and importance.” – Matthew

“New shoes. They make you run faster and jump higher. A Trapper Keeper (in elementary school) and a new lunch box, both probably Star Wars themed.” –Dan