successful designers Fashion Industry Jobs Discuss successful designers in the Fashion Media forums; i'm hoping to go to university and do a degree in fashion design. I've been accepted into college to do a year of portfolio building, so that i ...

[miss chanel]

i'm hoping to go to university and do a degree in fashion design. I've been accepted into college to do a year of portfolio building, so that i can get into uni. But my mum just keeps telling me i'm wasting my time. (She's not quite the creative type) I can't help but feel as though she's putting me down because she's stuck doing a job she doesn't like all that much. She was really happy for me when i told her at first, but now every time i mention it she tells me that there's no point because i'll never find a job or make any money. I'll just be wasting 5 or 6 years studying for nothing.
I'm really passionate about this and i know that it's what i want to do. I was just wondering if there's anyone out there who has made it, and how they did it. I know it's going to be extremely difficult, my friend who's just finished her first year in bournemouth just got turned down to do her 2nd year in edinburgh, so i know i have my work cut out for me. But I'm determined to succeed. So if you have any stories, or hints and tips, please post them :]

Thanks!

[Decadenxe]

I wouldn't say I have 'made it' yet as I only graduated from a Fashion Design degree a few months ago but I think you should just let your mum say what she wants and a few years prove her wrong.

I'm confused though, you're going to a college to do portfolio building? Just that? That doesn't sound right to me. Most Fashion Design degrees require you to have some sort of Foundation qualification to be accepted, this is where you will be preparing work for a portfolio for when you apply to University.

I'm really happy with what I have done and achieved so far, I've had internships at Moschino and a major UK brand where they also offered me a job which I couldn't accept as I was still at University... but these things happen a lot...other people in my class went on internships to Alexander McQueen, Ben De Lisi.. many other high fashion brands.

You just need to work really really hard, my degree was 3 years and the class started with 45 people, by the last year, there were only 15 of us left!

The order of my education which is similar to everyone elses in my class was:
College, where I did an AVCE in art and design for 2 years
then a Foundation Diploma which was a year long
..then University.

Do you know what University you want to go to?

[Eden]

Decadenxe, which university did you go to?

I'm probably showing at NZ fashion week this year, but I wouldn't say I've made it until I'm still doing collections in 5 years time.

I don't see the point in doing fashion design at university, really. Unless you want to learn how to construct garments. You can do that without paying all that money, hmmm?

Fashion design is something that comes from the moment. From, well, everything.
Many fashion design students that I've seen who're studying at Uni, or have been through Uni, simply appear to try too hard. It's quite sad.
They're working within abstractions- given that fashion is an abstraction of the moment, and they want to create clothes that look like "fashion"- or their conception of it. In other words: they try and abstract something that's abstracted, and it's not going to be fashion anyway because it's based on the past not the "now".

The design part should be effortless.

In regards to collections, I think there should be one "motif", "theme", or "idea" that's followed through in the entire collection. It's like composing music, no?

HOWEVER, it's important to know about the construction of these clothes you design.
You need to know how to solve problems that occur when the clothes are being made.

End of my little rant. It's important to note that I'm 16 and find designing to be incredibly easy....so I'm strongly biased. Maybe some people don't find it to be too easy. (Also, in NZ it's easier to launch as a designer since it's so small. It's a nice canvas to start on).

[miss chanel]

well it's a course in creative arts i'll be doing at college. I don't have much of a portfolio at the moment, so hopefully it'll help. I'm going to go and do highers and things at nightschool too. Advantage of living in scotland is that i'm funded for all of this and it won't cost me a thing.

And Eden, I want to learn everything there is about fashion design. I can do the design part no problem. But i want to know how to construct and as decadenxe said, it opens doors and brings opportunity for internships and you can build contacts. at the end of the year, my university also puts on shows which is an excellent opportunity to showcase my work. Scotland doesn't have many fashion shows, so I'm thinking of maybe moving down south where there are more opportunities.

And it's Edinburgh College of Art. But I'll go wherever I can if i don't get in there. I'll apply to any university that does it, and see where it leads me!

[Eden]

Oh, and this isn't to say "don't go".

What's right for one person isn't right for another, hm?

[miss chanel]

yeah, i just want to opportunity to learn all that i can. plus some people base things on qualifications, while others go by experience :]

[Eden]

Mm, it sounds like it'd be best if you went if it's the only opportunity you have to showcase your clothes- and that of course leads to contacts.

Go for it!

I base things on talent

[miss chanel]

yeah that's the way i'd do it. But i come from a small town in between edinburgh and glasgow, and the only shows that really go on are charity shows, and they're all by the local councils showcasing new look and stores like that. So i reckon uni is my best bet!

[Decadenxe]

Eden, I went to the University of Westminster. Same place as Vivienne Westwood (although it was a different name at that time!), Christopher Bailey (Burberry), Stuart Vevers, Michael Herz (Aquascutum) and many others who have gone on to work for luxury brands and developed their own.

Eden, I would never have guessed you were 16, ever. You come across very very very mature - in a wonderful way, I like reading your comments, very direct and straight to the point.

The main reason why I wanted to go to University was to learn how to construct garments as I absolutely had no clue about it, the design part I was already doing from when I was a young child, but to be able to design well, you need to understand the fundamental basics of garment construction, and University taught me a lot. However, some of my internships taught me even more, things that I wouldn't have learnt at University.

Also, a lot of fashion jobs require you to have a degree in Fashion so that was a definite necessity but experience is just as important. When I was at University, a fashion agency picked out a couple of us to keep on their files, the Director, (who picked us out based on our portfolios) said he was impressed with my experience so far as my CV/resume covers retail (definitely not for me, I'd go insane folding clothes and serving people), PR (again, not really for me but the experience was enjoyable), Sales, Design, Buying.. and a bit more of the other areas. ..because of the experience, I definitely knew I wanted to do Design.

My Moschino internship wouldn't have been possible if I didn't go to the University I did, because they were already a contact as many post-graduates had gone on to work there and also because my University had a reputable name.

I got a bit annoyed reading the bit about your mother actually, reminded me of a girl in my class at college who was amazing at animation and illustration, but her parents were strict and wanted her to do architecture, which she was good at too, but she wasn't passionate about it. I wonder what she is doing now though.

In the end, I truly believe in job satisfaction, why should I wake up and work hard for something I don't enjoy. How dull!

..sorry for the really really long post!

[miss chanel]

i couldn't agree more! she doesn't think i'll make any money. But money's not important if you love what you do. obviously there has to be enough to get by, but i dont care about making 50k a year or whatever. I just want to be happy, and do what i love! I've got an unconditional place on my creative arts course this year, but my mum keeps telling me not to go, and that i should decline the offer. It's quite upsetting. But tough, it's my life, she's probably just jealous because she never got the chance to follow her dream.