University of Fashion Blog

Category "Fashion School"

UNIVERSITY OF FASHION COMING ATTRACTIONS 2023

 

fashion illustration of pants

UoF’s upcoming pant-drafting lessons  (Illustration credit: Steven Broadway)

You asked and we’re delivering. For the past two years we have been collecting your requests for certain new lessons. We’ve heard from teachers, students, schools, libraries, associations and individual subscribers. We compiled a list of the most requested lessons and set out to film them, specifically, drafting pants, jumpsuits, cut & sew knits, coats and cape, 3D design and of course, draping. We’ve been hard at work – planning, scripting, filming and are in the process of editing over 50 new lessons to be added to our existing library of over 500 fashion educational videos.

We’d like to give you a sneak of what you can expect in 2023, but before we do…remember…you only have 3 more days to take advantage of our once-yearly discount offer of $40 off a yearly subscription (was $189/now $149 – using promo code WIN1 ) and/or $5 off the first month of a monthly subscription (was $19.95/now $14.95 – using  promo code WIN2). Sign yourself up (you’re worth it!) OR how about a unique gift for that special fashionista in your life?

To get in on the the discount click this link to get started: https://www.universityoffashion.com/holiday-offer/ Remember this offer expires 1/1/23 and doesn’t happen again until next year. Really!

 

PANT & TROUSER LESSONS

Among the many requests we received from our fans were for more trouser and pants lessons, so we filmed: how to draft bell bottoms, palazzo pants (both gathered and flat waisted), a culotte, a pleated trouser and a jumpsuit.

 

UoF’s upcoming pant drafting series-Gathered Waist Palazzo Pant & Culotte (Illustration credit: Steven Broadway)

 

CUT & SEW KNIT LESSONS

Included in the new batch of lessons that we’ll be rolling out throughout 2023 are a series of cut & sew knit-drafting lessons, starting with learning how to draft a fitted T-shirt from measurements. This knit sloper will become the foundation for many of your future knit designs. We also added a lesson on how to turn the sloper into a unitard/catsuit.

Our subscribers have also asked us for a lesson on how to draft an easy T-shirt from measurements and so we filmed: Drafting a Relaxed Fit T-shirt (with 2 different necklines: a crew neck and a cross-over V-neck).

KNIT NECKLINE LESSONS

What started out as a request for a lesson on how to draft a hoodie, turned into an entire knit neckline series e’ve also created a series on how to draft a variety knit necklines, using the fitted T-shirt sloper as the foundation. We’ve created 17 neckline lessons all together. Here’s a sample:

(Three of 17 upcoming neckline-drafting lesson series: Off Shoulder Gathered Cuff  – Hoodie – Surplice Wrap)

 

COAT & CAPE LESSONS 

We’ve had many requests for lined coats, so we filmed: how to draft a wrap coat and a hooded cape.

(UoF’s upcoming wrap coat & cape lessons – Illustrations by Steven Broadway)

 

ADVANCED DRAPING LESSONS

Our subscribers absolutely love our draping lessons. And so, we’ve combined several new details, such as how to draft multi-tiered flounces, fit and flare princess-seamed dresses and how to create a handkerchief hem. We hope you enjoy these lessons. They can work for day or evening depending on the fabric you choose.

UoF’s Multi-tiered Flounce Dress (Illustrated by Steven Broadway & Handkerchief Hem Dress – (Illustrated by  Miguel Angel Reyes)

 

3D DESIGN SOFTWARE LESSONS: BROWZWEAR & CLO 3D

We’ll continue to add additional Browzwear 3D design lessons and will introduce a new CLO 3D series.

Stay tuned for these and other lessons throughout 2023. Hope you’re as excited as we are!

GOT THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT? LOOKING FOR THAT LAST MINUTE GIFT?

Five days until Christmas, the clock is ticking and suddenly you remember that you forgot someone on your Christmas gift list. OMG!

It’s too late now to order from Amazon, so what are you going to do? Solution…give a unique gift certificate to the world’s largest fashion education video library!

Our once-yearly sale expires 1/1/23 and so there’s still time to get in on our discount.

Get a yearly subscription for $40 off (was $189/now$149) or $5 off the first month of a monthly subscription (was $19.95/now$14.95). Click here to made it happen: https://www.universityoffashion.com/holiday-offer/

If you are already a University of Fashion monthly subscriber or free member, just log in as usual and look on your left for one or more “Upgrade” offers equivalent to the above! Remember, all subscriptions gives unlimited access to every lesson on our entire website, that’s 500+ lessons!

 

WHY UNIVERSITY OF FASHION?

University of Fashion Home Page

University of Fashion has over 500 fashion education video tutorials, taught by fashion profs and industry pros, that both educate and entertain. We have 13 different disciplines to learn from: draping, pattern making, sewing, fashion art, CAD fashion art, CAD pattern making, menswear, knits, childrenswear, accessories, product development, and a fashion business section that encompasses retailing, merchandising, visual merchandising, branding & licensing,  as well as a lecture series that encompasses textiles, color theory, trend forecasting and lots more. Whether you’re interested in a fashion career, or perfecting your existing skills, or just ‘fashion curious’ – a gift certificate to UoF is THE most unique gift you can give.

Need some convincing? Read some of our testimonials:

“The University of Fashion Online is the most valuable tool that I found in relation to Fashion. It is a complement to my education. It is well structured and very complete. I am grateful to Francesa Sterlacci for having created it. I am also grateful to her Team for their contributions and great effort to put it all together. I love it! it is fascinating. I highly recommend it.” Espie Egger – UoF Subscriber – Switzerland

I was lagging behind in class and didn’t remember all the lessons my professor taught, so I went to the demos on University of Fashion for help. Thanks to the great demos I received a really good grade on the project! ” Chanica Pitaksakorn – Fashion Institute of Technology, Student

Everyone in the fashion industry, whether a student, a hobby aficionado or a professional should have a great resource for reference and support. University of Fashion provides the “how to” at every level for the first timers or just a refresher for the experts. A must have asset.”  Saul Kapilivsky Miami International University of Art & Design, Professor

“I have been teaching middle and high school for over 30 years and today I stand in awe of this amazing fashion tool. The University of Fashion video series is simply too good to be true. Every video is factual and correct. As I watch each video, I say; this is exactly how I teach this. The plus for me is that I do not need to do a demo over and over again before students get it. They can just watch these videos and also broaden their skills even beyond my knowledge. I am so grateful to be introduced to the University of Fashion.”  Callie Melton – Fashion Design Services Instructor/A.P.P.S Chair/FCCLA Advisor/Fort Lauderdale High School

 

DID YOU KNOW THAT WE ALSO HAVE COMPANION BOOKS AVAILABLE?

University of Fashion Book Series: Techniques for Beginners: Draping, Pattern Making & Sewing (Available everywhere)

Our book series was designed to complement our beginner draping, pattern making and sewing video lessons. Each book contains additional information to help with the learning process and they are another a great gift idea! Read some of our Amazon ratings:

DRAPING BOOK TESTIMONIALS 

 

draping book testimonial

draping book testimonialDRAPING BOOK TESTIMONIAL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PATTERN MAKING BOOK TESTIMONIALS 

Patternmaking book testimonial

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SEWING BOOK TESTIMONIALS 

 

 

And for that fashion history buff on your Christmas list, why not get them our founder’s book, Historical Dictionary of the Fashion Industry?

Historical Dictionary of the Fashion Industry book

Historical Dictionary of the Fashion Industry Second Edition

OTHER UOF PERKS

In addition to our 500+ video lesson library you will also be able to access our Resources library consisting of a fashion terminology A-Z, design tools, a marketplace, fashion books, magazines & blog info and a list of fashion schools and fashion museums. You will also gain access to our free croquis templates:

So treat yourself to a UoF subscription or give it as a gift OR why not do both?

CALLING ALL TEACHERS  STUDENTS & SCHOOLS

school' out

Welcome Back! We hope you had a fun summer and are excited about your new school term. It’s time to buckle down, crack the books, and meet those project deadlines. If you’re a high school or college aspiring fashion design or fashion business student or teacher, we ARE your NEW best friend.

We have has over 500 lessons in 13 different disciplines from beginner to advanced to help you get through your academic term. As a UoF subscriber, you can access all of our lessons morning, noon and night, and as many times as you want. Now that’s what I call a tutor!

To help get you started, we’re offering $5 off the first month of an individual recurring monthly subscription (was $19.95 – now $14.95). Use promo code: NEW. And for $20 off an individual yearly subscription (was $189 now $169) use promo code: SCHOOL. Move fast, these offers expire on Oct 30, 2022.

HOW WE HELP FACULTY

Just this week we heard from two fashion college faculty members, at a top New York fashion school, whose teaching schedules changed at the last minute. University of Fashion to the rescue. One needed to brush up on her draping skills, the other on her drafting skills, so…they became UoF subscribers and called to thank us. Whew, that was close.

girl costing a garment

 

Another teacher at an LA fashion school needed to brush up on her retail math, merchandising and marketing skills and she too became a subscriber. Our business videos, in fact all of our videos, are taught by fashion college professors and industry professionals, so the information is top notch and current.

A teacher who teaches visual merchandising at a fashion college in Florida told us that he’ll be using our visual merchandising series as a supplement to the current curriculum in his hybrid classroom. Ever since COVID, many more teachers have embraced online learning and are including us in their lesson plans. Wohoo!

HOW WE HELP STUDENTS

student measuring neckline

We especially love helping design students. For many it’s the first time they’ve had to calculate inches and centimeters, which is why our lesson entitled How to Read a Ruler is SO popular. When frustration sets in, because an instructor moves too fast during a demo causing the student to fall behind, we are here for them. In the privacy of their own home, students (and teachers) can watch and rewind a lesson until it sinks in. Whether it’s a sewing, draping, drawing or drafting lesson, we’ve got you covered. Oh, and did you know that we also answer any and all of your questions within 24 hours via our Customer Service link? At UoF, our teachers want you to succeed.

HOW SCHOOLS CAN SUBSCRIBE

If you are a teacher at a high school or college and would like your school to have a free 30-day all access trial, reach out to us via CS@universityoffashion.com. Once your first time 30-day free trial is up, your school will be able to take  advantage of our school/group subscription discount. It’s always cheaper by the dozen, right?

OUR NEW CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

Alas! All University of Fashion paid subscribers can now receive a Certificate of Completion for any and all completed lessons and lectures. You can track your individual progress toward earning a certificate by clicking on the ‘My Learning’ tab on the left side of your ‘Account Page’ and then you can print them out.

Why is earning a certificate important? In addition to learning something new and having proof of your hard work, you can also impress you employer, your teacher and your clients. You can also add your certificates to your portfolio, alongside images of your work. And, by the way, the certificates are FREE!

 

ABOUT UNIVERSITY OF FASHION & IT’S FOUNDER

University of Fashion founder: Francesca Sterlacci

University of Fashion was founded in 2008 by Francesca Sterlacci, a former professor and chairperson at the Fashion Institute of Technology and a graduate level instructor at the Academy of Art University San Francisco. She spent 18 years in academe and 10 years as a designer in her high-end eponymous fashion brand. Francesca has written three certificate programs while at FIT and is the author of several books: Leather Fashion Design, Draping Techniques for Beginners, Pattern making Techniques for Beginners, Sewing Techniques for Beginners and co-author of the Historical Dictionary of the Fashion Industry.

University of Fashion provides professionally produced fashion educational video content to schools, libraries, groups & associations, as well as individual subscription memberships. UoF offers 500 beginner, intermediate and advanced lessons in 13 different disciplines; draping, pattern making, sewing, fashion art, CAD fashion art, digital pattern making, 3D design, menswear, childrenswear, knitwear, accessories, production development and fashion business, in addition to lectures on color theory, textile design, costume history, trend forecasting, sustainable design, influencer marketing, fashion law, and other industry relevant topics. Teachers use UoF to upgrade their skills and as supplemental materials in their hybrid classrooms.

UoF has a robust social media presence. Are you looking to get your name out there? Hoping to land that dream job? Why not post your work on Instagram to #uofprojects. We’ll reward the best projects with a free one year subscription to UoF. So get going!

 

Custom Collaborative’s Designer-preuners Strut Their Stuff

- - Fashion School

Founded in 2015, Custom Collaborative is a New York City-based entrepreneurship and workforce development program that trains and empowers low-income and immigrant women of color to start careers in sustainable fashion.

In February 2020, University of Fashion partnered with Custom Collaborative by gifting full access to the UoF fashion education content library. Since then, Custom Collaborative’s fashion-preneurs have expressed their appreciation to us in both words and deeds.

Thank you for giving me the chance of membership and scholarship to increase my skill and to take a step forward in my life to support myself.”  ~ Kulwant Kaur

I would personally like to thank you for this amazing opportunity to participate in the University of Fashion.  I’m so excited and grateful for your generous gift.  I’ll give a 💯 and the best of abilities. Thank you for the beautiful blessings” ~ Regina Madison

It is an honor to be chosen for the University of Fashion scholarship. 

 I am truly grateful for this opportunity. This scholarship allows me to focus on my studies and additional work opportunities. Thank you for your support.” ~ María Isabel Espinoza

I never knew about this amazing opportunity until Custom Collaborative a few Wednesdays ago. I have been so hungry to learn more about garment construction and I am thankful to you for founding University of Fashion so I can learn and be exposed to much more. Thank You.” ~ Analisa Charles

University of Fashion’s mission, since its inception in 2008, has been ‘to preserve the art & craft of fashion design’. We have since added to that mission: ‘to support a return to domestic production, the fair and ethical treatment of workers and the promotion of sustainable design practices’. Therefore, in 2020, a perfect match was made between UoF and Custom Collaborative. According to Executive Director Ngozi Okaro, much of the fashion industry’s production in the U.S. is done by immigrants for low wages. According to the California Bureau of Labor Statistics, 71% of Los Angeles’ ‘cut & cut’ labor force are immigrants – many undocumented, with limited options for work. Knowing the benefits of our video library and how it could impact the economic status of immigrants, we felt compelled to get involved with Custom Collaborative and assist them in their co-op training program.

Ngozi Okaro – Executive Director Custom Collaborative (Photo: Heather Sten)

I started Custom Collaborative because I wanted to connect women who could create great clothes, to people who wanted quality sustainable fashions that were affirming and attractive. As my idea developed, I discovered that there were many good people who wanted to volunteer with and invest in enterprising women who were creating fashion careers and businesses. Many participants have told the CC staff how they never were paid for fashion work before they got an internship through us, but had worked at unpaid internships; they’ve shared how they no longer feel isolated because they have a new community in CC; and others have talked about how they discovered and unlocked skills and talents that they never knew they had before joining our community. We hope for more funding so we can accept all of the worthy applicants who come to our doors.”

If you are interested in helping support Custom Collaborative, here’s their donation link: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/custom-collaborative

We at UoF are very proud of this collaboration and we always get a rush when we hear from CC’s students.

Meet Some of Custom Collaborative’s Aspiring Entrepreneurs 

Shemoy Simpson designer at Custom Collaborative

Attending the University of Fashion was a great experience for me, I was able to obtain more sewing technical skills and the support I received was well appreciated. The lesson I learned and used this summer was, working with knits and inserting waist bands in different ways, I also learned about the different types of needles and thread that goes with different types of fabric.

During the time of creating my garment I’ve learned to used ballpoint needled, because it’s best for sewing with knit fabric, I used polyester/cotton thread as well. The garment was created with my personal design and measured to fit my body type. I decided to be a little more creative with the waistband by surging it to the neckline, the top waist, the back to create a crisscross look and the pant waist and ankles. The beautiful lavender design is sporty and best for occasions like going to the gym or jogging or just wanting to be comfortable on a sunny day.

My aspirations? Becoming the best version of myself as a designer, being happy and creative is where I thrive. The University of fashion has taught me to be more knowledgeable about the way I construct a garment and with the confidence and consistency to deliver in the real world. Thank you to Francesca for giving me this wonderful opportunity.” ~ Shemoy Simpson

As we begin this new year, let us all try and design more sustainably, advocate for fair wages and help others reach their dreams by giving of ourselves and our talents.

If you are interested in helping support Custom Collaborative, here’s their donation link: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/custom-collaborative. If you are interested in providing paid internships for their students write to us at CS@UniversityofFashion.com

WE LOVE HEARING FROM OUR SUBSCRIBERS

- - Fashion School

As a pandemic was wreaking havoc around the world, at University of Fashion, we made the decision to offer schools free access to our content library so that they could finish out their term remotely. We were thrilled to be able to help. As a result, we not only met new schools and students, but were introduced to many new instructors who expressed an interest in teaching for us. A silver lining in an otherwise horrible pandemic.

Since 2020, we have added more than 30 new lessons and added 4 new design disciplines: SwimwearIntimate Apparel, Textile Design and Visual Merchandising. And, we’ll be adding more lessons in these disciplines going forward.

As we go back into the studio this year, we will be acting on suggestions made by you, our subscribers. We’ll be filming a knit pattern making series that’ll include a 20-part knit neckline series, lessons on how to draft a boxy and fitted T-shirt from measurements, how to draft a catsuit and many other advanced drafting lessons on trousers and coats.

Drafting an Off Shoulder Gathered Cuff Knit Neckline

Drafting a Surplice Under Bust Knit Neckline

We will also be adding additional advanced draping lessons, like how to drape a dress with a handkerchief hem and how to drape & draft a multi-tiered dress.

Draping a Princess Panel Sundress with a Handkerchief Hem

Draping & Drafting a Multi-tiered Dress

In addition, we will be adding more menswear drafting and drawing lessons, as well as lessons on how to design using 3D software.

 

BUT WE STILL WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Let us know what additional lessons you’d like for us to consider. As you can imagine, the process of recruiting teachers, working with them on their lesson outlines, not to mention the filming and editing process, takes time. But…we’d love to know what you’d like to learn that you haven’t already learned by viewing our over 500 existing videos. We are hopeful that the pandemic will soon be a thing of the past and are eager to get back into the studio to start cranking out more lessons. Thanks to all of our subscribers, we are always interested in hearing from you!

 

Best wishes,
Francesca Sterlacci
Founder/CEO
University of Fashion

Big News! UoF has added a new learning category
Visual Merchandising

Preview of UoF lesson Introduction to Visual Merchandising by Marcie Cooperman

Now in its 13th year of the fashion education business, the University of Fashion is expanding. As many of you already know, we have hundreds of lessons in the fashion design disciplines of draping, pattern making, sewing, fashion drawing, menswear, knitwear, childrenswear, swimwear, accessories, CAD fashion art and CAD pattern making, as well as product development lessons that include how to create tech packs and how to start your own brand.

Our fashion lecture series focuses on topics such as costume history, textiles, trend forecasting, sustainable fashion, licensing, branding, plus sizes, influencer marketing, fashion law and explores assorted careers within the fashion industry.

Our fashion business discipline concentrates on the retail segment of the industry with lessons on retail math, marketing and merchandising, understanding retail profit and loss and now…visual merchandising.

UoF instructor Marcie Cooperman – (Image credit: Marcie Cooperman)

We are thrilled to announce that our new visual merchandising series will be taught by none other than Marcie Cooperman. If the name sounds familiar it’s because Marcie is the author of Color: How to Use It , has been an instructor at Parsons for more than 20 years and has already created nine very popular lessons for UoF on the topics of color theory and knitwear. Marcie is truly a Renaissance woman. She is an artist (oils & watercolors are her passion), an author, a professor and has had an eponymous fashion design custom service in hand knits since the late 1980s.

Dolce & Gabbana floor plan (Image: from UoF’s Introduction to Visual Merchandising lesson by Marcie Cooperman)

In her new series for UoF, Marcie explores the world of visual merchandising and the tools that retailers use in their store to create excitement and interest for their target market, via the store’s exterior and store window, to the store’s interior merchandising presentation. You’ll learn the planogram, the organizational system of the products in the store, and how visual merchandising uses the display, an important tool in showing how the clothing will look on the body. Whether you plan to open your own retail store or not, the information you’ll glean from Marcie’s new series will inspire both designers and retailers alike.

With today’s launch of the first lesson in the series, Introduction to Visual Merchandising, I thought I’d sit down (virtually of course) to find out more about Marcie and the important role visual merchandising plays in our industry.

Example of messy store (Image: from UoF’s Introduction to Visual Merchandising lesson by Marcie Cooperman)

Francesca: What sparked your interest in Visual Merchandising?

Marcie:  I have always thought about art, design, fashion, color and composition, certainly since I was a little girl. When I was about seven, I started painting with oil paints, and I designed my own embroidery projects.  I had strong ideas about what colors to use.  And I had opinions about store windows in those days, too, long before I knew there was something called visual merchandising.

In those days, my Mom and I designed dresses for her to make for me, and I fashioned scraps of fabric into clothing for dolls that I made myself.  And I used whatever scraps I had to design and make furniture for room interiors.  My passion for color took root when Mom took me to buy yarns in a store that was like a dreamscape: it was in a barn, and skeins of colored yarns were hanging from the rafters all around me.  Going into a yarn shop today to buy knitting yarns still makes me feel like that.

As I became a teenager, my career ideas always included interior design, retail design, and fashion design.  I loved it all, and it wasn’t possible for me to choose a career in just one of those areas.  For me, color and composition were the central concept, and all types of design were visual expressions of them.  Why limit myself?  So, I went to school for both fashion design and interior design.

When I received my MBA in Marketing at Stern School of Business at NYU, it all came together in a business sense.  Visual Merchandising is the ultimate combination of everything I love:  color and design, composition, retailing and marketing, all pointed toward creating an emotional connection with the customer.  And I’ve always taught it with a focus on color and composition.

Coach store featuring Mickey Mouse & Keith Haring (Image: from UoF’s Introduction to Visual Merchandising lesson by Marcie Cooperman)

Francesca: Which store interiors & windows do you think are the most successful?

Marcie:  I am very impressed with Coach. They are always creative and unusual, and successful in appealing to the customer through very directive use of color and design.  They use lines and shapes skillfully to direct the eye to the product, and easily convey what the brand is all about.  And yet it all seems so simple, as if their choices were the only ones to make.  I always stand in front of Coach windows for a while, digesting the beauty of the products and display elements; I think it’s a real strength that it inspires me do that.

Hermes windows are also incredibly innovative, especially in their use of color.  They are intense and cheery, and clearly, the designer is proficient in using color relationships.  There is always a sense of whimsy in Hermes windows, and that makes them stand out.  They are essentially Hermes.  We see the same sensibility in the website design, too, so the message is coordinated; that is crucial in brand messaging to the world.

And there is a wonderful store down in the Flatiron district in NYC called ABC Carpet and Home, and nobody beats their windows!  They are just full of amazing things, with gorgeous products and with their own spectacular style!  It’s worth a visit just to see the windows.  Of course, when you go into the store, you can really feel how it’s also amazingly designed.  How exciting it is!  It’s impossible not to buy something there.

These are all brands with designers who know how to use color and composition in their displays, and their work is on another level.  We can all learn from them.

Printemps, Paris-Use of color, textures, lines and shapes for a successful store window (Image: from UoF’s Introduction to Visual Merchandising lesson by Marcie Cooperman)

Francesca: What do you think are the top 5 visuals that make a successful store window?

Marcie:  Successful store windows can be designed by students and professionals who have an understanding of how to use color and textures, and lines and shapes, in the most creative way in their work.  These are tools that designers must have.  How can you design without learning about them?  Store displays and windows are an art, an expression of the designer’s creativity based on these tools.  Students who know how to use them can go anywhere in their work.

Color relationships actually reach us emotionally and connect with us; we can even feel that we love a brand just because we saw the right colors and textures in a store window display!  We can fall in love with what we see, and never forget that feeling because it will bother us until we buy the product that we saw there.

In all of my classes, and these lessons on visual merchandising, I really want to teach every student how to use these tools, so that they can achieve their personal artistic goals and their store’s goals.  In those lessons I am devoted to explaining every detail clearly, and to illustrate every concept with great images of window displays.  And I evaluate each image, too, to explain what’s happening in those displays and why they work or why they don’t work.  It’s always great to see the ones that don’t quite work, so we can understand and learn from them.

The highest goal a store can achieve with an amazing window display is to create an emotional connection with the customers, one so strong that they must come inside to see what the store is selling.  Did you ever feel that way?  Not only that you must go inside the store, but once you are inside, you feel that it’s so wonderful you cannot go home without buying something there.  That’s the power of a great window display, and great visual merchandising that continues inside the store.

 

Francesca: How important do you think a brand’s store windows should relate to their website presence?

Marcie:  Of course, both the store windows and the website, as well as other owned online assets, must be unified and cohesive so that they send the same message about the brand.  They should include the same colors and shapes.  All signage must relate to the text on the websites in terms of fonts, colors and design.

Every brand needs to have a set of core values and a mission, and those must always be the basis for every display decision it makes – the guide for all design decisions.  That’s the way to keep everything unified.

It’s very important for the brand to clearly position itself to the customer in just one very special and differentiated way, and to explain that positioning through all of its visuals:  its displays and windows, its clothing, labels and ads, and all other visual materials.  Everything has to send the same visual message.  Otherwise, the customer could get confused about what this brand is saying, and what it’s all about.  And that confused customer won’t see the reason that she must shop at this brand before all others.

Coming soon to UoF: Using Color and Texture in Visual Merchandising by Marcie Cooperman

Francesca: What other lessons should we expect to see from you in the future?

Marcie:  I’m fascinated with fashion design and interior design as they relate to color and composition; I can always tell which designers in both industries know how to use color and which ones have no idea.  My point of view in teaching design is always to create from a basis of understanding of color, line and shape – to have an arsenal of shapes to explore for every line of creative thinking.  You could take just one shape and go on from there knowing the infinite ways to vary it for a garment.

Imagine using your understanding of those concepts to help you create your fashion design lines!  What confidence you can have.  How deeply you can dive into the possibilities and come up with a cohesive collection of unique styles that connect with each other and express the brand’s sensibilities.

 

Francesca: Do you have certain career goals?

Marcie: I have devoted my career to teaching students how to use color and composition in their design work, so that they understand that these are the most precious tools they can have.  I want every student to have the confidence of knowing how to use these tools.  Color and composition provide a structural framework for students’ imagination, an understanding that allows them to follow their infinite sense of creativity, a skill that frees them to take their ingenuity farther than they can imagine.  This is how I feel when I do my fashion and interior design work, and I want all students to feel the same way.

To learn more about Marcie and her blog about color in interior design and fashion design:  http://fashionclassroom.com/blog . Also view her LinkedIn page https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcie-cooperman-03613511/

Stay tuned for Marcie’s next lesson: Using Color and Texture in Visual Merchandising

Meet MOTIF: An Online Fashion Industry Education Hub

(Image credit: MOTIF)

Since our founding in 2008, the University of Fashion has always recruited the best instructors from the best fashion colleges, such as FIT and Parsons, to teach our lessons. And, because we film in New York City, the fashion capital of the world, we have been able to tap the brain trust of our industry for our design and business lessons.

Going on 13 years now, we have partnered with the best dress form companies in the business (Alvanon and Wolf) and collaborated with several top tool and fabric suppliers as well as other industry resources (and the list is growing).

When we decided to add affordable computerized pattern making lessons, we forged a partnership with Tukatech so that we could offer a special, affordable rate to our subscribers.

Promoting another school’s content on our site may have seemed like a bad business decision, but our recent partnership with Upcycle Design School now provides our subscribers the opportunity to learn how to start their own sustainable fashion brand.

So, it therefore comes as no surprise that we are introducing our subscribers to MOTIF, a new learning platform aimed at the working fashion professional. I recently had the opportunity to interview Catherine Cole, MOTIF’s CEO, about their mission, the results of their survey on the skill level needs of the industry, and other relevant topics that affect today’s fashion and textile industry.

Our founder, Francesca Sterlacci, recently interviewed Catherine to learn more about MOTIF and their unique and much needed learning platform.

Catherine Cole – MOTIF CEO (Image credit: MOTIF)

Francesca: MOTIF is a relatively new fashion industry learning platform, can you give some background as to when and why it was founded and what role Alvanon played in its inception?

Catherine: The fashion industry is going through major disruption caused by changes in consumption patterns, increasing cost pressures, speed-to-market pressures, unwieldy and fragmented supply chains and then having to play catch up in things like sustainability and digitisation. These disruptions are making a growing skills gap more and more evident. The last generation that has production floor expertise is retiring in the next 5-10 years and add to that an urgent need for the next generation of skills that include data, 3D product design and development and digital marketing. MOTIF was started to meet the urgent need by fashion brands and other players in the supply chain, for an ability to onboard new employees effectively and upskill current employees. Originally an intrapreneurial venture within global innovations company Alvanon, MOTIF officially launched in October 2018 with a suite of online courses on motif.org, before becoming a separate legal entity in April 2019. Since then, we have received $2m in funding from The Mills Fabrica.

Francesca: What has been the impact of Motif’s recent increase in funding?

Catherine: The increased funding allowed us to launch new social and community features alongside our courses and also develop authoring tools for partners (experts across the industry) to launch their own courses in our marketplace. We continually strive to enhance our features and are building a state-of-the- art learning environment for our users.

Francesca: Is Motif’s learning platform offered to individuals as well as to school libraries?

Catherine: MOTIF’s courses are aimed at both individual professionals in the industry as well as corporate HR or business teams that need to make sure their workforce is equipped with sound fundamentals and cross-functional understanding. These courses cover technical skills as well as commercial and soft skills for the apparel / fashion industry. We publish our own courses and also distribute courses of partner publishers. These partners can range from academic institutions like LIM College, to organisations fostering the adoption of business best practices and technical standards in the industry such as WRAP, and even independent seasoned industry experts such as Roz McNulty who is teaching a series of superuser courses from beginner to advanced level on CLO 3D on MOTIF.  Currently our courses are also used by professors who are looking to supplement their teaching with course material taught by practitioners.

Catherine Cole – MOTIF CEO at 2018 Summit (Image credit: MOTIF)

Francesca: Alvanon conducted an industry survey back in 2018 entitled, The State of Skills in the Apparel Industry, and shared the results at a conference held in NYC. Can you discuss the findings of that survey, as it related to body sizing and the need for upskilling in the global fashion industry?

Catherine: MOTIF, with the support of Alvanon and 19 global industry associations, launched its second global State of Skills survey in early 2020 to see if anything had changed with regards to the urgency around skills and professional development since our first survey in 2018.  The results were just released in October 2020 and can be found in a whitepaper on our site.  The key findings were that the industry still views skills as a key business issue, but that budgets are not matching.  So, one of our big problems is that there is a major mismatch between priorities and investments, especially when it comes to topics like sustainability and digitisation.  Another key finding is the discrepancy between top management’s perception of how they are supporting their employees with continuous learning opportunities and how employees feel like they are not receiving the professional development they want.

Francesca: Does Motif’s curriculum reflect the needs of current fashion industry professionals? Does Motif recruit its instructors from the fashion industry?

Catherine: MOTIF exists to fill the skills gap in the industry on fundamental technical skills, as well as hot new skills that will enable professionals to be the best at what they do as well as future-proof their career in the industry. The first courses offered on the platform revolved around product development, fit and sizing, sustainability and then 3D. We’re progressively expanding our catalogue with courses covering training needs in the wider spectrum of the apparel and fashion supply chain. For example, we’ve recently published a course by AQM on how to safely resume operations and protect your factory workforce from Covid-19, and we will soon have a new course by WRAP on risk assessment in factories. All instructors teaching courses on the platform are highly experienced industry practitioners and experts, passionate and eager to share their knowledge for the betterment of business practices in the industry and committed to collaborate with our team to deliver enjoyable, efficient and highly applicable learning experiences.

Francesca: What importance does MOTIF put on having solid, hands-on, foundational knowledge in disciplines such as pattern making, draping, sewing and drawing before moving on to learn digital tools such as CAD, PDS and 3D?

Catherine: There are core skills that will always be critical in the industry. These are the fundamental skills that don’t change over time. They are also the “art and the science” or the craft in the industry.  Any newcomer to the industry needs to have these fundamentals.  Actually, it is not just the newcomers but even many seasoned professionals need refreshers in these skills as their careers evolve.  What has changed over time is how we apply some of these skills or the new digital tools that we are using with them.  You have many young start-ups looking for pattern makers with coding skills and it is this example of a new blend of skills that will be relevant in the future so that young brands and companies remain agile and innovative.

(Image credit: MOTIF)

Francesca: Alvanon recently hosted the first 3D virtual conference, can you tell us what the industry’s reaction was to the inevitability of a 3D digital transformation? What are the pros and cons of implementing 3D in the workplace and what companies are leading this transformation?

Catherine: Alvanon, with MOTIF as its “Learning Partner”, organised the first 3D Tech Festival for Apparel and Fashion in September 2020, as an open and agnostic platform for 3D tech leaders to discuss and re-imagine how we live, work and learn in an apparel world gone digital. With over 60 speakers and thousands of participants from 94 different countries, the four-day virtual event was a resounding success with an innovative format combining a full-blown conference, 3D Tech vendor virtual showcases and the launch of the MOTIF 3D Fashion Tech Community. Aiming at quenching the thirst for practical knowledge and exchange around 3D adoption and implementation in the industry, the live event was offered entirely free and is now available on-demand on motif.org, while the MOTIF 3D Fashion Tech Community is also continuously growing with new members and ongoing conversation threads.

Like for all other major disruptive technology trends, there is a mix of excitement and apprehension or mistrust around the adoption of 3D and its benefits. The question of the pros and cons of implementing or adopting 3D, isn’t really the right one though. There is little doubt now that 3D already does and will increasingly bring efficiency and sustainability benefits to the industry. The first and foremost question is the fundamental WHY each organisation would adopt 3D and embark on a transformative journey. How does it support and enable execution of the vision and development strategy of an organisation? It’s about core business goals, streamlined processes and fostering a culture where people are embracing change, adhering to values and objectives underlying it. It’s about equipping your teams with the right skills and confidence that they can execute on the vision and that all stakeholders have a place in the transformational journey. It’s about mapping out the steps, from pilot to enterprise-wide deployment, and being able to demonstrate the return on investment at each stage. To help those that want and need to take the leap, MOTIF has developed a course that helps teams and individuals alike raise and answer the key questions, engage the right people and establish the milestones that will ease the way to the successful adoption and implementation of 3D.

There are many companies, large and small, and even start-ups, in the footwear and apparel industries that have started experimenting, adopting or embedding digital tech as the nexus of their business model or operations. We get excited when we talk to some of the most progressive ones now looking at building internal 3D or digital skills competency centers with an explicit mandate to ramp up the training of the workforce on transformational change project management and new tools or technologies. At MOTIF, our vision is to support these endeavours with a tool kit of courses and resources that can then be customized for brands or manufacturers.

(Image credit: MOTIF)

Francesca: Do you think the industry is adequately addressing climate change? What more can be done?

Catherine: We would have to answer no to this question.  Many companies are struggling with the HOW of integrating the ethos of the circle economy into their supply chains and to expedite the transformation around efficiency and transparency – both critical to tackle the problems of overproduction and waste.  This is why MOTIF is launching a sustainability intervention in February 2021! We will be hosting a three-day event around this particular topic with speakers from across the supply chain in an effort to reconcile practices between design, production and consumer.  Alongside this we will be launching our Sustainability Communities so that we can support the ongoing conversation.  MOTIF is also launching a new virtual learning series in December of this year that will run monthly and bring in case studies around these key topics.  Stay tuned for more information!

Francesca: What more can we do as an industry to stop the promotion, production and over-consumption of clothing?

Catherine: Overconsumption and overproduction are the two sides of the same coin, and we need to change currency. The urgency is undeniable yet there is no magic or easy way out or solution. On the consumer side, a change of societal values and education to buy less and better quality products produced or sourced responsibly, to prolong the life of our garments by upcycling, swapping, donating, reusing or recycling instead of just dumping them in a landfill, is paramount. Studies seem to show that Millennials and GenZ consumers are increasingly ready to pay more for quality products and have a genuine appetite for sustainable fashion, so we are heading in the right direction. Many brands, large and small are embedding sustainability practices throughout the entire product lifecycle and facilitating responsible customer initiatives by developing new services tied to the end of life of their products.

For many brands or retailers, it is also about ethos, values and legacy. It does take courage and integrity to, like Patagonia, refuse to participate in the Black Friday or CyberMonday orgies and encourage your customers not to buy a jacket in your new collection if the life of your current one can be extended. And it is not something you can preach or pull off unless you walk the talk. While we see real progress in the industry, the staggering, record sales numbers just reported by Alibaba and JD Express for the 2020 November Singles day (all consumer product categories included) show that old habits die hard and there are many contextual and cultural elements that come into play so there isn’t a one size fits all solution.

The progressive digitization of the industry and adoption of new technology are also enablers of systemic change, with the emergence of more circular business models. There is a pressing need to upskill the current people the industry employs on sustainability so that change can happen at scale. Waiting for a fresh generation of designers, product developers and supply chain professionals can’t be afforded. The responsibility of picking up these essential new skills, not only lies with the industry or corporations but also with professionals themselves, if they wish to become agents of change and future-proof their careers in the industry.

Sustainability is a strategic area of course and content development for us. As mentioned, when we launched our platform, we already had a beginner course on Sustainability and we have just released a brand new intermediate course taught by LIM College faculty.

Francesca: There has recently been a focus on social justice and our industry‘s lack of inclusivity. Do you think the fashion industry has more to do in this area and what is MOTIF doing to help?

Catherine: MOTIF is actively seeking out and working with partners that are developing content around these topics. From driving diversity and inclusion in our workplace all the way to how we bring in diversity and inclusion when designing for consumers and building socially responsible supply chains. Our vision is to have a catalogue of courses and resources valuable for the industry, but also that all material is taught through these lenses.

Francesca: Since the pandemic, people have been working remotely and making use of online tools. Have you seen an impact in online learning at MOTIF?

Catherine: Pre-Covid, companies still preferred onsite training even though online learning had established itself years ago as a viable and efficient training solution for individuals and corporations alike. The current crisis has only increased awareness and receptivity to the value of virtual learning environments and accelerated the adoption with many corporations now fully appreciating the efficiency, flexibility and scalability that elearning offers with real shared benefits for employees and employers. Once the pandemic gets under control, we expect that organisations will resume offline training, but we’re convinced that they will converge on more of a hybrid training model, a blended approach leveraging the best of both offline and online learning experiences, which MOTIF has already started to offer.

We’ve undoubtedly seen an increased traffic on the motif.org platform and stronger engagement from learners taking our courses. As more corporations, non-profit organisations or academic institutions are looking at accelerating the digitalisation of their training or educational content, this has also opened a lot of collaboration opportunities for us and enquiries on our instructional design and courses development services offering.

The University of Fashion is happy to welcome MOTIF to the online learning community. Together we shall both help to promote online fashion education for years to come!

 

Sincerely,

Francesca Sterlacci

CEO/University of Fashion

START YOUR OWN PANDEMIC FASHION LEARNING POD

 

Looking for a new fashion career idea?

Start a Fashion Learning Pod

Pandemic learning pods, also called microschools or co-ops, are popular options for parents looking to fill in the academic and social gaps for children, teenagers or fashion college bound students, who will be learning virtually this fall.

How it works: Parents pool resources to hire YOU, a fashion professional, to preside over a small cohort of students directing their studies and providing general supervision so parents can work. Just reach out to your local grade school, high school or college and offer your services.

The benefits: Pods are a great way to: learn about fashion in small groups; help reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19; have better control over social distancing, mask-wearing and sanitizing.

The University of Fashion is the perfect teacher’s aide. With 500 videos in 13 disciplines from beginner to advanced, you can hold classes in your home or their home with the help of a phone, tablet or laptop.

Inspire you students to learn about a career as a fashion designer with our hands-on lessons in draping, pattern making, sewing, fashion art, product development, accessories, CAD Fashion Art, CAD Pattern making, menswear, childrenswear and knits. Our fashion business lessons teach students about fashion merchandising, buying and merchandising, licensing, branding and digital marketing. We also have a lecture series with lessons on color theory, textiles, sustainability, eco-textiles,  costume history, trend forecasting and what a career as a museum curator entails.

Students will love learning about fashion and our video instructors are all professionals, either teaching at a fashion college of in the fashion industry.

We’re here to help get you started.

Contact Myrna, our sales consultant, to learn more about how our group subscriptions work. MDorfman@UniversityofFashion.com

 

ATTENTION TEACHERS: Are you ready for remote teaching?

Are you ready for remote teaching? Do you have enough content to keep your students engaged?

If not, let University of Fashion help.

Now that the fall school term is rapidly approaching, the University of Fashion is reaching out to schools and teachers everywhere, reminding them of our educational content library of 500 videos in 13 different disciplines in the areas of fashion design and fashion business.

UoF is offering free, all access for 30 days so that schools and teachers have a chance to plan which lessons they would like to include in their curriculum.

We are aware that some schools are still uncertain about their fall enrollment or whether they will be conducting classes remotely or onsite and we would like to help. Once you’ve had a chance to peruse our content, via our free 30-day trial, and should you decide to subscribe, we are offering flexible subscription terms and special school group subscription pricing.

Just reach out to Myrna, our sales associate mdorfman@UniversityofFashion.com 

When Covid-19 hit back in March, the University of Fashion realized that schools were being forced to transition to remote teaching and we felt the need to step up. We offered free 30-day access to any school that asked. Over 100 schools reached out to us and we worked with them, helping to make the end of term an easier one, were you one of them?

Who We Are

The University of Fashion is the first and largest online fashion education video resource founded in 2008 by Francesca Sterlacci, a fashion designer, author, former professor & chair at the Fashion Institute of Technology and a graduate level instructor at the Academy of Art University, where she taught both onsite and online for six years. Francesca holds an MSEd in higher education administration and has designed, owned and operated her eponymous fashion label in New York City for 10 years.

At UoF, all of our teachers are either fashion college professors or industry pros. Each of our videos are professionally produced using the best videographers and editors.

Because we have been in the online business for over 12 years, we know a thing or two about how to recruit the best instructors and how to film & edit content in a clear, precise and effective way, that gets results!

Don’t take our word for it, read our school & teacher testimonials.

We are in the business of supporting educators around the globe by offering professional educational content. Let us help your school and your teachers by taking away the stress, time and cost of having to create original content.

 

An extra added benefit is that we offer books that are designed to work in tandem with our beginner draping, pattern making and sewing video lessons. Each book contains lesson objectives and learning outcomes for each lesson, required in today’s school/learning environment.

 

View hundreds of online fashion design and business video tutorials
from beginner to advanced

Draping Fashion Art Pattern Making
Sewing Menswear Fashion Business
Knits CAD Fashion Art Fashion Product Dev.
Fashion Lectures Childrenswear Accessories
CAD Pattern Making How Does the UoF Work Fashion Design Tools


 

Are you ready for remote teaching?

When Covid-19 hit and the University of Fashion realized that schools were being forced to transition to remote learning, we felt the need to step up and offer free access to our content library. As a company, we decided to help in any way we could, by providing a bit of a breather for schools to work towards the transition from classroom to remote teaching.

Over 100 schools reached out to us and we worked with them, helping to make their end of term an easy one. We were humbled by the expression of gratitude and the wonderful testimonials we received from both teachers and students.

We are making that same offer available again – free 30-day access to the UoF site.

Now that we are approaching the fall semester, we want to reach out again to let schools know we are offering a free 30-day trial access so that teachers and schools have time to plan their online curriculum before the term begins. And, we are now offering flexible subscription terms (to match up with their school’s semesters) and discounts, since we know all schools are uncertain about their fall enrollment numbers and whether they will be conducting classes remotely or onsite.

To get more information please contact Myrna at mdorfman@universityoffashion.com

The University of Fashion is the first and largest online fashion education video resource founded in 2008 by Francesca Sterlacci, a fashion designer, author and former professor and chair at FIT. All of our UoF teachers are either fashion college professors or industry pros, and all of our videos are professionally produced.

The UoF library consists or 500 lessons in 13 disciplines:

  • Draping
  • Pattern making
  • Sewing
  • Fashion Art
  • Accessories
  • Childrenswear
  • Menswear
  • Product Development
  • Knits
  • CAD Fashion Art
  • CAD Pattern making
  • Fashion Business
  • Fashion Lectures – covering topics such as color theory, textiles, trend forecasting, costume history, fashion law and more.

Many high schools and colleges around the world use UoF as a library research resource and/or as a source of teaching in their hybrid classrooms or online courses. Some schools use our hands-on technical lessons to supplement their existing design curriculum, while others are interested in our lecture series, which educates students on fashion careers such as fashion merchandising, buying, branding, licensing, fashion law, museum curatorial studies and costume history. Our lectures on color theory, sustainable fashion, textiles, trend forecasting and other relevant topics, have broad appeal even to students in non-fashion schools.

As you navigate the uncharted waters of remote education, the University of Fashion wants to be your partner. We have been in the online business for over 12 years and know a thing or two about how to recruit the best instructors, film content that it is clear, precise and effective and, that gets results. We also have books that work in tandem with our beginner draping, pattern making and sewing video lessons!

Don’t take our word for it, just read our school testimonials https://www.universityoffashion.com/about/testimonials/