University of Fashion Blog

Category "Fashion School"

Meet Our Instructors

- - Childrenswear, Draping, Fashion Art, Fashion Education, Fashion School, Illustration, Instructor Spotlight, Sewing

 

We have lots of teachers! With 13 different disciplines and 500 videos to learn from, including draping, pattern making, sewing, fashion art, product development, knits, childrenswear, menswear, CAD fashion art, CAD pattern making, accessories design, fashion business and fashion lectures, we thought we’d introduce to more of them as we continue our blog series, Meet Our Instructors.

Pardon us for bragging but did you know that all of our instructors are either fashion college professors (from top fashion schools) or are fashion industry professionals?

Ever since we started offering 30-day free access offer to schools on March 4th due to Covid-19, and we launched a special promo to individual subscribers (was $189/now $169 using promo code NEWS21Y), we have tripled our subscribership!

So, for all of our new schools and subscribers here are a few more instructors that you should get to know. Click on their name to find out what they do in the industry and what they teach at UoF.

 

Kathlin Argiro – shares her extensive knowledge on how to start a fashion brand in her 3-part series for University of Fashion.

With a successful track record as a fashion designer and entrepreneur, Kathlin has sold her collection to top retailers, including Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdales.

In 2010, she joined the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) as an Adjunct Faculty member and has led high profile projects for First Lady Michelle Obama and for the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute.

Most recently, Kathlin began teaching in FIT’s MFA program. She also serves as a mentor for FIT’s Design Entrepreneurs NYC (DENYC) mini MBA Program.

In addition to her role at FIT, Kathlin has also taught at Parsons School of Design, Pratt, and Zhejiang Sci-Tech University (ZSTU), China.

Considered a fashion industry expert, Kathlin has been quoted in numerous publications and has been a guest panelist at industry conferences and universities, including Mount Holyoke College and Fordham University.

Passionate about sharing her experience and mentoring emerging designers, Kathlin launched a consulting business, Kathlin Argiro New York, in 2014.

kat@kathlinargiro.com

https://www.kathlinargironewyork.com/

Instagram: @kathlinargiro

Facebook: Kathlin Argiro

Richard Rosenfeld is a veteran in the fashion education industry and we are honored to have him teaching a series of model-drawing lessons for University of Fashion.

Richard has taught fashion model-drawing classes at Parsons since 1978 and at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) since 1989. During that period, he taught numerous famous designers, including Chris Benz, Isaac Mizrahi and Jason Wu, as well as New York illustrator (and UoF instructor), Steven Broadway.

Having attended the Rhode Island School of Design and as a graduate of Parsons with a degree in illustration, Richard has worked as a fashion illustrator for high profile publications such as Vogue, WWD, Glamour, The New York Times, and for various department stores and other fashion design clientele.

Richard’s philosophy for teaching fashion drawing focuses on developing good observational skills, the accurate depiction of textiles and various types of garments in silhouette, all with a personal point of view. His preferred medium of choice is a combination of pencil & watercolors.

Currently, Richard enjoys mentoring young design professionals and continues his passion for drawing from live models during the Covid-19 pandemic via ZOOM. He is curious to see how the health crisis will impact the future of this creative industry.

@richard_rosenfeld_art

 

Andrew Curwen’s lessons for University of Fashion demonstrate a designer’s respect for Savile Row workmanship. His hand sewn buttonhole lessons are pure works of art.

Andrew is a graduate of Parson’s BFA program and currently resides and works in Manhattan. With a background in bespoke construction and textile arts, his introduction to tailoring was taught and nurtured by a master Savile Row tailor.

The disparity between love and death are recurring themes throughout Andrew’s design work, something that could be described as a feminine brutality. Andrew works to design fashion for posterity that touches on the human condition.

Barbara Seggio has over 30 years of experience working in the fashion industry as a designer, technical designer and freelance design consultant. Her specialty is women’s sportswear and childrenswear design.

At the University of Fashion, Barbara shares her expertise in the areas of draping, pattern making, sewing and childrenswear. Barbara is also the editor of Sewing Techniques for Beginners and co-editor of Pattern Making Techniques for Beginners, UoF’s companion book series.

As an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology, Barbara teaches all disciplines of fashion design including: draping, patternmaking and sewing. Barbara’s accomplishments at FIT include: development of the childrenswear specialization, chairperson of the Childrenswear Advisory Board, member of the Sewing and Childrenswear Curriculum Committees and instructor in their high school weekend/summer program.

 

 

A Reminder to High Schools & Colleges

We are offering all high schools and colleges a free one-month access to our University of Fashion content library of over 500 educational videos. Teachers, should coordinate their school’s request and send that request to cs@UniversityofFashion.com, and we will provide your school with an access code. So…students, tell your teachers!

The goal of our free 30-day access to schools only, is to help schools salvage the balance of their semester. In preparation for the fall, in the event the pandemic continues into the next semester, we have waived our one-year school subscription minimum and are now offering special shortened subscription terms and rates.

Since 2008, University of Fashion has been providing individuals, groups, schools and public libraries with hands-on and lecture lessons in fashion design and fashion business. Many of our subscriber schools have been using our content in hybrid classrooms for years. Just read our testimonials.

As you use our library, we’d love your feedback. Tell us which are your favorite lessons and what new lessons you’d like to see? Send comments to us at cs@UniversityofFashion.com.

To Individual Subscribers

For those who are not currently enrolled in school but would like to take advantage of our library, we are now offering an individual membership deal. Get $20 off a yearly membership (was $189 now $169) using promo code NEWS21Y. Offers expire 12/31/20

SIGN UP HERE

 

Did you know that we have a very informative weekly blog covering relevant fashion topics? And, stay connected with us via our lively social media presence: Instagram- @uoffashion and Facebook – University of Fashion.

This is a new deal just offered by our UK-based publisher.
Our Video & Book Combination – Get 40% each book using discount code FRIENDS40 (offer expires 5/31/20)

Draping: Techniques for Beginners – https://www.laurenceking.com/us/product/draping-2/
Sewing: Techniques for Beginners – https://www.laurenceking.com/us/product/sewing/
Pattern Making: Techniques for Beginners – https://www.laurenceking.com/us/product/pattern-making/

Once you click one of the book links, above, you’ll see the book you selected in the middle of the screen. Click the shopping cart icon in the upper right of the same page then, on the order form provided, enter the discount code: FRIENDS40, and then click “Apply discount.” Then click “Proceed to checkout.”

Meet Our Instructors

- - Fashion School

Our Covid19 30-day free access offer to schools (and our special promo to individual subscribers) has resulted in a huge increase in the number of people viewing and learning with us. So, we thought we’d continue introducing everyone to more of our very talented instructors at University of Fashion.

With 13 disciplines and 500 videos to learn from (draping, pattern making, sewing, fashion art, product development, knits, childrenswear, menswear, CAD fashion art, CAD pattern making, accessories design, fashion business and fashion lectures) that’s a lot of teachers!

Barbara Arata-Gavere – is by far University of Fashion’s greatest treasure. She shares her love of draping and sewing by teaching more than 40 lessons on the site. Barbara is also the editor of Draping Techniques for Beginners and co-editor of Pattern Making Techniques for Beginners, UoF’s companion book series.

As a New York-based fashion designer, Barbara began her career designing special occasion dresses for high-end boutiques. Currently, under her own label, Barbarata Exclusive, she designs and constructs custom-tailored jackets and stage wear for performers, such as Daryl Hooper of The Seeds.

Barbara has uniquely combined her design skills with a very impressive career in education. First, as an instructor at Bergen County Technical Schools (New Jersey) for 29 years, where she received several awards, including Teacher of the Year and as an FCCLA Chapter Advisor, creating their first Fashion Design Competition.

Her textbook, Exploring Fashion Design, published by the Curriculum Lab at Rutgers University, was used in many vocational schools throughout New Jersey.

For the last 18 years, Barbara has been an Adjunct Professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology in the fashion department, where she teaches a variety of classes including, draping and construction.

Barbara is also the founder of Fashion Design Workshop, where she conducts various skill-based fashion workshops for high school and college students. And has recently joined the faculty at Bergen Community College’s Continuing Education Department.

In addition, Barbara often exhibits her custom fashion designs in various museums, both in New York City and New Jersey.

Silvia Perramon – is a master beader/embroiderer who also teaches advanced couture sewing techniques at UoF. Silvia’s tambour beading lessons are among the most popular lessons in our library.

Silvia Perramon Rubio was born in Spain. After studying architecture at Universidad Internacional de Cataluña in 2012, she studied hand embroidery in Kentucky at Bead Embroidery & Design Studio in 2014. She furthered her studies at Scuola di Ricamo Alta Moda in Rome in 2017. In addition to her fashion interests, Silvia was trained at the Royal Academy of Dance, London in classical ballet.

Her early architectural work led her to Hangzhou, China. But it was her passion for embroidery, and to deepen those skills, that Silvia studied in Mumbai and then then in New York City, where she applied her knowledge in the fashion field.

Silvia is now based in Milano, where she is an embroidery design consultant for numerous fashion brands. She is often invited to Parsons School of Design as a guest teacher for their couture classes, and twice a year teaches hand embroidery in private New York workshops. Meanwhile, Silvia is now creating art with her embroideries, blending together all of her disciplines and backgrounds.

In 2018, Silvia was awarded first place in the category of Hand Embroidery/Textile Art work by London’s Hand & Lock Prize for Embroidery.

Instagram- @SilviaPerramonRubio

Roberto Calasanz – is a master craftsman, artist and illustrator. He shares his talents with UoF via 38 lessons that include, fashion drawing, illustration and rendering.

In an industry increasingly dominated by computer-assisted design and illustration, Dominican-born designer Roberto practices the disappearing art of the precision line-sketch and flawless gouache illustration. He is a meticulous draftsman carrying on the fine-arts tradition in fashion illustration we associate with Alberto Vargas and Antonio Lopez.

Drawing on diverse cultural idioms and decades of experience as designer and illustrator in the New York fashion scene, Roberto has worked with leading designers, such as Jack Mulqueen, Liz Clairborne, Jones New York, Ralph Lauren, Victoria’s Secret, Donghia, Herve Benard, and Talbots.

Roberto now owns a retail store, De Main, in Dumbo Brooklyn, featuring his artisanal leathercraft and accessories.

Instagram-@RobertoCalasanz

Shirin Movahed is a lawyer and strategic business advisor. For the UoF, Shirin shares her knowledge on fashion copyright and trademark law, as well as fashion social media and brand protection.

In addition, Shirin helps companies set up a solid foundation for the growth and successful expansion of their businesses in the U.S. market and beyond.  She is licensed in New York, Florida and D.C. with over 13 years of experience practicing corporate, commercial, branding and intellectual property law.  Having worked at several large national and international law firms, Shirin brings her wealth of knowledge and expertise working with clients in the fashion, entertainment, technology, consumer product, and art industries.

Shirin also enjoys giving back to the community and currently serves as a mentor and advisor to several private companies as well as a fashion incubator. She is also an advisory board member of a venture capital firm that is solely focused on supporting and funding female led businesses.  Shirin has lectured at universities, cultural institutions and trade associations on various legal topics including best practices for creating and expanding your business in the U.S and does speaking engagements on web series and podcasts.

Shirin has been selected by Thomson Reuters’ as a New York Super Lawyer Rising Star and one of the top 5% of female lawyers in New York.

Instagram – @shirin.movahed

LinkedIn – www.linkedin.com/in/shirin-movahed

Email – shirin.movahed@gmail.com

 

A Reminder to High Schools & Colleges

We are offering all high schools and colleges a free one-month access to our University of Fashion content library of over 500 educational videos. Teachers, should coordinate their school’s request and send that request to cs@UniversityofFashion.com, and we will provide your school with an access code. So…students, tell your teachers!

The goal of our free 30-day access to schools only, is to help schools salvage the balance of their semester. In preparation for the fall, in the event the pandemic continues into the next semester, we have waived our one-year school subscription minimum and are now offering special shortened subscription terms and rates.

Since 2008, University of Fashion has been providing individuals, groups, schools and public libraries with hands-on and lecture lessons in fashion design and fashion business. Many of our subscriber schools have been using our content in hybrid classrooms for years. Just read our testimonials.

As you use our library, we’d love your feedback. Tell us which are your favorite lessons and what new lessons you’d like to see? Send comments to us at cs@UniversityofFashion.com.

To Individual Subscribers

For those who are not currently enrolled in school but would like to take advantage of our library, we are now offering an individual membership deal. Get $20 off a yearly membership (was $189 now $169) using promo code NEWS21Y. Offers expire 12/31/20

SIGN UP HERE

 

Did you know that we have a very informative weekly blog covering relevant fashion topics? And, stay connected with us via our lively social media presence: Instagram- @uoffashion and Facebook – University of Fashion.

This is a new deal just offered by our UK-based publisher.
Our Video & Book Combination – Get 40% each book using discount code FRIENDS40 (offer expires 5/31/20)

Draping: Techniques for Beginners – https://www.laurenceking.com/us/product/draping-2/
Sewing: Techniques for Beginners – https://www.laurenceking.com/us/product/sewing/
Pattern Making: Techniques for Beginners – https://www.laurenceking.com/us/product/pattern-making/

Once you click one of the book links, above, you’ll see the book you selected in the middle of the screen. Click the shopping cart icon in the upper right of the same page then, on the order form provided, enter the discount code: FRIENDS40, and then click “Apply discount.” Then click “Proceed to checkout.”

RISHABH MANOCHA: BESPOKE & SUSTAINABILITY

- - Fashion School

Menswear designer/bespokesman Rishabh Manocha (Photo credit: Mitchell Helson)

ABOUT ME

I call myself a “bespokesman,” and am a protege of fifth-generation Savile Row master tailor, Rory Duffy. Together we create handcrafted menswear. I am also a contributing menswear instructor at University of Fashion. In this blog post, I would like to take the opportunity to share my passion for merging old-world techniques with modern day design.

 

ABOUT BESPOKE

The term “bespoke” means something that is ‘spoken for you.’ In fashion, the cloth, the cut, and the craftsmanship are cohesively tied together to create a garment that not only lasts a lifetime but also embodies the true character of the wearer.

A detailed measurement chart, followed by observations of the eye that neither the Perkins devices nor the inch tape can fully capture, are taken of every client to ensure optimal fit and comfort. After a few fittings in toile and then shell fabric, the garment is rendered complete.

A fully handcrafted suit takes anywhere from sixty to eighty hours to construct with at least 3,000 hand stitches.

Perkins measuring tools (Photo credit: TailorSource.com)

 

OUR DESIGN PROCESS

What makes us singular is our approach to the design process. Think of walking into an Armani store and having Mr. Armani create something for you on the spot. The entire commission is both driven by craft and a sublime understanding of design, which afford garments freshness and timelessness.

Left: Bespoke velvet sailor pants with silk blouse paired with a midnight blue dinner jacket. Right: Bespoke dinner suit with pony hair lapels, paired with a handcrafted velvet bow tie and sea island cotton dinner shirt.
(Photo credit: Mitchell Helson)

In educator/author Joanne Endwistle’s words, “Manocha endeavours to deliver clothing as a situated bodily practice. And, it cannot be done without the marriage of age-old tailoring and contemporary design.”

Classic bespoke velvet dinner suit with duchess satin facing and braiding. (Photo credit: Mitchell Helson)

The virtues of the method don’t stop there. Through the deployment of the process, we save on cloth, trims and sample runs. The carbon footprint of the garment is thus minimal. The close-knit supply chain ensures judicious usage of resources. And, the product, shaped and finished by hand, lasts exponentially longer than one off the rack.

Also, we offer our clients the option to use deadstock fabric from heritage mills to minimize wastage. This way, an entire supply chain thrives with a focus on craft, design and circular systems-based thinking.

Classic two-piece midnight suit with grosgrain bow tie. (Photo credit: Mitchell Helson)

For University of Fashion, I have created 12 menswear lessons (more to follow in the future) that range from learning about men’s body measuring points to drafting a full set of slopers, including upper body, sleeve and trousers, as well as how to draft a jacket, a shirt and a hoodie.

To learn more about Rishabh and his work check: Instagram: rmanochabespoke or visit www.rishabhmanocha.com

Let us know if you have any questions about bespoke tailoring!

Meet Our Instructors

- - Fashion School

Our 30-day free access offer to schools and our special promo to individual subscribers in response to Covid19, has resulted in a huge increase in the number of people viewing and learning with us. So, we thought we’d to take this opportunity to introduce you to a few of our very talented instructors who have so generously shared their knowledge with University of Fashion.

With 13 disciplines and 500 videos to learn from (draping, pattern making, sewing, fashion art, product development, knits, childrenswear, menswear, CAD fashion art, CAD pattern making, accessories design, fashion business and fashion lectures) that’s a lot of teachers! Here a sampling of who they are and what they teach:

Dr. Valerie Steele’s lecture will take you into her exciting world as Chief Curator & Director of the Museum at FIT, where she has organized more than 30 exhibitions since 1997. Learn how cultural studies at Yale sparked an interest in how fashion influences culture and Valerie’s journey from fashion historian to curator, author and fashion icon. A prolific author, Valerie combines serious scholarship with a rare ability to communicate with general audiences. She is author or co-author of more than a dozen books, including A Queer History of Fashion: From the Closet to the Catwalk (Yale, 2013), Shoe Obsession (Yale, 2013), Fashion Designers A-Z: The Collection of The Museum at FIT (Taschen, 2012), Akris (Assouline, 2012), The Impossible Collection Fashion (Assouline, 2011), Daphne Guinness (Yale, 2011), Japan Fashion Now (Yale, 2010) Gothic: Dark Glamour (Yale, 2008), The Corset: A Cultural History (Yale, 2001); Paris Fashion (Oxford, 1988, revised edition, (Berg, 1999); Fifty Years of Fashion (Yale, 1997) Fetish: Fashion, Sex and Power (Oxford University Press, 1996), Women in Fashion: 20th Century Century Designers (Rizzoli, 1991) and Fashion and Eroticism (Oxford 1985). She is also editor-in-chief of the three-volume Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion (Scribners, 2005) abridged as The Berg Companion to Fashion (Berg, 2011).

Steven Broadway’s lessons for University pf Fashion focus on contemporary fashion illustration. His lessons include: Sketching Handbags, Sketching Shoes, Drawing a Female Contemporary Figure, Drawing a Male Contemporary Figure, Drawing Androgynous Men’s & Women’s Figures and Drawing Children. Steven is a Parsons graduate and an artist, photographer/educator, based in NYC. He teaches Fashion Art and Design at Parsons and at the Fashion Institute of Technology, as well as has lectured and conducted workshops on fashion design internationally. Steven’s work has been featured in art galleries, newspapers, magazines and in books. Working with students in the classroom is his passion.

Marcie Cooperman specializes in color theory, crocheting and knitting! Her lessons: Color Theory: The Basics and Color Relationships teach very important aspects of color that every designer must know. Marcie’s crochet lessons include stitches such as: Half Double Crochet V-Stitch, Shell Stitch and how to Crochet a Tabard Tank. In 2014, Marcie published a textbook with Pearson entitled, Color: How to Use It. For almost twenty years, Marcie has been a highly regarded professor at Parsons the New School where she teaches Color Theory in the Art, Media and Technology Department, as well as Fashion Marketing in Parson’s Fashion Marketing Department. She was also a professor of color theory at Pratt’s Graduate Department of Communications Design and the Industrial Design Department for many years.

Shanna Cupples is our resident swimwear & intimate apparel expert. Her lessons include: Draping a Bra, Draping a One Piece Bodysuit/Swimsuit, Swimwear Construction Techniques and Drafting a Panty Sloper. Shanna is a creative and technical designer with expertise in the categories of bras, intimate apparel, seamless apparel, activewear, and swimwear, and was an adjunct professor at FIT. She brings with her 14 years of design, development, fitting, and engineering experience and has worked with some of the most esteemed and respected organizations within the intimate and apparel industries, among them, Limited Brands, Komar Brands, Delta Galil, Vandale Industries, Biflex Intimates Group and engaged in custom work by engineering costumes for Britney Spears.

Martha Palaza is a pattern making maven and teaches many lessons for us that range from pattern making and grading, to how to make bust cup adjustments and how to work with knits. Martha has also coordinated our CAD pattern making lessons in partnership with Tukatech. Martha is an apparel design professional whose experience and education has focused on production, manufacturing, and teaching. Her skills include patternmaking, draping, garment construction, and textiles. She has worked as a Costume Technician for Costume Works of Somerville, Massachusetts, whose clients are national theater and opera troupes and entertainment companies. When not working as a freelance pattern maker, Martha teaches at the School of Fashion Design (Boston).

A Reminder to High Schools & Colleges

We are offering all high schools and colleges a free one-month access to our University of Fashion content library of over 500 educational videos. Teachers, should coordinate their school’s request and send that request to cs@UniversityofFashion.com, and we will provide your school with an access code. So…students, tell your teachers!

The goal of our free 30-day access to schools only, is to help schools salvage the balance of their semester. In preparation for the fall, in the event the pandemic continues into the next semester, we have waived our one-year school subscription minimum and are now offering special shortened subscription terms and rates.

Since 2008, University of Fashion has been providing individuals, groups, schools and public libraries with hands-on and lecture lessons in fashion design and fashion business. Many of our subscriber schools have been using our content in hybrid classrooms for years. Just read our testimonials.

As you use our library, we’d love your feedback. Tell us which are your favorite lessons and what new lessons you’d like to see? Send comments to us at cs@UniversityofFashion.com.

To Individual Subscribers

For those who are not currently enrolled in school but would like to take advantage of our library, we are now offering an individual membership deal. Get $20 off a yearly membership (was $189 now $169) using promo code NEWS21Y. Offers expire 12/31/20

SIGN UP HERE

 

Did you know that we have a very informative weekly blog covering relevant fashion topics? And, stay connected with us via our lively social media presence: Instagram- @uoffashion and Facebook – University of Fashion.

This is a new deal just offered by our UK-based publisher.
Our Video & Book Combination – Get 40% each book using discount code FRIENDS40 (offer expires 5/31/20)

Draping: Techniques for Beginners – https://www.laurenceking.com/us/product/draping-2/
Sewing: Techniques for Beginners – https://www.laurenceking.com/us/product/sewing/
Pattern Making: Techniques for Beginners – https://www.laurenceking.com/us/product/pattern-making/

Once you click one of the book links, above, you’ll see the book you selected in the middle of the screen. Click the shopping cart icon in the upper right of the same page then, on the order form provided, enter the discount code: FRIENDS40, and then click “Apply discount.” Then click “Proceed to checkout.”

Posen Shutters His House As the UoF Opens Doors for Future Designers

- - Current Topics in Fashion, Fashion Business, Fashion Education, Fashion School

Fashion times, they are a changin’.

In just the past few weeks alone, once fashion darling Zac Posen has closed his doors and the iconic retailer Barneys has closed its remaining doors, two more signs that fashion design and retail operations as we’ve known them for so many years are in fact yesterday’s news.

To Posen’s credit, he can claim the story many emerging designers have aspired to. With semesters spent at Parsons and Central Saint Martins, a long line of celebs who have worn his gowns on the red carpet and fame as an expert judge on Project Runway, some would claim that Posen’s run in the fashion world is the stuff an emerging designer’s dreams are made of. And truthfully, Posen lasted much longer in a crumbling model than most. He even starred in his own documentary, House of Z, detailing the behind the scenes successes and struggles over the years.

In 2008, when my fellow fashion school graduates and I landed in NYC after graduating from the Academy of Art in San Francisco, several of us were overcome with jealousy when one of us scored an internship with Zac Posen. It was a tough economic time in which fashion companies were laying off employees, and so many of us had given up on the thought of getting a “real job” in fashion and instead were fighting for unpaid internships with the hope that they would lead to paid positions.

Even then, I can remember the bright fashion stars I had in my eyes beginning to dim as I watched my talented classmate drape his heart out for Posen, often leaving our apartment at 6:30 am to make it to the studio by 7:00 am, not to return until well after 7:00 pm (and without pay). When one of my classmate’s creations ended up on Posen’s runway, we thought for sure, this would be his big break. But as was (and may still be) commonplace with companies headed by a singular famous face, my classmate’s “internship” was over once the season was over and Posen’s runway show was complete. Posen was on to the next group of eager “interns.” And my classmate? He was left with crippling student loans to pay and still, no job.

I share this story because it illuminates the reasons why we are finally seeing a real shift in the fashion industry. And why we’ve got to let go of what has been been considered success in the fashion industry in the past (fame, celebrity, elaborate shows season after season) and instead look toward a more sustainable future in fashion for emerging designers. Posen himself (guided by his mother) saw how unsustainable the fame-party-celebrity red carpet style of designing and running a business was back in 2010. Posen’s decision to branch out into collaborations and more affordable mass market options in order to keep the sought after design dream alive was detailed in WSJ. And yet even with this forethought, Posen’s high end business ultimately couldn’t survive.

Fast forward to today and even educators from top fashion schools (in fact, my former director, Simon Ungless at the Academy of Art in San Francisco), have started to question their own fashion programs, wondering if they are in fact preparing their students for what the fashion world holds. Ungless recently suggested that fashion schools are preparing students for an industry that doesn’t exist (read Ungless’ full interview here) and that if students aspire to celebrity as a fashion designer, they should “make a sex tape.”

Aside from the fact that today’s students in traditional fashion design programs are still striving for that final fashion show in hopes of being noticed by industry professionals (which ultimately may happen to a select handful of graduates), the college debt load students are accumulating is real. A single semester at Parsons, including tuition, books, room and board is approximately $60,000 and at FIT, around $45,000. Multiply that by the number of semesters it takes to graduate and we are talking upwards of $200,000 spent on an education that may or may not pay for itself.

And while we will never say “we told ya so,” the University of Fashion was conceived and developed years ago as a direct response to the issues we are seeing today, including:

• the prohibitive high cost of a traditional fashion education
• the lack of jobs/opportunity in the fashion industry to make a high-cost education pay off
• the changing skills/mindset needed to “make it” as a fashion designer in today’s fashion landscape

Maybe Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, et al. have a point—forego college and invest that money in your own start-up. Learn fashion design at UoF, get your technical skills and then use your money to launch and advertise your own brand. Imagine the possibilities when you let go of the idea that you must have a degree from Parsons, an internship with Marc Jacobs and celebrity status as a 20-something designer with a Hadid wearing your brand on Instagram.

There are so many ways for emerging designers to “make it” in the fashion industry of tomorrow, because the industry is yours to create. Instead of aiming for super stardom and spending a fortune on a traditional fashion education, get creative with different ways to break into the fashion industry. Use online resources to create a niche design item and learn how to market yourself via social media. Follow a path that feels authentic and genuine to you and think outside the box. We truly believe designers CAN make a living at what they love through research, social media savvy and creative thought. How about a new young designer pop-up store collective? Already paving a new path forward in the fashion industry? We want to know about it! Inspire others by sharing in the comments below.

Introducing the CFDA’s Young Guns

- - Current Topics in Fashion, Fashion Events, Fashion School, Fashion Tips
Mike Amiri, Kristopher Brock, Nadja Swarovski, Aurora James, and Kerby Jean-Raymond - Photo courtesy of WWD.com

Mike Amiri, Kristopher Brock, Nadja Swarovski, Aurora James, and Kerby Jean-Raymond – Photo courtesy of WWD.com

As fashion educators and bloggers, we have a responsibility to cover important events in our industry—for example, the recent 2018 CFDA Fashion Awards—even when the CFDA honors Kim Kardashian (GASP!) with the CFDA Influencer Award. While we are still a little stumped on that decision, we are thrilled to introduce you to the honored newcomers to the fashion industry – also known as the five nominees for the Swarovski Award for Emerging Talent. Read More

5 Surefire Ways to Get Inspired Today

- - Fashion Education, Fashion History, Fashion School, Fashion Tips

I’ve always wanted to teach a class on how to find inspiration as a fashion designer. I’ve often thought, “How dreamy to spend my days finding and exploring what inspires me, never mind the satisfaction that would come from fostering inspiration in others.” For me, finding inspiration is the most thrilling part of what we get to do as designers. Read More

An Interview with The Museum at FIT’s Chief Curator, Valerie Steele

- - Fashion Education, Fashion School

How fortunate I was to have the opportunity to sit down with Dr. Valerie Steele, the Museum at FIT’s chief curator and director for a one on one interview. I relish every opportunity to meet successful women in the fashion industry, but it is a rare chance to learn about a unique career path based in a love for the history of fashion. In our newest video, Valerie Steele shares her one of a kind path in fashion with University of Fashion students. Read More