High Heels, High Hopes, and the Role of Fashion Design Schools

The fashion world has long been filled with glitz and glamour. The ramp for models is always long, dramatic, and well-lighted. The walk is certainly a walk for fame, fortunately for aspirants but sometimes leading to a walk for shame. Who is behind all these promises and/or even breakdowns? No less than the fashion designers. What, exactly, does a fashion designer do? Basically, with streaks of talent, creativity, and sensitivity, fashion designers, as if influenced by Rumpelstiltskin, craft accessory and clothing sketches. They usually concentrate in one nature of accessory or garment such as women's or men's apparels, swimwear, lingerie, children's garments, handbags, and even shoes. They, sometimes, lead the groundwork of the creation and promotion of their creations. Famous fashion designers prefer to be self-employed and they cater for the request of their clients. Some cater to high-fashion department stores or to specialty stores. They establish fashion statements by setting the colors, silhouette, and type of materials that are worn each season. There are also some designers who are employed by manufacturers of clothes. These designers just adapt fashion statements set by other designers for the market. However, there are small manufacturers who just purchase or copy designs. Both designers sketch unique garments and follow certain trends in fashion. Likewise, both need assistants who should get used to the fast-paced schedule of the fashion business. In detail, these designers execute the following tasks: • Draw their unique designs. • Create patterns for sample garments. • Choose textile and add-ons (accessories). • Apply tailoring and basic dressmaking principles along with draping techniques and flat pattern works. • Fit and alter the completed product, if necessary. • Set-up a fashion show. • Compare the performance of the merchandise against the competitors. • Keep self up-to-date of latest fashion trends thru magazines and other fashion shows. • Have frequent trips to fabric showrooms to keep self updated of latest type of fabrics. Actually, fashion designers can be categorized as follows: 1. Lead or Head Designers They take care of the executive and creative tasks. 2. Assistant or Apprentice Designers They usually make patterns and sample garments. They may also teach sample makers how to make patterns and designer garments. 3. Specialty Designers They coordinate with other designers about special lines of garments. 4. Costume or Theatrical Designers They usually create costumes used in theater and movie productions on a contractual basis. The foundations for their creations are their knowledge, skills, and abilities honed in fashion schools and trainings in the long run. • Basic Design – This refers to technical know-how included in the creation and use of technical blueprints, drawings, plans, and models. • Idea Production – This is the ability of designers to approach problems creatively and resourcefully. • Dynamic Learning – This is being able to analyze implications of new information and materials at hand. • Operations Scrutiny – This is considering requirements of products to execute a design. • Uniqueness – This pertains to unusual cleverness vis-à-vis trying situations. • Harmonization – This is being able to having good coordination with others. • Visioning – This is being able to see how an organization works under real conditions. The talents and skills of these artists are really important in the fashion industry. The work requires an eye for a striking creation and business management. Thus, aside from the portfolio of their usually creations, formal education help these designers acquire the secrets of the trade in this business. In fact, graduation from a college or school that provides training on fashion and design is highly recommended in the industry, to keep incoming designers updated on the advent of new techniques and technologies. However, some leaders of this industry view vocational training schools and community college as more capable of producing competent artists because these institutions work along with clothing industries. Vocational schools provide trainings in sketching, draping and grading, pattern making, garment construction, textiles and trimmings, costume history, principles of design and color; and how to plan and market seasonal fashion lines. High school students inclined in fashion and design should finish basic courses in arts, sewing, mathematics, speech, English, and business. Usually, vocational institutions provide a two-leveled program with certificate that is consonant to the degree in Associate of Arts. For those who want to enter the fashion field immediately, a first level certificate of proficiency is provided. The next level of proficiency, the second-level requires a greater time of completion. But upon graduation, artists are considered competent enough to aim for positions as Assistant Designers. After all the necessary formal trainings and specializations, those who have the guts and high hopes spin gold fabrics!

What to Look for From Fashion Designer Schools

There are lots of people who can tell you a thing or two about fashion designer schools. They may be right- fashion schools may not add up to your talent at the end of the day but you see, the other face of the coin might also be true. That is, fashion schools would not only keep you informed, you will also get to enhance your talents and special interests. The truth is, having the talents is not enough. You need to be properly trained to get this talent on the right track. One good way of doing this is to attend fashion designer schools. Like with everything, you need to find a school that can provide you with all the stuffs you need while justifying the bill of their curriculum. There are a number of things you should be considering in your choice of school. Among them are: cost, services and curriculum. The cost, both the initial and the extra charges, is probably the major consideration among aspiring talents. Fashion designer schools are few and they can't be simply accessed in every city. That would mean extra baggage on your part. How much it costs to attend a fashion designer school, you ask. Well, this cant be answered concretely with figures since these vary from one school to another. Also, this issue is largely dependent on many factors including the popularity of the fashion designer school, the spectrum of services it offers and the facilities it has. It's good if you are not bothered with the cost of the school. Sadly, most of us tend to be practical when dealing with things. However, this does not suggest that one should dive fast on the least expensive school you can get your hands on. There are also dangers in this. Remember that with lower price, the quality and the services of the institution suffers. Now, that leaves you only to choosing between a well-performing school with high tuition fee or a mediocre fashion designer school with much lower price. Whatever your choice is, you have to spot on the balance. Find the one which can give you the best of both worlds. Surely, there are those fashion designer schools that chose to put income as secondary and exchange this for the main aim of fostering passion in fashion designing among their budding artists. The services a fashion designer school should also be taken into thought. These factors cover the job placement services to graduate students, a number of scholarships, a well-performing teaching staff and the general competence of the institution. Last on your list of consideration is the curriculum the school offers. Keep in mind that you went to a fashion designer school to learn. If a specific school can only provide you with the things that you can learn by other means then the purpose of entering would be spoiled. Secure to it that you are well supplemented with the ideals of the program. Formal training must be the real aim of any curriculum. This then should be combined with a good mixture of theoretical approach plus the application of the learning earned from classroom setting. The basic offers among fashion designer schools are fashion basics, modeling, sales marketing and fashion merchandising. These are just some of the many factors that you can first consider reflect on so that you would arrive to a final choice of school that you will be contented with.