A friend of mine, Rebecca, studies fashion design and management in New York City. I asked her to answer a few questions about her college life and give us all some fashion advice. This interview has two parts: part 1 is dedicated to aspiring fashion students; part 2 is basic fashion tips, especially for the upcoming spring season!
1. How did you know that fashion was right for you?
When I was younger, I really liked shopping and putting my outfits together. My mom started showing me runway shows and designers. I began seeing fashion as something more than things you can wear. It can become a serious career. If people can think about fashion as more than just glamour, then maybe the fashion career path is right for them as well. Fashion is memories; people remember what jacket they wore to their first job interview, and they remember the dress they wore to prom. Being able to see that clothes are a wearable piece of art draws the line between someone who likes fashion and someone who is fashion.
2. What are your plans/goals for the future with a degree in fashion?
After I graduate from Parsons, I hope to be a merchandiser at a company. A merchandiser does a bit of everything: they go with the design teams to the fabric shows, they tell them what's going to make the cut for production, they deal with sales teams, they keep everyone on budget, and they make sure everything is ready for market dates. Since I love both the business and design side of fashion, I figured this would be the best spot for me. I'm also obsessed with New York City, so I'll most likely being stay here and look at companies here.
3. Do you have any advice for people thinking about going to school to study fashion?
Well, there will be those kids who are using designer bags that cost as much as a car. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it is easy to feel out of place. At first it's hard, but you need to realize that just because they have that bag or that shoe or whatever, doesn't mean they are better than you or look any more put together or stylish. On the more school-related side, don't think that just because it's fashion it's not hard. There's so much to this business, and it's confusing at times. I'd also recommend reading Woman's Wear Daily (www.wwd.com), it's referred to as "the Bible." Also stay on top of current events in the world, not just in fashion, but in business and politics because that will affect what styles will become popular. Don't take any trend-spotting classes because you don't need to pay for that, just read trade magazines, blogs, and keep up with key designers. Also, in this business it's all about connections and your internships; so start with those as soon as possible. But try to stay clear of the internships that have great names to put on your resume but all you did was get coffee. Try to get one where you can learn the most, even if it isn't at Prada or Versace.
When I was younger, I really liked shopping and putting my outfits together. My mom started showing me runway shows and designers. I began seeing fashion as something more than things you can wear. It can become a serious career. If people can think about fashion as more than just glamour, then maybe the fashion career path is right for them as well. Fashion is memories; people remember what jacket they wore to their first job interview, and they remember the dress they wore to prom. Being able to see that clothes are a wearable piece of art draws the line between someone who likes fashion and someone who is fashion.
2. What are your plans/goals for the future with a degree in fashion?
After I graduate from Parsons, I hope to be a merchandiser at a company. A merchandiser does a bit of everything: they go with the design teams to the fabric shows, they tell them what's going to make the cut for production, they deal with sales teams, they keep everyone on budget, and they make sure everything is ready for market dates. Since I love both the business and design side of fashion, I figured this would be the best spot for me. I'm also obsessed with New York City, so I'll most likely being stay here and look at companies here.
3. Do you have any advice for people thinking about going to school to study fashion?
Well, there will be those kids who are using designer bags that cost as much as a car. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it is easy to feel out of place. At first it's hard, but you need to realize that just because they have that bag or that shoe or whatever, doesn't mean they are better than you or look any more put together or stylish. On the more school-related side, don't think that just because it's fashion it's not hard. There's so much to this business, and it's confusing at times. I'd also recommend reading Woman's Wear Daily (www.wwd.com), it's referred to as "the Bible." Also stay on top of current events in the world, not just in fashion, but in business and politics because that will affect what styles will become popular. Don't take any trend-spotting classes because you don't need to pay for that, just read trade magazines, blogs, and keep up with key designers. Also, in this business it's all about connections and your internships; so start with those as soon as possible. But try to stay clear of the internships that have great names to put on your resume but all you did was get coffee. Try to get one where you can learn the most, even if it isn't at Prada or Versace.
More from Rebecca coming soon! I will be posting part 2 tomorrow!
If you have any additional questions, post them in the comment section or email them to me so that I can forward them to Rebecca and get you an answer!
If you have any additional questions, post them in the comment section or email them to me so that I can forward them to Rebecca and get you an answer!