About Your Portfolio, for Applying to Fashion School and After Graduation

[jjbunny79]

i have to idea how to set up an portfolio and i need to apply two colleges by then end of this month! one of them said they need five pieces and the other didnt specify. what should i do?!

 

[BetteT]

I can't answer, but since no one has replied yet, have you read through this thread yet? I think that there are some ideas about this already here ... just a thought, to help you out.

 

[JenniferJarvis]

I LOVE looking at portfolio's
Here are some amazing portfolio pictures from graduates this year that I found on dazeddigital.com

 

[fab_fifties_fille]

i have to idea how to set up an portfolio and i need to apply two colleges by then end of this month! one of them said they need five pieces and the other didnt specify. what should i do?!

There's some gorgeous stuff there Jennifer.

jjbunny, reading back through this thread will probably help as bette said. For your five pieces try and get some variety in, dont show them the same thing over and over, but keep it relevant to whatever the course is, maybe get a second opinion from someone who's a bit creative? To apply to your other, are you going to these interviews in person or are you just sending your work in? What is the course you're applying for?

 

[jjbunny79]

fab_fifties_fille and bette:

the one that need five piece is for BTEC Higher National Diploma in Fashion and Textiles at Caritas Bianchi College of Careers, which is in Hong Kong.
The other one is Higher Diploma of Fashion Styling and Image Design (where you learn fashion design, make up, and hair styling) at HKU SPACE Po Leung Kuk Community College, which is also in Hong Kong.
Both of them are two years and I already complete high school and two years in a Canadian university.

right now im in a sewing class and a makeup diploma course and a sewing class, so i guess i have some product done by the end of june.

 

[fab_fifties_fille]

Yeah that sound perfect jjbunny, just try and get together some good examples of your work and include the stuff you're doing on your makeup course and sewing class. Just try to keep it fairly concise. Don't just put all of your work in, choose the best bits from the different areas, and the bits you feel you can talk about, these people will have seen tonnes of portfolios and will be able to tell from a few pages whether they want you or not. Another piece of advice in your portfolio put your best bits of work at the begging middle and end. So the first page makes the best impact, then you almost remind them of the level of work half way through, and then the final page means you end on a good note and make that last impression.

 

[jjbunny79]

^ fab_fifties_fille: thank you very much for this advice, see this do calms me a lot
but the biggest problems that sickens me is that:
1. I will need to compete with people that is younger and more prepared (they did this over at least 1 year and i got like less then a month)
2. There is actually classes in Hong Kong that teach kids how to make portfolio from stretch to apply fashion school, where previous experience not needed.
3. I pretty much threw out most of my old works from high school because i moved, and thats not really good either.
and all of these facts makes me feel like i am in a disadvantage position

 

[fab_fifties_fille]

well jj, you've just got to go along with what you do have, age shouldn't be a disadvantage, if anything they'll realise you know more about what you want to do in the future, and put across your passion for the subject, if it doesn't go how you want it to then you'll learn from it, but just keep positive, take in work you believe in (if you had taken in stuff from high school you may not have felt so passionate about it...surely you would have kept it if you had.) I've gone through this whole process in the UK, so it could be different, or at a lower level. Just stay confident and good luck! They may understand that you seem less prepared than the younger students who have had the year to do their portfolio, but if you show enthusiasm and promise in your current work then they'll see potential in your ability to learn. Just don't try to be what you think they might need you to be, if you really do love the subject then that should shine through.

 

[thelooks]

Right now, I'm studying Journalism but I'm going to apply at Ryerson for their Fashion Communications program. I was looking at their application process and they ask for a 'portfolio'. The only portfolio I have right now, are photos and articles I have written for the school paper. Here's what they are looking for:

Category 1: Graphic Design (poster for a fashion event or an advertisement, garment label and business card)

Category 2: Illustration (a self portrait, a drawing of an interesting hat, a sketch of a garment you designed)

Category 3: 2 photographs of a garment you have sewn on a sewing machine.

Category 4: Your choice.

Now, my drawing skills aren't strong but they aren't weak either, but I'm worried about Category 3. I've never sewn on a sewing machine and the only time I sew is to fix up any split seams on my clothes. I don't want to get into the design aspect of the fashion industry. Can anyone give me any tips here please?

Did you end up getting in? I'm applying this year for Fash. Comm. and I'm wondering how to prepare my own portfolio. The guidelines are pretty strict, but I'm wondering how you displayed your pieces, etc.

 

[Dija]

Hi thelooks! (Just saw this post)

I'm actually applying this year. The guidelines are strict, and if it's not followed correctly, the deduct marks. I believe the pieces can be mounted. I have a friend that graduated for the Fash. Comm. program, so I'll ask her about how to display the pieces.

 

[polyesterday]

hey guys! i just have one question. Heres my little story
I did a 2 term fashion short course at CSM last year. I worked a lot I and almost get into but i was told that my work was good but I needed to extend it going through foundation. They just told me to rebuild a porfolio for foundation but didn't give me any clue.

now i'm kinda worried cos I don't know much about how a foundation porfolio should be. I spent lots of time on asking and looking at porfolios for BA interview but ot for foundation. Next january i'm applying for foundation at Byam Shaw (CSM) and London College of Fashion
I GUESS IT SHOULD BE LESS OR WHAT?

I made some textile design, some jewellery, I designed a hat and a knitwear collection. Plus i have a whole sketchbook of life drawing.

Would be really nice if someone has any info and could tell me and better if it's someone who already went through foundation interviews. PVT me please!
xxx

 

[heybrownie]

Hey guys, I'm applying at FIT for Fall 2010. My program is Accessories Design. Any tips on the portfolio? What are usually they looking for in portfolios?

 

[thelooks]

Hi thelooks! (Just saw this post)

I'm actually applying this year. The guidelines are strict, and if it's not followed correctly, the deduct marks. I believe the pieces can be mounted. I have a friend that graduated for the Fash. Comm. program, so I'll ask her about how to display the pieces.

Thanks so much - I just saw your post nowwww!
I'm actually so nervous for applying, I applied for Journalism at Ryerson last year, and got waitlisted... I worked my *** off and the whole thing was totally heartbreaking. I'm in Arts & Contemporary Studies right now and I completely HATE IT. It's so much like high school.

I'm dying to share what I have in progress for the portfolio so far with someone! The graphic design is driving me crazy, I'm having the hardest time making it look modern and clean... same with my self-portrait, I don't even know where to start

 

[sphagnum.esplanade]

I come from a background focusing on Fine Art/Installation, which I'm currently studying at the moment. I also previously started a BA in Illustration at UAL prior to what I’m doing now. I've been considering applications to another degree this year with perhaps greater career prospects in an alternative interest I enjoy. I wanted to enquire the sort of examples of work to include for a portfolio in either Fashion Communication & Promotion or Fashion Styling & Photography. Other than evident visual ideas and photographs, what kind of other works could your folio entail? These courses are quite separate avenues compared to the work I’m concentrating in at the moment. I have two separate portfolios (Illustrative & Fine Art) and wanted to know if I could amalgamate existing related works into a Fashion based one.

 

[hcivomistra]

i have 2 weeks go to and im cacking myself!
i keep having nightmares that everyone elses work will make mine look laughable

oh good to know i'm not the only one feeling this way!

 

[hcivomistra]

Oh I just read all the posts in this thread I'm so desperate ) It's great help, lots of valuable ideas. I've only got some 2-3 weeks to go and I'm just trying to figure out what I should concentrate on to make my portfolio stronger. So far I only have an A3 sketchbook with 25 pages of research and fabric samples but no fashion... That's one thing I must do, develop a collection... Also will include some life drawing though mine is so bad ( I am applying to CSM and I worry myself sick that my work is not up to the standards. Both in sense of quality and quantity.

Thank you for all who contributed to the thread guys )and congrats to those who already got a place!

 

[hcivomistra]

i know it's not strictly about portfolio, but it's still about applying to uni. If you struggle with your PERSONAL STATEMENT I found this extremely useful: http://personalstatement.blogspot.com/2005/09/outline-for-personal-statement.html

The best advice I came across.

 

[Andrea.RL]

I just finished school and I'm out and about looking for internships. They usually expect physical portfolios to show at the interview. I was wondering if anyone had any advice of how it should be like, the presentation etc..? And if anyone had pictures as examples that would be really cool

 

[Andrea.RL]

*bump* '

I'm back with a new question, I was wondering, if you have an online portfolio, most people have an about/bio page. Is that an important thing to include? What should it say/how should it be said?

 

[BetteT]

Andrea ... I'm going to move this discussion about what goes in and assistant's portfolio to the Assistant thread ... and out of this thread which is about portfolios for school admissions. http://forums.thefashionspot.com/f9...publicist-photographer-stylist-etc-93535.html

It makes more sense there, since we are talking about how a stylist's assistant should build and present his/her portfolio and resume.