Advice: Education & Career Goals (PLEASE READ POST #1 BEFORE POSTING)

[thisismaxwell]

Seeking advice for fashion postgraduate

Hi, all!

This is my first posting here on TFS... I'm happy to be here after encountering several postings on the forum through Google searches in the past. I'm currently looking to pick up some advice regarding my current situation, in which I'm not quite sure of "what to do next", with a reasonably clear "end result" in mind.

So, here's a brief summary...
- 22 years old, from and living in Toronto, Canada (though have also lived in Italy and the UK)
- I hold a BA (Hons) in International Fashion Practice from Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK - this was a one-year extension to a two-year diploma program I'd done at George Brown College in Toronto (so, two years of college, one year of university, the result being a BA degree)
- My career interest is to become an intellectual property litigator for fashion related matters (specifically patents and trademarks).
- While the logical next step is "go to law school", I still want to pursue postgraduate for a few reasons - those being...
-- To strengthen my overall qualification with a master's or doctorate degree of some kind
-- To undertake a couple of projects of fashion-related research that I'm keen on pursuing
-- To become more versatile, in the case that I change my path from law, at a later time
-- To "buy time", as I've still not decided where I want to live and practice law... it's definitely not Ontario, but I want to make sure that when I do go to law school, it will be in the right place

So, originally, I was looking at research-based master's programs, on my professor's recommendation. According to her, my research on the assignments I'd handed in for her course, was the best in my class, and was of the calibre that is suited to postgraduate study. My concern with this type of course, however, is that I feel like it won't carry the same strength as a credential from a taught course, such as an MBA. That got me to thinking that the year or so it would take me to earn a master's could be more wisely used to get an "employer friendly" credential, then possibly used as entry to a PhD program, where I can undertake the more intensive research, and then go to law school afterward.

I've realized that I have to be a bit more open minded when going after a master's degree, as there is very little (if anything) in the way of fashion specifically. The most suitable concentration I've found so far is luxury brands.

I'm aware that it's currently a bit late to be applying for programs for September, but I've been assured by every school that there is no "fixed deadline", though as early an application as possible is advisable.

So, here are the results of my research - these are the only three programs I'm looking at right now...

MBA in Luxury Brand Marketing at Glasgow-Caledonian University (London Campus)
http://www.gcu.ac.uk/mba/thegcumba/mbaluxurybrandmarketing/

MBA in Luxury Brand Management at Accademia del Lusso (Milan, with parts of the program in Paris)
http://www.accademiadellusso.com/en...er/mba_milan-paris_luxury_brandmanagement.asp

MSc in Luxury Management at International University of Monaco (Monaco)
https://master.monaco.edu/programs/master-science/masters-luxury-management.cfm

Where I'm at right now is that I want to put in an application at all three schools, see what comes of it, and go from there. Failing that, I may end up just working for a year or two, especially as that will open up more MBA opportunities for me (especially as MBA programs tend to require work experience - I've checked with the programs I've listed, and I qualify for all of them).

So, here's what advice I'd be seeking from the TFS community...

- Given my current situation (recent BA graduate with a desire to take on further education), what do you think that my best course of action, given my end-goal (of being an intellectual property litigator) in mind? Note that the options I've listed for universities are only a guide, and what I perceive as being the best options based off of my knowledge. Consider there to be no limit to what you can suggest - I'd like to hear any opinions.

- Out of the options I've listed, do you have any knowledge or opinions you'd like to share? For example, if you've attended any of the schools, know someone who has, or have heard certain things about it, I'd love to hear what you have to say. Likewise, if you've had a look at any of the programs in the links I've provided, and you have an opinion based on what you've seen, I'd like to hear it as well.

- If you know of another school or program that would be a good fit, in your opinion, I'd love to hear any suggestions that you may have. I'd be interested in pretty well any fashion related discipline (including textiles), or possibly even consumer behaviours (that is the partial concentration for the major research project I want to go after). The only parameter is that I can't attend a US grad school, as writing the GRE/GMAT is out of the question.

Any general commentary would be welcome, too. I have an idea of what I want to do, and less of an idea of how to do it, if that makes any sense.

Also, if this posting violates any of the TFS policies (I've tried to familiarize myself with them as best as I can), please let me know, and I'll be sure to take action to comply straight away.

Many thanks in advance, and I can provide further supplementary information as needed!

 

[BetteT]

Welcome to the Fashion Spot! This is the forum for career advice and information and this is a good thread to start in, since you have a whole collection of concerns.

I'm not sure you are going to get much direction here, mainly because not many members here, if any, are litigators or are pursuing that path. Certainly not me .... I was just a stylist .... no formal education required to do that.

But, I'm happy to give you my limited thoughts on some of your questions and provide some direction to navigate through this Careers forum so you might be able to find more information.

First ... I always say to apply to all uni's that you think might be of interest to you. You can decide later, if you have more than one offer. It's not an option if they don't accept you, anyway.

Secondly ... you can search for threads about specific fashion schools by name (only some of the most recognized) ... or by region, such as Europe, Italy, etc. Just go to the nav bar near the top of the thread listings in this forum and us Search this Forum / by Thread Titles. There may already be something in a thread about your specific schools. This thread is more about general advice.

You say your ultimate goal is to become a litigator dealing with intellectual properties? Or is it Management?

I could be way off base here ... you may very well know a lot more than I do about this. In fact ... you can probably teach me something about the process of getting into law school. But ... it seems like two different careers to me and it makes me think that you may be taking the wrong path if the law is your first love.

Here's a typical scenario, that might be similar: It's sort of like students who want to go into the business side of fashion .... marketing, buying, management, entrepreneurial endeavors, etc. Usually I have noticed that those people who have these jobs just study the basic business courses and sort of just end up in fashion. It's because the business skills are way more important than any knowledge of fashion ... Business is business, no matter what you are selling.So, studying something like "fashion design" or even studying at a fashion school would not prepare you to work with a company's financial goals better than a good business school. With business skills, you can work in fashion just as easily as working at an automobile manufacturing company or a grocery chain. The concept is pretty much the same ... and the skills needed are the same. I would think that it's pretty similar in law/litigation/intellectual properties ... you need the law education more than anything ... if that is your chosen path.

The only advantage to studying at a fashion school for management or related business courses is possible contacts and internships ... where you can meet people who might hire you later. But don't law student take internships ... can't they apply to the firms that rep fashion clients or to the legal departments of major fashion retailers? Would you not save a lot of money and a lot of time by just going to law school? Unless you need that masters .... and fashion is just as good as any other way of getting it. Just food for thought ....

 

[leo urameshi]

Hello everyone,

I'm a french student. I have a Bachelor degree in computer science. But i always been passionate by fashion, and drawing. I'm also studying Japanese.

I would dream to go study design fashion in BFGU : bunka fashion graduate university (an university based in Tokyo).

I did research about the formation and there policy to apply.
they have a cursus of 3 years (Bachelor) then they have a master of 2 year.

Obviously it's possible to apply to the school at the begening of the Bachelor degree.
I also saw that the french school named "Ensad" had sign a partnership with Bunka so they're student from the
Master 1 and Master 2 could do a double degree.

My question are :
Do you know if there is other way to enter BFGU ?
Indeed :

1. Is it possible to apply/enter BFGU in Master degree after a Bachelor's degree in fashion that you passed in another university/school ?
2. Are you aware of other school's that's have partnership to go study fashion in BFGU ? or in another Japanese fashion school ?
3. Is it possible to apply/enter BFGU in Master degree directly if you already have skills ?

Thanks a lot for your reply and help.

Léo

 

[velvetandsilk]

I think you should writing email to this school in Japan about recruitment process. Moreover, in all art school a very important is portfolio with your projects. If you studied computer science try connection this with fashion (3D print).
In Paris the best fashion school is ifmparis, but selection is very strict. They colaboration with fashion houses and you can opportunity to learn production process.

 

[leo urameshi]

thanks a lot velvetandsilk for your reply and informations/advice.

I will send to the school an email in english hope they will answer me back.

I already knew about the portfolio.
I been painting/branding a lot since for years and i'm taking courses in art with a coach to be prepared and to developp my creativity.
I will also try to find a course to learn better how to draw human body cause i think it will be helpfull.
I'm also starting an online courses about sewing because i never did that before...

I studied computer sciences such as programming but unfortunatly they never teach us how to use 3D prints.
But i would love to learn how to use them because with it you can create design objects wich relate to a brand for instance.

Should i start learning more about 3d prints ? Or focus more on sewing and drawing in order to have a good portfolio ? Cause it's seems to me it would be a more helpfull skill for object design.

 

[fashON]

I'm looking to go into the vast world of the fashion industry and making it big, but I'm a little lost on what to do. I do not have any money saved up in supporting my dream. My mom is against the idea of me going into fashion, what do I do? Do I pursue a degree in something my mom wants but I don't want? I badly want to move out since my household is not really in an optimal place either but i don't know how. I'm nowhere near independent and i don't have any idea how to earn money on the side. i'd appreciate any form of help whatsoever. TIA!

 

[whatdoyoumean]

Hey, there stranger, whoever you are. That's such a tough spot, knowing you're trapped under your parent's hands... it's rather unfortunate that they'd stop you from reaching your dreams. But with a little spirit and drive, we'll get you there.

What skills do you have? Are you not afraid to get your hands dirty? Depending on where you live, McDonalds & Wendy's pays a livable wage that can at least land you in an apartment or a different place to live to get you started. After that, if you're willing to pause school to save up, you have a wide variety of options you can explore to earn.

If you're really keen on exploring the world of fashion, you can try your hands at dropshipping clothes from Etsy/Aliexpress/Alibaba to a wide variety of other places. You can re-brand it, alter it, or just give it a touch of pizazz so that you can get your hands-on experience while learning the ropes of the clothing industry at its base level. If you don't know how dropshipping works, I'll link a good place to start here.

Another thing that could start doing is get into YouTube. It's not a bad idea honestly if you're confident enough to talk to a camera, pick a niche, and share your thoughts–it can be an amazing platform that you can transition in when you're in the fashion industry as well.

There are tons of options for you out there, you just need a little bit of exploration on your end. Hoping for the best for you! Keep us posted on what you do ;w;/

 

[Niu DaVinci]

Some of my designs. the second is a modification of the clichet jaguar pattern.

• Should I sel the as commercial license NFT's?
• Should I try to collab with Haute Couture artists for them to use my designs? Who specifically?
• Which luxury brands or edgy fashion brands can I contact for them to buy my designs? Who specifically?
• Should I make my own website or a printify shop and just sell clothes?

I want my designs to be printed from 5 to 100 times, for the most profit.

Thing is I want to design 5G apps, and startup 3Dprinted interior design overall company, but I got to start low somewhere.

I have an ecological mindset and I am a musician also.

 

[fashON]

Hey, there stranger, whoever you are. That's such a tough spot, knowing you're trapped under your parent's hands... it's rather unfortunate that they'd stop you from reaching your dreams. But with a little spirit and drive, we'll get you there.

What skills do you have? Are you not afraid to get your hands dirty? Depending on where you live, McDonalds & Wendy's pays a livable wage that can at least land you in an apartment or a different place to live to get you started. After that, if you're willing to pause school to save up, you have a wide variety of options you can explore to earn.

If you're really keen on exploring the world of fashion, you can try your hands at dropshipping clothes from Etsy/Aliexpress/Alibaba to a wide variety of other places. You can re-brand it, alter it, or just give it a touch of pizazz so that you can get your hands-on experience while learning the ropes of the clothing industry at its base level. If you don't know how dropshipping works, I'll link a good place to start here.

Another thing that could start doing is get into YouTube. It's not a bad idea honestly if you're confident enough to talk to a camera, pick a niche, and share your thoughts–it can be an amazing platform that you can transition in when you're in the fashion industry as well.

There are tons of options for you out there, you just need a little bit of exploration on your end. Hoping for the best for you! Keep us posted on what you do ;w;/

Thank you for the thoughtful comment, sorry for taking too long to reply, I've been in a pretty rough spot lately mentally but I've been seeking professional help and things are looking a bit brighter now. I did end up moving out of my mom's place (thankfully) and I'm currently staying over at my friend's apartment. Funny enough, I did end up working for a Dunkin Doughnut store (still am atm) so your advice was pretty spot on! Thanks for taking the time to actually come up with a significant response, I really really appreciate it . Your suggestion on dropshipping is interesting though, that's something I've never thought of! Buying pre-made clothes and altering them... doesn't sound that bad tbh! I was initially idealistic that I needed to wove and create things from scratch but 'upcycling' clothes is definitely not something too far from my alley. I've read the article that you've suggested and I've gotta say, my smol brain is pounding with information overload. I know these things take a while to learn but man, I did not expect how complicated it was going to be.

So, as per your article and with a bit of my own research, it says that Shopify is the best place for dropshipping atm. I'm still studying the pricing and all the deets, but I need help with a few things so if you can oblige me just a little bit, I'd owe you a ton.

Can you walk me through the pricing? It's not really that straightforward and I'm struggling a little bit understanding how that works. How do you go about marketing your store? Since I'm basically rebranding stuff, would I not get copyrighted or sued by the original seller? Is what I'm going to do still considered dropshipping since I plan to get everything delivered to me first and alter it? I've found a few good stores on Aliexpress, how efficient do you think their customer service regarding returns is especially since I plan on bulk buying? Can you weigh in on this guide I found regarding selling on Shopify on how true and accurate the points are?

I'm sorry I have a lot of questions, you can probably answer this in one cohesive paragraph since a lot of them are interconnected with one another. Again, any input is highly appreciated. TIA kind stranger!

 

[thehighforum]

for those of you working in the fashion world (models, agents, editors, photographers, stylists, hairstylists, makeup artists etc.) where do you think the high fashion hotspots are in London now. Being where are photographers studios (particularly those who shoot for Vogue, major campaigns etc.) based? And where are brands' studios? I know the likes of Burberry have their HQ in central London, as well as a lot of big modelling agencies remain in central London but Simone Rocha's studio is in East London (Hackney) and I see East London as being increasingly "vogue" and high fashion, and the new high fashion hub - moving away from central and West London. does anyone in the business agree, or think otherwise?
I know South London too is becoming for popular for studios? does anyone have any areas in mind?

 

[thehighforum]

Hello lovely people,
I couldn't find a thread on this specifically and of which was recent (an increasingly remote role). The question I have is how does one become a fashion writer, degrees and internships aside. Especially starting, magazines won't reach out to you for freelance work and you most likely won't be able to apply for the writing jobs - no matter how junior they are. I was wondering if writers simply submit their work to magazines in the hopes of it being published? And if so, how? Simply emailing the editors?
Similarly, I was wondering if one could offer their help to more junior writers? Of what this would consist of I'm not sure, research? Any ideas? As a means of gaining experience.
Do let me know your thoughts and experience.

 

[Camila Johnson]

Hello Mates, Can i anyone tell me, which country is best to take fashion designing course?

 

[mignonettes]

Hello all!
I studied at FIT in fashion design for undergrad ad graduated I 2020. Now interested in an MFA. I really was the experience of studying I Europe and getting a different perspective. I only mostly heard of Antwerp, Central St Martens, IFM Paris, but I am sure that there are plenty of other lesser know (or cheaper that CSM or IFM) schools in Europe that exists. I was wondering if anyone can advise? Thank you its very appreciated!

 

[fashON]

I read a thread here about the future of fashion and it got me thinking. The global financial situation doesn't look good and when people start saving we all know what's the first thing to give up on. I am in-between careers at the moment and would really like to get into the fashion business in some way, but for the reason I mentioned, I am having a hard time making a decision. I have some money on the side that I want to invest.

So, does anyone have any idea about what kind of small business could combine my passion and bring some money in the long run?

Thanks!

 

[whatdoyoumean]

Hey, cheer up, as I said in that same thread (hahaha) it's a fight worth fighting! Was about to post this in Reasons to be cheerful, but since you asked this question, you get to be the first to hear about my big news. Hopefully, it will help you brainstorm some cool opportunities. I've been working with a group of designers who have their own small stores and the time has come! After spending a lot of time studying how we'll team up and start an eCommerce website next year! So excited, these guys are so talented, I already dream of expanding internationally one day...

 

[fashON]

Congrats on mustering the strength to perform such a leap!

Yeah, spending the time to learn what makes a business tick is half the battle, and finding the right people to work with is a big chunk of the other half. As for your model, eCommerce and dropshipping are very viable now, so it's definitely something to consider. I was contemplating working with sports equipment as well, since it's a niche very easy to compose blog articles about. It's also a green topic for almost any season given how indoor tennis is popular for all genders.

I got a lot of research to do and look for a few more collaborators before I can proceed, though...