Designers, Schools, And Environment In Miami

[marrimoda]

Please contribute information, if you have any, on the Fashion situation in Miami.

I may have to move to Miami later this year, and I'm a bit concerned about pursuing my design goals down there, since I just dont know much about Miami.

Anyone know anything about:

1. Miami International University of Art & Design (how does it compare to other design programs)

2. Designers working out of Miami

3. Apparel companies located in Miami

4. the design/fashion community

I appreciate anything you can add!

 

[Urban Stylin]

i hear miami intl is good! and the best thing is the atmosphere i can connect you to someone there

 

[Acid]

the best person to ask is Alejandro...........

he is actually a fashion student in miami

 

[marrimoda]

Alejandro... yooo hooooo...where are you??? Youre needed!

I'd like any info on Miami, though it seems hard to come by!

 

[freshstyle]

i visited that school, its pretty good, VERY small though, its almost like an office building, all the classes are in one building. But as for the curriculum its good, very carear foucused and its only a two year program with a strange calander, no summers off. As for miami itself, defitially LOTS of designer stores and boutiques. Good Luck and have fun!

 

[Alejandro]

OOOOOO Where the hell I am where im needed!


Im taking classes at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, which is half hour of difference from the one in Miami.. I suggest you to go to Fort Lauderdale. Why, the fashion course down here is more complete, it has more classes, and recently, they added the Bachelor Degree program...which im not taking, cause I want to get out of here ASAP .

I also suggest you not to stay at the dorms! they are haunted, expensive, terrible...they will try to hook you in, but you are better off living in an apartment with someone else, splitting the rent. I know friends who split their rents in four, and it becomes less than 200 dollars for a nice apt over here... but if you are going to live in Miami, very well then!!

You know miami, its really fashionable, metrosexual, hoochie mama style, lots of plastic surgery, celebrities, sex, designers, rich people, expensive cars, old people, hot people... You will like it.

About school, go here Art Institute Fort Lauderdale

I live in Miami, but I go twice a week to school, Im taking two classes each day, so, four per week. If you compare schools, you will see that the program in Fort Lauderdale is more complete, and more "hands in" than Miami. This school is really good, a lot of people likes it, because its really industrial, professional, we work with the latest technologies, we have two trips to Europe each year for fashion week, we do backstage assistance for local designers, just for experience, we dont get paid ...

The food, baby, from oustide cafes in SoBe to McDonalds around the corner, there is everything to fit the student's budget, of course, if you find a sugar daddy to take you to the good stuff... ..I will keep on posting later, I need some food

 

[Alejandro]

AAh, you will need a car, if you want to cruise around everywhere...because im scared of driving and I dont have my permit, I have to be depending from other people to do things. And no bikes you will get run over, people drives like crazy, and if you are a hot cyclist, you might get a chance of getting raped on a corner ...

 

[micouture]

I am an LA designer who used to live in Miami (south beach) for 8 years. I recently moved to LA 2 years ago and started taking classes here in LA (Otis), but visited Miami in January with thoughts of maybe moving back to work as a designer and here is what I thought:

Pros:

1. Lots of great boutiques

2. Lots of fashionable people

3. 1 school for fashion design (not much competition)

4. Great market for swimwear (all year vs other cities)

5. Low cost of living compared to LA of NYC

6. Better quailty of life (no polution, great resturaunts, clubs, culture, etc.)

7. Access to Latin America (Being in Miami means better access to all the cities south of the border).

Cons:

1. Do any designers live and work there?

2. The fashion district is a joke (couldnt even buy silk) - owner of one of the biggest warehouses in the fashion district said "there is no fashion industry in miami, everyone moved away"

3. Not taken seriously as a fashion design center.

4. Locals lack appriciation of fine arts (visit MoCA on a sunday - 2 people there)


Those are my thoughts and of course just my opinion, Miami is a great place to live and party, but I dont think its as a good a place to work and produce a product, the work ethic is very laid back and most of the people I have met in Miami are not very ambitious compared to other cities. My advice would be - go there if you must, take whatever classes you can, make all the connections you can , see how far you can go as a designer in Miami and then explore other markets.

-Mike

 

[marrimoda]

Thank you Alejandro, and Mike for your thoughts.

Mike -- what you talk about is definetly what I was concerned about.
Miami is fun -- but is there work in fashion design -- and is there an appreciation for culture, quality clothing, etc.

In the past Miami has left me with a fun impression, definetly comfortable...but a bit gawdy if not vulgar sometimes.

I've decided to just do all of my education at Parsons afterall (and not go to school in Miami)...but after I finish the program at the end of this year...its looking like I have to move to FL. Good for family reasons. But after I graduate, I've gotta work for a designer before I even want to think about starting my own business and my big question is -- WHO is there to work for in Miami?


What you said about the lack of silk -- geez --but it sounds right -- a guy I know who runs a fabric shop in the garment district here regularly sends packages of fabric to a designer/client in Miami...and I thought she just liked doing business with him...but he told me the fashion scene in Miami was really growing, he does a lot of business there.

Alejandro -- anything you can say about this?? Who is there to work for in Miami? Are the designers doing well or are they struggling? Is it growing? I want more Alejandro!!

 

[Adalene]

Miami International University Of Art & Design

OOOOOO Where the hell I am where im needed!


Im taking classes at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, which is half hour of difference from the one in Miami.. I suggest you to go to Fort Lauderdale. Why, the fashion course down here is more complete, it has more classes, and recently, they added the Bachelor Degree program...which im not taking, cause I want to get out of here ASAP .

I also suggest you not to stay at the dorms! they are haunted, expensive, terrible...they will try to hook you in, but you are better off living in an apartment with someone else, splitting the rent. I know friends who split their rents in four, and it becomes less than 200 dollars for a nice apt over here... but if you are going to live in Miami, very well then!!

You know miami, its really fashionable, metrosexual, hoochie mama style, lots of plastic surgery, celebrities, sex, designers, rich people, expensive cars, old people, hot people... You will like it.

About school, go here Art Institute Fort Lauderdale

I live in Miami, but I go twice a week to school, Im taking two classes each day, so, four per week. If you compare schools, you will see that the program in Fort Lauderdale is more complete, and more "hands in" than Miami. This school is really good, a lot of people likes it, because its really industrial, professional, we work with the latest technologies, we have two trips to Europe each year for fashion week, we do backstage assistance for local designers, just for experience, we dont get paid ...

The food, baby, from oustide cafes in SoBe to McDonalds around the corner, there is everything to fit the student's budget, of course, if you find a sugar daddy to take you to the good stuff... ..I will keep on posting later, I need some food

Hey Alejandro
I attend MIU in Miami. It is 5 minutes from South beach and all the Miami Fashion Week events. So that answers the location question. MIU of Art & Design offers more fashion classes than the Art Institue of Fort Lauderdale. Therefore, the fashion department is huge. More funding and involvement in Miami (the major city in south FL) events. The footwear and handbag design classes are small so you get alot of one on one time with instructors and they provide leathers and materials too =) You can workon your design until 10pm on the Juki machines inthe open labs. I would suggest that anyone who is interested in the Accessory design program of these schools should request catalogs from both and compare. I can supply course outlines if need be. Keep up the questions too! This forum is for people who seek answers to all their questions.

 

[educo]

Alejandro, I've always wanted to say that I love you.

I was thinking of moving to South Beach in a couple of years, just to live and start my business there but do most of the major stuff in NYC (where I'm from and reside now). It's hard to start a biz in NYC so I was thinking of moving to South beach, cutting costs and growing it from there with production done in NYC or DR.

 

[cutefierce]

Miu

I did my associates there and I don't like it. I think the prices are to high for what you learn.