shoppingirl89 said:
I know many of you are designers or on the way to being one, so I wanted to know some tips or things I should be doing to help me get into a good college to study fashion and being a designer. What schools would you recommend? I know I would like to be in NYC and I am really interested in NYU, although I don’t know if they offer any fashion courses or majors. Do any of you go to NYU? What should I be doing to prepare to get into college? Thanks for your help!
From a perusal of previous responses, I see that most people seem to agree that Parsons/FIT are the way to go. I don't want to get summarily booted from FS on only my second day but I'd disagree. I also take issue with the frequently voiced opinion that you have to know the right people or have a lot of money to make it. In fact, after 24 years of working for designers, I can honestly say that not only did
none of them attend FIT/Parsons or had wealthy connected parents, but
over 75% of them never attended design school at all!
Education and opportunities are what you choose to make them. You can get a decent education but much of that experience is what you've applied to get your outcome. Now, some people need to be in a highly competitive program because it challenges them to be better than everyone else. So, if you thrive in a competitive environment, go for it.
Still, as someone who's worked in production, I'd have to warn you by saying that school is only one small step in your life and many of the habits you may acquire there may not be suitable in a career. The number one problem designers have in working with a company is that they're not team players. They're relying on a past model of behavior (from school) that is no longer appropriate when you're trying to get product out the door. Be flexible so you can switch gears. Think of yourself as a clutch. In real life, the designer is rarely "the boss". Calvin Klein, Tommy H etc are the exception to the rule. As a designer-employee you'll need to be a team player. If you do want to be a designer-entrepreneur like Tommy et al, then I'd suggest reading my blog. Many people aren't cut out for that; they prefer the certainty of a nice office and a regular paycheck with benefits. Being an designer-entrepreneur is a lot of hard work and you'll get dirty. While immensely satisfying, it's not as glamourous as Vogue magazine. Before you start, you should decide which of the two tracks you'll take.
Most entrepreneurs have established previous careers in nursing, mathematics, computing or the sciences. Surprising? The remaining seem to come from a liberal arts background. While I'm not an artsy person myself, people with a graphic arts background seem to be successful. My most successful designer studied interior design. Her company is grossing over 100 million now.
IMO -and I'm a production consultant- your number one need is experience. To get experience, the most valuable skills to learn are patternmaking and construction. You'll have to get pattern skills in school but a two year community college can be just fine. If you want to know the truth, the most highly rated technical school
among employers is El Centro College in Dallas TX. And although I'm quite certain you've never heard of it, their graduates beat out FIT/Parsons grads time and time again -to the extent that manufacturers discuss it routinely. That's not to suggest that FIT/Parsons are bad, not at all but they're not the
only schools out there. Mastering the hard technical skills is the best way in (pattern makers usually draw bigger salaries than designers). Get those where you can.
