Fashion Instructor

[~LovelyDay~]

I'm a current (international) FIT student, and well... I have to say for the price I pay, it's not very impressive. The rate that I am learning is pretty slow. Most are obvious stuff anyone could have figured it out.


I was wondering if anyone here instead of going to school, got him/herself a private instructor. If so how did you find one? Google search has not been so successful.


roughly I pay $1400 a month. and for that price I can get a private instructor for 7 hrs a week. Now if I manage to convince few of my friends (which will be super easy) getting them for 14 hrs a week or more wouldn't be much of a problem.

This way, less time is spent learning useless stuff. and if i really need to use their facility, I can just take 1 random course at FIT , so I get access to their library and such. Then again.. lol FIT security is a joke. Despite how many they hire.

I'm planning to go to CSM/antwerp in the future, but right now, I feel like I'm wasting my time at FIT. Design classes are terrible and very time consuming. Not to mention the school's mentality and philosophy toward design is outdated.

 

[ChristianThomas]

Now I don't know how it is at FIT, but I wouldn't underestimate the things that they teach you and how useful or useless they are.

I think there are much more benefits to a school than a private instructor. Schools have a set program that they use to teach their students and they're experienced in that, not too mention that you have 'access' to all the teachers knowledge so to speak in comparison to only one instructors knowledge. They don't just throw stuff at you that they don't think you might need in the future.
Another benefit of a school is that they teach you more than only the necessity which you will probably only get with a private instructor. Things that aren't directly related to fashion can play a huge role in the way you will work in the future or how think about certain subjects. It's part of expanding your mindset and creativity.

If the learning rate is too slow, yeah that's not really something you can do much about. But try to see if you can talk to some senior student and find out if the learning rate is higher there. In the first (few perhaps) years you always get all the basic stuff. And for some people it's easier than others.

If you really want to learn in another place than a school I'd recommend you try and get work somewhere at a designer or brand (of course it doesn't have to be a big name) and learn the things with work experience.

But that's just my opinion

 

[BetteT]

It's certainly a creative idea ... I like that you are thinking outside the box.

However, I tend to agree with Christian. He's got some good suggestions that you should explore first.

My first thought is how can one single person be able to teach you mutilple skills in various disciplines and be good at all of them ... in addition to being able to teach well? There's not just designing ... there's patternmakeing, draping, sewing, illustration, history/culture, and not to mention all the business aspects of being a designer anjd I don't know what else.

What about arranging internships for work experience which is very important? Most companies will not take an intern if it's not for credit and an accredited school. What about making connections in fashion ... proably one of the most important thing of all, if you want to work for someone when you first start out? One person won't have the resources or as many connections as a whole school and the students in that school. They won't be able to help you out in that area.

And what if you don't get what you need to learn? Are you willing to fire the instructor and find another who can pick up where that person left off? An how will you be able to judge what you need to learn to be successful ... if you haven't learned it yet? You might miss some very, very important things altogether and never know why you can't get an internship, are not being hired at an entry level design job, or why your own small business isn't working.

Food for thought .....

 

[~LovelyDay~]

Now I don't know how it is at FIT, but I wouldn't underestimate the things that they teach you and how useful or useless they are.

I think there are much more benefits to a school than a private instructor. Schools have a set program that they use to teach their students and they're experienced in that, not too mention that you have 'access' to all the teachers knowledge so to speak in comparison to only one instructors knowledge. They don't just throw stuff at you that they don't think you might need in the future.
Another benefit of a school is that they teach you more than only the necessity which you will probably only get with a private instructor. Things that aren't directly related to fashion can play a huge role in the way you will work in the future or how think about certain subjects. It's part of expanding your mindset and creativity.

If the learning rate is too slow, yeah that's not really something you can do much about. But try to see if you can talk to some senior student and find out if the learning rate is higher there. In the first (few perhaps) years you always get all the basic stuff. And for some people it's easier than others.

Well I don't know what they teach that isn't related to fashion, but unfortunately they don't. I'm aware that to study fashion, you don't study fashion. (it possibly couldn't be stuff like high contrast design stands out more in a portfolio? right..)

Basics.. not really sure what they are but I had a private instructor in my high school days and she taught a LOT more than the instructors at FIT. I mean it only makes sense, private teachers are catered to you. so they can pinpoint mistakes more quickly. Not to mention most teachers in these day and age care more about the lunch break than their students. Only way to avoid this is to control them with money, which you can't really do in the school system.

Not so sure your point but I don't think the school can surpass private instructors at this level. Maybe in Masters program at CSM, yes. But not now.


@betteT
Oh I didn't actually mean 1 single person. I probably have to get multiple people.

I'm only proposing this idea b/c I'll be going for BFA at CSM/antwerp. I got lot of schooling left. So I want to hone my personal skills ASAP. Even this summer I chose not to intern but take bunch of drawing and painting class.

I'm not really interested or worried about getting a job. Along as my skills are high, I will get hired. Maybe I will run into problem here and there, but in the end, I still save time.



I will in the end still dropout if I can find a good enough tutors. The problem is finding them in the first place. Most good people in FD, unlike fine arts are no where to be found.

Everyone has their own different methods of working. What's more important is finding a method that works for you. And school methods fails due to so many circumstances.
First is making a program that works for everyone. Well we all know what happens in this case. (led to dumb garbage like chanel project)
Second, it's an outdated method. Road to success is always a new road. you can never succeed by copying a program. (well.. you CAN.. but it's extremely difficult with thousands and thousands of competitors)
Lastly, the most important one. Result orientated.
what they call process here is nothing but an illusion of chicken scratch.




Regardless, I thank you both for taking your time to respond back. I really appreciate it.

 

[BetteT]

OK ... I get from your comments, that you have already thought about it and made up your mind.
Good luck with it!

 

[solongotgon]

Hey Lovely day,

I think both entered FIT in the Spring of 2010? Well so far i would have to say that first semester was quite easy and not very in depth. I am taking Fashion Art II during the summer with Steven Stipelman and I am finally learning what fashion is all about. Not to mention the man is a genius illustrator but he also tells you matter of factly how the industry works.

I am also taking Leonard Bess for Flat Pettern II during the summer and he is also excellent. Both teachers are highly rated and know what they are doing. I am going out of my way to pick the best professors because I can see it makes a HUGE difference in what I learn and how i learn and not to mention the end result of my projects.

I understand your discouragement with some of the teachers as I had some terrible ones and one good teacher during the first semester. but like all the upper class students said; the real work begins in second semester and they start to weed out people who are serious or not.

if you are past second semester and such this all may not apply to you. Just thought to share my thoughts.

 

[prosperk]

roughly I pay $1400 a month. and for that price I can get a private instructor for 7 hrs a week. Now if I manage to convince few of my friends (which will be super easy) getting them for 14 hrs a week or more wouldn't be much of a problem.

If you can assemble, say, ten of your friends who share your burning desire to learn about fashion, you should come to Paris where, for $1,400.00 a month each, I can organise a small team of highly qualified people to teach you pretty much all you need to know about fashion and getting into the fashion business. End of April to end of July 2011: $32k for you and nine friends, call it $30k, 50% up front. Seven hours of instruction a week guaranteed plus work experience in your own time.

PK

 

[~LovelyDay~]

@solongoton
Hey thanks for the reply.
Yes I am first semester, and i did happen to get some "famous" professors but.. even they... were not so impressive. But I'm sure there are few really good profs in there. If i do drop out, i'm still planning to take 1 course from FIT by tracking the courses that I really DO need.

But as for illustration of "FIT" i had enough.

btw were you in evening class? I pretty much know everyone from all 3 blocks, and I never seen you at FIT.

@prosperk
Could you tell me more about this?
also it's $1,400 american right? Not euro...

 

[solongotgon]

i was in the day block. my draping teacher was seggio.

 

[gius]

I think you have a sound plan. Speaking for myself it was easier to learn technique first. It got a lot of things out of the way. When I applied for school, I was able to just focus on my design. I knew how much time it took me already to do certain things, because of prior experience. I didn't have to learn a lot of things all in one go and manage my time to the second. So much less stressful. And you also create a better finished portfolio at the end.
You know that this field is so time-intensive so anything you can do to make things simpler, easier helps tremendously :-P

I found my private tutor through word of mouth. A lot of people recommend her. I also found some through Night schools or Continuing Ed programs at colleges. I do a search after, using their names to see if there are any comments about them and their course. I've even been able to find info on the tutors by searching Facebook. You might also consider Craigslist.