Textile Design as a Career /Schools

[Alliecat]

I'm not sure if this is in the correct place???

Does anyone have recommendations of good/great places to study textile design? Also any ideas on the requirements needed to enter schools?

Thanks in advance

 

[Luna]

FIT has a pretty decent Textile Design program... I've seen some amazing stuff come out of the recent graduating class... Requirements are just your portfolio, I believe, but I could be wrong on that one... you can look for yourself on the website.
FIT website

 

[Alliecat]

Thanks Luna

 

[Lena]

contact me when you finish your studies allie, i may have work for you in europe

textile design is absolutely interesting and creative, if i stated up again, i think i'd choose fabric over fashion design

 

[Alliecat]

Any recommended schools in Europe, Lena? Looking at FIT, but thinking of it I can more easily study in Europe than the US, although Canada is also possible

 

[Lena]

Royal College of Art has a very good fabric design& engineering section, i think Belgium should have something interesting too, both in Brussels & in Antwerp

promise to get back to you with more institutions from paris allie, when i return from there (first week of March)

 

[marrimoda]

lena Im curious about why you would possibly choose textile design over fashion? I have been toying with the idea...and in all honesty its the fabric that inspires me anyway.

 

[Alliecat]

Cheers. Happy travelling and enjoy the shows

 

[Alliecat]

Thanks to whomever moved the post, but not sure if this is a better placement??

 

[Lena]

textile design topics belong to the fashion industry area so thats why its here allie.
there are more industry careers topics in this section.

btw, i'm traveling to Paris for the Premiere Vision Fabric Salon (season s.s.05) not for the shows. I absolutely recomment a visit Premiere Vision to anyone interested in studing textile design, amazing scourse of inspiration

marrimoda, check your pms

 

[Atelier]

I absolutely recomment a visit Premiere Vision to anyone interested in studing textile design, amazing scourse of inspiration.

Here's a little clip about this amazing showcase.

http://ondemand.chumtv.com:8080/ramgen/video/shows/inhouse/fashion_television/dec_2004/premiere_vision.rm?usehostname

(Requires RealPlayer)

 

[rockitgirl]

Canadian Textile Districts...?

Does Canada have any textile districts for wholesale buyers? And if so, where? I live in Winnipeg and we are the third biggest textile/apparel manufacturing industry in Canada but we don't have a textile district...at least not one I've been able to find.

 

[finalfashion]

Does Canada have any textile districts for wholesale buyers? And if so, where? I live in Winnipeg and we are the third biggest textile/apparel manufacturing industry in Canada but we don't have a textile district...at least not one I've been able to find.

Mills are all over the place... there really isn't a District. Believe it or not there are textile mills to be found in the yellow pages. Places like the Toronto Fashion Incubator (google that) help designers find resources.

I don't know much about Montreal, but it would certainly be a place I would look.

In Toronto: Queen West from Spadina to Bathurst for jobbers and stuff... some shops do wholesale... try King Textiles, I think they have a website now too. MacFab for costumiers supplies, upholstery and notions.

Up at Dufferin and Wingold is the other fashion District in Toronto... Many designers wholesale their clothes there, and also there are more jobbers, fabric wholesalers and leather dealers, etc. up there.

 

[gius]

textiles for fashion in Canada (& question for Helen Lefeaux students/grads)

Hi,

1.) I'd just like to know are the fabrics used for clothing usually bought ready-made for the designer? I mean are there also some design teams that create their own textile prints and even dye, weave, embroider, etc. their own fabrics? I often here that for embroidery and very detailed work like lace, they are sent to places like India and so on.
I know that for sure in Europe they still make create lace and dye fabrics by hand. (I'm especially curious about that Miuccia Prada and how she works with her textiles. Maybe someday I'd like to be part of her design team.)

I'm mostly wondering about Canada because I live there and currently deciding between taking the fashion design program at Helen Lefeaux first or a Textile Arts program at another school... So far I haven't found a school in Canada that teaches both textiles and fashion (Heck I'm a little mad even that menswear programs are separate to womenswear and same for shoes and hats.) I'd say the textile side is very important for me; I'd like to experiment with different textures. So, this leads me to the next question:

2.) I was told the program at Helen Lefeaux only teaches clothing construction, so I'm wondering are the students usually improvising for their graduation shows and buying ready-made fabric (from the stores) for their designs??

I was thinking this might go well in the Creative Team forum too (art direction and creative design?). Please tell me if I should move it.

 

[vee]

i'm glad i've found this!
after a lot of thought recently, i decided i would go into textiles once i finish high school and hopefully go into fashion on my own, later [i had long-time ambitions for fashion design major, but i think it might be better for me to do this instead].
i hear rhode island school of design and f.i.t. are good, and i think california college of art looks alright.
so my question is, what kinds of directions do a textile major end up going in later? i have a fair idea of course, but i don't think i know what they really do.
also, do i get to learn the process of making the fabric and how to change things, come up with something new besides just making textile designs? i'm interesting in getting to the technical side as well, but if that requires something like chemistry, i don't know how well i would do since i'm terrible at science.
i have my heart set on studying textiles now, but i still feel a little unclear as to what it all entails.

i'd very much appreciate it if anyone has anything helpful and i'm sorry i've posted on such an old thread

 

[gius]

I'm also interested in finding out about schools. For Canada, I think there are three recognized schools, but they seem to be Textile ART than just design. With textile printing, dyeing, etc. you get to learn sculpture with fibers too. They are the Nova Scotia College of Art & Design, Alberta College of Art, and Capilano College. The first two have the 4-year degree in it and Capilano has a 2-year, which I hear is intensive and more technical. Alberta's some people say is more conceptual, though unfortunately I didn't get any further explanation on why or how this is. Many people who've graduated from these programs have really enjoyed it.

I'm planning on studying textiles this fall and then finish a degree elsewhere...

 

[gius]

i'm glad i've found this!
so my question is, what kinds of directions do a textile major end up going in later? i have a fair idea of course, but i don't think i know what they really do.
also, do i get to learn the process of making the fabric and how to change things, come up with something new besides just making textile designs? i'm interesting in getting to the technical side as well, but if that requires something like chemistry, i don't know how well i would do since i'm terrible at science.
i have my heart set on studying textiles now, but i still feel a little unclear as to what it all entails.

i'd very much appreciate it if anyone has anything helpful and i'm sorry i've posted on such an old thread

textile majors can go to textile production, where they create fabrics (by weaving, knitting, etc.) and design them too (using prints, embroidery, different weaving techniques, etc.). these can be for interior design and fashion design companies. some go into crafts, selling their own unique goods. some teach and some work in film and theatre (like dyeing and ageing costumes, things like that). and others work in textile history, textile restoration and also teaching.
for actually MAKING new fabric (like how rayon and polyester was invented), i think this program would be something called like Textile Engineering or Textile Science. i don't think we have this in Canada...

i hope this helps/makes sense.

 

[Honey~Blade]

Any info for textile design for someone living in Sydney?

 

[scandababian]

The Helen Lefeaux program does offer a textiles course, but if you want to learn how to create lace, embroider or dye you will have to do it on your own. I am a graduate of that program and grads from my year taught themselves or learned those things, on their own time, and implemented the skills in their grad show pieces. I would suggest trying to learn these additional skills while you are taking the Design program as it will greatly enhance your train of thought while you design that year.

You can find textile dyeing classes here, this place is on Granville Island:

http://www.maiwa.com/

I would also suggest checking out places like the Roundhouse (on Davie & Pacific) for crocheting, embroidering and knitting classes (very inexpensive).

 

[gius]

Thank you for the message!! I'll send you a PM. *o*