Reality Check for New Fashion Grads

[jeffrey0806]

It's kind of sad how true this is, I've talked to a lot of my classmates (at Parsons) and you hear them go on and on about how they're going to take over the world with their designs and have people under them doing all the hard work like patternmaking, sewing and merchandising...while they just sketch up the designs and drink a cup of Starbucks or something.

it's so crazy that kids still think this way. like for me the main reason i decided to go into fashion was because i really enjoy the whole process of making a garment from scratch including patternmaking and sewing. i really do. if anything i probably have a harder time drawing and executing an idea because i always end up adding or changing the idea when i'm working on the pattern for it.

it's also funny how some students at my school want to leave because they assume Parsons will be a better school because they think they'll be like their alumni. Reality check is that you can do the same at any school all you need is money , business plan, and good new and marketable designs!

 

[anotherarchitect]

http://www.thefashionspot.com/forum...tomorrow-37769.html?highlight=school+tomorrow

would really love all of your input!
thanks mark

 

[Lena]

welcome to tFS jeffrey
i completly see this the same way
making clothes is fascinating, in every little tiny detail, from fabric to patterncutting and constructing , its all a creative process

 

[fab_fifties_fille]

It's kind of sad how true this is, I've talked to a lot of my classmates (at Parsons) and you hear them go on and on about how they're going to take over the world with their designs and have people under them doing all the hard work like patternmaking, sewing and merchandising...while they just sketch up the designs and drink a cup of Starbucks or something.

I agree, there are far too many people in a dreamworld that are in fashion education...I'm quite grounded I'd say...it's always nice to dream...because if you try hard enough you can get near it...shoot for the moon etc. I think it's because fashion is so hyped up now, and it's something everyone is part of...all clothes are fashion, whether they're fashionable or not, and with this celebrity era we live in, where no one is no one unless they know someone, it makes the life seem so glamorous...so people dream about that, a supposedly glamorous 'luvvie' lifestyle and not the creativity and all the processes behind it...which is the part I enjoy, creating something that is aesthetically pleasing.

 

[renferme]

I agree with Orias' comments. If you get a job in the real world, find out how the business really works, learn all the techy stuff and the other stuff they didn't teach you at fashion school - you'll go much further. You will learn skills they didn't teach you at school which you will be grateful for if/when you start your own line.

Like Oria, one of my colleagues wasn't too snobbish to take a job as a design assistant before she started her own brand. She is now featured in Vogue. She knows that the time as an assistant, a cog in the wheel was worth it.

Most designers businesses fail not because of their creativity but because they have no understanding of the business.

I'm amazed too by some students arrogance. There really is no substitute for real life experience. It doesn't matter where you get this experience either - I've worked right across my trade from mass market to handmade, bespoke and I learned something in every job.

It's a bit tragic to be so snobby you end up flower arranging.

My advice: As a graduate your first job may not be the one you wish for, but in a way it will be the most important job you ever get as it is the first rung on the ladder. It's not for life, maybe one or two years. Don't be too picky. See it as a stepping stone. See it as an extension of your training.

 

[renferme]

To add: The flower arranging reminds me of an acquaintence of mine. He has a first class degree in ID. When he graduated he was offered many jobs but turned them all down because, I quote, 'I am far too talented to waste my time in a junior designers job, photocoying and making tea, when they should be offering me a design directors job'.

So he turned them all down. Have you any idea how hard it is to get a job as a junior designer in an ID firm? It's tough.

I took a juniors job when I graduated. Here I am now 14 years later running my own design consultancy.

There is my friend years later, at the age of forty. Utterly broke, working as a technician in a college three days a week.

 

[finalfashion]

^ what a tragic waste of talent. It seems a little humilty goes a long way.

 

[renferme]

To add: A friend of mine designs the entire N.D.C. brand that is loved on these boards. He has an MA from the RCA in London

He worked at Decathlon (pile it high sell it cheap) French budget sports brand for a long time, then at Lacoste.

No one will think any less of you for working in the mass market. It won't taint or soil you! It doesn't bother my high end clients. People in the trade know better than that!

 

[fab_fifties_fille]

My advice: As a graduate your first job may not be the one you wish for, but in a way it will be the most important job you ever get as it is the first rung on the ladder. It's not for life, maybe one or two years. Don't be too picky. See it as a stepping stone. See it as an extension of your training.

I agree, I've been given this advice before by a fashion designer who I met once to chat about the industry. I think it's crucial that more Fashion courses incorporate a year of industry work into them, it gets contacts and a head start for when you're left there without the support of the university.

 

[aftershock]

it's so crazy that kids still think this way. like for me the main reason i decided to go into fashion was because i really enjoy the whole process of making a garment from scratch including patternmaking and sewing. i really do. if anything i probably have a harder time drawing and executing an idea because i always end up adding or changing the idea when i'm working on the pattern for it.

it's also funny how some students at my school want to leave because they assume Parsons will be a better school because they think they'll be like their alumni. Reality check is that you can do the same at any school all you need is money , business plan, and good new and marketable designs!

Exactly! I think knowing how a garment is made, physically, also gives you more room to experiment with creative construction and a better fit, as well. These aren't things you learn from just drawing sketches.

And I think the whole alumni thing is overrated, those designers put in hard work and had talent, if you're not willing to put in the time, effort and dedication to learn, you won't get anything out of your education, no matter how good the school is, or how many big designers went there.

 

[DP_woman]

I bet Nicky Hilton doesn't know how to sew

 

[Lena]

No one will think any less of you for working in the mass market. It won't taint or soil you! It doesn't bother my high end clients. People in the trade know better than that!

absolutely, working for the mass market helps 'grounding' a designer on practical issues like costs, sourcing, co-ordination and deadlines.
it also helps to learn how to work in the speed of light, not too much time to philosophise or take your time..
i find this an excellent experience for young designers who one day would like to move upstream or to create their own line..

 

[arlekindearrabal]

But art is a bit weird. The vast majority of Fine Art graduates can't hack it is a real artists, they have to switch profession or become chocolate-box designers but all of those who do succeed - like Tracey Emin, the Chapmans, Damien Hirst and friends - seem to be extremely arrogant and self-confident. Perhaps you need a little self-delusion to be a success?

i too sometimes think that's a requirement... also, it may work for some people, but not for everyone... some people are actually talented and put in hard work in order to be successful

 

[jeffrey0806]

Even though I know interning/working in a showroom is a different aspect of the fashion industry, I remember that back when I was assigned by my high school a showroom for clothes that didn't fit my style, I was completely turned off by the idea. I had wanted to intern at a big name company just because it's a big name, but the way i look it at now, is that I've learned so much from the not so big company place that I interned for that I wouldn't change or ask for a different experience. A lot of how I understand the way the business of fashion works has been through interning in a showroom and learning the business of selling and representing a clothing line.

Which I think every student, regardless if its a design major, should do at some point in their careers. Intern at showroom where they represent a clothing line. You'll learn alot.

And thank you Lena for the welcome!

 

[FemmeFeline]

Just because you choose to work at a lower end company in the beginning of your career, it definitely does not mean that you completely abandon your dreams!
You always need a plan, and your plan will probably be more on the realistic side of things than the fantastical... yes, some newcomers are immediately in the spotlight because of celebrity hype or other reasons, but it doesn't happen that often. You have to be at the right place at the right time...networking is a huge part of this business as well. Why not work at a company like Roxy or Abercrombie and then work on your own individual vision on the weekends or something? I am a new student in fashion, but I don't necessarily feel like I have to limit my vision to very high end... I really look forward to spending time with each garment that I put together and that is where the satisfaction lies. I don't want to have a life where I cater to celebrities or sit by the pool drinking cocktails while dictating responsibilities to a production team.... I want to do the work myself! I feel that my designs will be appreciated if given the chance; but at the same time I am not so self absorbed that I lose all taste of reality. There needs to be a balance. And you should develop a good work ethic if you want to be appreciated in the long run, that is how I feel. I don't want to be known for a celebrity that wears my clothes; I want my designs to speak for themselves, the quality, the cut, the precision, the detail....
and I don't necessarily want my clothing to reflect outrageously high prices

 

[jeffrey0806]

being at the right time at the right place is very true.