Online Fashion School

Online Fashion School

Monday, January 8, 2007

What to Look for From Fashion Designer Schools

There are lots of people who can tell you a thing or two about fashion designer schools. They may be right- fashion schools may not add up to your talent at the end of the day but you see, the other face of the coin might also be true. That is, fashion schools would not only keep you informed, you will also get to enhance your talents and special interests.

The truth is, having the talents is not enough. You need to be properly trained to get this talent on the right track. One good way of doing this is to attend fashion designer schools.

Like with everything, you need to find a school that can provide you with all the stuffs you need while justifying the bill of their curriculum.

There are a number of things you should be considering in your choice of school. Among them are: cost, services and curriculum.

The cost, both the initial and the extra charges, is probably the major consideration among aspiring talents. Fashion designer schools are few and they can't be simply accessed in every city. That would mean extra baggage on your part.

How much it costs to attend a fashion designer school, you ask. Well, this cant be answered concretely with figures since these vary from one school to another. Also, this issue is largely dependent on many factors including the popularity of the fashion designer school, the spectrum of services it offers and the facilities it has.

It's good if you are not bothered with the cost of the school. Sadly, most of us tend to be practical when dealing with things. However, this does not suggest that one should dive fast on the least expensive school you can get your hands on. There are also dangers in this. Remember that with lower price, the quality and the services of the institution suffers.

Now, that leaves you only to choosing between a well-performing school with high tuition fee or a mediocre fashion designer school with much lower price.

Whatever your choice is, you have to spot on the balance. Find the one which can give you the best of both worlds. Surely, there are those fashion designer schools that chose to put income as secondary and exchange this for the main aim of fostering passion in fashion designing among their budding artists.

The services a fashion designer school should also be taken into thought. These factors cover the job placement services to graduate students, a number of scholarships, a well-performing teaching staff and the general competence of the institution.

Last on your list of consideration is the curriculum the school offers. Keep in mind that you went to a fashion designer school to learn. If a specific school can only provide you with the things that you can learn by other means then the purpose of entering would be spoiled. Secure to it that you are well supplemented with the ideals of the program.

Formal training must be the real aim of any curriculum. This then should be combined with a good mixture of theoretical approach plus the application of the learning earned from classroom setting.

The basic offers among fashion designer schools are fashion basics, modeling, sales marketing and fashion merchandising.

These are just some of the many factors that you can first consider reflect on so that you would arrive to a final choice of school that you will be contented with.

The Wind Inspires it All: The Driving Force Behind Chicago Fashion Schools

Chicago, the "windy city" is known for its multicultural population as well as its dramatic architecture and love for the arts.

In detail, Chicago has:

1. at least 3 million people
2. harbors, parks, beaches, clubs, and ethnic restaurants
3. 29 miles of lakefront, museums, neighborhood festivals, and cultural attractions

People visit the city as often as winds do. Also, tourists favor the mid-western hospitality of the people. They also share stories of their enjoyment in going to exhibits in museums like Degas, Monet, and the whimsical "Cows on Parade" of Summer 1999.

The businesses blended with the multicultural aspects of the city are said to be the driving "winds" that spur creativity among people who visit or study in Chicago. As always, it is inevitable to have fashion schools within a city that celebrate and support the arts and dynamism of culture.

The following are some featured fashion design schools in Illinois:

1. The International Academy of Design and Technology is located in Chicago.

The institute offers the following degree programs:

• Bachelor of Fine Arts, Major in Fashion Design and Marketing
• Associate of Applied Science in Fashion Design and Marketing

The curriculum of Fashion and Design assimilates the study of new trends and innovations in the thriving international industry of fashion with the mastery of traditional skills, thus providing a holistic background to both fashion amateurs and masters alike when it comes to designing.

• Bachelor of Arts, Major in Merchandising Management
• Associate of Applied Science in Merchandising Management

The program of Merchandising Management provides students and professionals as well as with the opportunity to contend within the job market by integrating theoretical concepts with practical implementations. However, students can rest assured that after graduation their skills on developing suitable visual displays, and utilizing appropriate business practices and scales are honed to help them achieve profitability in the long run.

2. The Illinois Institute of Art is primarily situated in Schaumburg. The degree programs they offer vary by location.

The Illinois Institute of Art is, basically, an association of schools in different locations. Collectively, the Art Institute is considered as a leader in the area of applied science education.

Their courses such as Fashion Marketing and Fashion Design are restructured on a regular basis to reveal ideas garnered from industry advisors, leaders, and employers for relevance and practical applications in the marketplace.

The Art Institute also possesses seasoned faculty members who are also affiliated to the local community of functions. Thus, this provides students with plenty of occasions for consultation with industry professionals and practicing designers. As students' knowledge and skills improve through the programs, they are required to plan an initial design and execute it into a finished product to cap their stay in the institution.

3. International Academy of Design and Technology

The school has campuses in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Orlando. They provide program areas and a variety of degree levels designed to fit your unique career track. In detail, they offer:

• Diploma in Fashion Design
• Diploma in Merchandising and Fashion Marketing

These are only three among the plenty list of schools in this city. The decision now lies in your hand. Within the "windy city" are competitions and strict trainings from various places in the job arena. Where do you think the "will of the wind inside you" will bring you and your high hopes of hitting it big in the fashion industry?

Choosing a California Fashion School

If you are thinking about going to a fashion school, then California is the place for you. There are many California fashion schools to pick from. Some may be good, some may be bad, but surely you will find the best one for you. How do you choose a California fashion school? Here are some tips and standards you can use to get you started:

1) Location – some people may not care where a fashion school is as long as it is inside California. However, you should realize that California fashion schools can often be judged through their locations. Find a California fashions school which is near fashion centers. This means you need to find a California fashion school which is located where all the action is. This will help you as a student since it will give you exposure to what’s out there in the real world.

Some students would prefer a California high school that’s located in a place which would inspire them. Some choose to attend California fashion schools which are located near the sea or close to nature. From the scenery, a student can gain inspiration enough to produce a new work of couture art.

2) Affiliated or Independent – should you go with a California fashion school which is a part of a prestigious university, or should you go to one which stands on its own? There are cases when a California fashion school within a university is better since the name on your resume will help you get great jobs easier. However, there is also something to be said for an independent school which can hold its own against the big names.

One thing you should consider is the fact that in a big school, you are mostly paying for the name of the school and not for the quality of education. You are paying additional cash to have the name of the university on your resume. This would help you get a job easier.

The fashion world, however, rarely cares for the name of a university if it does not perform well. If you have the name of a great independent school on your list, you might find it easier to get a job.

3) Cost – there is also the cost to think about. California fashion schools cost money. There is no denying that fact. The question that remains is: “how much money should it cost you?”

There are, of course, schools which offer discounted tuition for various reasons. Some are suffering declines in enrollment. Some may just be starting their operation and are trying to break into the market. In opting for these schools, you could save a lot of cash. However, you should consider that you might be sacrificing quality for cost.

You could also consider going to schools which are more prestigious. These schools may ask you to pay a lot of cash in order to study there. However, you should remember that high cost doesn’t necessarily equal high quality. You need to realize that in some schools you will not be paying form an education but you will be paying for the name.

Choosing a California fashion school might seem like a hard task. However, by considering these tips and truly knowing what you want, you can make it a very easy experience for you.

Tuesday, January 2, 2007

Basic Criteria for Choosing Your Fashion Design School

School, obviously, is the one main vehicle where you can acquire basic and formal training. This is true to all fields and industries. And as such, the fashion industry does not escape this reality.

You may have the talent and the unique sense for fashion but without structured training, you might fail to understand and explore more on your gifts.

Besides, one's success in the field of fashion relies partly on your choice of school. In this article, we will give you the basic criteria you can use in exploring your options of fashion design school.

Cost- This is one of the main considerations that largely affect your choice of school. The sad truth with fashion design schools is that they are too few and among the relatively small number are the handful schools that can truly deliver efficient education.

As with many other things, low cost fashion design schools are good but only if they can give effective learning. This is rarely the case though. Often, with lower fees, lower quality of education may be had. This is due primarily to the reason that such schools can't afford higher paying professionals to provide them with man power. Thus, they settle for people who can give service at a low price. Don’t let quality suffer over the limit of your budget. There will always be some well-performing fashion design schools that will suit your means.

Area of Specialization- In the fashion industry, it is well recognized that one should have special fields where they are greatly inclined to. This must be triggered or further supplemented by the fashion school of your choice.

The first thing you would want to do is to study the nature of the fashion design school. What fields does it cater? What courses does it focus on? What are their main emphases in delivering the art? These are among the many things that you should give intense consideration since the fashion design school that you will be choosing would largely influence your career later.

The best aid for your choice of school is to know its reputation. A self respecting fashion design school is one that makes itself renowned in the world of fashion. Does your school of consideration participate in fashion school competitions? This would be a sure mark of fostering excellence in the industry and the school's commitment for brilliant education.

To maximize your strength, you must therefore find a school that focuses on your own field of specialization.

Considerations on the Curriculum- As with college education, you must also check into the curriculum offered in the school of fashion design. To get the best offered in your spectrum of choices, you can compare curriculum from various schools and decide what you think would best fit in your preferences.

Ratio of teacher to students- The size of a class against a teacher means two things- the school is either too popular or it’s the other way around. Nevertheless, the larger the size of the class the more likely would education suffer. It is often better to choose between schools of relatively fewer students since this will normally have the implication of focusing better on the students.

These are only some of the major points to consider in choosing your fashion design school. As for your final decision, your best judgment must out rule any doubt.

Fashion Design Schools

Fashion Design Schools: Choosing the BEST among the Rest

Do you know how to sew?

Do you enjoy creating designs?

Do you love following or changing patterns to come up with a piece of clothing?

If fashion is simply just your passion, then you might just be right for a fashion design school.

Here are some reasons why you should attend a fashion design school:

• You will learn about the most up-to-date styles that many people would consider buying.
• If you are unsure whether you will be able to make a living out of your interest in fashion,
your level of confidence will greatly increase once you obtained a degree.
• Studying about and later working on, a field that you love is very rewarding.
• You will learn about the various principles behind the patterns you have worked on in the
past, as well as the ones you will be working on in the future.
• You will also be knowledgeable on mixing and matching colors to magnify the shape and cut
of your creations.
• You will know more about keeping your clothes together - other than just stitching! Talk
about endless possibilities.
• Fashion design school will expose you to different kinds of people – working with them,
incorporating their ideas with your own, and developing relationships with those who share
the same feeling toward fashion.
• These relationships will set the foundation for meeting potential employees, employers, or
business partners – all whom you will need when you start your foray into the fashion world.

There are numerous fashion design schools globally. Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, found in London, is considered by some as the most famous of them all. Other world-renowned schools are The Royal College of Arts in London, the London College of Fashion, Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, AIU in Los Angeles, and Parsons The New School for Design in New York City.

Most courses in the schools mentioned above last for about three years.

The next question, however, will be, how do you choose the best school for you?

Here are 10 helpful tips to help you in your decision making:

Tip#1 – Determine what you would like to major in. From there, search for a school that offers
the program that you like.

Tip#2 – Have a list of criteria that you would like to take a look into in your search for the perfect
fashion design school. These criteria may include program offering, major and minor
subjects, costs, location, placement record, and many more.

Tip#3 – You may now construct a list of candidate fashion design schools.

Tip#4 – Gather all necessary resources and information about each of your candidate
school. Find their websites and research.

Tip#5 – Narrow down your list further by using the criteria you have set in Tip#2.

Tip#6 – Inspect the schools left on your list. It would be good if you can visit these schools
personally. But if not, try to obtain a video or look for a virtual tour in their websites.

Tip#7 – File your application to the schools that met your criteria.

Tip#8 – While waiting to hear from the schools you sent your application to, search for
scholarship grants in the Internet.

Tip#9 – Make your final decision based on the responses you got from the schools that you
applied to, as well as the scholarship grantors' response. Carefully review your notes,
consider funding, and finally, decide.

Tip#10 – Get ready to embark on a journey that you have never quite experienced before!

Off you go to the one of the best fashion design schools in the world!

Back To School Fashion

Reflections on the Back to School Fashion

We use various ways to express ourselves. We either use words or we use other symbols. We make use of signals, we make use of gestures and we also make use of fashion to tell the world what we want to say. When we put on our clothes for the day, it is like we are declaring to the world our attitude for the day. This is the reason why it is so interesting to observe the back-to-school fashion preferences of people. The back to school fashion preference of a person shows who he will be for the whole term in a nutshell.

There are those people who wear practically the same thing they did in the last term. The bad thing about this is that this could be an indication of little to no personal growth in the past term. This could be an indication that the person did not mature in the past year. What could make this worse is if that person had been wearing the same fashion for more than 5 years. That could be an indicator of a serious problem.

The positive interpretation of this could be that the person has matured enough to have found his or her identity in life. This type of back-to-school fashion could indicate that a person is already perfectly happy with the image that he or she presents and that they feel no urge to change. It could also be an indication that the person has had a great past year and wishes to recapture that year.

There are people who exhibit great changes in their back to school fashion. There is also a good side and a bad side to this. The good interpretation of this is that the person has experienced an epiphany. A change in back-to-school fashion could be an indicator that a person has reached a new level of maturity and is ready to face the world with a new attitude. He or she could be declaring to the world that he or she is a new person, changed for the better and willing to tackle the world head on.

There is also a dark side to this change in back-to-school fashion. A person could have suffered from an event so cataclysmic that it required the person to reject his or her old personality entirely. A drastic change in back-to-school fashion could be akin to a person screaming, “I am not who I used to be. It will not happen to me anymore!” not all changes are good and not all changes are bad. That fact must be understood.

There are students whose back to school fashion is based on what a certain group is wearing. The positive side to this is that it indicates social acceptance. A person who has this type of back to school fashion shows that he or she is sociable and knows how to make friends with at least a certain group of people. However, this could also be an indication of a lack of initiative. People who dress the way others do may do so because they don’t really have any idea of what to wear. They let their groups decide their fashion because without the group, they really have no idea who they are.

Now you know that back to school fashion is a great indication of who a person is.