So You Say You Love Fashion

   If I could count the amount of glares, smirks and raised eyebrows I get everytime I say I go to fashion school I would be a millionaire. No. Really.

   People love fashion. They love the glamour of the industry: the clothes, the people wearing them, the designers, and all the fancy parties and shows that come with it. They don’t however love, or credit, the educational system behind it. This glamour and appreciation is lost somewhere in between. Fashion school is viewed as “not a real college”. And you, the student, are viewed as not good enough for a real college.

   Living this stereotype is bothersome and quite sad, which is why I decided to make my first The Bridge post ever to change some perspectives on the perceived conception of fashion education.

1. Not everyone is a fashion design major- Contrary to popular belief, fashion schools offer more than design majors. Take Merchandise Marketing as an example (my major!). This major and line of jobs picks up right after the clothes are designed. It is our task to sell and market them. We are taught how to target a desired market, sell certain assortments to certain retailer locations, analyze trends, and more. Some job opportunities that come out of this are Buying, Allocating, Planning, Marketing, and Branding to name a few. Basically, our creativity is filtered conceptually. YAY!

2. Project based EVERYTHING- Homework isn’t homework without it also being a project.  The same applies for midterms, finals, and everything in between. Sure, it sounds unpleasant but it’s actually one of the greatest blessings in disguise. Developing 6-month plans for Merchandise Buying is actually directly related after we graduate and become buyers for Nordstrom. Because guess what our job is as buyers? Yep, developing 6 month plans.

3. Quarter System- You know how a school semester goes by in a blink of an eye? Well think of a quarter system as a semester on a Redbull. An entire semester’s worth of projects, exams, and homework is compiled in ten-week increments. Now add that part-time job or non-paid internship you have. It gets intense to say the least.

But there is so much beauty behind this madness! This fast paced, ultra competitive industry demands its dues; most of which are not shown in the public eye. I hope this article sheds some light on the misconception of fashion school. Definitely not always easy, but sure always fun.

by Alannis Romani