Design Schools Offer a Career in Fashion
Does the idea of design schools include only the post-secondary institutions that concentrate solely on fashion or other types of design? Or can the concept be expanded to encompass other types of schools as well? One high school in New York certainly assumes that fashion design programs don't need to be strictly limited to the higher echelons of education. It aims to educate its students in all aspects of the fashion world, while not shirking any of is other academic responsibilities.
That's right, among the many sorts of schools for design, the High School of Fashion Industries in New York City gets budding designers started much earlier than any other institution. It begins right in Grade 9, in fact, teaching such subjects as history of fashion, pattern making, draping and so on. Students can focus on men's, women's or children's wear, and get a great head start for entering schools of fashion design after they are finished high school. Indeed, it's possible they might even get some credit for courses in those institutions, and graduate sooner with a degree.
Think of the High School of Fashion Industries as a trade school, similar to those that concentrate on construction or other trades. So while most of its students are hoping for fashion design careers, it still teaches academics as well, as many trade schools do. This high school's program has a strong emphasis on subjects like mathematics, science, literature and social studies, etc. The main difference is that many of its students are already planning to apply to design schools after graduation, and this academy prepares them to do so.
If a student is keen for a career in fashion design, then this high school might be an ideal choice for them. Not only does graduation from this school give students a better chance of being accepted at good design schools, but it does so without sacrificing academics. After all, the students will need a grounding in that sort of learning as well, to be good functioning citizens in society. This high school tries to help them achieve both their scholastic goals and their fashion goals.
Related topics about design schools
A Fashion Design Course is So Much More Than Clothes
You may be surprised to learn that an anatomy class can be just as important to fashion design as a textiles class. This is because even though you do need to learn about textiles, how to make patterns, and so on, you also need some understanding about how they will fit on the human body. This isn't just to know how well something will hang or drape, but the way the clothes will move or stretch without strain, as the body moves.
Fascinating Facts on Fashion Designers
The same sort of recognition has gradually come to black Americans in the fashion industry as well. Fashion designers like Tracy Reese and Patrick Robinson, both of whom have fashion degrees from Parsons School of Design, have achieved considerable success. Reese has two women's designer labels that have been selling at upscale stores in New York and elsewhere for over a decade.
Do You Need a Degree to Be a Fashion Designer?
Usually, whether it's art, language or another discipline, you can't really "break the rules" until you know what they are, and understand them thoroughly. A fashion design school will teach you the underlying principles of good design, so that if you break them and do something different, you'll understand why it works in some cases and doesn't work in others. If you don't have that intrinsic grounding, your innovation will be very "hit and miss," and not likely to make you a successful designer.