http://fashioncolleges101.com What you need to know about fashion colleges and fashion schools en-US Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:46:17 +0000 http://fashioncolleges101.com/index.php In the world of fashion design and fashion schools, one of the most interesting terms thrown around is the phrase "haute couture." Most people understand it in one particular way, and don't realize that its original and more legal meaning is something rather different. The general understanding among many of those with a career in fashion design is that the phrase simply refers to high fashion.[...] http://fashioncolleges101.com/best_fashion_schools.php A better way to find the best fashion schools is to examine the many academies on your list on the basis of criteria that are more pertinent to your actual situation and needs. For example, is it absolutely necessary to attend the most expensive school? Is it expensive because it's the best in the world, or just because it's famous? You might discover that the faculty in other schools have just as good a reputation, but can help lead you to a career in fashion for a lot less money. The quality of your teachers is much more important than the name of the institution.[...] http://fashioncolleges101.com/design_school.php There are many instances of this sort of design school. For example, take Parsons The New School for Design, in New York. This institution is a venerable academy, having been established in 1906.[...] http://fashioncolleges101.com/design_schools.php 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.[...] http://fashioncolleges101.com/fashion_design.php If you chart a fashion merchandising course rather than one that takes you into actual design, you may end up having more involvement with people than if you had become a designer and spent most of your time doing the fashion design in a studio. Between studying the developing fashion trends in society, planning the publicity, and coordinating the design and marketing efforts of a studio, you could find yourself with an exciting career in the fashion industry.[...] http://fashioncolleges101.com/fashion_design_course.php 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.[...] http://fashioncolleges101.com/fashion_designer.php 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.[...] http://fashioncolleges101.com/fashion_designers.php 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.[...] http://fashioncolleges101.com/fashion_designing.php It might take a bit of tweaking to launch your fashion design career through online programs. You will undoubtedly still need to arrange some in-person internships at a studio somewhere, since that simply can't be done online. You might also have the added expense of getting your own industrial sewing machine, which would otherwise have been provided on campus.[...]