Whyfore fashion?
my homework, copied and pasted
I'm a fashion major who is just now taking her first actual fashion design course. (FASH 100 exemption in process.) I've been instructed to write a threeish page paper on why I'm in fashion, where I want to be in five or ten years, and what my dream job is. Last quarter all my professors kept me the entire class period on the first day of class, so I was expecting this again. Since I've been turned loose, I decide to do my homework. I actually thought about it on the walk home from Eckburg and I do believe it's just now finally occurred to me precisely why I'm majoring in fashion. Please disgregard any insistances from family members and friends that is is because I love to sew. I do not, in fact, particularly like to sew, though I do a fair bit of it as a means to an end. No, the real reason is actually surprisingly simple.
I love fabric. I am captivated by fabric. I am, in fact, somewhat obsessed with fabric and the shapes and forms it can be manipulated into. I daydream about the billow of an extravagantly full sleeve gathered into a cuff (got to make that simple cotton with the great dark teal color into a dress with sleeves like that soon as I have the time to draft the pattern and put it together) and the crisp yet rounded pleats one can achieve with organza (got a certain Balenciaga jacket from a few years ago on the brain). I am incredibly interested in the finish, textures, patterns, and colors that fabrics can be given. I am immensely curious about what fabrics were like in various periods and cultures (how muslin was a tighter, finer weave in the days of those Regency gowns in the early 19th century, for example, or older Japanese figured weaves vs. those for modern kimono). It is entirely possible that my head would explode from delight were I to attend even the smaller NY Premiere Vision.
I have realized that it is the common thread that connects my favorite pieces that I have thus far created. It was an obsession with fabric that lead me to create a silk twill shibori heat set textured dress, and a plaid haori with perfectly matched, practically invisible seams, and a dress of incredibly simple cut to show off a scalloped embroidery, and a skirt of flowy hand painted silk habotai. I was almost a fibers major because I love fabric so much, but I ended up choosing fashion instead because I want to make the fabric into clothes. Or be part of the process that turns fabric into clothes, at any rate. As already stated, I don't particularly like to sew. I enjoy results far more than the process there.
I've also realized that I've only the foggiest idea of what I really want to do for a career in this industry. I haven't got enough of an idea of what I CAN do. I don't know enough about the structure of the industry. Clearly I need to do some more research in that arena, and speak more with my professors in my major area. In five years? Well, it's either having graduated and working or having just graduated with a MA or MFA, probably from FIT if I decide to go the grad. studies route. Job? I've still several years to go in SCAD, so at best in five years I'd be about two years in. I'd like to be working my way up, wherever up leads to, learning about the industry while at the lower levels, getting to learn from other's mistakes so I don't have to make them, hopefully. Perhaps as a patternmaker; I've enjoyed the challenge of drafting patterns, learning to visualize what the flat piece of fabric must look like to achieve the visualized 3D effect. Perhaps as a fabric buyer, or otherwise working in the fabric aquisition/selection/etc/whatever area for a label. There's always the underpaid and overworked assistant designer position; I imagine I'll have to do it eventually for at least a time if I really want to make designing my career.
My dream job? Oh dear. As I said, more research is needed. I think every designer probably dreams of having his or her own label eventually, and I can't say I'm that much of an exception. It's the dream of creative freedom... complete artistic freedom insofar as it's still got to be wearable by the customer base. I think I might actually like to work in pret a porter more than couture, because couture is just for so few. I actually enjoy the challenges of working within a budget and feel accomplished when I manage to create something I at least think is stunning for $20. Of course, having one's own label does entail a certain amount of headaches and business and having to be in charge of everything, so it might also be nice to be a creative director for an established label that does things that I like. Another career route I can see myself enjoying would be costuming for movies; there's not much call for period late Rococo sack back gown even in couture, but it'll come up periodically in movies. I like that movie costumes have to be functional at least to a certain point to permit the actors and actresses to act and move. While a lot of movie costume design these days might really just be jeans and t-shirts and other designers' dresses, it's still going to be something different every time.
I'm a fashion major who is just now taking her first actual fashion design course. (FASH 100 exemption in process.) I've been instructed to write a threeish page paper on why I'm in fashion, where I want to be in five or ten years, and what my dream job is. Last quarter all my professors kept me the entire class period on the first day of class, so I was expecting this again. Since I've been turned loose, I decide to do my homework. I actually thought about it on the walk home from Eckburg and I do believe it's just now finally occurred to me precisely why I'm majoring in fashion. Please disgregard any insistances from family members and friends that is is because I love to sew. I do not, in fact, particularly like to sew, though I do a fair bit of it as a means to an end. No, the real reason is actually surprisingly simple.
I love fabric. I am captivated by fabric. I am, in fact, somewhat obsessed with fabric and the shapes and forms it can be manipulated into. I daydream about the billow of an extravagantly full sleeve gathered into a cuff (got to make that simple cotton with the great dark teal color into a dress with sleeves like that soon as I have the time to draft the pattern and put it together) and the crisp yet rounded pleats one can achieve with organza (got a certain Balenciaga jacket from a few years ago on the brain). I am incredibly interested in the finish, textures, patterns, and colors that fabrics can be given. I am immensely curious about what fabrics were like in various periods and cultures (how muslin was a tighter, finer weave in the days of those Regency gowns in the early 19th century, for example, or older Japanese figured weaves vs. those for modern kimono). It is entirely possible that my head would explode from delight were I to attend even the smaller NY Premiere Vision.
I have realized that it is the common thread that connects my favorite pieces that I have thus far created. It was an obsession with fabric that lead me to create a silk twill shibori heat set textured dress, and a plaid haori with perfectly matched, practically invisible seams, and a dress of incredibly simple cut to show off a scalloped embroidery, and a skirt of flowy hand painted silk habotai. I was almost a fibers major because I love fabric so much, but I ended up choosing fashion instead because I want to make the fabric into clothes. Or be part of the process that turns fabric into clothes, at any rate. As already stated, I don't particularly like to sew. I enjoy results far more than the process there.
I've also realized that I've only the foggiest idea of what I really want to do for a career in this industry. I haven't got enough of an idea of what I CAN do. I don't know enough about the structure of the industry. Clearly I need to do some more research in that arena, and speak more with my professors in my major area. In five years? Well, it's either having graduated and working or having just graduated with a MA or MFA, probably from FIT if I decide to go the grad. studies route. Job? I've still several years to go in SCAD, so at best in five years I'd be about two years in. I'd like to be working my way up, wherever up leads to, learning about the industry while at the lower levels, getting to learn from other's mistakes so I don't have to make them, hopefully. Perhaps as a patternmaker; I've enjoyed the challenge of drafting patterns, learning to visualize what the flat piece of fabric must look like to achieve the visualized 3D effect. Perhaps as a fabric buyer, or otherwise working in the fabric aquisition/selection/etc/whatever area for a label. There's always the underpaid and overworked assistant designer position; I imagine I'll have to do it eventually for at least a time if I really want to make designing my career.
My dream job? Oh dear. As I said, more research is needed. I think every designer probably dreams of having his or her own label eventually, and I can't say I'm that much of an exception. It's the dream of creative freedom... complete artistic freedom insofar as it's still got to be wearable by the customer base. I think I might actually like to work in pret a porter more than couture, because couture is just for so few. I actually enjoy the challenges of working within a budget and feel accomplished when I manage to create something I at least think is stunning for $20. Of course, having one's own label does entail a certain amount of headaches and business and having to be in charge of everything, so it might also be nice to be a creative director for an established label that does things that I like. Another career route I can see myself enjoying would be costuming for movies; there's not much call for period late Rococo sack back gown even in couture, but it'll come up periodically in movies. I like that movie costumes have to be functional at least to a certain point to permit the actors and actresses to act and move. While a lot of movie costume design these days might really just be jeans and t-shirts and other designers' dresses, it's still going to be something different every time.