Ah, school. What a love-hate relationship. A rollercoaster of events, experiences and emotions. From learning and forgetting hundreds of names to pulling all nighters, school is THE place to make mistakes and learn some lessons . Especially college. College, unlike elementary, middle and high school, is the part where you're supposed to start knowing what you're doing. You try to have as much fun as possible while also (if you're responsible-ish) trying to pass poorly scheduled classes. College is that taste of adulthood freedom with a catch: pay a bunch of money to party and struggle to balance your sleeping schedule and eating habits with an insane amount of work.
Well at least that's how it was with fashion design. Luckily, I learned early on the horrors of attempting to begin and complete a project in the same night (or even 2 nights before). I told myself to never wait until the night before again, but eventually procrastination would be brought on by the lack of energy that my overworked body had at the time.
Overworked I certainly was, but I could design a collection from start to finish.
- Conceptualize: brainstorm, collage, research, determine target customer, moodboard.
- Design: establish color palette, find motif (shape/color), determine season and market, sketch 100+ looks, choose a much smaller number of designs and refine/finalize.
- Production: draping/patterning, choosing and finalizing fabrics/textiles, muslin/prototype construction, fitting, refitting, finalizing fit and construction methods, tech packing/flat drawing.
- Final touches/Presentation: designing hang tags, sew in tags, documenting/photographing collection, designing and printing the lookbook professionally.
So obviously I learned a lot in school, but I didn't? I didn't really learn how to promote my well practiced talents. The talents that I learned and pulled all nighters for throughout my 4 years of college. I didn't learn how to "put myself out there" I learned how to make mood-boards, pattern from scratch, drape, sketch, prototype, fit, tech pack, lose sleep, cry uncontrollably for no reason while sewing, and lose my mind. And don't get me wrong, I appreciate my education and the many things I've learned along the way. Its just that I am now teaching myself how to network and advertise myself and my talents. Ya know? The other important part of fashion and being an artist.
So me, an at times shy, nervous and sometimes easily frustrated creature is now expected to automatically and suddenly "get out there". But where is there? and Whats out there? (Wherever there is) (apparently its New York)(we'll get into that later).
What is this whole new world outside of academia and why does it seem so difficult for me to break into? What do I have to do to be let in? Well clearly I have some more learning to do, as I always will.
Because they don't tell you what they don't teach you in school.
XOXO,
Ramsie
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