Fashion Design - Master's or Second Bachelor's?

redone
Thu, 13 May 2010 22:49:54 +0000

Ghost,
I am a graduate of Otis Parsons, class of 1990, BFA in fashion design. Hell and torture are not bad enough descriptions. Of course you can get a degree, but why do you really want one? What do you really want to do? Are you a pro student or something?

I suggest you work in the field before you decide to spend all that money on something that may not help you. Anyone can attend Otis. Only one person I know, is still working. After I graduated, I found out the real truth about the garment industry. The best job I had paid $5.25 hour and taught me all aspects of the field, even washing out the studio when it rained and the roof caved in, as well as meeting middle eastern clients at the Cal Mart. Remember the lace teddy bears stuffed with popouri? I worked with the woman who made those. Also worked for Bugle Boy and a few others. I also designed martial arts uniforms (karate guys don’t have money, so don’t get sucked in). I had to work a job at night because what they gave me only paid for my gas. Do you really want to wind up taking and selling nude photos to try to put a roof over your head? Yes, it’s that bad.

Go to Beverly Hills and talk to Eduardo Lucero. He was in my class. I noticed he doesn’t smile anymore. He’s the only one, out of two years of students that I knew, who is still working. I didn’t know him personally, we just sort of passed in the hall and attended class together.

You don’t need a degree, unless you want to throw your money away. You need experiance, guile, and connections. You can work in the field, take part time classes at a community college and talk to other fashion students for the latest trends and dress all in black to fit in, if you really want to, and by the time you would have graduated, you will have four to five years experiance in the field, ahead of all graduates from Otis, and have conections to boot. I once worked with a supposed designer of story boards, who lived with her mother and spent all her money on her cloths to empress her boss. If that sounds like fun, then this is the life for you.

Go talk to Eduardo. He may have a better outlook than I do. He was the best illustrator we had, absolutely beautiful concept of latin women. See what he thinks, maybe even take you on as a mentor, if you are willing to work for zip. If he asks you, tell him Mary sent you, but he probably won’t remember me. Tell him I was the quiet one who was friends with Pat Porter(african american) and Meju Cho. I was the one who used Vivladi to sign my name. I was the one who congratulated Paula Courly when she won designer of the year for her peacock dress and I was the one who said “Not all everyone feels as you do” when he said she didn’t deserve it at the meeting about our attitude as a student body when she won that award. I spoke after he spoke. He might remember that because I was not very articulate at that time. Tell him I have real red hair. I remember the very short girl, who acted very self centered at that meeting, but I can’t remember her name. I remember how embarrised Rosemary looked of all of us.

He may just blow you off, or he may be interested and need help and that would bennifit you in the long run.

Good luck. Don’t loose your dreams but do take care of you. Don’t become a fashion slave and someone elses pittiful drudge.