FashionClub.com Daily is proud to present you a new twist on an old favorite! Style Scoop Interview: Just Accepted is our newest feature which will highlight students from across the nation who have recently been accepted to FIDM: The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising! Get the scoop on these trendsetters fashion faves and a peek into what makes FIDM the ideal place for such amazing students.
This month, we are featuring promising young talent, Alfredo Ramos. At just 18, Alfredo already has more accomplishments and accolades than we can keep track of! Let's find out a little bit more about Alfredo and his future at FIDM! --Alaythia
Name: Alfredo Ramos
Age: 18
City: Peoria, AZ
URL: www.myspace.com/envyhellokitty
FIDM Start Date, Major, and Campus: Summer 2009, Fashion Design, LA Campus
Tell us a little about yourself: I'm a senior at Peoria High School and I've have been passionate about fashion since I was in 7th grade. I am currently the President of our school's FIDM Fashion Club, which I started last year. As a result of being a club member, I was able to participate in the High School FIDM Fashion Club Scholarship Competition. The winner of the competition would receive one full year of tuition to attend FIDM and luckily enough, I was the winner!! I had to be innovative and plan out a fashion show for one of my favorite designers. I chose Heatherette and created a recycling themed show... It was pure perfection. I am also running a shop-like page, located at www.myspace.com/envyhellokitty where I sell merchandise that I've made as well as taking special orders for tote bags and large bags. I create and customize my bags any way a customer would like them for only $30-35.
I have also been a part of the production and featured in two of my school's fashion shows. I've been able to create two collections that I'm so proud of. The first collection was Barbie inspired, while my second collection was inspired by Poison Ivy and Mr. Freeze from the film Batman & Robin. Currently, I am working on creating a collection for our school's Spring 2009 Fashion Show. I'm so ecstatic about being a part of this show for the third and final time.
Another amazing event that I am so proud to be taking part in is the FCCLA Fashion and Merchandising Showcase. The challenge is to create a fashion and merchandising window display and to put together a portfolio with all of the information about the store that you are promoting along with a business plan. I have been taking part in this event since my freshman year in high school, and I've received a Gold Medal two out of three times! Next year in the spring, I'm hoping to create a phenomenal presentation and take home another scholarship to attend FIDM.
Your favorite lifestyle and/or industry publications: Elle, Vogue, Teen Vogue, W Magazine, Harper's Bazaar, Glamour, Nylon, and InStyle.
Favorite Designer: This is a really hard question considering the fact that I have several favorite designers. I would have to say that my ultimate favorite designer is Mr. John Galliano.
Your top source of inspiration: My top source of inspiration would have to be Hello Kitty. Not only because she's such a hot trend right now, but because of her amazing fantasy world. I just love how she's always wearing her signature bow hair piece, as well as her overalls. Her image is so cute and happy, and her world is so colorful and bright that it just inspires me. I would love to create a world like her's in reality, where people are happy and dress as if they just came out of a fantasy book.
Trend/item/inspiration you're loving right now: I'm really loving all of the hair accessories that have been recently coming out. Some examples would be the braided head wrap, head bands, feathered hair pieces, hair bows, hats, etc. I almost died when I saw Diane Von Furstenberg's Spring 2009 head pieces that were a part of her show. They were absolutely amazing, and I can't wait to start making my own hair accessories inspired by her collection in early spring!
Who is your style icon and why? My style icon would have to be the fashion designer and musician Richie Rich. His style and personality are greater than life itself, and I admire that so much. I feel like he dresses with so much fun and so over the top that it creates a stir. He will wear anything and everything that will make him stand out from the crowd. It's almost as if he just jumped out of a big bowl filled with glitter, music, make-up, and fashion. Richie Rich is one of a kind, and he's just the type of person that inspires me to step out of the box and be AMAZING.
What is the most beloved item in your wardrobe? I'm in love with the Betsey Johnson bag I found at Ross for only $50. It's an amazingly huge white polyester bag imprinted with jewels. I use it with basically every single outfit I put together, and it makes the ensemble look so hip and stylish. It's truly to die for.
What is your dream fashion purchase? If I was able to purchase anything in the world, it would have to be The PUMA Lydia Bag that was featured in Heatherette's Over The Rainbow Fashion Show. It was a limited edition bag and only 100 of them were made. I adored the pink one, it was the most beautiful bag in the entire show.
If you could own the wardrobe of any film or t.v. character, whose would it be? One of my favorite movies would have to be Factory Girl. I would die if I were able to own Edie Sedgwick's wardrobe. She was the "It" girl in the 1960's and her personal style made her an icon.
How did you become aware of FIDM? I was a freshman at Peoria High, and we had a FIDM guest speaker by the name of Cecile Fayen. She came in and told the class about FIDM and what career opportunities they offered. Her presentation was so powerful and so strong that I immediately fell head over heels. Her passion for the school and her job was so intense that from that point on I knew FIDM was the school for me. She inspired me to follow my passion for fashion and to pursue my dream.
How did you know that FIDM was the right college for you? After hearing about FIDM, I decided to take the next step and collect more information about the school. I went online to The Official FIDM Website, and just explored the page. I also found links to other FIDM related websites such as FashionClub.com and PromAdvice.com. I knew FIDM was going to be a great candidate among the schools that I was considering attending. Then, in 2007, I attended FIDM's DEBUT Runway Show. I was blown away with what I saw, and words still cannot express the feeling within me. That show made me go crazy with inspiration, and it filled my body with so many indescribable emotions. That moment, sitting in the front row at the show, I knew FIDM was going to teach me everything I needed to know to succeed in the fashion industry. After attending DEBUT 2007, I didn't think that things could get any better, but I was completely wrong. I attended DEBUT 2008 with my school and it was the most amazing show I had ever seen. My stomach was filled with giant butterflies and my eyes were locked on the runway. That show sealed the deal for me and I told myself that if they could do it, surely, I could do it too!
What was your favorite aspect of applying to FIDM? Applying to FIDM was such a great joy for me, I didn't think anyone could have that much fun filling out an application! My favorite part of applying was doing the Fashion Design Entrance Project, which was to create 10 fashion sketches. I was able to show FIDM how talented I am, and how I view the world. I really wanted Admissions to feel like they had no choice but to accept me: that my talent and drive were so great that they could actually be seen through my designs.
Describe how you felt when they told you that you were accepted? The feeling I felt when I was told I was accepted was unreal. I couldn't believe that I, a boy from Peoria, had been accepted to The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising! I felt that all of my hard work had paid off, and that perhaps my dreams weren't so dreamy after all. I completely broke down crying after I hung up the phone because I just couldn't believe it. Being accepted was one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me. I LOVE FIDM!
What is your ultimate career goal after graduating from FIDM? I would be honored to work for some of my favorite designers such as John Galliano, Jean Paul Gaultier, Heatherette, Betsey Johnson and/or Juicy Couture. I would also like to work for fanciful companies such as Sanrio and Mattel/Barbie. After I experience working for various designers and labels, my ultimate dream would be to start my own fashion house and to show in Paris as a couture designer. I feel that couture clothing is amazing and is an art that requires tons of passion to be able to construct. Overall, all I want is to do what I love, because when I make fashion it doesn't feel like work. Fashion is and always will be my first love.
What should potential students do in high school do to prepare for a future at FIDM? A student who is interested in attending FIDM should take as many classes in high school as they can that relate to the major they want to pursue at FIDM. From taking art classes to business and fashion classes, anything that is creative and relateable is a good thing! If a student really doesn't know what they want to major in, they should research various majors, talk to teachers, counselors, and really look within themselves to figure out what they truly want. In order to be successful in anything, a person has to be passionate. The best advice I can give a potential student would be, do what you love and put your best foot forward. Never let anyone or anything stop you from reaching your goal and being successful.
What advice would you give to students looking to be accepted into FIDM? I would tell a student to work diligently on their application. Don't just blow it off until the last minute and then rush to get it done. It takes time and effort to create a great application and entrance project which helps to determine whether you're IN or you're OUT. Also, I would tell students that if they are extremely passionate about attending FIDM to apply as soon as possible! Research scholarships, and remember that hard work really does pay off, so work work work!
Alfredo is indeed an amazing person. At an early age he already had much accomplishments. I hope you make it big after FIDM!
Posted by: hair accessories | March 31, 2009 at 12:59 AM
Alfredo is amazing and i know he's gonna do great things. i'm so proud to know him!
Posted by: Natasha Bellington | May 27, 2009 at 10:09 PM