Interview with FIDM Merch Prod Dev Student Mei-Li Thomas

Name: Mei-Li Thomas
Age: 26
Hometown: Cleveland, OH
Major: Merchandise Product Development
Grad Year/Campus: 2009/LA

Do you have a style icon? If so, who is it? You know I don't have a consistent one. Right now I would have to say that it is Amber Rose (Kanye West's current girlfriend) Regardless of her personal life choices her fashion choices are bold, a great mix of classic and comfort items, and she is never over accessorized. Her wardrobe choices at last season's Paris Fashion Week were great examples of this.

 

Kanye and Amber Rose

Who/what inspires you the most and why? Traditional garments from other cultures inspire me. I'm a travel junkie and I love to hop on a plane and travel to a new country whenever I can. On a recent trip to Thailand I got a chance to watch the Flower Festival Parade which takes place annually the first week of February in Chiang Mai. What a color-filled country! The different tribes of Northern Thailand created intricate floats of thousands of flowers and they dress in traditional robe and dance and play instruments down the street. It was almost four hours long and I took a ridiculous amount of pictures because of the meticulous detail they put into all they do with embroidery and headdress. I was in awe.

Flower Festival Parade

What is your favorite L.A. spot? The FIDM Library. I know it's a corny answer but as a person who is learning constantly about this industry and how to survive in it, all the resources I need are right at my finger tips. I hear my boss talk everyday about how she wishes she has access to the trend reports that I can see on a daily basis for free. It is the #1 thing I will truly miss about graduating, though we can still use the sourcing books. :-)

The Draping Lab in the FIDM Library

Are you working/interning in addition to writing your blog, if so, for what company and what is your position? Yes I intern for a design house Thrive where I am at the right hand of the head of Product Development. Talk about seeing your major in action! I really wish I had interned with them a lot earlier in my FIDM career. I learn so much about real-world timing in the area of product development there; it's like taking 4 classes at once! They allow me to be as hands on as possible and are there to help me build the skills that FIDM has taught me.

What is your mission for your blog? No Fear, Just DIVA is to show that there is no one right way to have a career in the fashion industry. There's where we are right before we start our journey (Point A) and where we want to end up in our careers, our destination (Point B), but how we all get there is up to the individual (Fashion Freeway - what's getting you from A to B). Right now it's mostly my story and what I'm going through but the goal is to have more interviews from others that have made their way in the industry.

What accomplishments in life, school, etc. are you most proud of? Illustrator! LOL honestly I couldn't draw a lick freehand or otherwise and I have to first give credit to my teacher C. Osuna. Without the confidence to do it freehand and her patience to get me through that I would have never braved subsequent classes. The fact that even I have seen such an improvement in my drawing is a big deal to me and I'm proud of that. So many times at FIDM we spend so much time comparing ourselves to each other when we should really compare our current selves to our first selves and appreciate the growth. It's not about reaching another's level but your own.

How/why did you choose FIDM? What do you expect to gain from your FIDM education? Why? Hmmm I was speaking about this with my mother last week. She says that the man who made my prom dress suggested it, but I didn't think to look into it officially until 2004. I remember none of this, but I knew that I wanted formal training on fashion and textiles but did not want to be a designer. After researching FIDM's Professional Designation options for particular majors, I decided that of the other schools this type of program was best to compliment my degree. Overall I expected to gain a stronger network in the industry, which I have! However my friends back home will tell you I was VERY confident in the fact that since I would not be a Fashion Design major I would not have to sew... couldn't have been more wrong.

Why is your major right for you? Merchandise Product Development is right for me because it is the best complement to my International Business degree. I also think that I couldn't have gone wrong with Apparel Manufacturing Mgmt, actually. But I appreciate the class "Fundamentals of Product Development" giving a shout to S. Spencer who helped me understand what this whole major was really about. In product development we are involved in both the business and the creative. I love that I have the skills to construct but also the degree to lead.

Which FIDM class is your favorite? Principles for Design Development. Two words: ROBIN WAGNER! I remember the first day she walked into class and said "You guys ready to design a clothing line?" I replied with a very loud "NO!" I was so anti "be a fashion designer," but in that class I learned that design is just as much conceptual as it is physical cut and sew, and that I have to use my business smarts in order to create the right product for my target customer. She helped me tap into my creative for this class and that was something I didn't think that I had. This class plus "Fundamentals" helped tie it all together for me. They pushed me to reach for more than what I was capable of especially creatively.

What do you enjoy most about attending FIDM? Experiencing creativity. It doesn't happen as often as I would like but every once in a while and I get to sit back and look at the draping projects in the library and the displays on the 5th floor of the main campus. The displays at the Museum and the wardrobe choices of the students. It's so visual here! When was the last time you sat back and just took in the creativity of it all?

What are your long and short term goals? Long-term, to get my MBA in Strategy and work in Consulting and Brand Management, short-term would be to work on the Asst Designer/Line Developer side to train my eye. A lot like what I'm doing in my internship, but five days a week and getting paid for it.

Any advice for people who might want to attend FIDM? This school is not for the weak at heart. It's long hours, the work is demanding, and totally worth it if this is where you see your career building. There is no one right path to take when obtaining a career in the industry so don't think that you have to come to FIDM knowing exactly what you want to do putting a lot of unnecessary pressure on yourself. A general idea and a good admissions counselor (shout to V Pasquale), will head you in the right direction.

Any final thoughts you want to share? Current students, don't go through your time here in a chiffon fog. Too many times I hear the phrase "I'm so over it" and I think "Then why are you here!" FIDM has some of the best networks, resources, and opportunities to those of us who have little to no experience in the industry. Be proactive in your career. Read the portal, create relationships with your teachers (who do work in the industry, btw!), join clubs. Everything we do here is a step closer to our desired Point B, make it count.

Comments

[Courtney Parker]

In your interview i see that you had previous schooling before attending FIDM. I am a senior in High School and am planning on going straight FIDM and furthering my education there, would you recommend going to a university then FIDM, or do you think FIDM will be enough in order to set up a substantial future?

[Mei-Li T]

Hi Courtney! Sorry I'm just not getting back to your question. I would say the answer to that depends on two things:

1.) Your desired career goals
2.) How well you handle your time and a heavy work load.

I didn't have the original intent to be in the fashion industry hence the BA degree. However I will say that of FIDM's 16 majors there are many that are sufficient as is. If you decide that you want your own label or run your own business I do say get additional education whether before or after FIDM. And actually FIDM offers a 4 year degree now that you should check out if you decide this is the path you want to take.

Now concerning the work load, like I said in the interview FIDM is not for the light at heart and I have seen students (straight out of HS and College alike) get lost in the shuffle because they could not handle all that is required of them. Be honest with yourself about how well you did in HS, what you juggled there and if you are ready to give yourself to this commitment that this school is. If so go for it and explore further education afterwords, if you struggled a bit then taking transferable general ed courses at the local jr/community college couldn't hurt just to be familiar with a higher learning atmosphere.

Another thing I HAVE to be honest about, there is nothing like the 4 year experience I'm glad that I had it and it allowed me to be that much more focused at FIDM because I came to learn and build my career rather than try to compensate on another campus.

Lastly speak honestly with your parents (whomever is paying for all this) and your admissions adviser about your career goals and what direction you would like to see yourself in. FIDM works so much better when you are focused!

Good luck and feel free to keep us updated