Just Accepted Visual Communications Student Wants to Design Window Displays

Full Name: Kendall Mercer

Age: 23

Hometown:  Irvine, CA

FIDM Major: Visual Communications

FIDM Campus and Start Date: Los Angeles, Spring 2012

Admissions Advisor: Shirley McDonald

Tell us a bit about yourself. I've always known I've wanted to do something with art. I went to UCLA and received my B.A. in Art History and then completed a year long certificate program in New York at Parsons in Graphic Design. After graduating from UCLA, I started a calligraphy business and have been creating custom wedding invitations and other related items for the last 2 years. 

In college I had interned with Event Planners, Fashion Stylists, and UCLA's Marketing Department as well as studied Art and Fashion History and Fine Art while studying abroad my Junior year in Florence, Italy. It wasn't until I came across FIDM's Visual Communications major that everything just "clicked" and I knew this was the career path for me. The field combines all of my creative interests and I couldn't be more excited!

What are your proudest accomplishments so far? Definitely my degree from UCLA. They were some of the hardest and some of the best years of my life! I am also very proud of the success of my calligraphy business (thanks, Etsy!) as well the fact I took a risk and moved to New York City for a year. Some amazing learning experiences!

What made FIDM right for you? I don't need to tell you that FIDM has an amazing reputation with the public, but most importantly within the fashion industry. I knew that in choosing FIDM I would not only learn everything I needed to know to compete within the industry, but that they would do everything possible to help me succeed!

Describe your entrance project. For the Visual Communications entrance project I was asked to create three projects. The first could be anything I wanted, but I could only use circles, squares, and triangles. I chose to use some of my graphic design experience to create a monogram for myself, creating a "K" and a "M." I then turned the monogram into a pattern and applied a fun, bright color scheme. For my second project I was asked to create a window display. I created my window around the color blocking trend and drew inspiration from Mondrian creating window graphics and hanging elements. For the third project, designing an interior retail display, I created an eclectic and layered Bohemian scene and incorporated my calligraphy in a hanging banner. Such a fun challenge!

What are your career goals? I would LOVE to work with the window display giants -- Bergdorfs, Saks, or Barneys. I would also LOVE to work with a luxury fashion brand such as Louis Vuitton who always has out-of-the-box and amazingly creative displays that read more as an art installation than simply a retail display.

What do you expect to learn at FIDM? I expect to learn the "hows" of Visual Communications. I want to have the confidence to know that when I'm presented with a task after graduation I have an arsenal of techniques and resources at the ready to produce my best work possible.

Follow Kendall on Twitter at @kendall516!