FashionClub.com Daily

Grace's London Fashion Report: Cath Kidston

Hi. Grace here, reporting from London.

Cath Kidston is a British designer who has changed the whole British teen look towards vintage florals and wellies. She opened her first shop in 1993 in Holland Park (east London). She started by selling vintage wallpapers and fabrics. Since then her fashion empire has grown considerably. She now has just under 30 small stores in England.

Each store has the warm countryside feel that Cath tries to get across in both the merchandise and the store itself. She is best known for her bags and purses but also does a range of clothing. I love most of her bags and purses but her clothing isn’t really known very well over here.

I personally prefer the rucksacks and shoulder bags (book bags) over her clothing. I think that Cath Kidston is a very important company because I feel that it reflects youth in England and she has changed the way that the modern British girl wants to dress. She has started a new fashion and I think that she has influenced and inspired a lot of other people to go for their dreams.

Grace is a thirteen year-old fashionista who writes sporadic posts for FashionClub.com Daily from her home in London.

Interview with Just Accepted FIDM Orange County Student Adriana Fernandez

Name:  Adriana Fernandez

Age: 19

Hometown: Laguna Hills, California

Previous college experience: I am working on finishing my A.A in Liberal Arts at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo. This is my second and final year there!

FIDM Start Date: I will begin in October of 2010

Major: Merchandise Marketing

Campus: Orange County campus for 6 months then LA for 3!

Tell us a little about yourself: Ever since I was little, I have loved fashion. I was one of those little kids who would pick their own clothes and I wouldn't let my mother pick them for me. Everything about fashion excited me which is why I know FIDM is the school for me. Besides my love for fashion, I love to cook and bake. I would love to own my own bakery and restaurant in Los Angeles one day as well!

What is one of your proudest accomplishments? As of right now one of my most recent proudest accomplishments is my entrance project for my major Merchandise Marketing. I put my heart and soul into it and to see my hard work really pay off is something I am very proud of. Especially because it was on display at the open house at the Orange County campus which was quite an honor for me!

Favorite Designers: Chloe and Marc Jacobs

Trend/item you're loving right now: I am really loving anything in a dark blue or black velvet! A long sleeve black velvet mini dress is something I am looking long and hard for!

Who is your style icon and why? Audrey Hepburn because of her classic and timeless looks that still inspire my wardrobe today. I like to mix classic pieces like those of hers with modern pieces to make my own look.

What is the most beloved item in your wardrobe? My black BCBG biker boots that I wear with pretty much everything I own! They go with everything and are so comfortable to wear.

How did you know that FIDM was the right college for you? I came to FIDM for the first time in 2007. The first meeting I had with my counselor Roxy, I wanted to do anything I could to get in. While at first my parents and I decided to go to a different route the first few years, I still thought about FIDM and decided that if 2 years later I am still thinking about it, then it must be the right choice for me and here I am today!

How did you choose your major? I was torn between Merchandise Marketing and Visual communications and ultimately choose to do Merchandise Marketing because I have more of a business type of mindset and most of the career choices I want to go down fall under the Merchandise Marketing major.

What are you most excited to learn in your first quarter? I am honestly excited to learn everything! I want to absorb every ounce of knowledge and resources I can get while attending FIDM.

What do you expect to gain from attending FIDM? I expect to gain the skills, knowledge, and the right tools to make me as successful as I want to be in this industry. I want to be the best student I can be at FIDM.

What is your ultimate career goal after graduating from FIDM? I have many career goals which was why it was a challenge to pick the right major. My ultimate career goal is to be a buyer for a store like Bloomingdales, Barneys, or Urban Outfitters. Down the road, I would also like to own my own styling company with my best friend.

What advice would you give to students looking to be accepted into FIDM? Some advice I would give students looking to be accepted is to be ready to work hard, very hard, and if you truly know that you want to be in fashion then go for it! Never second guess what your heart is telling you no matter what people say.

Interview With FIDM Orange County Merchandise Marketing Student Molly Stolen

Name: Molly Stolen

Age: 18

Hometown: Irvine, California

FIDM Grad Year: Spring 2011

Major: Merchandise Marketing

Campus: Orange County

Tell us a little about yourself: I am in my third quarter at FIDM and absolutely love it. I work for Nordstrom in the Special Occasion department. I am competitive. I like to learn by doing. I like to take risks.

Sites you must visit daily: I check Nordstrom's site daily to see what the feature item is, in order to help customers. Lately I have been cutting back on shopping online since I am saving my money for Paris and school.

Favorite Designer: Balenciaga.

An item you're loving right now: The faux fur vest and my oversized charcoal sweater that I wear with boots.

Who is your style icon and why? I don't have a style icon. I like to look at all the trends and select the ones I want to adopt.

What is your dream fashion purchase? A couture gown. 

What is the most beloved item in your wardrobe? My Kooba evening bag.

You're spending an afternoon shopping in the city of your choice. What's the city and itinerary? My city of choice is Paris and I would spend the day shopping in boutiques and browsing through the flea market then going to a quaint cafe.

If you could own the wardrobe of any film or TV character (past or present) whose would it be? It would be Grace Kelly. She always wore elegant clothing that flattered her body. She wore neutrals and had simple accessories.

The ultimate accessory is? A handbag.

How did you learn of FIDM? My Mom met Mrs. Kim, a FIDM counselor, at a bible study and got a business card from her. My Mom gave me the business card and I followed up. 

How did you know that FIDM was the right college for you? When I walked into the school it fit. It was the first library I ever wanted to spend time in. I knew that FIDM would give me the tools to have a career in fashion.

How did you feel when you found out you were accepted? I was so excited when I knew that I had got in. I wanted to start right away.

What are your favorite aspects so far? I have liked every quarter! So far my favorite classes have been History of Costume, Effective Speaking, and Trend Analysis.

What do you expect to gain from attending FIDM?  I want to have the foundation I need to start a solid career.

What is your ultimate career goal after graduating from FIDM? I want to do everything. I don't have it narrowed down to just one job. I want to become a buyer or coordinate runway shows or become a fashion forecaster and eventually have my own boutique.

What advice would you give to future FIDM students? Take advantage of everything they offer. Use the library resources! Get involved in school activities. Make good grades so that you can join Phi Theta Kappa. It opens more doors and is fun.

FIDM Street Style Daily

  Today Student Activities hosted a silent auction and candy buffet benefiting the Susan B. Komen Foundation. Students rocked pink for a good cause.

Emi, Heather, and Andrea | Merchandising Marketing

 

Katie | Fashion Design

Andrea | Merchandising Marketing

Casi and Medha | Fashion Design
 

Dyona | Visual Comunications & Kristen | Student Activities

Ribbon Made by Marjaneh | Merchandising Marketing

Carolyn | Visual Communications
(She's also on our Student Council Board!)

Jayna | Merchandise Product Development

Jerilyn | Fashion Design

 

Andrew | Fashion Design

 

 

Lina | Beauty Industry

-Candice

Style Scoop Interview: Laura Stang

Porridge. It's not just relegated to Goldilocks anymore. It's FIDM alumna Laura Stang's spirited, soulful, feminine fashion line. We caught up with Laura (pictured above) to find out the secrets to her success. The proof is in the porridge, ahem, I mean pudding!

Name: Laura Stang
Grad Year: 2000
Major: Merchandise Marketing
Campus: Los Angeles

How did you get your first break and when did you launch?
I started by making these one-of-a-kind hand-dyed, hand-embroidered patchwork floral tank tops and selling at a boutique in Brentwood that I managed. From there, they became a fast hit. I launched Porridge in 2004.

Describe the general process you go through to design a piece of clothing.
The first piece of clothing was a true labor of love. I bought the blank tanks from American Apparel and then would dye them by hand in my kitchen in a glass salad bowl. From there they would hang dry in the house I was renting with 3 girlfriends. After the tees were dry I'd begin cutting petals out of vintage recycled clothing scraps and hand-embroidering them on the tanks. It was a process.

What do you love about your career as the owner and president of your own fashion line?
Every day is truly different and I'm constantly "on my toes."

What is the least glamorous aspect of your career?
Going to the dye house.

Describe a day in the life of someone who loves to wear Porridge.
It's a day of color and fun. Porridge is so cheerful you can't have a bad day when wearing the line.

Describe how you felt when you got your first editorial credit in a magazine?
It was awesome, almost like it wasn't real but at the same time it kept pushing me to get more edits and constantly evolve as a designer.

After running your own business, what is one major lesson learned and how did you learn it?
Don't grow too fast! Take your time and enjoy the process. It's never good when suddenly you're in over your head and feel more stressed than happy.

What is a common myth people have about fashion design?
That it's a glamorous job. Honestly, it's far grittier than people think.

What does it take to be successful?
Dedication and loving every aspect of what you do. Taking the good with the bad and being on top of every detail regarding how the business runs.

What are your long-term design goals?
To expand into doing more things print-related. I'm a textile girl at heart before a designer. Designing prints, patterns and colors are my favorite aspects of what I do daily.

You are a graduate of FIDM. How did you find out about FIDM and what went into your decision to go there?
It's local and reputable. I know I wanted to stay close to my family and FIDM is known to have a great fashion program.

How did you choose your major?
I wasn't sure about what aspect of the business I wanted to pursue so Merchandise Marketing was a great balance between business and design.

What was the best lesson you took away from FIDM?
Color Theory class and History of Costume.

What advice would you give someone who wanted to become a fashion designer?
Intern for a company and learn everything you can.

If you could collaborate with any designer in the world, who would it be and why?
Vera Neumann. She was the goddess of all things print-related and she blended art and fashion so well.

--Gigi Hooghkirk

Interview: Just Accepted FIDM San Francisco Student Paula Newlands

Name: Paula Newlands

Age: 23

Hometown: Parkland, Florida

FIDM Start Date, Major, and Campus:

Fall 2009

Merchandise Marketing

San Francisco Campus

Tell us a little about yourself: I was born in Brazil, raised in Florida, and moved to NY right out of high school to model. I did that full time for the past 5 years. I love it SO much and am so sad the economy decided to take its toll while I was on a roll. I moved to San Francisco last October and have been loving every minute of it! If I can't be in NYC then I'm glad I can be here.

Sites you must visit daily: shopbop.com, aldoshoes.com, bakershoes.com

Alexander Wang Resort 2009

Favorite Designer: Alexander Wang

Mary Kate Olsen with Fringe Handbag

Trend/item you're loving right now: FRINGE! (fringe scarves, fringe shoes, fringe bags!!), torn up jeans, boyfriend tees, and cardigans.

Who is your style icon and why? I don't really have a style icon. I flip through magazines, I see what's in and I throw my own mix into it. 

Christian Louboutin Shoes

What is your dream fashion purchase? a sexy pair of Christian Louboutin shoes

What is the most beloved item in your wardrobe? All of my (4) designer bags

You're spending an afternoon shopping in the city of your choice. What's the city and itinerary? NYC of course! SOHO and the Upper East side (5th, Madison and Lexington)

Kourtney Kardashian

If you could own the wardrobe of any film or TV character (past or present) whose would it be? Kourtney Kardashian, Lauren Conrad

The ultimate accessory is...  sexy pumps

How did you become aware of FIDM? Friends

How did you know that FIDM was the right college for you? Research and instinct

Describe how you felt when they told you that you were accepted? I was very excited! I had my mind set on FIDM for several months so once they told me I was in I was giddy for the whole rest of the day.

What part of starting FIDM are you most looking forward to? Learning the 'behind the scenes' of my favorite industry. My passion.

What do you expect to gain from attending FIDM? I hope to gain lots of knowledge on how to become a successful business woman in this crazy industry.

What is your ultimate career goal after graduating from FIDM? I hope to become a buyer for a trendy, young, fun boutique. Either clothes or shoes will do just fine for me :)

What advice would you give to students looking to be accepted into FIDM? If fashion is your passion then FIDM is the right place to be! I have heard so many good things about this school, from friends and from strangers. I know my expectations will be met! I can't WAIT to start.

Interview: Just Accepted FIDM San Francisco Student Christa Brown

Name: Christa Brown
Age: 19
Hometown: Danville, Ca

FIDM Start Date, Major, and Campus:

October 2009

Merchandise Marketing

San Francisco Campus

Tell us a little about yourself: Ever since I was a young girl I have loved fashion. To have a career in fashion, whether it be buying for a store or just managing will be amazing. I am so excited to start FIDM. I know all of the classes will be so interesting and will help me learn all of the necessary knowledge for success in the fashion industry!

Sites you must visit daily: Style.com, Denimology.com, and Fashionclub.com!

  Marc Jacobs Spring 2009

Favorite Designer: I love Marc Jacobs. His designs present a classic and timeless aesthetic, always fit for the modern day, but representing a more vintage design.
 
Trend/item you're loving right now: Rocker chic. I can’t get enough of it!

Who is your style icon and why? My style icon would definitely be Lauren Conrad. Her style is so trendy but never over-done. She always looks so great no matter where she is!

Manolo Blahniks

What is your dream fashion purchase? I have always dreamt of buying a pair of Manolo Blahniks. All of the shoes are truly amazing!

What is the most beloved item in your wardrobe? This Elizabeth and James blouse I own. It is such a beautiful color and fits just right! I always get so many compliments when i wear it.

You're spending an afternoon shopping in the city of your choice. What's the city and itinerary? If I could pick one city to spend an afternoon of shopping in, it would most definitely be New York. I would spend most of my time shopping at the Ralph Lauren, Nicole Miller, Louis Vuitton, and Valentino stores because I absolutely adore all of those designers.

If you could own the wardrobe of any film or TV character (past or present) whose would it be? Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw in the Sex and the City. Her style is truly unique and different. She makes a statement with every outfit she wears.

The ultimate accessory is... A great clutch for any night out!

How did you become aware of FIDM? A manager of mine told me about it. She told me how she went there and loved every moment of it.

How did you know that FIDM was the right college for you? I went to a year of junior college and I still could not figure out the exact major for me. After hearing about FIDM from my manager, I went on the website. I saw what FIDM had to offer and absolutely fell in love!

Describe how you felt when they told you that you were accepted? I was so unbelievably excited and relieved. I had put so much effort into the entire applications process and I felt that it all had finally paid off.

What part of starting FIDM are you most looking forward to? I am so excited to meet all of the other classmates of mine. I’m sure I will meet a lot of great people who share the same passion as me!

What do you expect to gain from attending FIDM? I expect to gain knowledge that will help me be successful in my career of choice, and gain lasting friendships.

What is your ultimate career goal after graduating from FIDM? My ultimate career goal is to be a buyer or a manager of a leading fashion company!

What advice would you give to students looking to be accepted into FIDM? If you feel that FIDM is the right choice for you, don’t hesitate to call an admissions advisor. They will help you with the whole process! FIDM is looking for those who truly want to make it in the fashion industry. If that’s you, then go for it!

Second Annual Jumpstart Your Dreams Contest Extended!

Attention all high school students! There's still time to enter FashionClub.com's Second Annual Jumpstart Your Dreams Contest!

We've extended the deadline for this amazing contest until Wednesday, September 30th! This is an amazing opportunity, and here's why!

While we have received a number of talented entries in the categories of fashion design and merchandise marketing, we currently have no entrants for the following categories:

 Future Digital Media Grad
 Future Interior Design Grad
 Future Graphic Design Grad
 Future Jewelry Design
 Future Beauty Industry Merchandising & Marketing Grad

Why not check out the contest details here! Applicants in these areas have a better chance of winning, so what do you have to lose! Prizes for these categories include an amazing new camcorder, $150 Sephora shopping spree, and an incredible HD media player!

Good Luck!

--Alaythia

FIDM Proudly Announces National Scholarship Competition 2009 Winners!

FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising is proud to announce the winners of the National Scholarship Competition 2009!  

The National Scholarship Competition offers highly-qualified seniors and older graduates the opportunity to earn a full one-year scholarship to attend FIDM, California's premier fashion college.

The 2009 Scholarship recipients are as follows: 

Hillary Harper for Fashion Executive of Tomorrow
Maelee Lungren for Interior Designer of Tomorrow
Sarah Chiarot for Graphic Designer of Tomorrow
Nathan Braun for Fashion Designer of Tomorrow
Sarah Friesen for Visual Designer of Tomorrow

Congratulations to all the winners for outstanding work in their area of study. For more information including project guidelines for the all-new National Scholarship Competition 2010, click here!

--Alaythia

Knowledge is Power

    Many students who hope to one day launch their own company in the fashion industry are faced with questions about how best to succeed in the current economy.

    Why not learn the fundamental skills you'll need to make that future goal a reality? FIDM offers classes in each major that can help you learn the business side of fashion. Fashion Design offers The Business of Fashion, which helps examine the major business components in the fashion industry. Merchandise Marketing offers Situational Analysis, which helps in analyzing typical situations in the retail environment, including financial situations.

    Every bit of information can help in building your career and making your goals come to life. It's true that knowledge is power, so seek the best information out there. Don't fret about the current economy, find ways around it and strive for the best! After all, fashion never ceases to exist.

        - Arali