How do you think it would feel to be a fashion designer? I know that it would be a lot of girls' dreams to attend fashion school, so I thought I'd write a quick note about my trip yesterday to the Fashion Institute of Design Management (FIDM).
FIDM is in the heart of downtown LA, just around the corner from the fashion district as well as the downtown skyscrapers. Security is tight around the school - apparently many of the downtown residents (residents) would also like to enter and attend the fashion school. A friend of mine is considering attending and she wanted me to come with her to check out the campus. With the base tuition of $24,000 a year, I wanted to see what this school had to
We began our FIDM mission by being escorted up to a classy airplane terminal like lobby where the receptionist had us fill out an admission packet. All the school advisors were in a meeting so we waited for 30 min or so and were eventually met my the director of admissions. She was a peppy skinny blonde that clearly had been in the fashion business. Our time spent with her felt a bit like a pscyhotherapy session. The director was asking my friend various questions, rephriasing her words, and then going on to describe in great detail the types of creative things my friend was into, in an effort to pinpoint which major would be the best fit. My friend was originally interested in fashion design, but after she learned that designers spend their days on the tiny details and intracasies of how to attach a button, my friend and the counselor realized that wouldn't be the best fit. Apparently she was a better fit for Visual Communications, a major that appears to offer a wide array of fashion related classes.
After 45 min of speaking with her, we were rushed out to the 2:15pm tour of the campus. While my friend is 27, we found ourselves grouped with two good looking and fashioned out 18 year olds and their parents. As we began the campus tour we saw more of the same. We entered into another building which had 5 classrooms, but they had glass dividers so we were able to see into each class. The people in the first class were in depp focus, concentraing on the sewing machines in front of them and slowly moving their fabric. The next class was full of maniquins which were partially clothed with half finished designs. Other classes were doing more or less the same types of things.
The computer room and study area for the students had a quiet yet cool atmosphere and even made me feel like hanging out there to study! Computers were on 2ft tall tables, which the students worked on while sitting on their own little circular cushion. Apparently being hunched over for hours on end in an uncomfortable position is better for studying then being in a comfortable chair which one might use instead to fall asleep.
We had to take off from the tour early because our car was parked on a street that had to be vacated by 3pm to open up the lanes for the nightly commute. So yah, theres another 200 dollars a month in parking expenses if you want to commute to school.
Going to school here would pretty much be a dream come true for the girl interested in purusing a career in fashion. The school has many successful alumni that have started their own business's and fashion lines, as well as alumni that hold top posts as world renowned fashion houses. Only drawback is 24k in tuition plus another 15k for housing and other expenses. Best idea is to go pitch mom and dad on the idea or to find Mr. Right who might be generous enough to foot the bill for you.
