FASHION DESIGN SCHOOL – WE LEARN TO CREATE FASHION
FASHION AUTHORS AND CO-AUTHORS
In all times artists were involved in designing clothing and hair-dos – and it doesn’t matter if this person was called an artist or not. Unknown lace masters, embroideresses, handicraftsmen working at fabric designs and tailors were quite often outstanding artists. They created costumes that later became fashionable and popular among thousands of people. There is no wonder that fashion history knows only a few names: their masterpieces were unique and were not in mass production like now. More than that, the most talented tailors – today we would name them designers – made clothing for celebrities and royal persons. They were known only to a selected number of people.
It is interesting that during the peaks of passion for a specific fashion a certain master was becoming more and more prestigious – a crinoline specialist, hatter or a hairdresser. For example, in XVIII century when very sophisticated hair-dos were in fashion, a hairdresser Dage became very famous. He managed to place on the heads of his customers the whole still-life made of fruits, vegetables, flowers, even bird nests. His fans considered him to be an artist and he didn’t doubt it. Dage tried to enter the French Academy but in vain. This way or another, very often fashion owed to a certain artist. A lot of girls dream to become fashion designers.
DIGITAL FASHION DESIGN SCHOOL INVITES STUDENTS
Do you know that a unique school for high-school girls opens its doors in our community and teaches them one of the most prestigious professions of nowadays – fashion designer?
Our correspondent asked Pavel Ilyashenko, director of New Image College, to tell us in more details about this new department for teenagers.
Pavel, there is again something new at New Image College. A year ago you opened a department for young “hackers” – Teens Computer School. And now a Digital Fashion Design School. But why digital?
First of all, the Fashion Design School is not new at New Image College. In 2003-2004 this department was very successful. So it is kind of renaissance of what was so popular among Toronto schoolgirls several years ago. As to the term “Digital”, there is a simple explanation to it. Modern technologies, especially computer ones, are developing very quickly. Every year you can see new computers and computer software that just a few years before seemed to be a fantasy. In the past a fashion designer had to learn 5-8 years, now it takes 2-3 times less. Traditionally, a fashion designer had to finish a long and sophisticated art course. First, he had to become a professional artist, to learn how to draw a human body and different art techniques. At the same time he had to study art history, fashion history of all times and nations, production technology of fabrics and clothing. It used to take years and years. Only after all that he could start doing the main thing – designing clothing, creating new shapes and decor elements, developing his own fashion style.
In New Image School we use special computer programs that accelerate the learning process of a fashion designer. Our students make drawings not on paper with naughty paints, but on a computer and digital tablets. We use special programs that imitate the texture of paper and canvas, oil and watercolor painting techniques, brush and pen pressure. Of course, our students will also learn how to draw a human body, will study proportions and fundamentals of anatomy. You cannot become a professional designer without such knowledge. But thanks to special computer programs the learning process of such complicated topics will become faster, more interesting and effective. For example, our students get hundreds of computer modeled figures, including 3D ones, which they will be able to dress in the clothing that they have created. In their turn, these models will help to create another computer programs and will save time. So this way much more time will be left for studying the profession itself, art history and fashion styles, and the most important, for creativity.
Thank you, Pavel, for such a detailed answer. What exactly will your students study and how long does it take?
Our curriculum is scheduled for 2 academic years or 20 months. We will study dozens of topics and subjects: fashion culture and history, composition fundamentals, chromatics and color harmonies, a theory of costume composition to name a few. There are as well principles of creating menswear, ladieswear and children’s clothing, silhouettes and plastics in clothing, types of fabrics and tailoring technologies and many others. You can find out more about our curriculum at our websites: www.teenscomputerschool.com
As to their future, obviously, not all of our students will become famous designers. But even if it is just a hobby for them or just fun, it is a very useful one. It develops their taste, they learn interesting historical facts, get knowledge of composition, graphics, and chromatics. And for those who really plan to become a fashion designer, it is a great start for their future profession. Everybody knows that it is impossible to start such a creative profession without a portfolio. More than that, there is a contest portfolio for those who want to enter a Fashion Design Department of any university or college, since there are too many interested in this profession. And only the best are accepted. Our school graduates will be out of competition – they will not only know the theory, but they will have a professional portfolio and great knowledge. It will be much easier for them to continue their education. I would like to emphasize that New Image Fashion Design School is not a DIY after-school program or home economics, it is a serious education in fashion design. Just because the lessons are very interesting and colorful, they don’t look like a boring learning process, but more like a game, a lesson of history, art, sewing and a lot more simultaneously. Our curriculum is very similar to the one at “grown-up” colleges but adapted to the age of our students. Our students get not only basic knowledge. Our training is more sophisticated than in Canadian colleges. I have compared for the purpose of our curriculum to the ones at some colleges, and I should say that we teach more subjects and our education is more versatile. When our girls will enter, say, some specialized college or Design Academy, they won’t be like regular students, they will be ahead of their classmates and it will be much easier for them to learn. I even don’t think that they will find out something new for them during the first and second years of education there.
Welcome to our school and please fill in the registration form at our websites: www.teenscomputer.com