Want to Go to Paris and Milan to Study Fashion Design?
Fashion students from the International Manufacturing & Product Development Program at FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising traveled to Paris and Milan on a study tour this fall. The travel program is part of a year-long journey through the product development cycle—from trend research to final sample.
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) January 8, 2010
Fashion school (http://fidm. edu) students from FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising recently spent nearly two weeks in Paris and Milan on a textile study tour where they conducted vital research for the products they are developing in their year-long International Manufacturing & Product Development (IMPD) Program. This is one of 18 exciting majors offered at the fashion college (http://fidm. edu). Other majors include fashion design (http://fidm. edu), graphic design, and interior design.
There are two study tours built into the IMPD program curriculum. In the fall, it’s Paris and Milan and in the spring, it’s Hong Kong. In Paris and Milan, the focus is on textile research in terms of trends and mill manufacturing. In Hong Kong, students visit a factory and learn the international concept of sourcing, production, and testing. FIDM VP of Education Barbara Bundy says the study tours give students “hands-on experience in global market research.”
The IMPD Program is set up like on-the-job training. FIDM partners with a mentor company and the students conduct their research with a specific customer in mind, reporting all their findings back to the mentor company at certain milestones. This year it’s Sunrise Brands, a private label manufacturer that owns Kitson and produces garments for Torrid and Charlotte Russe, among other companies. When the students leave the program, they’ve developed a portfolio of work that illustrates the entire life cycle of product development—from research, trend analysis, and costing to sample product.
In Paris, students attend Premiere Vision, an extensive textile tradeshow where they are exposed to colors and trends in fabrications two years in advance of the market. They are given specific assignments to complete at the show, leading them to meet with key industry leaders. Students learn how to strategize and think on their feet—excellent career preparation. In Milan, students visit a textile mill, where they learn how fabric is made.
FIDM Grad Ulysses McKenzie says, “Without IMPD I couldn’t do what I’m doing now,” which is launching his own fashion line. He says he learned how to do business with factories in the program, an essential part of product development.
With four dynamic California campuses, FIDM/Fashion Institute (http://fidm. edu) of Design & Merchandising is the premier west coast fashion design college (http://fidm. edu), educating for careers in fashion, graphic design, interior design, and entertainment. FIDM’s graduates include renowned fashion designers like Monique Lhuillier, Emmy® and Academy Award® award-winning costume designers, top fashion industry executives, and entrepreneurs.
###
