What I actually study here

Back in college, the first days of school are really interesting for me since I got to see how words in a course description translate into real, practical classes. This is even more apparent now that I’m in fashion school! I have read and reread the course descriptions several times when I was choosing my major. Now I get to experience the real thing! Anyway, It’s been 3 weeks since school started. I’ve been wanting to write about my classes but didn’t have the luxury of time. Now I am taking a break from studying so here goes my blog entry.

My major is Apparel Manufacturing Management and I am in the Professional Designation Program (for those who have college degrees already). Here are the classes that I’m currently taking:

1. Survey of Manufacturing And Merchandising

An overview of the Manufacturing and Merchandising industry in the US. It aims to teach us everything from the phases of the fashion cycle to the product development stages, elements of fashion marketing, types of retailers, etc. The basic lessons and terminologies that you SHOULD know if you would like to work in fashion. I think that this class can be learned simply by reading the texbook, but our teacher really makes things interesting by giving us experience-based information and by entertaining all kinds of questions about the industry. He has worked in fashion for around 50 years so he really has lots of things to share. I always bring out my post it notes during this class to write down random, practical infos from my teacher. For instance, when starting a business, it is important to establish an online store first (have an established customer base before shelling out money for a physical store). Uhuh I should keep that in mind.

Books for Survey of Manufacturing and Merchandising

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2. Textile Science

Yes there is science even in fashion school. Just imagine, what if a designer made children’s clothes out of a really flammable material? Disaster. So really, it is important to learn about the properties of different textiles in the market. We were also told that there are no more new designs being created right now, just old ones with new fabrics (ultra absorbent ones, non-wrinkling ones, etc.).  I am definitely not a science person, but seing the practicality of what I’m actually studying makes science much more bearable

Books for Textile Science

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Book with samples of 172 different fibers! Cool cool cool

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3. Wholesale Selling

A whole class devoted to giving us lessons on how to sell our lines to buyers (those who choose the items that department stores sell). Lessons include how to negotiate prices, how to keep the buyer’s attention during a presentation, how to maintain a good relationship with a buyer, etc. We are also asked to develop our own line (complete with infos about showroom location, production facility, turn time, etc.). For the finals, each student will be doing a selling simulation. It’s interesting since we haven’t opened our text book at all. Everything comes from the teacher and from his so many years of experience. Also, this class exciting for me since I used to be a merchandiser / buyer for a local department store. It feels challenging to be on the other side of the coin this time

My book for Wholesale Selling which we haven’t opened yet. According to my teacher, you can’t teach sales through a book. Although I agree with him, I’ll probably read this anyway during my free time.

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4. Apparel Process I

The hands on part of fashion production. Here, we are taught about patternmaking and sewing. Our classroom for apparel process is located at the heart of the LA Fashion District, which is a few blocks from the main campus. We are actually having class in a building where garments are being produced for real fashion lines. So cool. We were also given a toolbox with all the things that we would be needing for sewing and patternmaking. Uhuh I will be using these things forever and ever.

Materials for Apparel Process I

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3 books for 1 class. Since I have so many books and materials for this class, I am now like the elementary school me since I drag a stroller bag across downtown LA. Nope I am not complaining at all.

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5. Technical Sketching

Before this class, the closest that I got to fashion sketching was during my really boring college economics class that forced me to draw menial clothes on the border of my notebook since I had no other interesting choice. So the bottom line is, I was so scared of this class. But after 3 weeks, I grew to like it. Our instructor teaches us drawing techniques which make it seem like we’re so good in sketching! Hehe. I would like to think that our creations are out of sheer talent, but really, most of it are based on “drawing formulas” and our really good rulers

Book and materials for Technical Sketching

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So there you have it. 5 classes down, 19 more to go before graduation

Working in an LA fashion show!

Just came home. It’s 1pm now and I won’t have class till 3pm so I’m just gonna write about what happened this morning

So basically, my school has this wonderful student portal where all the job listings are posted. I found this job opening in a fashion show that was being held here in downtown LA, and it was perfect since I don’t drive yet at the moment. It was the Directives West Fall’10 fashion show which was a combination of different brands.

The call time was 7:30am, but I really don’t mind waking up at 5:30am since it was my first time to work in a real fashion show and I was excited. Yay

Basically I was a dresser. I was assigned a model and a rack of clothes with around 6 looks. The rack has a huge board which states the description and the order of each garment and accessory for each look. So my job was to help the model get dressed in between her walks and to make sure that her looks are in order.

I was told that it was a pretty relaxed fashion show. The looks were pretty far apart (my model’s 1st look was number 22, and her second look was number 57…) and there were only few people screaming. Still, it was my 1st time so I found it kind of chaotic but exciting at the same time. I had to rush everytime I dressed my model since the looks had lots of layers (dress, vest, scarf, leggings, socks, shoes, necklace, earrings, hat). And I had to make sure that the shoes were buckled properly or else they will come off while the model is walking on stage.

Overall, it was a really really great experience! All the people were suprisingly nice! I told my model, Kira, that it was my first time doing this and she said that I did a great job. Haha well she was really nice and modest I also met a few people from my school and most importantly, learned a lot and gained work experience (no matter how short). I will definitely do this again soon

Why LA and not New York?

Whenever people find out that I’m studying fashion, they always ask me why I chose to study in LA and not in New York. NY is perceived to be the fashion capital of the US, but my main reason of going to FIDM in LA instead of Parsons or FIT is really my major. I’m taking up Apparel Manufacturing Management, a fashion entrepreneurial program which combines fashion design and business management. However, this quote from Tim Gunn (which came out in the LA Times Magazine) made me realize that LA does indeed play a huge role in the fashion industry.

Tim Gunn on Project Runway’s move to FIDM LA – Last year, when we began taping season six and made the move to Los Angeles, I came here kicking and screaming. I was resigned, but I am a New Yorker… There is a sort of New York arrogance that asks, “What does Los Angeles have to offer when it comes to fashion?” But I had been here less than 48 hours when I had an epiphany. In New York, everyone was copying Europe; there wasn’t an original thought. But here, thanks to the film industry, there was this robust incubator for tons of creative ideas. So, I thought, Wait a minute! It’s the home of film and television, of all the high-end red carpets. And then I realized if it’s not happening here, it doesn’t mean anything.

Fashion now a days is a very celebrity driven industry. The top fashion magazines have celebrities on their covers every month and most of the time, who is in the front row determines the success and popularity of a fashion show. Sending a bag or a piece of clothing to a particular celebrity and having her photographed in it is a better marketing strategy than spending a fortune on advertisements. Also, what the celebrities wore to the Oscars are sometimes even remembered better than who the actual winners were. This is why LA, being the entertainment capital of the world, indeed plays an important role in the formation of trends and in determining the success of a brand. Now maybe when Suri Cruise is all grown up, she can wear stuff from my (future) clothing line. Hehe

“Welcome to the land of fame excess…”

Okay, so I’ve been here in LA for 3 weeks already. I decided to go a month before classes start to:

1.    First and foremost, to get used to living here. When I first arrived here in LA, I looked like a stupid little innocent girl. During my 1st day, I wanted to buy a sim card so I went to Best Buy and circled the store for some time before asking someone. The person looked at me weirdly and told me that you couldn’t just “buy a sim card.” I needed to buy a phone even though it’s prepaid. And ofcourse I made him explain how the prepaid system here works, and I eventually figured it out after 2 more days and a consultation with at&t.

My phone which I got only for $99

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2.    To learn how to commute. From the time I got here, I have been going around mainly by public transportation (and lots and lots of walking). And mind you, the public transportation here is soooo confusing. There were times when I have given up and have resorted to taking a (really really expensive) cab. LA is huuuuge. It’s so big that I have never seen a complete bus map (unlike Paris wherein the subway map can fit at the back of any notebook). Aside from their major public transpo system, different cities also have different bus lines, and this translates to different sets of maps, fares, and headaches. However, one good thing about LA is that the streets here are straight, unlike in the Philippines wherein the streets are in all kinds of weird angles.

Inside the bus

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3.    To run errands. I had to get a California ID, open a bank account, and most importantly, look for an apartment. At first I wanted to get a private bedroom in a shared apartment. But then I realized that roommates can be tricky, especially if you don’t know them. So I eventually settled for a studio unit at The Met, just across my school. The building is super super nice (and expensive!!). Well atleast it’s my very own place and I’ll just be a few steps away from my school. Also, it’s a far cry from my 9 square meter bedroom during my exchange program in France!! I’ll be moving already on Wednesday. Yay exciting!

Gotta love the amenities, and these are just some of them… Clockwise from left: exterior, gym, pool, design and sewing room.

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4.    To travel before classes start This is a great time since I do not have school and work yet. Good thing I have close friends living here in LA. Plus there are lots of other people from my high school who are here on the west coast. I’m glad to have close friends here even before classes start

Santa Monica

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Air Force Base

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Catalina Park at Tucson, Arizona

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Old Tucson

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Las Vegas

A famous (Filipina) FIDM grad: Monique Lhuillier

The quality of graduates was one of the factors that I considered when choosing a fashion school. Thus, I was able to read about Monique Lhuillier during my research. Monique Lhuillier is probably the most internationally known Filipina designer at the moment (well actually, she is a mix of French, Spanish, and Filipino, but still). She was originally from Cebu, Philippines, but she left the country to attend a boarding school in Switzerland when she was 15. After which, she went to FIDM in LA to study fashion design. Monique Lhuillier was originally known as a bridal designer. A personal quest for the perfect wedding gown during the preparations for her own wedding inspired her to create a company specializing in wedding dresses. As the company grew, her husband (Tom Bugbee) who recently got an MBA took over the business side of her company.  Such a nice fashion love story if you ask me. Here are some amazing wedding gowns from her most recent bridal collection. Hopefully I can already afford a Monique Lhuillier dress by the time I get married. If not, I will just have the gown copied. Hehe

Monique Lhuiller Fall 2010 bridal collection

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Today, Monique Lhuillier does not only design wedding gowns but also evening gowns. Her dresses have received various Hollywood red carpet moments (as Rachel Zoe would say).

(clockwise from top) Eva Mendes, Drew Barrymore, Hilary Swank, and Lucy Liu. Talk about famous people wearing your creations!

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But of course, Monique’s clothes do not need by to be worn Hollywood celebrities in order to be noticed. Her creations are by themselves, breathtaking. Below are my favorite pieces from Monique Lhuillier’s Fall 2010 collection which was presented in Bryant Park during New York fashion week.

Wow. Love the details on these cocktail dresses!

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I am pretty sure these gorgeous gowns will make an appearance at the red carpet real soon!

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So there you have it. The morale of the story is: go to a great fashion school, work really really hard, create dresses that you yourself would like to wear, and marry a really good business man. And of course I am kidding on that last one

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(PHOTO CREDITS: bridal colelction photos from moniquelhuillier.com, red carpet photos from redcarpet-fashionawards.com, RTW Fall 2010 photos from style.com)

Christian Siriano: Fierce Transformation

My favorite Project Runway winner, Christian Siriano, used to create avant-garde pieces which you would either love or hate. He knows who he is as a designer and he can definitely put on a great show. But of course, the runway is so much different from real life. What looks good in a fashion show does not necessarily translate into clothes that real people will actually wear. Here are some pieces from his final collection in Project Runway Season 4. The guest judge, Victoria Beckham, LOVED his pieces. But we all know that Victoria Beckham is Victoria Beckham. The bottom line is, not everyone can pull of a Christian Siriano look…

Final Collection in Project Runway

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…that was until recently when he presented his Fall 2010 collection in the New York Fashion Week. Most of his pieces still have the Christian Siriano trademark, although his clothes are now so much more wearable. I am also happy to see flashes of color in his collection:

The dresses above feature his trademark ruffles which are now much more subdued. Who would have thought that ruffles can be so chic?

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Christian Siriano is also known for his tailored jackets. I loved these 2 designs! Investment pieces that can easily add flair to an outfit.

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4 other dresses that I liked. Classic and glamorous silhouettes with a little twist.

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One designer told me that it is much more easier to tone down a design, rather than to turn something wearable into an avant-garde piece. With the example of Christian Siriano, I now believe that it is also better to start with almost exaggerated pieces which show your vision and identity. Having a unique point of view is important especially since the fashion industry is already saturated. Once your aesthetic is established, creating wearable pieces which will translate into profit will come naturally.

FIDM Debut 2010 Runway Show

FIDM proudly presents the DEBUT 2010 Runway Show. The only show like it on the West Coast, DEBUT annually attracts more than 10,000 people over 3 days and features designs by graduating students in FIDM’s Fashion Design, Theatre Costume Design, Advanced Study Programs as well as work from the Interior Design, Digital Media, and Textile Design Students.

ACCEPTED AND PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS:

March 11 – PREVIEW DAY & DEBUT 2010 RUNWAY SHOW

11:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. FIDM Preview Day Program
Enjoy a tour of our award-winning campus and listen to FIDM experts address Housing Options, Part-Time Jobs, and Career Opportunities. Also get career advice from FIDM Grads! Lunch will be served, and there will be time for questions.
3:30 p.m. Depart for DEBUT 2010 Fashion Show

Your transportation to DEBUT from the FIDM Los Angeles Campus will be provided. All FIDM Preview Day guests MUST use the roundtrip bus transportation, as parking is extremely limited at the Barker Hangar.

5:30 p.m. DEBUT 2010 Fashion Runway Show
The Barker Hangar
3021 Airport Avenue, Santa Monica

Event will conclude at approximately 7:30 p.m. You will arrive back at the FIDM Los Angeles Campus at approximately 8:30 p.m.

(Source: FIDM website)

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My FIDM Admissions Advisor told me about this event since she knew that I will be arriving in LA on March 7. This is my first FIDM event and I’m so excited! I can’t wait to see the campus for myself and to watch the fashion show which features the designs of FIDM graduating students. I bought only 1 ticket (just for me) since I do not really know who to bring. I am really hoping to meet people during this event. Gotta be extra friendly

Do it the Zara Way

Having a fashion-related business is more than just producing nice looking clothes. Take a cue from a store which I really admire – Zara. Their clear cut strategy is the main reason for their success. Their design, efficiency, and price constantly allow them to attract new customers and keep their existing ones.

1. DESIGN – Zara’s designs are constantly updated, with a speed that even beats the world’s top luxury brands. The reason for this is first and foremost, technology and the blogging world. Through fashion websites such as instyle.com, a designer’s pieces are seen by the rest of the world only a few hours after the fashion show. Moreover, trends materialize and are broadcasted to everyone even before the fashion week ends. Therefore, designers can’t blame companies such as Zara when they choose to capitalize on this opportunity by instantly producing items which are similar to those in the runways of fashion week. Zara admits that they do not make trends, they follow them. Their people study trends and have a knack for knowing what will work and what wouldn’t.

Zara’s garments are similar to those of the luxury brands

2. EFFICIENCY – Zara’s very huge and efficient manufacturing facility in Spain is the reason why Zara can get their garments from the design board to the racks so much earlier that high end brands. Most of their departments: design, pattern making, purchasing, and visual merchandising are in house. Moreover, this facility is capable of cutting 8,000 clothes per day and their logistics facility can ship out 60,000 clothes per hour. Wow. I don’t see how luxury companies can beat that.

Zara headquarters in Spain

3. PRICE  – Although Zara’s garments are similar to those of the luxury brands’, customers can get them for more than one tenth of their designer counterparts. Yes this also due to Zara’s efficiency in creating and delivering their merchandise, but Zara’s affordable prices can also be attributed to another aspect: marketing. I don’t know if you have noticed, but Zara doesn’t do any traditional advertising: no magazine ads, billboards, or TV commericals. Their only way of communicating their vision to the consumers is through their store. Zara picks only the top locations for their stores, makes sure that the store’s interiors are sophisticated and well decorated, and makes an effort to constantly update their window displays.

Zara Athens

Zara Milan

Zara Salamanca

Zara Tokyo

*source: the book Fashion Brands by Mark Tungate
*all photos are from the Zara website

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After my major (Apparel Manufacturing Management), it will be my turn to create my own clothing line with my own vision and a clear cut strategy

Top slambook question for fashion

If you are interested in fashion, one typical question that you will most likely be asked is “Who is your favorite designer?” I believe that your own style or way of dressing doesn’t necessarily have to exactly match the designer’s aesthetic. You don’t even have to own a single piece of clothing from that designer (How I wish I can afford their clothes!). However, your favorite designer can still say a lot about your personality, your view of beauty, and about what you consider as interesting and artistic.  So today, I will be sharing 2 of my most favorite fashion designers with you.

1. MATTHEW WILLIAMSON

I love love love this English designer’s eye catching prints!! What’s more amazing is that he uses these bright colors and unique prints without being overpowering. His soft silhouettes are also flattering and super chic. Overall, his creations give an aura of excitement, energy, and vibrance.

Matthew Williamson Fall/Winter 2009

Matthew Williamson Resort 2010

I also love how his pieces became attainable to the mass market (normal people like us!) through his collaboration with H&M. Too bad there’s no H&M in Manila or I definitely would have been first in line to get these affordable Matthew Williamson pieces!

My friends can attest to the fact that Matthew Williamson’s aesthetic really defines me (both my style and personality). I am a fan of bright colors and one-of-a-kind prints, but I make sure that I balance it out with something neutral in order to avoid looking like a walking curtain.

2. RODARTE

Kate and Laura Mulleavy, the sisters who are known for their deconstruction-reconstruction way of designing, are self-taught designers who established this phenomenal label. It is evident through their work that they do not follow pre-set fashion rules and that their ideas are out of the box. Afterall, they learned design without a formal fashion school training.

Rodarte Fall / Winter 2009

Rodarte Spring / Summer 2010

However, it is amazing how most of their pieces are still wearable : just look at how the celebrities below wore runway pieces to the red carpet! Rodarte’s clothes are what I consider to be the fusion of haute couture and RTW. To wear (and to afford) Rodarte is surely on my bucket list!

Kirsten Dunst in Rodarte

Emma Watson in Rodarte

Start from the beginning

Hello blogging world! Who am I? I’m an aspiring fashion entrepreneur who created this blog to chronicle my adventures in my own little Monde Chic (Stylish World)! I was inspired by my former classmate, Hershey Ang who took a blogging course in AIM. And yeah since I will be studying fashion in LA soon, it would be nice to have a little record of my life before I leave, when I’m there, and wherever my fashion career will take me.

So just a little background, my obsession with a career in fashion started when I worked as an intern in Louis Vuitton Philippines last 2008. Actually I just got lucky. I looked for interesting companies on the internet and just emailed my resume to those companies. I must have sent my resume to 20 to 30 companies, and LV was one of them. The brand manager emailed me, asked me to come in for an interview, and the rest was history. Haha! I worked mainly in PR (helped the communications manager set up press releases, events, etc.) Working in LV made me realize that indeed, if you love your job, you never have to work for a single day in your life.

Outside the Louis Vuitton store during an event

Fast forward… I graduated from Ateneo (BS ME) last March 2009 and have been working in this local fashion / retail company since April 2009. Yup I started working 4 days after graduation since I was so excited! So anyway, we have this department store called Adora. I’m a Merchandise Manager handling 4 departments. This was a great first full time job. I got to pick out what items would be sold in the store (which I thought was really cool), got to do pricing, made business plans, analyzed sales, thought of promotions, etc. Basically I learned a lot about the retail business, and I am still learning up to now (although not as much as when I started). My ultimate goal is to be a fashion entrepreneur and I feel like I need familiarize myself with all aspects of the fashion business.

My desk

That brings me to the next stage of my life. I decided to study fashion production abroad in order to expand my horizon. I applied to FIDM (Fashion Institute of Merchandising) in Los Angeles, California since I believe that this is the best school when it comes to production (fusion of the business and design aspects of fashion). Actually I first found out about FIDM in this MTV reality show called The Hills. Haha but really, I have no intentions of living the Hollywood life (and drama) ala Lauren Conrad or Heidi Montag!

So anyway, I researched about this school and found out about their list of graduates (the designer Monique Lhuillier, co-founder of Juicy Couture Pamela Skaist-Levy, Project Runway season 5 winner Leanne Marshall, etc.), their amazing campus, and their state of the art facilities (the biggest fashion library in the west, a garment district loft that simulates a manufacturing facility, computers that are equipped with the most advanced design software, etc.)

FIDM LA campus

The program that I chose is Apparel Manufacturing Management (Professional Designation). Here’s a brief description:

The Apparel Manufacturing Management Program is designed to prepare students for eventual ownership and/or management of a fashion manufacturing company. This applied learner-centered program involves the student in all phases of product innovation, line development, global sourcing, production planning, technology use, sales management, financial control, and global human resources management.

I believe that this is the perfect program for me since this is an entrepreneurial program and it tackles several aspects of the fashion business. I applied last November, got accepted, got my student visa, and now I am all set to start this April! I’m very very excited!