Fine Art Jobs Nyc
Monday, August 8th, 2011
Become a Fashion Designer
You know you're destined to be a fashion designer if you: a) spent most of your childhood making clothes for your Barbie dolls instead of playing with your friends; b) read fashion magazines instead of your school books; c) ran a boutique out of your basement at age 10. In other words: if you want to be the next Yves Saint Laurent, it helps to be completely and utterly obsessed with fashion.
However, there are many aspects of the profession. Working as a fashion designer can just as well mean supervising a design team at a sportswear company as producing a label under your own name. Although the former career may not seem as glamorous as the latter, it certainly will make your life less stressful. To create your own label takes a lot of time, dedication and hard work. Not to mention living just above the poverty line for several years.
Choosing a strategy
There are as many different ways to embark upon a fashion career as there are styles of design. Ralph Lauren's Polo empire was founded on a small tie collection that he sold to Bloomingdales. Helmut Lang decided to open his own clothing store when he couldn't find a t-shirt that he liked. Michael Kors built up a network of customers by selling clothes in a trendy NYC boutique. However, most people find that the best foundation for a design career is to get a fine arts degree in fashion at a prestigious school. Besides teaching you the craft, a good school will also add credibility to your resumé. "We live in a brandname society, and having the name of a good school behind you really does help," says Carol Mongo, Director of the Fashion Department at Parsons School of Design in Paris.
Applying to a school
There are a lot of colleges that have fashion programs, but only a handful has the kind of reputation that can really push your career. It's hard to enter these schools as competition is high, and they tend to be very selective. You apply by sending a portfolio of drawings of your designs. "We can't teach you how to be creative – you have to bring your creativity to us and let us lead you on your way," says Carol Mongo. She recommends students to get some sewing experience before they apply. Drawing is also an important skill for a designer – it is the way you communicate your ideas. In order to build an impressive portfolio it's a good idea to have some experience in sketching; taking art classes will help you understand form and proportion. But you don't have to be an expert drawer to get accepted to a school. "The most important quality that we look for in our students is that they are truly passionate and exuberant about fashion," says Mongo. "If you have wonderful ideas but can't draw, there are always ways to get around it. You could for example put your designs on a mannequin and take pictures of it."
What school will do for you
Most fashion programs are three to four years long. During that time you will take fine arts classes and study drawing, color composition and form. You will also learn pattern making, draping and cutting techniques. One of the most important advantages of design schools is that they work really closely with the industry. Parsons, for example, have "designer critic projects" where successful designers like Donna Karan and Michael Kors work directly with the graduating students. Ambitious students also have the chance to win prestigious awards and grants, which bring them a lot of attention as well as financial support. One very important event is the fashion show at the end of the last semester, when graduating students show their collections. A lot of important people from the fashion industry attend these shows to scout new talent. It's also an opportunity to be really outrageous and get noticed by the media. Hussein Chalayan, for example, became instantly infamous when he showed rotting clothes that he had buried in his backyard for his graduation show at Saint Martins.
Alternative routes
"Let's be realistic," says Carol Mongo at Parsons, "School's not for everyone. If you're just looking to get a job in the fashion industry – not a career as a designer – you probably don't need to go school." If you want to work as a seamstress or a patternmaker, the best thing is probably to apply for an internship at a fashion house and work your way up. However, there are many examples of famous designers who started out as interns with no formal training. For example, Dior's brightest new star, men's wear designer Hedi Slimane, had a degree in journalism when he started working with men's wear designer José Levy. Balenciaga's Nicolas Ghesquière is another example of a brilliantly successful designer who learned the jobs hands-on, as an assistant at Jean-Paul Gaultier. Usually, you apply for an internship by sending a portfolio to a fashion house you're interested in. But it's a good idea to call them up beforehand to see exactly what they need. It's also important to note that competition is fierce, and unless you have personal connections, it's very difficult to get an internship without an education.
There are also designers, like Luella Bartley, who started their own business after working as stylists for several years, thus building an industry network as well as a good marketing sense.
Understanding the business
Unfortunately, it's not enough for a designer to be creative; you also have to have some business sense. As fashion gets more and more corporate driven, it's important to be aware of the business climate and understanding the mechanics behind it. By religiously reading trade papers like "Women's Wear Daily" you will get a lot of valuable information. If you want to run your own company, you need to be extremely organized and learn at least the basics of economics. A lot of fashion schools are currently increasing business classes in their curriculum. "Our students have to be smart enough to know how to negotiate a contract, or to pick a business partner," says Carol Mongo. It's perhaps telling that many of the designers that are really successful today, like Calvin Klein or Tom Ford, are involved in every aspect of the business – from licensing strategies to ad campaigns to actually designing the clothes.
About the author:
Fashion Designer Omar Ejaz,The owner of The Heer boutique, has previously exhibited in Lahore, Karachi, New Delhi, Singapore, HongKong, London, Glasgow and USA,where his creationswas highly appreciated. Omer work with a variety of fabrics, and what truly sets them apart is the innovative way he combine two or more textures in a single garment.
TheHeer Carries Women's Designer Clothing, Shalwar Kameez, Indian / Pakistani Wedding Lehenga, Bridal Dresses, Bridesmaid Dresses, Casual Wear, Formal Wear, Evening and party wear.They design and sell Indian and Pakistani fashion dresses. Pakistani clothing store. They have custom made Pakistani/Indian fashion dresses like shalwar kameez, sherwani dress, embroidered khussa shoes, Men's shalwar Kameez, lehnga and ghagra.
website:http://www.TheHeer.com
About the Author
Fashion Designer Omar Ejaz,The owner of The Heer boutique, has previously exhibited in Lahore, Karachi, New Delhi, Singapore, HongKong, London, Glasgow and USA,where his creationswas highly appreciated. Omer work with a variety of fabrics, and what truly sets them apart is the innovative way he combine two or more textures in a single garment.
TheHeer Carries Women's Designer Clothing, Shalwar Kameez, Indian / Pakistani Wedding Lehenga, Bridal Dresses, Bridesmaid Dresses, Casual Wear, Formal Wear, Evening and party wear.They design and sell Indian and Pakistani fashion dresses. Pakistani clothing store. They have custom made Pakistani/Indian fashion dresses like shalwar kameez, sherwani dress, embroidered khussa shoes, Men's shalwar Kameez, lehnga and ghagra.
website:http://www.TheHeer.com
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Art schools in NYC? Which ones are the best education?
I'm looking at FIT, which I hear is a very unorganized school, Parsons, which is very expensive, Eugene Lang, which has more liberal arts classes which I would like to take and Columbia, which is selective and Cooper Union. I've attended SVA last year and want to transfer. FIT of all, except for Cooper Union, is the cheapest, that's why I'm looking at it. But all the student reviews of the school were all bad and that scares me. My question is for current students, graduates and recently accepted students of these schools, which one has the best job placement rate? Which one do you get more bang for your buck? I would like get into fine arts(education or management) and french language(i've taken 5 years of high school french). Any advice would be helpful!! thanks so much!!
I would suggest RISD. But if you want only these schools, parsons for sure.
The other schools aren't recognized as much, and as expensive as parsons is, it'll be worth it of you can work with it.
Dont go for FIT- there isnt any point.
If you cant get into Parsons/ dont have the money, i say go to Columbia. At least its recognized.
Ive never even heard of Eugene Lang before, so thats all i have to say about that one.
(RISD RISD RISD)
Fine Art Jobs Nyc
Hercules in New-York (1970)
Headshots Los Angeles: Interview with Photographer Lesley Bohm
When picking a headshot, what do you think? Should actors go with their gut or with what their agent or manager says? What do you think about that?
I really recommend an actor pick – it's hard. You need a few different opinions because you always want to go with the best shot that you think you look good. You know, "Oh, that one I look the best in." But sometimes it's how other people see you rather than how you see yourself. So, it is good to get an agents opinion. And if the agent sends you out and gets you jobs, it's always good to have their opinion. But if you really hate the shot that they pick, I would seriously consider a compromise in between what you pick and something that you like and your photographer's opinion and your manager and your friends and that kind of thing. Something that has to sell. It really has to be for the big marketplace rather than your personal taste.
What makes for a good session to you?
Just to know that I have achieved a shot that is honest and has integrity and comes from the heart. And has a good personality and there's been a good flow. And I know that the actor has let go and allowed me to direct them. And we've created hopefully their best self for that day. That is what my ultimate goal is. The most alive, the most full of passion, the most, you know, the best looking, of course you want to look great for this business. You know, just and a little bit of diversity, some edgy, something a little rougher if need be. That's my goal.
Do you think people should come in with a specific look, like a cop, lawyer or whatever? I once had an agent tell me that they wanted me to get dressed in scrubs so I could be on a medical show.
Yeah, there are two thoughts on that. There are some casting people where that is really what they want to see. I think you should really go for your type. Whatever you most get booked on or you seem to go out on auditions for, that kind of thing. If you go way off type, you're going to just waste your money and have lots of really pretty pictures. So, insofar as taking lots of specifics like doctor and military, unless you're really specific and you're sending it out for parts, I think that's fine, but you need to have just a really great, legit headshot, a great commercial headshot and then something, if you go out for the one-hour drama, you need something that's a little more business-y/professional, intelligent, you know, that kind of thing. And then when I shoot, I just focus on what I think is your area of expertise for what I can see and then our conversation. Sometimes I talk to your agent and we just kind of go from there and really have a little more focused attack for photos.
About the Author
Lance Carter is the editor of Daily Actor which is one of the fastest growing acting and actor related websites on the internet. This site became live on June 30th, 2008. Originally, the goal was to help promote actors and post acting and actor news that he found on the web. For more information, including site statistics, ad locations and pricing visit Daily Actor.