Sketches and pictures by Yves St Laurent, Christian Dior and other inspirational designers line the halls of FIDM, LA Campus.

One Saturday afternoon a few weeks ago, I had the privilege of exploring an exceptional Fashion School that has produced and helped train some of the most skilled & successful  designers on the West Coast. FIDM is accredited by NASAD and offers majors from Fashion Design to Apparel Industry Management & Merchandising Product Development & Social Media to name a few. For returning students that already have a Bachelor’s or master’s degree like myself a Bachelor of Arts can be attained in a 12-18 month program for approximately $34K-$39K.

Brittany Hampton is truly an inspirational woman and one of many FIDM success stories. Brittany’s approachable and her down to earth personality is evident upon arrival. She was the winner of House of DVF, giving her an opportunity to work as a brand ambassador for the talented and inspirational, Diane Von Furstenberg. When Brittany spoke at the forum she shared not only her experience at FIDM but the opportunity it afforded her to live out her dream and make the contacts she need to become who she is today.  Brittany returns back to her roots, to the LA Campus at FIDM, to inspire future students to take the same leap of faith she did and most importantly to work hard and  follow their dreams.

FIDM gives their students the opportunity to compete in the Chairing Styles which can result in working opportunity for GUESS or Elliot. “The Textile Design students design the fabric for the upholstery and the clothing, the Interior Design students design a chair that incorporates the fabric, and the Fashion Design students create an outfit that matches the chair. Interior Design students are paired with a chair manufacturer who donates their materials and craftsmanship to make one-of-a-kind prototypes seen on the runway.”

LA Fashion Designer Nick Verreos  and David Paul creators of NIKOLAKI  Designs has been featured on QVC and Project Runway, twice, and has designed dresses for celebrities such as Heidi Klum, Beyoncé, Katy Perry and Carrie Underwood. After graduating FIDM, Nick quickly partnered with David Paul and created his high-end fashion line in 2001. He specialized in evening wear, red carpet and just being overall fabulous, making an impression with everyone he meets!  He is an alumni of FIDM, class of “93” and he continues to go back and speak to future students to help inspire and motivate them to follow their dreams and continue their education. His story was one of courage and strength. I found his message to be strong, compelling and easy to relate to. His sense of style is evident and his personality is even sweeter than his outfit. If he is an example of what comes out of FIDM then I deem that may be a good place to start for any potential student.

With every experience there is a good and a side to it which often offers  an opportunity for growth. One value I have always prided myself on is being honest with my readers about the good and the not so good. The only inflexibility encountered was that FIDM does not offer any night or weekend classes meaning they do not cater to an adult schedule making it difficult for students with families or a full-time jobs. Another challenge is FIDM is a bit pricier than some other universities in the area. They do offer scholarships and financial aid but not many grant or scholarship options for students that are not fresh out of high school. However, with that being said, my overall conclusion from my research is that FIDM is still by far the best for those who want most opportunities out of their training and time at FIDM.  At the end of their curriculum students will be able to able to complete their own collections and present their collections at a professionally produced fashion show.

In 2018, FIDM is offering a student abroad program to Paris, France where students will further their experience and hands on training by attending several private couture houses and workshops which include “House of Lesage”, Chanel’s embroidery atelier workshop and “House of Legeron” which makes custom silk flowers for Christian Dior and Manolo Blahnik. The trip offers art, fashion, history, a private cooking class and even a trip to the ballet. The tour includes an in-depth look at Parisian life is sure to help inspire more creativity for your future designs. They also have scheduled a day trip to Versailles and Monet’s garden in Giverny.

As my tour was winding down, I couldn’t resist taking a walk and about a block to your left you will find some of LA’s best downtown street art as shown below. Many line up to wait their turn to take a quick snap with this creative piece. Not done by a FIDM student but is certainly worth the detour if you are in the area. I almost cropped out the gentleman to the right of the picture but then decided to leave him in as he adds a sense of downtown rawness and realness to the shot.

LA Street Art