<p>Liek,
Mackinaw gave you good advice. Carefully reading your post leads me to believe that while you are "sure" you want fashion you do not know what field in fashion is for you. This is very typical for a 17 or 18 yr old. My D who was so "sure" she wanted interior design and took CAD and plenty of design courses in HS she is in the process of changing her mind. This was in part due to foundation year and also due to the fact that she spent a day with a house interior designer at Liz Claibourne. It never occurred to D that one part of an interior designer's job is knowing where air conditioning, heating and electric connections are, as well as figuring out how to hook up all the computers to each persons work station. Anyway all I'm saying is that as sure as you are give yourself permission not to be so sure. Good Luck and keep all options open.</p>
<p>I spoke with my daughter a little while ago (she's home from NY for Christmas). She doesn't know a lot about about the fashion scene there. She did say that internships are important in fashion, and all of the RISD fashion design students were required to have them, generally in summers or during their "wintersession"; also they all had those internships in NY.</p>
<p>She also agreed with me that your individual portfolio and skills are important, and along with this you got jobs and opportunities by connectioins and by "shameless self-promotion," i.e., being aggressive and getting out and meeting people and showing what you can do.</p>
<p>i guess what i don't like about the whole aspect of fashion it the drawing/art part of it. One of my hobies is sewing and making clothes from scratch, or shopping for fabrics. I'm the type of person that can make things in my head from just seeing and fabric shopping.</p>
<p>liek,
If you do not like drawing then Pratt or FIT might be better for you as far as foundation year. FIT you start with what you like to do fashion sewing etc. and Pratt has a combination fashion foundation year, some drawing but also sewing and pattern making, while Parsons has a traditional foundation year for Fashion students, drawing, compter graphics etc.</p>
<p>liek
Last year someone in the Fashion industry told me that there are more things alike than not about the three different schools but did state that FIT stresses the "sewing" part, Parsons the "design, drawing" part and Pratt is interdisciplinary.</p>
<p>I would assume you've already applied to these schools and should know that FIT
requires a sewing assignment as part of the admission application. My daughter had
never sewed before last year and had to quickly get a crash course (from sister-in-law) and sew a garment. She was eventually waitlisted but withdrew her application
after deciding on attending Parsons. I had also read articles (after doing a search online) that many graduates of FIT go on to becoming seamstresses. Your last post tells me that perhaps FIT may be just the school for you. Hopefully you've already started the application process there as it is time-consuming and once you pass the initial stage, you must wait for their letter scheduling a portfolio interview/test which
is taken on the premises. I remember it took about 3 hours which included a drawing test. A good thing about FIT is that it is in the garment district which would make buying fabrics/supplies much easier than being at Pratt.</p>
<p>Also, you will be starting the fashion/sewing degree from Freshman year at both FIT
and Pratt (which was one of the main reasons that my daughter chose Parsons).</p>
<p>Do an internet search on different famous designers and you'll find many started out by being quite wealthy or knowing people willing to invest in their designs. You'll see
it's a very difficult business unless you have money, connections etc.. I saw
Anna Sui interviewed on "Inside Asia" and she said she had a good time at Parsons
and probably partied too much! She quit her junior year, BTW. Carolina Herrera was a wealthy socialite/model before becoming a designer and apparently can't even draw
a design but she knows fabric and what looks good (she says!). In reality most graduates will work at design houses/department stores etc...</p>
<p>My daughter was telling me that already some of the students that were set on majoring in Fashion, have already changed their minds (including her room mate)
and are planning on majoring in illustration, graphic design and communication design.
She was surprised at her room mates about-face as she had apparently been passionate about fashion for years. Another girl that just completed her first semester
as a junior in the fashion department at Parsons has quit. She told my daughter that it was just far too difficult coming up with 100 drawings in a week (among other things). They apparently work them very, very hard.</p>
<p>I'm sorry about the rambling but maybe it will help you.</p>
<p>That's crazyness. All what I've read mauretenia's comment. I assumed that to start your own line, you'd have to have money and be wealthy, but I was a little hesetant to want to believe it for sure. I don't have money, but I guess I can always take out a loan. </p>
<p>Didn't one fashion designer start because at the time she had a sugar daddy who invested in her?</p>
<p>Taxguy
I'm sorry, I don't know anything about the Communication Design program at FIT or even what Communication Design is (advertising?).</p>
<p>Liek
I believe, as with anything in life, that if you are determined, work hard, make connections and have a bit of luck (be in the right place at the right time) you
can be successful.
I looked at your garment but I don't have any fashion experience or background so I can't really comment on whether it's a good piece or not. I like it though:)</p>
<p>party school? I think your friend must go to the parsons community college they have somewhere in the middle of no where, but parsons school of design, is definetly no party school. kids drop out because of it's intense coursework.</p>
<p>Hi,
I only found one major at Parsons --- design & management that doesn't require a portfolio. I'm wondering if there are any other majors at FIT or RISD that don't require a portfolio to apply?</p>
<p>no.. RISD & FIT all required 18-20 of portfolio piece. </p>
<p>i think it all depends on which major you are applying for, but as far as the foundation program goes, most all art schools will require portfolio. :)</p>
<p>I know I am going to sound like your typical Parsons snob- but Parsons is the best school for fashion. The success rates prove it. The alumni proves it. Parsons has the highest number of famous designers including (just to name some):</p>
<p>Marc Jacobs
Isaac Mizrahi
Anna Sui
Donna Karan
Proenza Schouler
Tom Ford
Ralph Lauren
Melissa Sweet (Bridal)
Behnaz Sarafpour</p>
<p>Etc.</p>
<p>Parsons is better because of its staff, its alumni, and its program. My professor over the summer was a renown artist in NYC. The alumni matters, because -- when I'm fighting for an internship with Marc, and I say I attended Parsons- and she says she attended FIT, Marc is unequivocally going to trust me over the FIT grad. Parsons has one of the highest suicide rates in the country. It's intense, and the kids work their asses off. Grads know what kind of people make it out of Parsons- and they know they're the best, ready to compete and ready to succeed. Parsons beats FIT with its program because it has a foundation year. FIT's students we find to be rather scattered and overly creative without any sense of knowledge in marketing and business. </p>
<p>I know there's a "battle" between FIT and Parsons, but quite honestly, Parsons looks down upon FIT. Parsons really won't even accept transfers from FIT, and the counselors have repeatedly told me that.</p>
<p>When all is said and done, Parsons was featured on Trumps "Apprentice," and Parsons was featured on Project Runway. Parsons is listed more in Vogue than any other art school, and Parsons more often than not KILLS FIT in their routine competitions.</p>
<p>Though Parsons is simply written off often times because it's private (NOT a state school) and costs about 20K more a year than FIT, what really should be noted is that the school has a better staff, a better location, a better success rate, and a better name.</p>
<p>If you want to attend a school that has the high standards of Parsons, your closest bet would be Central St. Martins in London.</p>
<p>thanks for the information, i talked to my parents a couple of times
and they wouldn't let me apply there, they prefer that i should get some liberal arts education.</p>