<p>I want to start my own clothing business after college (yes, I know, sounds stupid, but that's not my question). I was doing some research and I found out that the tuition for Parson's is about the same as NYU. My parents are going to pay for college and they can afford it, but I still want college to be worth it. My other option would be to go to NYU and do an undergrad business management program. What do you think I should do?</p>
<p>Do you know how to sew?</p>
<p>I ask because it is relevent for some young people I know who plan to go into such a business. One of my daughters, who studies anthropology, plans to run her own online fashion clothing business some day. Right now, she is an undergrad, and works for her university’s theater department sewing the costumes. She says there is some design there as well. But she got the job because she already knew how to sew well. She has no intention of going to a design school. She has taken one or two of their textile courses (credits counted toward anthropology), but doesn’t intend to take more than that. Her older sister, a successful professional painter, hires her to make her “brand” Victorian-era type clothing.</p>
<p>Anyway, back to Parsons. Our dentist has a daughter there. He has been saying for a couple of years that the most successful person in his daughter’s class was a young woman who had worked in the garment inductry in NYC, and therefore could sew very well. After three years at Parsons, his daughter has concluded that she needs an education certificate so that she can get a job. Keep in mind that this is just anecdotal–I know nothing about their statistics.</p>
<p>I am interested in hearing from others about this field…my D is a junior who makes clothes for herself and her friends. Popular shows like Project Runway have planted a seed that a design school is a possible route for her (FIT, Parsons, Pratt, Mass College of Art & Design). </p>
<p>Not knowing a thing about fashion design, I am of the mind that she attend a traditional college that has a fashion or textile design major (Syracuse, Lasell, SUNY New Paltz, Umass Dartmouth) in case her interests change, or if she sticks with a design focus, to provide a her with a rigourous liberal arts education.</p>
<p>I too wonder about the skills needed for sucess in the field, in addition to being a good at clothing construction, knowing how to use the industry software, and having field experience. Is it having a strong 2-d and 3-d studio arts background? Business/marketing skills? General liberal arts background (international and cultural studies, history, writing, scientfic research, communications, etc…)? How important is it that to one to go to school in NYC?</p>