while it may be the case that most jobs at fashion houses will be given to fashion graduates, this does not mean that they are any more useful than those without design training. This is merely because nobody has thought to challenge the way designers are educated. If anything, if you have a more hands-on technnical understanding of drafting, cutting and tailoring you are going to be of a lot more use than someone who is just concerned about what they want their personal wardrobe to look like for next season.

One of the shitty things that I have discovered about the fashion industry is that most designers don't have a frickin' clue what they're doing a lot of the time. If they can draw, all they need do is a sketch and send it off to some back room cutter who will first have to convert the sketch into a working drawing (a fashion specification drawing without the frills of a creative sketch - showing silhouette and all features to scale) which will then be taken to the cutting table and developed into a pattern from a block template. In most cases the designer merely has to conceive of the idea and the cutter has to do the leg work. There are many Central Martins graduates who don't even know how to do a working drawing. No joke. So if you can draw at all and you want to do it the easy way, you are already 75% there.

If you really love fashion and you have a deep interest in it, however, you must learn couture and bespoke. This is a craft and a discipline which, once you are good enough at it, will allow you to explore your own ideas in a more technically advanced and rewarding way. You will also gain an understanding of the proportions of the body and fabric.

Fashion education is I am afraid to say totally overrated. So are short courses for that matter and I hasten to add, I know many people who have spent thousands of pounds on DALI courses at the London Institute only to discover that they hadn't learnt anything at all. My advice? Find someone who will teach you how to cut and tailor. If you are already a painter you should be thinking about how you can extend your skills into more technical areas so that once you are good enough, a wonderful synergy between these skills will come of it.

I think there is even someone doing a trial day who posted on the forum. who knows, it might be worth contacting them?

Thank you very much for spot-on reply. I am all for discipline in real hands-on craftmanship and skills. Where would you say is the place to learn the couture and bespoke properly though?

you might have to do a bit of searching but i would urge you to explore every possible avenue that presents itself aside from the obvious rip-off places that trade on their 'reputations'. look for somebody who works independently for other designers and who is good at what they do and able to show you how to do it too. they don't need to be a glamorous designer - you need to find somebody who understands how to interpret a design in fabric first of all - a good pattern cutter is the best way to start. that way you will learn the technical aspects as well as already possessing the design talent already. Lets face it - if you say you want to be a designer in your mid thirties, don't tell me that you need to be taught how to design clothes! - surely you have enough good ideas already without having to be discouraged by some bitter design lecturer who, threatened by your talent, can only see fit to criticise and make you think your work is shit? that is sadly the state of play in a lot of the 'best' places today. i am angry that some of my friends have paid an arm and a leg to go to such places and been subject to that kind of treatment.

this might be crap for all I know but you really never know unless you investigate it:

PATTERN CUTTING/TAILORING TRIAL DAY

I am hoping to run a trial class in pattern cutting (block drafting, tailoring and some styling) for small groups at my studio in fulham. If you are interested and would like to attend please contact:

fdta@hotmail.com

Detlev is completely right, lots of fashion students have no clue how to pattern cut or even sew. While it may not seem important, because every other designer contracts out pattern-cutting, I think it's important to appreciate the process to comprehend the design.

Degrees & paper qualifications aren't what matter. Experience, opportunity & connection is all that matters in fashion.
I'll teach you to cut if you like.
Help you cut some corners & show you some tricks.
check my cutting demo videos on: http://www.blowpr.co.uk/JULIANandSOPHIEsite/videoworks.htm
and 3 subtraction cutting lessons on:
http://www.blowpr.co.uk/JULIANandSOPHIEsite/school/index.htm
It doesn't need to cost you anything, ie. i'm not here selling anything, you could just latch onto one of my existing classes/demos... i frequently perform them all over the the UK & abroad.

Best of luck,

Julian X
www.julianand.com

hi labellechose, everyone who has already responded to this topic has infinitely more experience than do i, but from the little i've observed of the fashion world- and i'm just jumping on the bandwagon here- the most important thing is to learn sew. then you can simply start making clothes in your dining room, and if you're determined you'll eventually find people who will buy them or hire you. hopefully :D

the reason there's such a glut of wannabe designers is that really, designing things on paper takes very little talent. consequently you have a great number of uneducated people with no skills competing with each other for jobs that require no skills, and in the end what counts most are abilities of the workplace-combat variety: backstabbing, gossiping, politicking, manipulation, kissing up, etc. and et al.

not to say that it isn't great fun.

Professor of Fashion? ... now THAT is cool.

Intrigued much!

julie verhoeven, she's an artist now she makes her own fashion line, gibo. and she's also collaborated with marc jacobs to make LV special edition line, conte de fees.