5 Things They Don’t Tell You About Being A Fashion Student

September 28, 2019

5 Things They Don’t Tell You About Being A Fashion Student

Pursuing an education in fashion? Be prepared for words such as ‘frivolous’, ‘superficial’ and that sounds ‘fun’, to be thrown at you. Whilst I fully agree that getting a degree in fashion is not as complicated and hard compared to a medical or an engineering degree, its definitely not that easy-going either. 3 years of studying in that domain has been a eye-opener in many ways, and the lessons I’ve learnt aren’t limited to just fashion, it applies to absolutely any creative field. Keep on reading for the 5 things they don’t tell you about being a fashion student.

#1 Creativity Burnout- Always churning out original ideas that are groundbreaking enough to earn a good grade is of the most difficult things to do in fashion. The field literally thrives on creativity and innovation, which means constantly having to think of novel concepts (be it in designing, marketing, journalism, PR or merchandising). This often leads to major burnout, a shortcoming which fashion students cannot afford because our time-bound assignments/work deadlines thoroughly rely on being inventive at all times. So always have your thinking caps on whether you like it or not.

#2 Theory, Theory And More Theory- If you thought studying fashion doesn’t involve skimming through pages and pages of academic texts, journals and books, then I have pretty bad news for you. Theory is an important part of almost all the essays assigned, and that means burning the midnight oil to finish writing it. You can’t escape from the nitty-gritty tasks involved such as quoting important authors, referencing and developing an academic style of writing.

#3 Graphic Design Mastery- I might as well have simultaneously earned a degree in graphic design because it was a huge part of my coursework. Creating InDesign files, mastering layout design, learning Photoshop, video-editing and drawing product mock-ups are just a few of the various skills one requires as a fashion student. Merely having a good eye for style and dressing up well isn’t what its all about, being technologically savvy is SO important. Before enrolling in the course, take up introductory graphic design classes to get started (or just learn through good oldYouTube) to make it easier for yourself.

#4 A Perpetual Hole In Your Pocket- Unpaid internships, purchasing graphic design software, buying materials, fabrics, talent or hiring equipment to complete given assignments, often leads to being broke most of the time. Add to that expensive tuition costs, household expenses and the shopping trips (okay this last one might just adhere to me), and you have a perpetually empty wallet. Even while working as an intern, chances are that are its often unpaid or covers only travelling/food expenses which is never enough. The fashion industry is one of the only places where this concept of ‘unpaid internships’ still exist, and unfortunately it seems as though its here to stay.

#5 Miranda Priestly’s Rarely Exist – The Devil Wears Prada has become a point of reference for almost everyone, when it comes to judging what the fashion industry is really like. The frightening ‘Miranda Priestly’ is perceived to reflect the reality of the kind of people to expect when entering this style-driven world. However, to be very honest, the personalities I came across while working/interning in fashion were quite the opposite. I’ve been very lucky to always be a part of a team where everyone’s behaviour is encouraging, supportive and collaborative. When visiting the Vogue House in London as part of a course activity, members from the esteemed British Vogue magazine shunned the above mentioned stereotype, by emphasising that if it were the truth then they wouldn’t be able to work and create the amazing content that they are known for.