Repost from the article I wrote on my college’s blog.

So you want to study fashion design? Let me tell you right here, and now that fashion design is much more than just creating a sketch then sewing away on a machine. There is so much time, thought, and effort put into every piece of clothing you will make, and you need to have a strong work ethic even to reach that point.

Let me break it down for you on what classes are like. At LaSalle College Vancouver, specifically the fashion design diploma program. Your classes will mostly be design/construction focused; however, you also get a handful of marketing/business classes that will benefit you and help the school stand out from others, hence why It was my top college choice. I will tell you about the three main courses you will come across in most fashion schools.

In a construction class, or as you may know it as a sewing class, the instructors will explain the type of garments you will be making in that class. In most of my classes, we do 3-4 basic garments and one big final garment; along with those smaller, more basic projects, you have to create samples which are essentially professionally done tests for specific design elements i.g, A collar or placket. You get about two weeks per project roughly and have a midterm project (could be a dress with pockets as an example). The final project generally includes some of the previous sample work you learned incorporated in pervious projects with your own design details.

The next type of class we do is a pattern-making class. Pattern making, in my opinion, is the most difficult (it’s the math that gets me). This time, you’re the one making patterns from scratch; that’s right, you need to calculate the basic measurements of an industry standard sized model and get everything down to the last centimeter. Pattern drafting is very time-consuming, and if something is off even by a millimeter, your projects will not turn out correctly. This type of class requires the most patience and precision.

Lastly, I will discuss the marketing classes. In these classes, you do lots of research and make many PowerPoint presentations and essay writing. You get to learn about consumer behaviors’, trend forecasting (my personal favourite). You get the opportunity to interview people and take a look at some fashion history and learn about how fashion has evolved over the years. The presentations can be long for these classes and sometimes the information can overload your brain. Still, the fashion industry is so fascinating that you will be mesmerized by every lecture, and you will always be learning something new.

Lastly, I will discuss the marketing classes. In these classes, you do lots of research and make many PowerPoint presentations and essay writing. You get to learn about consumer behaviors’, trend forecasting (my personal favourite). You get the opportunity to interview people and take a look at some fashion history and learn about how fashion has evolved over the years. The presentations can be long for these classes and sometimes the information can overload your brain. Still, the fashion industry is so fascinating that you will be mesmerized by every lecture, and you will always be learning something new.

Hopefully, this article helped break down what you can expect when studying fashion design. I’m in my 6th quarter of school here (two more until graduation!), and trust me, it has been a roller coaster of a time, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I adore watching my designs come to life, the late nights in the labs with friends all stressed out and drinking way too much coffee, learning about the industry, getting fantastic opportunities to meet great people and hopefully becoming an inspiring designer or stylist in the future. If you’re considering fashion design, I highly recommend going to school for it, and there is so much you will learn that I never even knew about, and I think it’s a great thing to pursue.