An Inside Look at FIDM’s Career Connections 2008

FIDM's 16th Annual Career Connections, an event which brings together successful FIDM Alumni with current FIDM Students for networking and knowledge-sharing, took place last week on the Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Orange County campuses. Over 140 FIDM Graduates participated, along with over 1,000 FIDM Students.

Each year some of FIDM's most illustrious Alumni return to the college to share their experience in the industry with current students. From left, Nick Verreos (Project Runway Season 2 Finalist and FIDM Instructor), Raymundo Baltazar (Project Runway Season 2 Finalist and successful Stylist), red carpet designer Kevan Hall, and current Project Runway Finalist Kelli Martin all spent the morning talking to students on the Los Angeles campus.

Here’s what some of the participants had to say about FIDM & Career Connections:

"What I loved about FIDM is that every one of my instructors was in the Beauty Industry. FIDM supports you not only in your education but afterwards, in your career," said Viri Flores, Assistant Manager at a major beauty emporium.

Raymundo Baltazar, who has worked with Ed Hardy, Justin Timberlake's William Rast clothing, and Antiq Denim, had a lot to say, and the crowd around his table was three people thick. "If you don't know fit and you don't know patterns, you're not a designer! Specialize in something and know the basics."

Raymundo continued, "FIDM is one of the best-known fashion colleges in the world. They have the best connections. It's very expensive, but what you get in return is priceless!"

"FIDM gave me a really great start," said Assistant Costume Designer Suzy Magnin, "and a lot of contacts. I got my first job, on Gilmore Girls, through my connections at FIDM." Since then she's worked on Cold Case, CSI, and So You Think You Can Dance, among others.

Emmy Award winning Costumer for Six Feet Under, Jill Ohanneson, told us, "Whenever I need an intern or a Production Assistant, I call FIDM!"

Reactions from the students were just as positive. "Inspirational!" "Very well organized, very well worth it!" and "Inspired me to do more than what is expected," were some of the attendees' remarks afterwards.

So went FIDM's 16th such successful event. Students walked away with not only valuable information on the realities of the industries they hope to enter, but in some cases they gleaned contacts for internships and jobs, with the Alumni benefiting from the event as well.

For more on Career Connections, visit FIDM.edu.

Head to Nick Verreos’s blog for his take on the event.