FIDM Magazine

FIDM Alumni Holiday Dinner & Silent Auction

This year's ultra-glamorous Holiday Alumni Dinner & Silent Auction was our most buzz-worthy alumni event yet. Held at chic new L.A. hot spot The London Hotel in West Hollywood, the dinner was catered by "Hell's Kitchen" chef Gordon Ramsay. Over 200 grads, staff, and faculty were in attendance. Raffle and silent auction prizes, including a Chloe bag (pictured above) and a L.A.M.B. bag signed by Gwen Stefani, raised money for the FIDM Scholarship Foundation.

"This year's event was our most exciting ever," enthused Nathalie Holtzman, FIDM Alumni Relations Director. "It was incredible to see all these amazingly talented people under one roof--from FIDM Alumni who graduated in 1971 to those who graduated last year, as well as the people who started the college, like Toni Hohberg, FIDM's founder, and Mary Stephens, the first Department Chair for the Fashion Design Department. From beginning to end it was beyond all my expectations!"

Visit the Alumni Association site for more information on FIDM's Alumni program and award-winning Alumni newsletter, as well as The Buzz on our Grads! --Kim

FIDM Museum & Galleries To Participate in Downtown Art Walk This Thursday

This year, the FIDM Museum & Galleries is a stop on the December Los Angeles Downtown Art Walk on Thursday, December 11th, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Busses will take shoppers from the main area of the Art Walk (all info is on the Art Walk site) to FIDM and bring them back again.

Of course, you can come directly to FIDM and buy "Art To Wear" from two faculty artists and two alumni artists.

The artists participating at the FIDM Museum & Galleries are:

• Robin Wagner, FIDM Faculty, with her line of Suicide Kings men's sweaters.
• Sharon Cohen, FIDM Faculty, with her line of Bicron Design hand-loomed scarves and shawls.
• Claudia Grau, FIDM Alumna, with her line of Grau Designs recycled cashmere sweaters.
• Joe Viboonviriyawong, FIDM Alumnus, with his line of Vilaiwan exquisite semi-precious hand-made jewelry (seen above.)

The Art Walk takes place monthly every second Tuesday, but this is the only time you can come to The FIDM Musuem & Galleries and view and purchase the work of FIDM Faculty and Grads.

Directions to the FIDM Museum & Galleries, on the FIDM Los Angeles Campus, are here.--Belissa

Grammy Museum Launches in Downtown L.A.

The new 30,000 square foot Grammy Museum at L.A. Live opens on Monday in the Entertainment District of Downtown Los Angeles, just two blocks from FIDM's Los Angeles campus. I checked out the  museum this morning at the press launch and it features incredible memorabilia from just about every genre of music and will host nighttime performances from emerging and established artists. Slated to be a destination spot for tourists visiting the city, the museum will also offer educational workshops and more for schools and the Los Angeles community at large. --Kim

Holiday Trunk Show on FIDM's Los Angeles Campus

 
Looking for unique gifts this holiday season? Don't miss our Annual Holiday Alumni Trunk Show & Sample Sale featuring gorgeous jewelry, clothing, home decor, and more designed by FIDM Graduates. The event takes place at our FIDM Los Angeles Campus on Wednesday, December 3, from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. --Kim

Juicy Couture Dedication Wall Unveiled on FIDM Campus

 
FIDM Grad and Juicy Couture co-founder Pamela Skaist-Levy and her friend and business partner Gela Nash-Taylor were honored at a special ceremony on FIDM's Los Angeles Campus last Thursday night when a stunning visual display dedicated to Juicy Couture was unveiled. The duo also received special commendation from the City of Los Angeles during the ceremony and press conference.

FIDM Instructor and Project Runway star Nick Verreos also attended the event, along with industry notables and FIDM founder Tonian Hohberg. Juicy Coutures stores are located around the world, including Los Angeles, Milan, Tokyo, Beijing, Hong Kong, and Dubai. Watch this space for more photos of the Juicy Couture Dedication wall, which will be on permanent display at FIDM's Downtown Los Angeles Campus. --Kim

FIDM Interior Design Department's Annual "Chairing Styles" Exhibition

October is FIDM Magazine's tribute to the Interior Design Department, and one of the most exciting annual projects in the Interior Design Department is "Chairing Styles," which shares the glory with the Fashion Design and Theatre Costume Design Departments at FIDM's DEBUT Gala in early Spring.

What is FIDM's "Chairing Styles"?

FIDM's annual "Chairing Styles" Project pulls together FIDM's Interior Design Students, Fashion Design Students, and Textile Design Students who work as a team.

The Textile Design Students design the fabric for the upholstery and the clothing.

The Fashion Design Students design the outfit that matches the chair.

The Interior Design Students design a chair that incorporates the fabric designed by the Textile Design Students.

At FIDM's annual DEBUT Gala, in conjunction with the Debut Fashion Show, there is an exhibition of the year's "Chairing Styles" collaborations.--Belissa

FIDM Is Coming to a City Near You

Meet FIDM Representatives at special events around the U.S. and Canada. Visit the FIDM On Tour Calendar for dates and locations. --Kim

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.

12,000 People Turn Out For FIDM Graduation At STAPLES Center

FIDM graduations aren't quiet, sedate, small events.

Just recently, 12,000 FIDM Grads and their guests filled the STAPLES Center, a venue where superstars like Madonna and Britney Spears have performed. It's huge!

Some FIDM Students embellish their caps and gowns to show their creativity, as below.

Of course, tons of guys graduate from FIDM as well.

FIDM Graduate Vani Kumar, above, who opened a woman's suit store called The Suit Closet after graduation, gave a speech.

Vani switched from heading to dental school to studying fashion when a friend noticed that she had more fashion sketches in her biology notes than molecules.

"My story demonstrates that not having it all figured out can sometimes be the greatest gift of all," she said. "Perhaps designing couture dresses wasn't in the cards for me," she went on, "but perhaps owning and building a fashion empire was."

A successful business owner, Vani is well on her way to accomplishing that goal.

FIDM Graduation is always a thrilling event, where so many leave behind their school years and take the first step into the worlds of Fashion, Interior design, Graphic Design, and Entertainment.

This year, it was a blast!

Interview with FIDM Museum & Galleries Curator Kevin Jones

FIDM Museum Curator and Fashion Design Program Grad Kevin Jones came up with the idea for the FIDM Museum & Galleries latest exhibition Aesthetes, Bohemians & Craftsmen: Artistic Dress, 1880s-1920s while lunching with the curator of the historic Gamble House. Read the interview on FIDM's Fashion Club Daily to find out lots more about the FIDM Fashion Design Grad and this fascinating new exhibition! --Kim