San Francisco Admissions Advisors Gina Garcia and Laurie Wright co-hosted a Fashion's Night Out event in San Francisco, SFFAMA's Fashion Racked party at 5 Claude Lane.
Read more here.
San Francisco Admissions Advisors Gina Garcia and Laurie Wright co-hosted a Fashion's Night Out event in San Francisco, SFFAMA's Fashion Racked party at 5 Claude Lane.
Read more here.
Next summer, Andee Allen will move to San Francisco to pursue her love of fashion, by studying Fashion Design at FIDM.
"While attending FIDM, I expect to learn pattern making and draping. I am also very excited to learn about fabrics and how to use them accordingly. However, I hope FIDM can help me to grow and develop as a designer and as a human being."
Read the entire interview at FIDM's FashionClub.com Daily Blog.
7X7 magazine has a Q&A with SF Instructor and crochet designer Violetta Vieux. A Paris-trained couture designer, Violetta has a label, VioGemini, that has just launched a bridal collection.
San Francisco Visual Communications Students from Ed Dahl's Materials & Props classes designed sets for ficticious stage productions of some popular movies such as Dreamgirls, Wizard of Oz, and Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Students had to use the design eras tha they had researched during the first weeks of class to inspire their stage design ideas of a popular film to the stage.
A group of FIDM Advisors and Students participated in the San Francisco AIDS Walk on Sunday. A photo of the group is up on the 99.7 NOW site.
Thos. Moser, one of the world’s foremost designers and builders of solid wood furniture, recently teamed with FIDM Interior Design Students for a design challenge in a special Furniture Construction and Design class, during the Winter 2011 quarter, at the Los Angeles and San Francisco campus locations.
The 10 class members at each FIDM campus were given the challenge to create an original furniture design in the Moser style, specifically, a companion piece for the Thos. Moser “Lolling Chair”; in essence, they were to design a “New Sidekick for the Moser Lolling Chair.”
S.F. Student Meghan Carozza and L.A. Student Maelee Lungren (pictured) were each the winner of the Thos. Moser Design Committee Award. They will be flown to Maine, by FIDM, where they will meet key designers, Thos. Moser associates, and take a factory tour of the Thos. Moser headquarters.
"Working with Thos Moser on this design challenge was an amazing experience. We as a group were all very supportive of each other's designs, and all shared our advice," said recent Graduate Ryan Campbell, who won the People's Choice Award for his dog bed design. "I am very proud of ourselves as a collective group, and was impressed with how wide a range our designs were."
S.F. Student Jamie Clugston and L.A. Student Mark Griffin received the Interior Design ASID Industry Award. Congrats to all of the award recipients.
Just Accepted Student Merchandise Product Development Jessica Devereaux already has a degree from Loyola Marymount University. The Bay Area native has a passion for fashion and business that she will focus on when she earns her Professional Designation Degree from FIDM San Francisco.
"I immediately gravitated to Merchandise Product Development because it was the perfect combination of business and fashion design. I reviewed the major’s course descriptions and had the opportunity to see examples of the amazing work that FIDM Students produced. I had a blast working on my admissions project so I knew that it was the perfect major for me based on my interests."
Read the entire interview on FIDM's FashionClub.com Daily Blog.
San Francisco's J.W. Marriott Metropolitan recently welcomed over 200 attendees for the 2nd annual Give Back Gala, which supports the local non-profits Woman Inc. and Career Closet.
The dinner was followed by a 50-minute fashion show produced by San Francisco FIDM Alumni Association President Nikki Lindgren of Style Bust. The show was comprised of 10 established and emerging Bay Area designers, eight of whom are FIDM graduates.
Featured above is FIDM Alumna Catalina Alcala and her models. To read more about the participating designers visit Nikki's blog.
FIDM Visual Communications Instructor Ed Dahl recently designed and installed gorgeous holiday displays with his After Science visual communication team for big names in San Francisco, including Ghirardelli Square, Crocker Galleria, Stonestown Galleria, and JW Marriott. Thousands of people will enjoy his work as they experience the holiday shopping season.
To view time lapse videos of his work on Stonestown and JW Marriott, please visit YouTube.
Last year, Specialty Retail Report recognized Mr. Dahl's talent and selected him as a Visual Victories Award Winner in the "Most Improved Retail Display" category.
FIDM Student Katherine Daou is in her 4th quarter on the San Francisco campus and has been working for a Fashion Designer for the last six months. She thanks FIDM's Career Center for giving her the opportunity to work with Salma Schempp, the founder and designer of Prima Jiva, and shares the details on her busy career in our latest interview.
Name: Katherine Daou
Hometown: San Diego, CA
FIDM Major/Campus: Merchandise/Marketing, San Francisco
Employer/Job Title: Personal Assistant/Fashion Show Producer, Prima Jiva
Tell us a little bit about your job: Being an assistant to a designer of a brand new company is the hardest but most rewarding job experience I've ever had. I work about 2-3 days at the showroom in Walnut Creek, however I work every single day of the week from home or wherever I may be besides the office. It's a complete full-time job. I basically answer emails, set up appointments or meetings for the designer, organize anything & everything from her computer desktop to her inspiration files. I work hands on personally and directly with probably (in my opinion) the best boss you could ever have.
Another great (and more fulfilling) part of my job is coordinating and producing our fashion shows. This process can take up to a month to complete but I find it the more entertaining part of my job. To put together a show I choose models, set-up at least two fittings and two meetings: one for the hair & makeup and one for putting together what's called a 'skeleta' which is Italian for the look-list for the runway show. Those two meetings are crucial! On the day of the show I am making sure every single detail from hair/makeup to the skeleta is completely 100% correct. I have about six interns with me helping me steam clothing, setting up the clothing on the racks, and dressing models during the show.
What is a typical day like on the job? On a typical day, I usually answer emails for a few hours while also setting up appointments, help the Technical Designer Yohanna (also a student at FIDM) with clothing descriptions for our line sheets, follow up with buyers from different boutiques, and collect any PR/Media info or fix something on the website. I probably do all that for a good three or four hours I get to talk to so many great and knowledgeable people who know a lot about the industry and I've even met some really important people in the business part of the fashion industry.
How did you learn about and decide to apply to FIDM? I heard about FIDM through my high school freshman year and I was set on going there all four years of high school. My mom was behind me the entire way, supporting me and making sure I got in. She was really the only reason I stuck to FIDM because it just felt right that I go there. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else besides FIDM and I feel lucky (even during 3 hour classes) that I am able to go to a school designed specifically for the industry I want to be in.
How/why did you choose your major? I chose my major because I wanted to combine business and fashion into one major and on top of that, I am really uncreative when it comes to drawing/painting/etc. So Merchandise/Marketing was the perfect major for me.
How has FIDM helped you in your career? FIDM actually gave me my career. Every month I would go into the Career Center and one day, my Career Advisor had just gotten off the phone with Salma and I signed up immediately. It was really like 'meant-to-be'. I had gone about three months without a job and I wanted to do something that gave meaning to my life. Salma really answered my prayers without even knowing it.
What are your short-term/long-term career goals? My short term goal is to keep working with Prima Jiva and helping us grow and be more ahd more successful because this company is something I truly believe it. The concept of Prima Jiva is one of a kind and working for Prima Jiva is really a blessing. My long term goal (and something I never considered doing until I started working with Prima Jiva) is to be in fashion show production and one day have my own fashion show production company. I've been watching fashion shows on style.com probably since 8th grade and that really started my love for fashion. Fashion shows give me the chills and they bring me a lot of inspiration and brighten my day. When you get deep into the meaning behind each line or each piece that a designer created, you start to understand the designer themselves and it's extremely inspiring.
FIDM Student Hallie Fisher will be posting live updates from the upcoming general study tour to Paris. The students will be learning about the Parisian fashion world and french culture. Get to know a little bit more about Hallie and find out what she hopes to do in Paris, in our latest interview.
FIDM Campus and Major: San Francisco, Merchandise Product Development
Previous college experience: Completed 60 units toward B.A. in Political Science
When did you start at FIDM? March 2009
How did you choose FIDM and your major? An interest in both the design and business facets of fashion. More specifically I love the idea of learning how to make make and produce my own designs.
What are your short term and long term career goals? My short term goals are to complete my AA and graduate from the Product Development program, and pursue a Bachelors of Science degree in Business Management. In the long term, I would like to own my on business.
What do you expect to learn on the trip? I expect to learn about Parisian style, Haute Couture, designers, trends, architecture, museums, the one and only Versailles, culture, food & wine, and the lifestyle in The City of Lights!
What are you most looking forward to about the experience? Learning French. I know little more than merci beaucoup! I would also like to be able to navigate le métro system whose map looks very intimidating.
New Merchandise Marketing student Ashlynn Polini knew she'd found the perfect learning environment after touring FIDM. Find out how she plans to make the most of her time at FIDM in our latest interview.
Name: Ashlynn Polini
Age: 21
Hometown: San Jose, CAFIDM Start date, Major, and Campus: July 2010, Merchandise Marketing, San Francisco campus
Admissions Advisor: Diane Corbett – I can’t thank her enough. She has been and continues to be incredibly helpful in every possible way!Who is your favorite designer or artist: I loved Tom Ford with Gucci and the images he brought back into fashion of the strong, confident, sexy woman.
What or who inspires you?What do you expect to gain from attending FIDM? Knowledge! I am so motivated and eager to learn. This is my passion and I’m going to school to focus on that and even make a career out of what I absolutely love. I plan on taking full advantage of every resource and learning opportunity FIDM has to offer me.
What is your ultimate career goal after graduating from FIDM? My goal and dream is move to New York and have a successful job in the fashion industry. I want to be at the epicenter of American fashion and contribute.
Anything else you'd like to add? I am so excited be a student at FIDM!
New FIDM Student Alexander Chang will begin her studies at FIDM San Francisco this coming July in Merchandise Product Development and Business Management. In addition to her interest in fashion, Alexander is also a world-ranking Olympic Skeet Shooter, finishing 4th in the world in juniors at the 2009 World Championships in Slovenia.
Name: Alexander Chang
Age: 21
Hometown: Redwood Shores, CAPrevious college experience: I previously attended Lindenwood University in Missouri on a sport scholarship for Olympic Skeet Shooting. I studied International Business and Fashion Design. I missed California way too much and am so happy to be back!
FIDM Major: Merchandise and Product Development and Business Management
Admissions Advisor: Laurel Gardner
Campus: San Francisco Campus
Tell us a little about yourself: I love shopping but that's probably not too special considering most students at FIDM love shopping too. I have a very different hobby/sport that I participate in, which is Olympic Skeet. I have been shooting since I was 5 and competing since the age of 10. Olympic Skeet shooting has given me so many opportunities. I have been on the U.S. National Team since I was 14 and I compete in International Competitions around the world. Representing the United States has been absolutely amazing. I feel very lucky that my father introduced me to the sport and very blessed that I have had the chance to do something with it.
What is one of your proudest accomplishments? One of my proudest accomplishments is finishing 4th in the world in juniors at the 2009 World Championships in Slovenia and winning 1st in Junior Team while breaking the world record score.Who is your favorite designer or artist? When it comes to my favorite designer, I would have to say it is more like "favorite designers." I appreciate designs by Vera Wang, Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, and many others.
What inspires you? People inspire me. What I mean by people is the public, the world, and everyone around me. My family inspires me, especially my mom being that she and I critique things together all the time. The future also inspires me because the future is always changing and anything can become the next new thing.
What do you expect to gain from attending FIDM? I expect to gain as much knowledge as I possibly can about the fashion industry and business. I also expect to gain friendships, skills, and a great foundation to build upon.
What is your ultimate career goal after graduating from FIDM? I have a very open mind to any opportunity that comes after graduating from FIDM. I would like a career in Corporate Fashion or possibly start designing my own line.
Anything else you'd like to add? I am pumped to start at FIDM!!!On March 4, 2010, the California Museum is hosting A Free Day at the Museum in honor of Women's History Month. California First Lady Maria Shriver recently Tweeted about FIDM, saying:
"FIDM students designed posters for our free women's history month event at The California Museum in Sac...so talented!"
"Wow! We asked FIDM students to design posters for our free Day at The Museum event on 3/4 in Sac...beautiful! Please RT."
The First Lady of California is planning to visit the San Francisco campus to meet with FIDM Students and Instructors in the near future.
Click here to see the posters that FIDM Students from the San Francisco campus designed!
FIDM Grad Colleen Quen is among the creative individuals featured in "The Muse Campaign," a new advertising campaign commemorating the 75th anniversary of San Francisco's Museum of Modern Art. The ads showcase ten iconic artworks with ten prominent Bay Area individuals, from a cellist to a gardener to a pastry chef. Quen, a couture fashion designer and owner of Colleen Quen Couture Inc., is aptly featured with Henri Matisse's Femme au Chapeau (Woman with a Hat).
Check out the FIDM San Francisco campus where Quen attended school.
She's only 16, but Danielle Heer knows that she wants an exciting career in Graphic Design. She'll begin her studies in Fall 2010 at the San Francisco campus.
"I come from a small town and I've been doing Graphic Design for four
years, specializing in abstract, but I have fun doing anything. I work
for a software company called Alight, doing design and video work. I'm
also into makeup artistry, video production, fashion, surreal art, and
music. I'm outgoing and I love to meet other artists. I'm always
wearing stilettos."
Read the entire interview with Danielle on FIDM's FashionClub.com Daily.
You might be surprised at how many FIDM Students have degrees from other colleges. San Francisco Merchandise Product Development (Professional Designation) student Kathleen Donohue is a great example. She has a BA in Economics and an MBA from Trinity College in Dublin. Add to that an impressive resume with over ten years as an Information Technology consultant. Even with all those achievements Kathleen is most proud of her decision to attend FIDM. Find out why in our latest interview.
Visual Communications students at FIDM San Francisco participated in a high fashion photo shoot last quarter as part of the Fashion Styling and Coordination class. Separated into four teams, students were assigned a fashion capital: Milan, Paris, New York, and London. They then researched cultural, runway, and street trends, as well as hair, makeup, and grooming for their particular city. "The students had the opportunity to work with a great team of
professional photographers and hair and makeup artists," says Instructor Peter Gravener. "The result was industry-level editorial magazine spreads."
Visual Communications Alumna Quenby Go, who studied at the San Francisco campus, was mentioned in a BusinessMirror article for her role in helping Banana Republic execute its fashion-meets-music "Rhythms of Spring" concept. Quenby, who is the lead visual merchandiser at Banana Republic's San Mateo, California store, discusses her roles and responsibilities at the Bay Area store.
The adorable displays above feature work by Merchandise Product Development Students who completed the Apparel Process II course on FIDM's San Francisco Campus. The course teaches students the basic principles of garment construction and fit--necessary skills for success in the product development field.
The display concept, "La Maison de FIDM," is that of a harried servant waiting while his young ingenue tries on several dresses before making her final selection. The concept was developed and executed by students in the Visual Communications Program.
When SF Alumna Tori Tierney was thumbing through the March 16, 2009 issue of US Weekly, she was thrilled to see her own designs being worn by Tori Spelling's baby daughter Stella. Jamie-Lynn Spears' daughter Maddie has also been spotted wearing Toni's pint-sized threads. Toni Tierney Children’s Clothing was established in San Rafael, California in 1994. Her whimsical fashions, which are made of 100% cotton knits, are now available in more than 400 boutiques across the U.S.
FIDM Graphic Design Student Jocelyn Goode, in her second year on the San Francisco campus,
recently won JCPenney's national Reusable Bag
Contest. The bag, featuring her signature, will be sold in
JCPenney stores next spring. In our latest Style Scoop Interview, find out how this busy student stays inspired! --Kim
FIDM Graphic Design Student Jocelyn Goode, in her second year on the San Francisco campus, is one of the three winners of JCPenney's national Reusable Bag Contest. Jocelyn's bag, featuring her signature, will be sold in JCPenney stores next spring. --Kim
FIDM Graphic Design Students from the San Francisco Campus were given the exciting opportunity to submit their designs for a new symbol to commemorate the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival's 30 Anniversary. At a special luncheon on campus, Wilkes Bashford, the event's honorary chair, and Susan Somaya from World Arts West announced the winner, FIDM Student Lauren Robinette. "Wilkes had the final say in choosing the winner
and he said it was a really tough choice once he had narrowed it down
to his three favorites," reports Graphic Design Department Coordinator Lisa Hoffman.
On Saturday, June 7th the San Francisco Ethnic Dance
Festival celebrated the opening of their 30th year
with a gala event at
the Palace of Fine Arts. Lauren was honored during the reception with an introduction by Don Sanchez from ABC7 news and her symbol was used on the tote bag that were given to important donors and participating dancers.
Find out more about FIDM's hands-on Graphic Design Program and get the details on the ongoing Vespa Design project and the electrifying Fender Guitar project. --Kim
While doing market research for a denim design project, Fashion Design students from FIDM's San Francisco Campus met Project Runway's Ricky Lizalde at Levi's flagship store in the city. Project Runway fans (aren't we all?) know that Ricky won the Levi's 501 challenge last season. "Ricky shared his design inspirations and insights with the students," says FIDM San Francisco's Fashion Design Department Coordinator Janice Paredes. --Kim
FIDM Industry Partners, including Gap, Old Navy, Levi Strauss, Dockers, The North Face, Gymboree, and VF Outdoors, attended FIDM San Francisco's third annual Portfolio Day event. On display were over 40 portfolios from FIDM Students in Fashion Design, Product Development, Visual Communications, Graphic Design, and Interior Design.
"Over 130 resumes were distributed to the industry for full-time paid positions and full-time paid internships," said FIDM San Francisco's Director of Career Development, Ray Garcia. "Several companies have already contacted graduates to set-up interviews!" --Kim
Fashion Design Professional Designation program graduates Nichole Kreglow and Stephanie Bodnar met while attending classes, including History of Costume and Intermediate and Advanced Draping and Pattern Drafting, at FIDM San Francisco. However, it was when they became partners in their fourth quarter Collection Development class that the creative sparks really began to fly! Since then, their designs have been on display at both the de Young and Legion of Honor museums.
Nichole and Stephanie will celebrate the launch of their new line OdileOdette, inspired by the two swans in Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake," on April 5 at Otis Lounge.
Read on to find out where these two designers score inspiration--and shop for great vintage finds! --Kim
The San Francisco Chronicle has a great profile on FIDM Grad Lisa Hunter, who will be showing her line Vian Hunter on the runway at San Francisco Fashion Week. An excerpt:
"After working in various other fields, including photography, publishing, and retail in department stores and boutiques, Hunter finally decided to go to fashion school - a dream she's had since she was in her teens. She graduated from the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in San Francisco in 2004."
Read our Style Scoop Q&A with Lisa here. --Kim
In addition to the FIDM Grads highlighted in my previous post, the following Alumni will also be featured at San Francisco Fashion Week: Carol Chen has a gown in the Emerging Stars show on opening night, this Thursday at 8pm. Jeremy Parr will be showing his menswear line The Business of Madness Friday, August 24 at 9pm. Verries & Sako (FIDM Grads Stephanie Verries and Kimmie Sako) are showing product at the SF Fashion Week Boutique. Visit the San Francisco Fashion Week Blog for more info on the event. Watch this space for coverage of the FIDM Grad shows. --Kim
Four FIDM Grads will see their lines in the limelight at this year's San Francisco Fashion Week, August 22-26. Visit the official SF Fashion Week site for more on their stories and watch this spot for coverage of the shows.
PLUS: Get our SF Fashion Week Ad Campaign Launch Party Report and read our Style Scoop Q&A with designer Lisa Vian Hunter. --Kim
Emily Jane Clothing
"After earning a degree at San Francisco’s FIDM, she cut her teeth professionally on the design team at St. John Knits. Emily founded her own line, Emily Jane Clothing, in 2006. She draws her
inspiration from many reputable designers, iconic figures, art and the
city life of San Francisco. Each piece in her line exudes confidence,
sophistication and everyday elegance. A classic collection meets the
modern woman to exhibit chic style for any occasion."
Pink Elf
"Kaushie [Adiseshan] earned her degree in fashion design from FIDM in San Francisco
and a Business Degree in Bombay, India. Her collections were showcased
at San Francisco Fashion Week 2006 and Lakme India Fashion Week in
March 2007. Kaushie’s designs are inspired by the crowded and colorful
streets of Mumbai, the sophisticated bustle of New York and the serene
beauty of San Francisco."
Effie's Heart
"After getting a degree from the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, designer Kimo marched straight to the theater for a 2nd education in fashion history and vintage style details. The marriage of these two educations resulted in Effie’s Heart, a ready to wear line that borrows its beauty from another time while being everything a modern working girl needs for on the road style, comfort, and versatility."
Vian Hunter
"A graduate of the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Lisa
Vian Hunter is a 20 plus year veteran and fan of the fashion world.
Since 2003, she has been custom designing exquisite clothing for select
Bay Area clients, bringing her fashion visions to life by crafting
skirts, dresses, coats, blouses, and t-shirts at her clients’ behest in
fine textiles."
The exciting Vespa project continues with this quarter's Graphic Design Students presenting their Custom Vespa Designs to Vespa SF. I've created a special Flickr Photo Collection so you can view all the incredible designs from this quarter!
The History of the Vespa SF Project
Last quarter when the Vespa project launched, Vespa SF loved the designs by FIDM Graphic Design Students so much, they created a special section on their site dedicated to the students' designs. This is now an ongoing project. You can order the gorgeous custom Vespas through the site or by visiting
Vespa SF where the designs are also on display and in the store's
look-book. Find out more about FIDM's hands-on Graphic Design Program and get the details on the electrifying Fender Guitar project. --Kim
FIDM Student Erika Walton is quite the double agent--When she's not busy earning her Fashion Design degree on FIDM's San Francisco Campus, she's running her burgeoning accessories line Alter Ego Jewelry, which has been featured in Women's Wear Daily and is sold to retailers worldwide. Find out what inspires Erika and get a sneak peek at her fabulous jewelery in our latest Style Scoop interrogation... er, interview. --Kim
