Welcome to the 193rd insertion of DEMUR®, an analytical series highlighting the intricacies of the artistic world and the minutiae lying within. In this episode, we break down the fashion industry’s approach to post-secondary education, looking at the pros and cons of enrolment, alongside different avenues of design.
Raking in billions of dollars a year, it's no secret the luxury fashion circuit is a lucrative market. With so much to gain and even more to lose, the industry is wrongfully portrayed as an ‘inclusive’ space, shadowed with cut-throat standards and clout as a currency. While beneficial in weeding out designers of false interest, this highly competitive nature can be problematic at first, leading many to divert their attention to post-secondary education as aspiring designers.
For some, this direction can really aid in expediting fashion’s tedious attributes, but can also lead to unrealized promises and distorted perceptions. With big dreams of owning the next Maison Margiela or Gucci per se, Universities will assign couture-like workloads, while failing to educate in critical entrepreneurial, marketing and legal aspects. Focusing solely on the highly restrictive craft, or better yet theory at hand, these specialized courses tend to train employees as opposed to designers.
For perspective, take a gander at the vast list of prestigious artisans that didn’t go to school, i.e Raf Simons, Virgil Abloh, Miuccia Prada, Thierry Mugler, Vivienne Westwood, Nicolas Ghesquière, Jean Paul Gaultier, and even Haider Ackermann, who was expelled. Reigning supreme at the top of the fashion foodchain, not only did these creatives differ from ‘traditional’ routes, but are actively disproving modern design theory, and dominating their respective domains.
Draining four years of creative passion with simply unaffordable and unethical fees, fashion schools leave many without start-up cash, forcing students into apprenticeships at unliveable wages. Discouraging ambition at a gruelling pace, few truly realize their dreams, graduating with a misunderstanding of social-media marketing, and four years of undocumented work.
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