Young designers dream of getting into some of the top fashion schools: FIT, Parsons, Pratt, etc. but are just not able to. That does not mean you shouldn’t pursue a career in Fashion, there are ways you can teach yourself about the industry.
Fashion schools cost a lot of money and not everyone can attend, but that does not mean one should not continue to pursue a career in fashion. There are so many fashion designers who have gone to fashion school and dropped out because they realized they could make it on their own. Designers such as, Michael Kors who dropped out of FIT just nine months after starting school there, and Coco Chanel who left school at 18 and never pursued high education. There are also famous people in the fashion industry who have degrees in other fields unrelated to fashion. For example, designer Miuccia Prada has a Ph.D. in Political Science before taking over her family’s small business in 1978. Former editor and chief of Lucky, Ava Chen told Refinery 29 “You should study what you love and intern in what you want to do.”
Books/Textbooks
There are a lot of textbooks about the fashion industry and too many to choose from. Here is a list of textbooks that were recommended to me by one of my Fashion Merchandising professors and YouTube channels such as Zoe Hong:
Youtube Channels
- Here are some Youtube channels to watch for information about the history of fashion, the different types of fabrics, terminology, and learning how to sew, etc. :
- Business of Fashion
- The Business of Fashion has built a global following as an essential daily resource for fashion creatives, business professionals, and entrepreneurs all over the world. It is frequently described as “indispensable,” “required reading” and “an addiction.”
- Watch Here
- Zoe Hong
- Zoe Hong’s channel is about teaching for better fashion industry, using one lesson at a time! She teaches fashion design, illustration techniques, figure drawing, color theory, apparel tech design/product development, and fashion business best practices. Hong also teaches here on YouTube, in universities, and in arts organizations.
- Watch Here
- Haute Le Mode
- HauteLeMode makes the fashion industry and fashion brands digestible and understandable for the average person. HauteLeMode takes the beauty of style roasts with brands like Givenchy, Louis Vuitton, and Balenciaga to new levels while breaking down red carpet looks from all your most hated and favorite celebrities.
- Watch Here
- Withwendy
- If you are learning how to sew or already have a general knowledge of how to Withwendy shows you how you can make your own clothes.
- Watch Here
- Coolirpa
- If you are interested in thrift flips and upcycling then Coolirpa is the YouTube channel for you. She is all about DIY Fashion and upcycling old clothes into something new.
- Watch Here