At Columbia College Chicago, a Global Approach to Fashion Education

Columbia College Chicago, a artistic, liberal and media arts school positioned on Chicago’s South Loop, teaches a curriculum for trend students that integrates conventional abilities with technological innovations and a deal with diversity, equity and inclusion. Now, the varsity can be reinvigorating its faculty-led nationwide and worldwide experiences for college students alongside its alternate programmes enabled by means of partnerships with worldwide trend colleges.

By way of these excursions, college students from the BFA course in trend design, or trend research BA with concentrations in merchandising or product development, can additional their training throughout the US and Europe. These taster experiences assist domesticate a deeper understanding of the worldwide nature of the business.

Research present that college students who’re afforded alternatives for a world training usually tend to enhance their career prospects, in addition to their social and cultural consciousness. Ninety six p.c of scholars imagine that learning overseas helps to extend self-confidence, in response to a 2023 survey carried out by non-profit organisation the Institute for Worldwide Training of College students (IES), whereas 95 p.c confirmed that such programmes had a long-lasting affect on their worldview.

The short-term programmes run by Columbia professors could final between one and two weeks and are tailored to the scholars’ areas of curiosity. These programmes are partnered with business or native artisans and designers through relationships solid by the main professors. This short-term examine overseas choice is the preferred expertise that Columbia Faculty Chicago affords its pupil physique. The programmes are partially funded and the scholars have the choice of partaking in a number of.

For a lot of college students, these international programmes are the primary time they’ve had the chance to journey internationally, making the faculty-led nature of the journeys approachable and accessible, significantly to the faculty’s giant inhabitants of first-generation school college students. Their energetic lessons, which contain exploring the respective metropolis’s tradition, are additionally a manner that college students can achieve educational credit score.

BoF sat down with three present and former college students to debate their experiences on worldwide and native alternate programmes in Athens, Berlin, Los Angeles and New York.

Ivonne Malagon

Ivonne is a Columbia Faculty Chicago alumna, who graduated in 2023 with a BUSE Advertising and marketing main and a Style Research minor. She travelled to New York with the faculty’s ‘Within the Discipline’ Programme in 2023 in addition to Austin, Texas with the South by Southwest interactive programme and has since begun working for a artistic company.

How did the journey form your profession trajectory?

The journey opened a variety of profession paths for me. I used to be made conscious of various careers that I didn’t know even existed — like allocators and analysts and so forth. I received to understand that the business holds immense political, cultural and social energy due to the folks I used to be capable of meet. I grew to see all of the roles which are obtainable within the trend business and perceive its magnitude and affect, which is necessary as a result of it might probably appear very elusive as a result of it’s so giant.

Proper now, I’m at a artistic promoting company. By way of the journeys, I used to be capable of study the significance of promoting and branding your self, since you are your individual model. You need to have your individual distinct model and have the ability to communicate to your experiences, since you’re probably not taught that at school. Once you’re youthful, it’s all about present and inform, however once you’re older, no person reminds you that you need to communicate to your strengths. So, having these experiences throughout the journey was like a observe spherical of learn how to work together with folks and that was actually useful.

The journey opened a variety of profession paths for me. I used to be made conscious of various careers that I didn’t know even existed.

In Austin and in New York, once I was pitching my initiatives, they have been for actual shoppers. That was transformative, having the ability to see how folks react to your concepts in actual time is actually useful. Now, I’m interacting with shoppers on a regular basis, so it was useful to learn to talk and meet consumer expectations.

Was there a selected spotlight out of your journey?

I used to be capable of go to the Condé Nast workplace, which was superb. I received to go to the archives, and see the historical past of such an iconic firm and office. One thing that shocked me that I actually loved was visiting a sample design manufacturing facility. I’m not a designer, so it wasn’t what I studied or what I even hoped to pursue, however simply getting a glimpse of a profession that isn’t actually observed within the day-to-day trend business. It’s superb to understand that there are such a lot of folks behind the manufacturers you see and love.

The journey opened a variety of profession paths for me. I used to be made conscious of various careers that I didn’t know even existed — like allocators and analysts and so forth. I grew to see all of the roles which are obtainable within the trend business and perceive the magnitude and affect of the business, which is necessary as a result of it might probably appear very elusive as a result of it’s so giant.

What distinctive abilities did the programme deal with?

Undoubtedly professionalism — you’re interacting with so many trend professionals and it actually offers you a glimpse of the work ethic and what it takes to succeed. I received to attend a gala in New York the place I used to be consuming dinner with the CEO of Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s. However, it was additionally a possibility to community with my friends, as a result of we’re all going into the business they usually’re all excessive achievers.

General throughout the journey, I used to be met with excessive kindness — from everybody proper as much as excessive degree executives. The style business is painted in such a nasty mild, however by means of all my interactions, I sensed that everyone needed everyone to succeed. On the core of professionalism, I learnt it’s all about kindness and being genuine. I feel that actually wins over any spectacular, technical talent, which was actually reassuring.

Emily Hochbaum

Emily Hochbaum is a current graduate of Columbia Faculty Chicago who majored in Style Research with a focus on product growth. She travelled to Berlin and New York in 2023 with Columbia Faculty Chicago.

What have been the important thing learnings out of your examine overseas expertise?

Once I travelled to Berlin, it was the primary time that I had ever been overseas. Earlier than going, I did a variety of analysis on trend in Berlin and I keep in mind studying about how they focus much more on sustainability which was one thing I used to be enthusiastic about.

At some point we received to go to a lot of totally different boutiques and small trend manufacturers which was attention-grabbing — to study from totally different designers and their strategy to choosing materials or sample making and truly setting up their clothes. A variety of designers have been repurposing materials. I additionally observed that there are such a lot of thrift retailers — they have been in every single place in Berlin. These folks had such cool collections of classic and repurposed gadgets. So, I observed that this market is actually massive in Berlin.

How did the journey foster your independence?

The programme we have been following was referred to as “Style, Artwork and Queerness”. It wasn’t all trend particular — we received to expertise different issues comparable to artwork museums, even going to nightclubs to get an thought of the tradition. We additionally did a variety of excursions, studying about Berlin itself and the historical past of the town. It was actually eye-opening in that sense. We weren’t in conventional classroom settings. We had a number of analysis initiatives, however for essentially the most half, it was very immersive. We have been inspired to discover something and every little thing that we may that piqued our curiosity. We had a variety of freedom on the journey and that was one thing that I cherished — it wasn’t tremendous structured. We may tailor our experiences personally to every of us.

At some point we received to go to a lot of totally different boutiques and small trend manufacturers which was attention-grabbing — to study from totally different designers and their strategy.

How did Columbia Faculty Chicago help you all through the appliance course of and throughout the programme itself?

We received a scholarship from the varsity to assist go in direction of all of the charges and funds. Main as much as the journey, we’d meet as a gaggle, normally on zoom, to speak over the fundamental itinerary and what we needed to do. Our trainer was supportive in listening to what we needed and making an attempt to include that into the itinerary, in order that it wasn’t only a pre-planned journey — it was a visit that we have been capable of make our personal.

Alexis Norris

Alexis Norris is in her closing 12 months at Columbia Faculty Chicago, majoring in Style Design with a focus on styling. She is at present collaborating within the college’s semester in LA, the place she is interning for stylist Molly Dickson. She additionally travelled to Athens and New York with the varsity in 2023.

How did your examine overseas expertise in Athens assist you to in your wider diploma?

To be in an setting with theatre college students, doing totally different workshops, actually broadened my artistic strategy. We did a masks making workshop utilizing plaster — a fabric you should buy on the retailer — it was quite simple, however it unlocked a brand new avenue for the place I may take my artwork. I received dwelling months later, and needed to model a runway present. I made a decision to get the plaster and make a breastplate on my pal. I really feel like I’ll take that talent and incorporate it in future kinds or fashion-related initiatives. It positively widened my perspective of what I can use and what I can do as a stylist and as a artistic typically.

How did you discover experiencing a brand new tradition?

I positively assume it helped my craft and the mentality of being a younger artist. In Chicago, New York and LA, life is so quick and vigorous, which I like, however I feel in Greece — it was fantastic to have such a creative expertise at a slower tempo. I learnt that the standard of your work doesn’t diminish with the size of time that it takes to supply it. An enormous a part of creating is permitting your self to really feel, expertise and absorb what’s round you. So I’ve taken that and I’ve realized endurance and to worth a slower-paced artistic course of.

How did Columbia Faculty Chicago help you all through the appliance course of and throughout the programme itself?

The applying course of was varied brief essays as to why you need to go on the journey, how it could assist your educational profession in addition to your skilled profession. After that, in addition they provide you with entry to totally different scholarship functions to cowl prices. However, a variety of these journeys are for credit score. So, as an alternative of taking a category that I’d have needed to take that semester, I used to be capable of pursue this journey and obtain school credit score. In that manner, it takes much less of a toll in your time and means that you can graduate on time and have a greater school-life stability.

In Chicago, New York and LA, life is so quick and vigorous, which I like, however I feel in Greece — it was fantastic to have such a creative expertise at a slower tempo.

For my present semester, they provide pupil housing in central LA, in order that’s additional good that housing is equipped, protected and central to in every single place we could have to go. However, the entire root of the programme is pursuing an internship for credit score. To seek out an internship, they supply totally different sources and locations that you could possibly apply. The journey is basically opening doorways in several areas for no matter you need to do together with your profession.

This can be a sponsored function paid for by Columbia Faculty Chicago as a part of a BoF partnership.