We asked them what they generally see students struggle with each year and they came up with some very helpful advice so pay attention - if you understand what they expect from you and how they think, you will do better at your subjects and get better marks, naturally ;)
Talita (1st Year Lecturer)
- READ THE BRIEF, carefully. Most students don't read the brief they are given carefully enough and therefore don't do what is expected. This is training for future work in the industry, in a designer/customer relationship, "Listen to what the customer wants".
- Take your work seriously and do what you do properly. First year is not school, where you hand in a project to pass. This is YOUR chosen field, the shaping of your career. Do your best as you would if you were already a fashion designer, wanting to put on the best show!
Anadine (2nd Year Lecturer)
- Annadine finds that generally, 2nd Year students tend to loosen up after 1st year when it comes to taking studies seriously. She says that during 1st year, students move in to a new environment. In 2nd year, the novelty wears off, new friends are acquired and the social scene starts to take over, the work takes a back seat. She finds that students don't come to class as prepared as they used to in 1st year and start to miss more classes. SO....
- You have to find ways to motivate yourself as no one else will do it for you. Be alert, be present, don't slack.
- Your creative freedom in terms of your projects will still be restricted. You are not in 3rd Year yet, you will not be making your range just yet so don't get despondent that you cannot do exactly what you want when it comes to designing and making clothes but DO think about your concept for your third year range. Don't wait to be briefed in the beginning of third year. Look at third year student's work and start thinking about what direction you would like to go into next year. Too many 3rd year student found that they were not decided/prepared enough in the beginning of 3rd year with their concepts.
- Keep a visual diary and start building your own POINT OF VIEW and aesthetic as a designer. Discover your own style, find yourself - it will greatly help you in 3rd year!
Jas (3rd Year Lecturer)
- Understand FABRIC. I good fabric can make a simple design very effective. A bad fabric can ruin a great design. Chose your fabric before designing and make sure that it has the qualities you are looking for in your design. Too many students go wrong here, for example, design a soft draped gown and provide a fabric swatch that is too stiff to achieve that effect. This is your foundation, your first step. Get it right.
- Sew more in your own time. Practice what you learnt. Experience is the difference between a well made garment and a poorly made one. Find time for it.
- Make more mock-ups. Don't stop until you get the perfect fit.
- It is important to UNDERSTAND the pattern making and garment construction BEFORE you design. Too many students design garments that they have no idea how to make practically.
- It is important that your point of view as a designer is visible, comes through in your work. That's what makes your designs strong.
- Be creative with your fabric. Invent your own - it will set you apart. Think of different ways to make your fabric your own, like fabric manipulation, dying, printing, weaving etc. It will make your garments stand out.
Maryna (B-Tech Lecturer)
- In 4th year, you work according to your own schedule, so TIME MANAGEMENT is extremely important.
- It can get lonely because you will be working on your own most of the time. Here, you work for yourself, on your own time, so make the most of it.
- This will not be a skills development year, it will be an application of what you learnt from 1st to 3rd year. You will be guided and assisted in maximizing your strengths. If you are not up to scratch with technique, it's up to you to research and practice until your skill is on the correct level.
- Make this year work for you. It is a great opportunity because you will have most creative freedom in choosing what you want to work with. Make it easier for yourself to get into the industry by doing something that you see yourself doing the following year when you are finished with your studies.
- Do not be afraid of the computer, get comfortable with it. Practice what you are taught. Learn on your own. Experiment with Photoshop, you will be rewarded.
- Be eager to be in class, working, creating, loving what you are doing. It's not about the marks, it is about your development as a designer.
- Know what is going on in the fashion scene, not only the current work of designers but what these designers have done in the past. Be familiar with the current fashion designer's work over the past 30 years.
- Build up your portfolio - it is key.
- The creativity is in you. Don't over analyze, let it flow!
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