Fashionista

How to Make It in Fashion: June 21, Dream Hotel Downtown, New York

Monday May 14th, 2012

Interns on Internships: Why They’re Really Worth It
Fashion Careers

Interns on Internships: Why They’re Really Worth It

Internships have been at the center of a growing—and increasingly publicized–storm of malcontent lately, with protesters arguing that they should be paid and hours should be more tightly regulated. One unpaid intern is even suing Hearst. And yes, interns have been asked to pick up dog poop, or worse. But are all fashion internships truly horror stories?

We recently attended the Pratt, Parsons and FIT student designer shows–so what better time to talk internships than with the city’s hardworking design students, some of whom did up to six internships during their schooling.

Here’s what they told us.

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Published at 6:24 PM

Friday April 27th, 2012

Monday March 19th, 2012

Sunday November 6th, 2011

Fashionable Nursing Uniforms? Pratt Fashion Design Students Took On the Challenge
Fashion Careers

Fashionable Nursing Uniforms? Pratt Fashion Design Students Took On the Challenge

The splashy designs we see on the runway and in editorials often take a lot of the spotlight in the fashion world, but there’s also a whole world of functional clothing that exists to allow people to do their jobs better or to portray a certain image to clients or customers. Nurses are a perfect example. Their jobs are often messy (both literally and emotionally), but the clothes they wear to do their jobs make them invisible. And as much as popular culture loves the “naughty nurse” image, fishnets and thigh high boots don’t work in real life. I know this from first-hand experience, because I used to be a nurse.

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Published at 7:51 PM

Monday July 11th, 2011

The Top 20 Fashion Schools in the US: The Fashionista Ranking
Fashion Careers

The Top 20 Fashion Schools in the US: The Fashionista Ranking

It’s summertime, and chances are you’re heading to the beach or hanging out with friends. But soon enough it will be September, so you might as well start thinking about your future educational endeavors now. If you have an interest in fashion, whether to design it or take a more behind-the-scenes role, there are tons of amazing school options to consider. For a comprehensive look, you can take a peek at our Top 50 Fashion Schools list, which pretty much covers the entire world. Think you want to stick with US schools? Then you’re in the right place!

We’ve compiled a list of the 20 best fashion schools in the country. As with our previous fashion school rankings, this is not scientific. We looked at data, jobs procured, opinions of people in the industry, and standout program offerings. We also wanted to show you that great schools aren’t limited to NYC–you’ll find colleges located in all parts of the country.

This list is meant to provide an overview of the schools’ strengths and to highlight some of their unique attributes. You’ll find fashion design programs here, but some of the schools listed don’t offer fashion design. Instead, they’ve gained a spot because they offer other amazing programs to prepare you for a career in fashion. We hope it’s helpful as a starting point. (Click here for the full list.)

Tuition prices don’t include fees and housing. And if you see an asterisk (*), it denotes a CFDA-affiliated program. Like our previous rankings, this list includes undergraduate degrees only.

Click through to review the schools and good luck as you embark on a new career!

(*Additional reporting by Sara Shabtai*)

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Published at 3:00 PM

Friday May 6th, 2011

The Best Looks from the 2011 Pratt Student Fashion Show
Fashion Shows

The Best Looks from the 2011 Pratt Student Fashion Show

Last week Pratt’s most promising graduating seniors showcased their works to a packed house at the Metropolitan Pavilion on W.18th St. Hamish Bowles was also presented with Pratt’s Fashion Icon Award that day–this is when Diane von Furstenberg, upon presenting him with his award, called him a “closet butch.” But what having Hamish Bowles as the recipient of the Fashion Icon Award meant for Pratt’s design students was that the entire Vogue team, including Anna Wintour and Grace Coddington were front row to view their collections. As was Daphne Guinness, wearing a veil, gold leggings (that looked exactly like a look that would come down the runway from student Sarah Lind), heel-less heels, and giant knuckle rings on every finger.

I’d be scared shitless if I were one of those Pratt students about to showcase their blood sweat and tears in front of Anna Wintour. Of course, the students turned it out.

Here are some of the strongest looks from the 112th annual Pratt fashion show (yes, it’s been going on for that long). Elisha Rho presented my favorite collection, and the graduating senior’s got an impressive resume to back up her talent–she’s worked for Marchesa, Jason Wu, Diane von Furstenberg, and Michael Kors.

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Published at 4:38 PM