Upon telling people about the course that I'm hoping to study next year at University, I've often come across the judgemental expression that flashes across their faces when hearing the words 'fashion' escape my lips. I've noticed that with this label comes a series of stereotypes, and since I'll be joining this particular clique in September, I feel almost uncomfortable branding myself as a stereotypical 'fashion student'.
Why is it that fashion students are automatically considered unintelligent, spoilt, aloof, rich, bitchy and vain? Surely to be able to survive in a highly competitive industry you must be able to demonstrate signs of intuition and intelligence? I have no doubt that I'll meet an array of people within the industry however I refuse to accept that they can all fit this particular stereotype.
Recently I've had to think about the person that I'd like to become. I think it's very difficult in a creative industry to not follow the trends, buy or at least lust over expensive clothes, parade around in designer labels and get sucked into becoming that 'fashion student stereotype'. There's a part of me that's curious about the lifestyle as it sounds undeniably glamorous, and if I were to be given a luxurious item, I'm sure that I wouldn't turn it down. Then I think to myself, 'Come on Alexa, that's not who you are'. I've grown up in a small countryside village, spent my childhood days going on hikes, playing in trees and making mud baths. I appreciate fashion, the work that goes into every aspect of the industry, and the passion that the people have for it. However it baffles me when I see a fashion blog post and see an outfit that costs over £2000.
I don't want to become the person who spends that much money on clothing when I could save lives around the world by buying mosquito nets, food supplies and medical aid for those who need it. If I were to ever become the opposite, I'd hope that someone in my life would give me a serious reality check, because despite what Carrie Bradshaw may say, there's so much more to life than clothes and shoes.
I'm a creative person and I want to have a job that I love when I grow up. When I hear people say 'is that degree really worth it?' Some would say that it's not, but apart from the select few, is any degree really worth it now a days? There are so many different ways to get into different industries, so surely a fashion communication degree is just as 'worth it' as an accounting degree. My grades would say that I'm an intelligent student, I take 5 A levels, and work really hard in order to do well in them. I could probably get into a Russell Group University, but none of them do the course that I want to do, so why go to one just for the label, that'd just be silly, and not to mention a complete waste of money. I'm going into my degree with a clear focus of what I want to get out of it. I'll learn skills that will enable me to go anywhere in the creative industry which could mean travelling abroad. I'll be able to promote myself in order to survive in the industry and hopefully emerge from University with a broad set of transferable skills. I love set design, film, photography and illustration and this course will hopefully enable me to experiment with all of them.
Everyone has a different personality, ethics and beliefs, so just because someone may fit a certain stereotype, don't let that define your judgement of them. 'Don't judge a book by its cover' are very wise words and they're said so often for a reason.
Image from FreePeople
My advice to you, as a graduate and someone who works in at university, would be to do an academic undergraduate degree at a very good university. You need your BA or BSc to set you apart from the rest and to also act as your back up and to give you transferable skills. If you are doing 5 A Levels, then you are already a very good, committed, and academically able student.
ReplyDeleteThen do your masters in what you love, which in this case is fashion, wherever takes your fancy.
As the economy is still uncertain, and graduate unemployment is still high, you need to showcase that you are ready, willing and able to go in for the long haul.
Thank you for your comment, that's really good advice and given me a lot to think about. The University that I have applied to is very reputable for design courses and has excellent graduate employment, so I know that I'll come out with a respectable background. Are you saying that it's wise to study a course that's unrelated to fashion first off then after graduating, specialise?
DeleteYes, maybe something like Business and Management or Marketing from one of the leading business schools, like Leeds, Cass, Manchester. Then you could eventually set up your own business. Or Arts and Humanities if you still want to let your creative side flourish.
ReplyDeleteWhere I work, the average intake is 300 UCAS points and when I speak to the students they seem to think that university is an extension of high school and they don't want a tough academic challenge that will push them and develop them. The uni I work for is around 80th in the league tables and I wouldn't go there, not because I think I'm better, more because I know it is not the stimulating environment I would expect.
Recruiting managers are snobs and from my experience (I've worked in recruitment in the private sector) they would pick someone who went to Oxford, York, Sheffield over someone who went to Oxford Brookes, York St John, Sheffield Hallam as you need more to get in to the former than the latter. It's really rubbish, but I guess not everyone thinks about the reputation of the course..
To help you make up your mind, have a look at some of the graduate schemes for Fashion and see what kind of degrees they want. Most say they want a 2.1 degree in something or other, so also think about the possible competitive advantages of having two degrees in complimentary subjects, Marketing and Fashion etc etc. It sounds awful to say this and I remember not wanting to hear this when I was a fresher but you need to think about your plan B if you don't get on to the graduate scheme of your choice. I got a 2.1 in a good subject from a Russell Group uni and didn't get onto a graduate scheme - though I graduated 2 years ago when things were not great. But I can already see that my peers who stayed on and did their masters degrees are now earning slightly more than me, or have more interesting jobs!. I am going to do my masters in parliamentary studies at Leeds in September to compliment my work history and to give me that extra boost.
Hope I've not made your choice harder!