FIDM Students Get a Taste of Real-World Manufacturing
Preparing the next generation of apparel designers and merchandisers for the real world of the global apparel business has been a challenge for educators, but administrators at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in downtown Los Angeles have found one solution. The design school is pairing up promising students with top apparel brands to help them build lines together.
That’s the premise of FIDM’s International Management and Product Development course, an advanced study program now in its 10th year. It has become a model for fashion schools and has evolved into a collaborative vehicle that helps students as well as the industry.
The nine-month course takes 12 students around the world studying import and export strategies, technology, sourcing, and international merchandising. In between all of their studies, students get the ultimate lab assignment: Produce a line for a leading brand and present it at a fashion show.
“It’s very intense,” said Amanda Starling, administrator of the program and special projects chairperson. “People liken it to a master’s study program.”
The course takes place over three quarters. It’s limited to a dozen third-year students who are guided by an industry mentor. VF Corp. was the most recent participant; Disney will be this year’s mentor.
“We’ve been fortunate. We’ve been blessed with huge industry support,” said Starling. Other participants have included Pacific Sunwear and Carrera of Italy.
In the classroom, students take courses such as textile sourcing, technology applications, import and export strategies, global relations and world trade, and international merchandising strategies.
The students are in and out of the classroom, visiting with their mentors, doing research by conducting focus groups, shopping trends and materials.
During the most recent program, the students also analyzed fit, because much of VF Corp.’s product is denim. They also studied the company’s chief accounts, such as Wal-Mart and JCPenney.
Among the program’s highlights are visits to Europe and Asia. Students attend the Premiere Vision fabric show in Paris and study trend and color forecasting. In Asia, they visit agents and buying offices to get a grasp of sourcing.
The program progresses to the sample-making and production stages. This year’s program included the use of more technology applications, such as Gerber Technology’s popular WebPDM software, which helps manage specifications, materials, costing and other pre-production processes via the Internet.
Gerber was so impressed with the students’ employment of technology that it created an achievement award for the best use of WebPDM. This year, Christina Wong received the award at the wrap-up event at FIDM last month.
“This program is so extensive, so real in terms of being close to what actually goes on in the marketplace,” said Rodney Harrelson, Gerber’s West Coast director. “It’s a good program to support.”
When it came down to the finished product, VF Corp. also was impressed with the students’ work, so much so that it will use some of their creations in upcoming Fall lines.
FIDM student Brandy Yant, who participated in the 2004 program, said the process was an invaluable contribution to her education and career goals. She recently landed a design position with Wet Seal’s Arden B. division.
“You study everything from concept to completion. You can’t do that anywhere else,” she said. “All the students got great jobs.”
Participants have gone on to companies such as Nike Inc., St. Johns Knits, Pacific Sunwear, Haggar, Juicy Couture and Disney, according to Starling.
“It’s hard to get this level of experience,” she said. “The students learn to become better team players and also get an idea of which direction they want to proceed, whether it’s design or more on the merchandising or production side. The companies also get lots of valuable input and fresh views of what their product is about.”
