The other side of the Industry: A visit to In

High school was when I took my first fashion class at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.  We learned about the In’s and outs of fashion merchandising.  While I was there, I would see displays of incredibly unique and innovative ideas by the design students who were given themed assignments to design,  and were displayed in the main entrance of the school.  Since I was there for the month of May, around graduation time, I was able to see a fashion show that our professor had recorded from graduation, and for the first time see a collection of these talented students. 

         Today we visited the Instituto Secoli, a fashion school in Milan that has been in existence since 1934.  The Instituto Secoli is primarily for design and very similar to F.I.T.   On our visit here  we met the president of the school, Stefano Secoli, viewed the  collections of the students that just graduated, and had a tour of the school.  

Stefano Secoli

       In fashion, there are two categories that a garment is distinguished in, Altelier and  prêt-a-porter.  Stefano Secoli talked to us about the process of creating prêt-a-porter (ready to wear), explaining that it is the want to produce something unique.  However, prêt-a-porter is what is considered the industry side of fashion, where it is mass marketed, and is not made to measure.  Haute Couture, which is referred to as Atelier is made to measure, and is the second part of this industry.  Secoli explained that when something is Haute Couture it is “handmade and made to measure”.  Being a fashion student for the business side of this industry, my expertise are not focused on design and the production side of fashion.  

      I know the steps and process of making a garment, and putting together a fashion show, but unlike the students at these two design schools that I admire so much, I have not experienced it first hand.  On our tour of the school after watching the fashion show, I saw the difference between classes and the atmosphere of a classroom for a fashion deign student, in comparison to the business of fashion classes that I am use to.

A fashion show begins from an idea or inspiration (which is the collection),  design, product development, patents, samples (which are created for the fashion show), orders (from the buyers), and the production (of the orders).

     Fashion today can easily be recreated and that garment can instantly lose its uniqueness.  “A key point of a fashion show is to make it impossible to copy”, says Stefano Secoli.   This industry is so broad, that you can learn something new about it almost everyday.  Although one may have the title of a fashion major, their studies can be very different, i.e the design students at colleges such as the Instituto Secoli, F.I.T, Parons or L.I.M, may see the more creative side of fashion, compared to a Johnson and Wales fashion student, who understands the business perspective of the fashion industry.  This was a great visit to see the difference in a design student’s education, especially in Milan, the fashion capital of the world.   But one thing that all fashion students have a common ground in, is the ability to know what to look for in fashion; quality, uniqueness, fit and design detail.