This summer I attended a design camp at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. I studied fashion construction, one of three different course offerings they had under the fashion design category. My time there was extremely insightful. I learned much about what it’s going to be like going to college in a big city and about the field I want to go into.
It was a two week course going in depth into draping and pattern-making, an area I felt that I needed more knowledge in. The goal of this course was to sketch, drape, and sew together a complete look. During class time we would take trips out into the city to different museums to get inspiration, and to fabrics stores that I spent too much time and money in (I went to Joann’s so many times in one week, the lady knew me and asked where I’d been if I didn’t come in the day before.)
My instructor, Kylee Alexander, was extremely knowledgeable in what she taught. Whenever I had a question or something that I needed more understanding on, she was able to very easily explain to me what was happening and the next steps I needed to take to finish each garment. The teachers assistants, Sun and Sarah, were also super helpful and amazing. They were each more specialized in different areas and were able to help students in areas they were interested in with the TA’s previous knowledge. Sarah in particular was very good at flat patterning, she helped me a lot with the layout and construction of the jacket I made.
Being around so many people that I clicked with was also extremely helpful. It really helped me feel more creative, even though I’d already been thrown off the creative diving board upon arrival. Being so immersed in it was crazy and out of this world for me. It was stressful at times, but I loved every second of it. The deadlines were scary, but manageable. All the people I made friends with were mostly in my class, so we would stay up late together working on our projects and motivating each other to finish them.
On the skirt and top that I made I beaded these child-like stars onto organza. The process took forever! I was beading the skirt until 10 am of install day and the installation had to be up at 1 pm. I still don't know how I was able to finish in time but it all worked out. A really interesting part of the whole process was seeing what other people were making too and what inspired them. My look was more classic Dior inspired while another piece was Comme Des Garçons inspired. Viewing other people's processes is so inspiring to me, working in such close quarters with all of these other people I really got a feel for how their minds work.
Being in this environment really solidified Fashion Design as a career choice for me. It is something that I really love to do, and I am so ready to experience college life in this field. Also, after experiencing life partially in a big city I really felt like it was the right fit for me. I was just extremely happy to be there doing what I love doing, and that's important.
