All of those who have worked in the fashion industry know how grueling the long hours, harsh criticisms, and intense workload are, but for students at Otis College in California are among the future fashion designers who experience one of the hardest fashion curriculums in the country. Students in the fashion design program go through a four-year degree program and those who actually make it through with blood, sweat, and tears are some of the luckiest design students in the country.
Students in this program have visiting mentors like Isaac Mizrahi, Bob Mackie, Francisco Costa, Varvatos, and Isabel Toledo. This year had an exceptionally amazing cast of mentor designers including Monique Lhuiller, Badgley Mischka, and Todd Oldham. During the fashion designers' visits to Otis College, they create a project for the students that has them create a garment that would match the designers' asethetics and ideas for each of their lines. Senior Ila Erickson created a 1940s inspired gown for Lhuiller with intricate strips of individually sewn fabric draped all over the intricate dress. This dress was one of the favorite among the judges and fashion mavens attending the fashion show that showcased the students' talent.
Professors at Otis teach the students to be well-rounded in their designs and to be able to really forecast what the hottest trends will be for the next season. Also, students are told to understand the lines of the body and look at what shapes flatter and compliment each person's shape. At the end of the school year, 175 out of the 200 garments created by the students are showcased in a fashion show that many say is the biggest fashion show of the year in L.A. After the show, these 175 designs are displayed at the Beverly Hills Hilton for a scholarship auction. Students who get more than a few designs at this event are some of the luckiest students in the country and have an amazingly bright future ahead of them.
This article can be found at http://www.latimes.com/features/lifestyle/la-ig-runway26-2009apr26,0,6910218.story
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