Joanna and Hannah’s Fashion School 101: Must Knows for the School of Fashion!
Looking back on my first year in the Ryerson Fashion program, I couldn’t be prouder; a feeling I’m sure you will all experience after your first year too. Although I came into this program pretty naive, I still managed to make it out unscathed, there are definitely some things I wish I had known beforehand which is what I’ll gladly share with you.
Be Prepared For Anything
As many fashionistas already know, studying fashion isn’t just about sewing. If you haven’t already experienced the world’s lack of understanding about this, you undoubtedly will after going through the first year of the Ryerson Fashion program. Be prepared to try lots of new things in first year…and have your professors expect you to be good at them! If you’ve never tried your hand at life drawing, threading a sewing machine, using Photoshop or drafting a pattern, my advice is to spend some quality time with Youtube tutorials and learn as much as you can. In this program you’re expected to do it all!
work by Hannah Dobbie, Shira Yavor, and Jordan Nguyen respectively
It’s a Digital World
The term “digital world” is cliché, but that doesn’t make it any less true. As young creatives it is so important to establish yourself right from the beginning and be well versed in fashion innovations around the globe. In fact, one course in first year requires you to use Twitter to stay knowledgeable about fashion news. Get a head start by reading about as much fashion news as you can and commenting on them through social media. Consider starting your very own fashion blog. Blogs and social media are also fantastic ways to showcase your work and keep a record of the many projects you’ll complete in first year. Vogue, Business of Fashion and Law of Fashion are great places to start your research.
You Get What You Give
You absolutely benefit more from this program with the more effort you put into it. This may not seem true when you’re pouring over lecture readings while your friends are having a ball watching Netflix…but trust me, it is. This saying doesn’t just go for studying or adding the final touches on a project, it also goes for getting involved. Ryerson’s Fashion program requires each student to fulfill 400 internship hours, but don’t be shy to go above and beyond! Attend events like TOM* Fashion Week, Fashion Art Toronto, join the Fashion Union, go to tours of the Joe Fresh Centre for Fashion Innovation and attend any other fashion events you hear about. This will put what you learn in class into context and it will enhance your first year experience tenfold.
Get Inspired
This post may have frightened you just a little bit, but don’t forget why you applied to study fashion at Ryerson in the first place or the feeling you got when you were accepted. Don’t forget your love of fashion and the great things you are setting out to do this fall. Get excited about the four amazing years to come and what you can do with them. A great way to find inspiration is flipping through the pages of The Book. The Book is a fashion magazine run by StyleCircle which features examples of the extraordinary things students of the School of Fashion can achieve in their time Ryerson. Pick up your copy of The Book at the Ryerson Campus store and eagerly await for first year to begin.
