Tailoring Your Portfolio: Strengths and Weaknesses

I got an email the other day from a reader that inspired this post. She was good at sewing and had looks done for the garment portion of her test, and wanted to sketch them, but was wondering if she should still do a mini collection like I'd suggested here. I told her she should definitely just sketch the looks she'd sewed instead. Since she was better at sewing that worked for her. I chose to do my mini collection since sketching was my stronger more confident area. For some of you, you may feel equally good at sketching and sewing. Make sure that whatever area you feel weaker in you work the longest and the hardest on (I wanted to throw my sewing machine out of my window).

RC

Post Rejection: Cry, Throw Your Sketchbook Against the Wall, Curse Everyone that DID get excepted, now, Strategize

Okay, this post is dedicated to all the people who, like I did in the past, instead of that great big packet you got that shitty form letter, which basically told you you're not good enough to learn how to be better. Yes, say it with me, you're not good enough to learn how to be better. Let off all your steam, some of you make take longer than others, but, if you want it bad enough, you're going to get to this point.
Reapplying, putting 3000% into your next portfoilio, and getting that big acceptance packet.


Here's what you need to do:

1. Look at your recently rejected portfolio, honestly and objectively. Is there anywhere that you could improve it? Were your garments well constructed? Were the photos clear? Especially if you weren't able to do the in person interview. How about your sketches? Were they close to professional? Think about what the faculty had to compare it too.

2. After you figure out where you could improve, start working on it, even before you apply. The third and final time I applied, I worked on my portfolio for 4 months. In that time I was able to take my time, throw out sketches that weren't working, have a fit over my garment test, and take my time until my whole room was covered in fabric, and I was still sewing up until the day before I sent my portfolio out (the black shirt).

3. I keep stressing this, but I have no idea if anyone is listening to me. GO TO PORTFOLIO DAY. (The link is on this page for 2012 Dates). Especially if you don't live anywhere near NYC. Also, if you want, you can send your portfolio to me, but it's better to go to Portfolio Day if you can. It will provide you with feedback on what your currently doing. A word of caution though, it can be brutal. The professor that I saw, who I will go out on a limb and call a douche bag actually told me - ME - that I needed drawing classes (And I never bothered showing him the horrible dress I sewed). Why did he go and do that? I remembering crying on the bus back to Massachusetts. But 5 months later I was accepted (no drawing classes necessary :p ).

4. Finally, a note on stress. This is not a great time in your life, having your talent questioned instead of validated. I get it, we designers are a sensitive lot. But take your time, regroup, focus on what you want, and make your dreams come true.

P.S. If you think there's a possibility that you were rejected solely because of GPA issues, (and you're applying for a design major) if you want to take some classes in between your next application to raise your average, or explain it to them in your essay/interview. It's okay to not be perfect, life doesn't always go in the direction you want. Obviously right?

As always, good luck, and feel free to comment.

RC

Essay Tips (Updated with Formatting Tips 12/29)

************UPDATED 9/5/12  check out my Tip and Tricks for F.I.T.'s new guidelines Click Here

Sorry for posting this so late. But here I am. I wanted to post my essay, spelling errors and all, but I can't find it anywhere, which sucks. If I do come across it I will definitely post it. 


 I'm going to keep my tips simple, I realize not everyone is a writer, and there's nothing wrong with that. But a lot of times it can be confusing about what to leave in and take out, so we are going to talk about that and we are going to talk about some essay pitfalls you need to avoid. Overall this essay, particularly if you aren't doing a face to face interview, is the only time you have to express yourself in words, so that they know who you are, meaning you're essentially pitching yourselves to these people, and keep in mind its always competition.


Do put in

• Extra curricular activities you're involved in that have to do with anything creative, fashion or business.

• If you've been rejected by F.I.T. or another fashion school in the past. This might sound strange, and I did mull over whether I would include it my essay, but I said screw it, and put it in. I actually molded my essay around it, and what I'd learned from being rejected, and the drive I had put into my current portfolio.
• Academic excellence -this wasn't really relevent for me, lol, but you can put in if you have it. Remember this application is mainly about your portfolio.
• Designers that have inspired you, and what about their business/house that inspires you.

Don't Put in, aka Cliche standard

• Don't say you have a 'passion for fashion'. This might be irrelevant advice for most of you, who might even be giggling, but please, leave it out.
• Don't say you're the best designer ever, and litter your essay with grand proclamations about how you will singlehandedly change the world of fashion. We got it, you're the next Chanel, but to them it may say that you're ego is too big to listen to your professors, and future employers.
• I also wouldn't say anything about Project Runway or any fashion related show that might have aired on MTV. That's just personal advice, lol, I really don't have anything to back it up aside from it annoying me if I read something like that. 

Here's a gray area - Talking about hardships in your personal life. Perhaps something personal led you to deciding on a career in design. I think it's okay to mention it, but don't harp, one or two sentences will suffice and then get to the design portion. Remember, they read thousands of these things, and who even knows if they read each word. You may be sincere about your experience, but you don't want to come off as a whiner, or worse an opportunist looking for pity due to poor life circumstances. I hope that doesn't sound harsh, but these guys aren't your friends, and it's all about personal perception.

*Also, aside from reading it to someone (that's a better writer than you) look back over it after about a week, you will be surprised at what you catch, like spelling mistakes you never saw before, or maybe the sentences don't flow correctly. Or it could be possible that you wrote it at 3a.m. and it's all gibberish written in all KANYE CAPS.

When they read your essay, they need to walk away feeling like your going to be a solid, hard working student that has your head on straight. Don't ramble, stick to your point and wrap it up.

Here's a template you might want to use to format your essay
1. Intro: what you're are currently doing i.e. High School Student, former college student coming back, adult etc, also put any design experience, internships, other fashion related classes/experience you have

2. Why you love fashion and or chose to apply to F.I.T. (what inspired you, was your mom a seamstress? Have you admired Alexander McQueen's work, loved fashion since you were a child by natural gravitation)

3. What you've done with you're portfolio (here is where I would put if you've been rejected in the past, or if its your first time applying ) be careful here, just give them an overall idea of how hard you worked and anything special you did like construction on your garments etc

4. What you're plans are if you become an F.I.T. student and where you plan to take your career post graduation ( plans on starting your own line, working for another label, also mention if you want to continue on to get a BA in design) *I think F.I.T. has a program to transfer to Central St. Martins for a Masters, but double check before you mention the other school, and of course only mention it only if you Really plan to do it.

If you have any questions or feel like something wasn't addressed feel free to drop me a line in the comments section, as always good luck ~ RC

New Page

Hi guys I uploaded my portfolio on its own page, check the tab next to home below the picture. I'm not a colorist as you can tell, , so it was a real task coloring my sketches, since I usually leave them black and white. I will try to get to the essay tips in the next couple of days. Take Care Rachel

Hi guys, I plan to update within the next couple of weeks some essay tips. I also want to reformat my blog so that you have easier access to the information for each portion of your admission. It has been brought to my attention F.I.T. has changed its portfolio requirements, so if someone wouldn't mind emailing or posting it in the comments section it will be appreciated. Rachel

Design Test

I will be uploading a tips and tricks for drawing soon. But just wanted to share the sketches from my design test I picked Spring in Tokyo Japan. The purpose of the design test is for F.I.T. to see your ability to merchandise, this is why you can only use a certain set of looks and you have to mix and match them. I hate the coloring on the first one, I remember being scared the marker would blur out the detail lol.

On Kanye West: So this is why we go to fashion school

Point Blank. I am sick of celebrity designers. The other day I hope Mr. Divo mic snatcher Kanye West brought the zenith and subsequent downfall of this trend.

His collection was a horrifying mess of stolen ideas, with a lack of focus, amateurishly displayed on professional models and shown at Paris freaking Fashion Week. Ladies and gentleman, this is everything you should not do.

Let me expand on this briefly. I have argued on several websites about this, and this morning I am reading a great article from Eric Wilson about this, view it here: Kanye West, Designer (Yawn) I think the storm gets brewed with someone with a not so great reputation, and infamous history of narcissism, decides to be the 1 billionth celebrity to start a fashion line. And then he feels the need to do his first show in Paris during the fashion week calender among the greats as if we should all expect him to start at the top. But just because you are at the top of another profession means you get to skip the leaning curve in this one. He climbed the to the top of the pedestal and was kicked off it so hard, he's still reeling.
From NY Times : His show was described by those who attended as, at best, a disappointment, and yet the rapper could be found almost everywhere during Paris Fashion Week defending himself. At a dinner party in Azzedine Alaïa’s kitchen on Sunday, Mr. West complained rather bitterly to those assembled that he meant for those sausage-casing dresses, the sagging trousers and the swimming jackets dripping with sparkles and strips of fuzzy bits to fit the way that they did, though everyone else seemed to read them as a failure in tailoring. At the Céline show, he engaged Joe Zee, the creative director of Elle, in a lengthy dialogue, loud enough for everyone around them to hear, in which he noted, as one example, that he did not very much appreciate the criticism of his decision to show fur for summer.
“All I said was congratulations,” Mr. Zee said afterward. “I wasn’t even there.”
Gotta love Joe and his pleasant shade throwing. In the fashion world the ONE THING you can't buy, is respect. The scattered weak applause says it all.

Tips and Tricks (Updated with Sketches)

1. When doing the fashion artwork portion of the test. Do a mini collection instead of random dresses. If you are a particularly great sketcher, you can throw something in that doesn't go. But my advice would be to design a collection around that outfit.

Why? is what you might be asking. The reason is this. F.I.T. is primarily looking for students that can get jobs when they graduate, the more students that find jobs the more money they get from the state. I know that doesn't sound glamorous does it? Yet it's true. If you show them that you can focus your ideas, you get the edge.



Here's what I did for my portfolio. Excuse some of the coloring, it just goes to show you don't have to have a prefect portfolio to get excepted. The theme I chose was cocooning.

Dealing with Rejection

I spent a lot of time with this blog talking about how to get IN to FIT, but nothing really about how to deal with the painful aspect of not receiving that big white magical acceptance package.
It sucks. Big time.
I cried the first time I got mine. I think I cried harder the when I got the second one.
I promised myself I would take my time, start my new portfolio six months in advance and this was going to be the LAST TIME I applied to this damn school.
Mind you this resolve came after my second rejection letter.
Tidbit of note: There was actually a 5 year break between my first and second application.
I don't think I can even find the words to express the anguish I felt when I got rejected from this school. This is something I've wanted to do since I was seven years old. I actually have sketches that date back to the early 90's and here these people were telling me I wasn't good enough. In a shitty form letter no less.
Well here's a lesson I wish someone would have told me the first time: Get back on the damn horse and apply again. This is why I say it's SOOOO important to go to Portfolio Day. It can be pretty brutal, the line for F.I.T. was horrendous, but if I hadn't gone, I know for a fact I probably wouldn't have gotten in. Seeing their 'standard' accepted portfolio allowed me to see what they wanted and scrap what I was currently doing to tailor my portfolio to that. Something you might not know is that there is a formula for getting into this school; a very commercial, boring formula, and it's all over this blog. But it's a small price to pay for cheap education (compared to Parsons). As Ralph Rucci says: "Once you know the rules - it's easy to break them." -- Good Luck

Fabric Swatches

I've been meaning to post this for a while but just never got around to it.
If your like me and you come from a lame town with no fabric store you can go to
Mood Fabrics for fabric swatches. They are about .75 cents a piece, and have a huge selection, so if you can't find what you want you can get something close to it. As far as I know F.I.T. doesn't want you to staple the swatches so I taped mine.