I can’t even tell you how many people I’ve encountered in 4 years who have replied to my comments about being in fashion school with something along the lines of: “Oh, you’re in fashion… that’s fun! so could you make me a pair of pants or something?” To which I force a polite laugh and reply with a less-then-impressed “NO”. For some reason people don’t understand that there is a difference between fashion design and fashion communication. Here are some of the basic differences between majoring in Fashion Design Vs. Fashion Communication
Fashion Design
Leads you into the field of design
- Sketching apparel
- Designing
- Constructing (sewing) clothes/accessories
- Presenting clothes/accessories
- Business & art history courses
Fashion Communication
Leads you into the field of multi-media communicators and designers
- Mainly studio classes, such as:
- Photography & art direction
- Illustration (digital and by hand)
- Graphic & layout design
- Web & video production
- Typography OR fashion event planning/promotion- option in third year
- Business & art history courses
NOTE: 1st year for both design and communications students (at The School of Fashion at Ryerson University) are the same. Yes, this means that you need to sew and pattern draft even if you’re in communication, and while it may seem irritating and pointless at first, it’s actually really beneficial in learning the basics of the industry.
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Text by Marcia Lopes and Olivia Kolarich
Image by Marcia Lopes
