The CEO of GMYT Fashion Academy in Lekki, Lagos, Princess Kelechi Oghene has given professional insights on how to succeed in the highly competitive fashion business, noting that with the right training, skill set and determination it won’t be so difficult to stand out from the crowd.
This hint was coming a week after the academy officially inducted new fashion students to its fold, these new entrants are said to be part of the unique 24-month curriculum that is currently making waves among fashion enthusiasts who want to pick a career in the industry.
According to Princess Kelechi the allure of the fashion industry draws many budding entrepreneurs, and as such, fashion is a competitive arena to break into. Hard work and industry connections are both vastly important to create a niche for oneself.
“If you plan to not just work in the fashion industry but become the pioneer in it then you need to indulge and gain knowledge about the basics of this glamorous industry. Any fashion enthusiast who aspires to become a successful fashion designer should get admitted to a fashion design college as these colleges help you to become industry-ready just as we are doing at GMYT Fashion Academy.
“Pursuing a fashion designing course will extensively enable you to understand the working of the fashion industry collaboratively, fashion design history, clothing textiles, sketching and drawing of outfits, fashion events, managing a fashion house etc.
“Fashion is unfathomably an adorable art. That is why it is utterly important to study and understand the history of fashion. Be it Vera Wang, Oscar De La Renta or Vivenne Westwood, all of these famous fashion designers were once the students of Philosophy of Art, which is a great course to indulge in as it enables you to express your ideas and put them in an appropriate context.”
The GMYT Fashion Academy boss added;
“If you make the right contacts early on, it’ll prove to be very beneficial in developing your career as a fashion designer. You should start meeting and communicating with people from the fashion industry as early as possible, preferably while you are still a Fashion Design student. You should also be flexible with paid or unpaid internships as it will help you to develop experience in the field. It is much easier to get a job on a recommendation than trying to convince others that you have what it takes to prove your worth as a designer.
“Don’t opt for being a jack of all trades and the master of one. Choose your area of expertise judiciously and pursue it professionally while determining a career in fashion designing. Figure out what your area of interest is, whether it is men’s wear, women’s wear, children’s wear, sportswear or accessory designing, in order to move progressively towards the business aspect of fashion.” She stressed.
Expressing her passion further about what she knows how to do best, Princess Kelechi noted:
“Fashion is an impressive form of art, but it is also a billion dollars industry. It has been evidently spoken by world-renowned fashion designers that in order for them to succeed, they had to understand and learn the business aspect of the fashion industry as well. It helps you to further understand how to run a successful business as you’ll discover new and engrossing ways to promote your brand and make it stand out from the crowd.
“If you are a keen observer of detailing, understand the world of colour palettes, textures and impressively well at sketching figures, then don’t let your talent go in vain. An ideal way to brush up your skills is to be a part of a Fashion Design Academy. Design institutes are well equipped with more than enough facilities and experienced faculty to help you become a better designer. On an everyday basis, you get to learn and experience innumerable new things which can further help you in building your fashion career.
“A lot of the top fashion design colleges in the world are not only beneficial in imparting theoretical knowledge, but also helps the students to gain practical knowledge. Hands-on practical knowledge and exposure to the industry are the primary focuses. Ideations, innovation in fashion and styling cues can be gained from such colleges or Academies.
“In order for you to establish yourself as a fashion designer and to be taken seriously by your fellow industry mates, you need to demonstrate your work in your under-graduation through an impressive portfolio. It is important that you treat every assignment given to you during under-graduation with utmost sincerity as it will help to shape up your future as a fashion designer.
“A good portfolio allows you to show off a range of skill sets, including sketching, sewing and pattern making abilities. Just like I told our new entrants into the 24 months fashion curriculum, every detail matters and none must be taken for granted or wity levity.
“The fashion industry is a rapidly changing industry. The industry has something new to offer with every passing season. That is why it is very important for aspiring fashion designers to keep up with the trends all around the globe. You can be up to date with the trends around by religiously reading industry journals and magazines and building robust relationships with your instructors at the Academy. She disclosed.
