Today we got to visit one of the fashion schools here in Milano. It was called Istituto Carlo Secoli and we were able to speak to the President, Stefano Secoli. Before we began speaking we got to watch a runway show which is the final project given to each student before they graduate. They are given a theme and asked to create eight pieces to contribute to the show. It was amazing to see what some of the students have come up with.
Stefano Secoli spoke to us about the difference between industry and atelier. Industry refers to the pret-a-poter market (ready-to-wear), while atelier refers to haute couture. Designers and stylist have to find a balance between what they both want in order to create a great fashion show with pieces that are both affordable and wearable. I also learned about how problems occur in the production stage of products. This is where most errors occur because most of the time, production is done by an outside source. In order to avoid any miscommunications, designers need to find a link between them and their production company. Mr. Secoli stresses this link to his students and teaches them how to create it.
While we were taking a tour of the school we saw many classrooms with students sewing and working on patterns. All I could think of was Apparel Quality Analysis. This is a course I took at Johnson and Wales and was asked to create a dress. Luckily, I was given a pattern to follow, but sizing garments and putting them together isn't as simple as one may think. It took a lot of work, a lot of patience, and a lot of bandaids. In the end, I was chosen to model my groups finished product. The dress we created could never compare to the pieces that the students at this school were creating. The work they produced was so amazing and much more advanced. I don't want to be a designer, but I would love to be able to produce work of that quality someday.
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