Månad: januari 2018

I have a list of my favourite among the best British designers. These are the people that I really admire – because of their talent and passion for creating the best trends in the UK.

Best British designers to look up to

Did you know that the first couturier is Charles Frederick Worth – a British chap from Bourne, England? He worked in Paris and made a name there but the fact remains that he is British. This is why it should not surprise you that there are several talented British designers out there.

Let me tell you about some of my favourite British designers.

Vivienne Westwood

She is probably the most influential of all the British designers. Also known as Dame Viv, her career in the fashion industry spans 5 decades. If not for her talent and vision, you have to admire her ability to survive this very competitive industry. Did you know that she and her partner Malcolm McLaren was responsible for the punk fashion genre?

Stella McCartney

Although her career did not start out great, she has now become one of the best British designers in the UK. Her career started to take off when she worked as the Creative Director at Chloe, a popular French label. She became known for her quirky designs that can be both girly and sexy at the same time. She soon launched her own label – taking on a more grown-up look. This attracted high-profile celebrities that landed her designs on the red carpet.

Alexander McQueen

The London native has a reputation for being the “hooligan” of the fashion industry. He was discovered by Isabella Blow, one of the most iconic stylists in the UK. His designs were mostly described as exquisite and delicate. He started the “bumsters” – extremely low-cut trousers. It was part of the very controversial “Highland Rape” collection. He had a short stint with Givenchy before he went out to start his own label. It was unfortunate that this talented British designer took his own life – but his label lives on thanks to the efforts of his former assistant Sarah Burton.

Christopher Kane

This Scottish designer had a fast rise to fame. It is all thanks to the body sculpting dresses that he featured during his Spring/Summer 07 collection. The dresses are in neon shades with a lot of glitter details. It also had a space-age couture vibe going on. If that did not catch your eye, then you weren’t paying attention. Every season, he tries to come up with something new – which makes him an exciting designer to follow and emulate.

These are only some of the best British designers that are influencing the fashion industry today. I am hoping I get to be one of them someday.

Recently, I went with my friends for a night at the casino. We usually hang out at our favourite bar but for that particular night, we all wanted to dress up and try our luck at the casino.

Our little adventure gave me the idea to write about the perfect dress that you can wear while spending a great night with friends in a casino.

How to dress for a night out in a casino

First of all, your dress should reflect the style of the casino. Let us go through that one by one.

Some casinos have a glitzy and glamorous theme. A sequin or sparkly dress would fit nicely with their theme. Add some sexy heels and you should be good to go. If you are not in the mood for a dress, a metallic top with dressy pants should do the trick. Going for gold, silver, black or red should be perfect.

If the casino you will go to is more sophisticated, you want to tone down the colours of your dress. A professional looking dress is okay. Some pearls for accessories will never go wrong as well. A pencil skirt paired with a dressy top is perfect for this casino.

In case you are going to a casino with a relaxed theme, a maxi dress should be the best option for you. This is a really comfortable outfit for a night at the casino. You can bring a jacket to keep yourself warm when the weather becomes too cool for your taste. Wearing sandals or even ballet flats should keep your even more comfortable.

About my night out at the casino

As I mentioned, my friends and I decided to go to a casino and the one we chose had a glamorous vibe to it. That meant dressing up as sparkly as we could. So what did I wear? I wore a black form fitting dress that ended above my knees. The dress had silver accents along the neck and waist. It moved a bit whenever I moved – making it seem like my dress dance. I paired it with silver strappy heels that reached just above my ankles. My friends wore similar dresses – one more sparkly than the other.

The night started out quite well. We did not head out to the games immediately, we got our drinks from the bar and stayed there for 30 minutes or so. With alcohol in our system, my friends and I made our way towards the table games. I tried playing blackjack – but I was not that lucky. I left my friends on the floor and headed out to the slot machines. I spent most of the night playing there.

Our night at the casino was actually quite fun. I think we really enjoyed ourselves that we might do this sometime soon. It is nice to dress up every once and a while.

Going to the best design schools will help increase your chances of pursuing a career in the fashion industry. After all, there is a reason why these schools are considered one of the best. It means their curriculum is exceptional. It also means they have a record of producing really talented individuals. This will bode well while you are applying for a job.

Best design schools in the world

So what are the design schools that you should target if you want to become a fashion designer? Here are 5 schools that you need to look into.

Royal College of Art

This school is probably the most influential of all the design schools around the world. Also referred to as the RCA, this school leads to both the study and research of art and design. The alumni of the school add to the reputation of the Royal College of Art. A lot of them have made a name and left their mark in the industry – at least, for the fashion, film, and art industries. It probably helps that the school believes in providing a project-based education and personal teaching interaction.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

This school was founded way back in 1861. Since then, the MIT had been considered as one of the best in the world. It is not just the curriculum that makes them excel. It is also the fact that employability, facilities, innovation, specialisation, and teaching are all high in quality. The school is also known for their research contributions in the field of arts.

Parsons School of Design at The New School

What sets this institution apart from the other best design schools is the way they enable their students to gain the knowledge and skills that will help them excel in our ever-changing society. This is more important today thanks to the fast advancements and developments in technology. Through their educational system, students are able to build networks and work with fellow students, industry partners, and even communities in New York. The diverse community within the school also creates a great atmosphere to learn.

Rhode Island School of Design (RSID)

Established back in 1877, this school is one of the oldest institutions in the US. The student population is not as high as the other schools – but that only adds to the exclusivity of the learning experience. And when something is exclusive, it becomes more valuable. The studio-based education makes for a very effective place to learn. Both the bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes are filled with all the opportunities to pursue a career in design and arts.

University of the Arts London

This is the largest specialist institution in Europe. The institution specialises in both art and design – with more than 19,000 students coming from over a hundred countries. The university is composed of various colleges – including the London College of Fashion. The focus of the school is not just in learning, but also in creating, innovating, and researching various art disciplines. It is a great way to let the students go through a unique learning experience.

What do you think of this list of best design schools?

Do you want to be a fashion designer? A lot of people do. However, you need to ask yourself if this is something that suits you. There are people who want to become a designer but do not have the skills or the talent to be successful in it.

This career may seem like fun and interesting – at least compared to a typical office job. But it still has serious responsibilities and the workload may be overwhelming if you are not cut out for it.

How to start a career as a fashion designer

First of all, you need to know what you need to do in order to qualify for the job.

You need to be a degree holder to gain employment in the retail industry – specifically in designer houses. It is not necessary for you to have a degree that is specific to the field. However, it will work in your favour if you are a graduate of a related course.

Having a technical knowledge and skills will be helpful in landing you a job. Your creativity is a huge factor but you also need to know how to translate your ideas into actual fashionable pieces.

Basically, you can get into an entry-level position (e.g. junior fashion designer) if you have the degree and technical skills to be able to help a senior fashion designer.

Obviously, it is important to land a job first. Soon, your experience will speak for yourself. If it is hard for you to land a job with big designer labels, that is okay. You can start with a small company before you jump to another company. The important thing is to get the experience. Ultimately, that is how you will learn the important knowledge and skills that will give your career as a fashion designer a boost.

Important traits of a fashion designer

Becoming a great designer would require you to have the right skills to help you make fashionable pieces. Being obsessed with the fashion industry is not enough. You need to have both originality and creativity. It is important to have an eye for colour, texture, shape, and form. These are all important in creating great designs. Knowing what looks beautiful and stylish is also very important.

The technical skills that you need to have include creating patterns, tailoring, and sewing. These are skills that you can learn in a fashion school. But it is also something that you can learn on your own. While learning on your own is okay, it might be harder to prove to potential employers that you have the skills. At least, it is harder to do so compared to those who graduated from fashion schools.

Since this is a money-making business, you also have to be aware of the commercial side of things. While it is great that you will channel your creativity, you have to make sure that it will sell. That is how you will earn money in the fashion industry. This means you have to know the trends and

Among your responsibilities, apart from creating designs, is being able to come up with mood boards and computer-aided designs. A knowledge of fabrics, ability to estimate the cost of materials, and negotiating with suppliers are among the other things that you need to know how to do.

As you can see, being a fashion designer involves a lot of things. You have to be confident enough to present your designs too. You will be working with a lot of people so make sure your social skills are honed as well.