By | Jacob Jones
Fashion School at Kent State is such an amazing thing to experience and attend, but with that being said it does have its cons. Fashion School can be very competitive amongst your peers and even friends. As the industry is so big everyone in your classes is trying to make a name for themselves and the industry just isn't big enough for everyone to be at the top. This shouldn't discourage anyone from going into fashion or trying to get into the industry. This is just a way for me to help and prepare you to be there. Here are some things you will need to be successful in Fashion School at Kent State:
Money (Save your money during the summer): Fashion school can get very expensive from supplies to outfits, to projects to events, If you don't have an on-campus job or consistent cash flow you will need to save your money. There is a multitude of things that Kent offers for fashion students from fashion shows to even Fashion clubs and all of those things cost money whether it yo paying your dues to the club or buying a ticket to the fashion show. You don't wanna miss out on the fun things Kent has to offer so save your money. Ultimately good Fashion is not cheap and cheap Fashion is not good.
Tools: The tools you use in your day-to-day life as a fashion student will be different based on your major and the price point that you are willing to pay. For Merchandising Majors you won't be running as many programs on your computer so your computer won't need to be as nice or as bulky. So you could get away with a MacBook Air and be fine. If you aren't an Apple girl or don't want to pay the Apple prices, the school also recommends Dell computers and they just recommend it having 32GB of storage and having the Intel core I9 processor. For Design Majors, you will need a more bulky computer such as a Macbook Pro, but if you aren't an Apple person the Dell computer recommended for Merchandising Majors is also great for Design Majors. You will also need a drawing iPad, which they highly recommend, an iPad Pro, and the newest Apple Pencil, for your drawing needs as a design major. As a Design Major, you will also have to take into account the sewing supplies you need and maybe an at-home sewing machine for when the campus is closed.
Personality: Fashion School is not only a great place to make friends, but also a great place to network not only with your peers but also with your teachers. So be authentic and be professional, you don't want to burn any potential bridges, you never know where the industry might take you and who you might see again. One of the other biggest things that will help you is driving. You have to want to do great and push yourself to do great. Fashion School is a great place to experiment and try new things so be open to new things, and don't be afraid to ask for help.
Personal Style: While the industry is so big it can be easy to be sucked into the background of the industry, so having your own personal style that people can easily think of will help you stand out not only at Fashion School but also in the industry when you graduate.
A Good Bag: While a lot of other students around campus use backpacks you will see a lot less Fashion Students on the Kent campus have a backpack, but no matter the bag you use it should be a translation of your personal style and interest. Some bags used by fashion students around campus are Telfar shopping totes, The Book tote by Marc Jacobs, FjallRaven Kanken bag, random tote bags that are associated with the club they are a part of or even their personal interest. If you are also a design student you will probably also want a sewing bag. I recommend a carpet bag I got mine from a thrift store and most of the time you can get them from the thrift store for like 5-10 bucks. They also usually come in a bigger size, so they can hold everything. Your sewing bag should be something that is thick and preferably big to hold all your sewing supplies, the garment you are working on, and maybe a pattern or two. This should also be a little bit thick to help with loose pins and needles in your bag not picking you. Regardless, the bag(s) you carry should be a reflection of you, so have fun and don't be afraid to be different.
Keep in mind at the end of the day, you should do what is best for you these are all recommendations, and take everything with a grain of salt, but all of these recommendations from a current Fashion Student at Kent State, and are my recommendations, but if you take anything from this is cheap fashion is not good and good fashion is not cheap, so don't cheap out on your supplies and your essentials to help your schooling as a Fashion Student.
Sources
“Medium Shopping Bag - Black.” Shop.telfar, telfar.net/collections/shopping-
bags/products/medium-black-shopping-bag?variant=32204939034723. Accessed 28 July
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“Amazon.com | Signare Tapestry Duffle Bag Overnight Bags Weekend Bag for Women
with Sunflower Poppy Butterfly Dragonfly Design (TRAV-MGD) | Travel Duffels.”
Www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com/Weekender-Overnight-Signare-Sunflower-
Butterfly/dp/B01GRTCY7Y/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=carpet+bag&qid=1690510507&sr=8-
5. Accessed 28 July 2023.
“Classic Kånken Backpack - Fjällräven.” Www.fjallraven.com,
www.fjallraven.com/us/en-us/bags-gear/kanken/kanken-
bags/kanken?v=F23510%3a%3a7392158680955. Accessed 28 July 2023.
“Technology Requirements | Kent State University.” Www.kent.edu,
www.kent.edu/fashion/technology-
requirements#:~:text=While%20students%20may%20choose%20either. Accessed 28
July 2023.
“The Medium Tote Bag | Marc Jacobs | Official Site.” Www.marcjacobs.com,
www.marcjacobs.com/default/the-medium-tote-bag/191267798288.html. Accessed 28
July 2023.
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