Monday, July 11, 2011

Top 20 Fashion Schools: SCAD pride!

I'm so proud to be studying fashion at Savannah College of Art and Design!!!!! I read this article just now discussing the top 20 fashion schools in the states and I was delighted to see that SCAD, my first pick, was number 6!!! And that the Luxury and Fashion Management (one of my majors) was considered one of the best of its kind in the nation! It was just so fulfilling to see that other recognized what I already knew was the truth and to be affirmed that I had chosen wisely and that I am heading in the right direction. I noticed Parsons was labeled number one and while I agree that it does have a history of pumping out some of the world's finest designers (like the beloved Donna Karen), I feel that SCAD had a little more to offer and that it filled a much needed niche in the art school "universe" and that because I am attending this school that I could possibly have something to offer that many students from Fashion schools in New York (don't get me wrong, they ARE great schools and I LOVE New York) won't. I definitely feel that my experiences at SCAD will no doubt be ones that I cherish and would not have been able to have had I gone to a New York fashion school. New York, I love you. Someday we will be very close lovers. But I think part of my "coming of age" should be a crossover between the life I grew up in (Texas) and the life I will choose (my beloved New York) and that SCAD just had a little something that I felt was missing in New York, what that was, I really couldn't tell you. But I DO feel that it will be advantageous.
I was also very pleased to see that Andre Leon Talley is on the Board of Directors. I have always loved him, almost as much as I have loved Anna Wintor (oh yeah, I kind of want to be her. No. I want to be her successor), and I am well aware of the tight friendship... so you can see where I'm going with this right? And no, its not just the job, the career and the power that I'm interested in, although it is part of why I want it, but I just feel that they have made such a wonderful impact on fashion and that they are both such wonderful, beautiful people, at least from what I can tell from interviews, and I want to be able to do that too. I've loved what they've had to say in the few interview that they do. Ha! I recall what Andre Leon Talley once said for nymag.com
"I will sit in the car on the way to a meeting and just smile. I really mean that. It helps you get through life. If you have nothing to say, smile. Look up at the sky and smile. Just be grateful."
and I remember thinking "Hey, I do that too!"  In fact, I even used that character trait to get the job that I have now at a popular retail store in my city. By the way, I freaking love this job! All the hard work it took just to get the interviews was well worth it and I can not wait until my next shift! All I do is smile and make friends with people and tell them they they look great and organize clothing... all things that I love to do! What I found most striking about Andre's quote was that before I even read this article (written in 2008) I had seen him on a podcast and thought "WOW, he has one of the mist genuine smiles I have ever seen."
So back to the point! Thank God I'm going to SCAD and thank YOU, SCAD for accepting me and providing me with the education I thrive on.

If you are interested here is the article on the 20 best Fashion Schools in the US. http://fashionista.com/2011/07/the-top-20-fashion-schools-in-the-united-states-the-fashionista-ranking/
and here is the link to the interview with Andre Leon Talley mentioning Anna Wintor.
http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2008/09/andre_leon_talley_on_anna_wint.html