Austin School of Fashion Design and the Topic of Accreditation

Usually it takes me six months to post another blog, but I have received quite a few inquiries about the topic of receiving college credits for attending my school. I would like to discuss this.
When I started the school, I was fresh from teaching at UT and St. Edward's, both college level. So my first thought was to investigate having the school accredited. I wanted the students to receive some sort of credit for taking my courses.
After a few months of investigation, I was more confused than you can imagine, and you that are home-schoolers, or teachers will probably understand how many different state departments get involved with this procedure. Some of the offices are even in Georgia....not even in the state of Texas. Don't understand that one!
Each department had their own set of qualifications....but all agreed that I would be limited to who could attend my school. I could teach children, or I could teach adults, but each would go through an admittance process, and I would be grading students' work. Grading students' work is not my idea of fun, having done that at both colleges, and I certainly did not want to limit who could attend the school and who could not.
When I taught at UT, many of my students asked me to start a design school, so that they could further their experience and skills. Most were not interested in getting credit...they were already in college, and just wanted to learn more about the fashion design industry and skills needed. I have two physicians, three psychiatrists, four attorneys, three engineers, four psychologists, as well as many more highly trained professionals, who are happy in their careers, but just want to learn fashion design. They don't need credit. Then I have other younger students who want to get their feet wet, and see if this is a career they want to follow. And there are other very young students, enamored with fashion , who just want to learn to sew correctly and design a little. Other students are trying to get into FIT or Parsons in New York, and need help, sort of like a prep school, to get into these very competitive schools. And, Last I have a group of very serious students, very focused and very certain of their direction who want to learn and learn quickly. Julia Plume, Ashley Raines, Ben Reingold, Rick Gonyo, Kim Allbright, Chantal Thomas, Josie Jesser, Laurie Mont are just an example of my students who hit the sidewalk running...took all of the courses and have already put collections together ; are working for top designers; have started their own businesses; or have been accepted into the top schools because of their improved portfolios. I am amazed at how quickly they learn.
I do not want to give any of these students a grade, nor do I want to tell them that their skills are not good enough to get into my school. Quite often, the very student who has struggled so much in the beginning makes huge leaps of progress in the middle of their learning. I see it over and over again. Their self esteem changes...not because they have learned how to sew, or even draw. Fashion design is such a mathematical process, yes, really.......and when students understand that, they understand so much more! It opens the door to architecture, engineering, constructing, art....etc. And I think when self esteem improves, then students learn to challenge themselves more.
So......this is my argument for not seeking accreditation for my school. I want students to be free to take what courses they choose, not be worried about grades, and I want to spend my time enjoying my students, teaching, and learning, instead of filling out papers and grading work!
Please feel free to reply to my post....I would appreciate hearing what you think.
One more thing....we are having a fashion runway show on April 19th. Anyone who has attended, is attending the school can be in the show. I will need to see your work ahead of time. I will let you know the cut off date for judging. Thanks!
Be Well
Mary Margaret Quadlander
Austin School of Fashion Design

Fashion Designing 2008 in Austin Texas

Austin School of Fashion Design started our new session on January 7 with 52 new students for this six week session. The timing was great with Project Runway starting up again after a long wait....so we are all watching to see what happens on this season. I added a commercial from our school to the first Project Runway sessions, and we have gotten a whole new group of students from the commercials. And we also created some new classes including Hat Design, Men's Shirt Design, Grading, and Children's Clothing Design. Go to the class page to see the pictures.
We had some other great news this past year....Our former student and now instructor at Austin School of Fashion Design, Julia Plume, won a very competitive design challenge this year called the Texas Search for the Next Top Designer. It was sponsored by the Dallas Fashion Incubator, and Julia's winning of this challenge was impressive. She took all of our courses and then read everything she could get her hands on, and put her first collection together immediately and sold it to two of Austin's best boutiques...The Garden Room and C. Jane's!!!! I am very proud of her, and can't wait to see what she is going to do next.
Julia is teaching two classes here that will really be of interest to the student who is ready to put their collection together, and doesn't know where to start. Julia's first class is "Marketing, Manufacturing,and Presenting Your Collection". This class takes the student through all of the steps of marketing a collection, starting with textile shows in the United States and Europe, picking a showroom and sales representative, finding a manufacturer, preparing first samples and line sheets, designing and buying labels and hang tags, delivery dates and shipment rules, as well as finding graders and pattern makers and sewers. This is a very indepth and informative class.
The second class that she is teaching this session is "Creating and Constructing Your Collection". This class allows the students to form their own design company, pick fabrics together, and design a collection together. The students will then create the flat patterns, cut the garments, and sew them together. The Collection will be in our Spring Fashion Show that we are planning for April. This also is a great class, and encourages the student to think in terms of collections and pieces. Sewing experince and flat pattern skills are necessary for this class.
Our next bit of good news is....we are adding a retail section to our school where we will carry all of these hard to find design tools that the students need, such as pattern paper, oak tag paper, good scissors, hip rulers, clippers, flat pattern books, etc. There is No Where to buy these necessary supplies, and I feel frustrated for the students trying to find these things. Most of the sewing supplies in Austin are geared toward quilters and they just are not what the student is looking for in design. So very shortly, we will be carrying those supplies. YEAH!!!!!
Please go to the About Us page on our website and read the bio information on all of our instructors. Julia won a great award, but all of our instructors, Kim Allbright, Ashley Raines, and Rick Gonyo are all equally qualified and creative professionals.
I wish everyone a Happy New Year.....Happiness, Health, Serenity, and Creativity. Be good to yourself. Mary Margaret Quadlander