A year has passed

So last week has been the conclusion of the first of my 2-year diploma in Fashion Design.
I have to admit that in the last two months I skipped a lot of classes and have been very much uninterested with the school's fashion show. A deadly mix of boredom, laziness, personal problems and disappointment with the classes made my attention span shorten. I'm not dropping out though, I'm sticking this one through. I've learned a lot during these months, and I'm grateful for that.

Let's make a list of what I've gained from this experience:

• I have a more comprehensive knowledge of what are the processes of the creation of garments/brands/fashion business, plus the roles of people involved
• I understand and value greatly the importance of good pattern-making and tailoring
• I know a fair bit more about materials
• I can draw much much better than I used to
• I can sew! (sorta)

Most importantly I am excited about learning more and getting down and start working, I'm planning on making a collection during this summer break. I'm a little scared, and I don't feel well prepared at all, but I know enough to face the coming challenges.

I wonder if this is just a result of the experience in my school or is this how other design students feel halfway through their course. Is school supposed to make me ready to dive head-first into "real world" work? Or does it just give us the tools to start learning once you're in? And is this only about design schools, or is it the norm amongst higher education institutions?

Anyway, I'm exited about my clothing line, it's going to be women and menswear, young, fresh and colorful. I'm going to get my own graphics screened of fabric and I'll try to work with a pattern-maker and a tailor in-house, instead of outsourcing everything. We'll see how it goes, I'll try to keep posting as my endeavor progresses.

For now the goal is to make the collection, make a look-book and post it the brands own website or have it hosted on Facebook, try to sell online and maybe sell to some local shops. Profit prospects are not that important for now. I'm going to focus on learning how to do everything properly so I know I have the perfect medium to express my creativity, thus ensuring that the end product is a faithful reflection of what I have in mind. Once this is perfected, we can start talking about money. I know this is probably the worst business plan in the world, but I can't imagine doing this any other way. Hopefully it'll make enough money to fund it's own growth. If not, fuck it.

Sorry for the boring post,  I just needed to get this out.

I feel this is a turning point for me, so wish me luck and I'll try to keep posting.