MYTHS AND REALITY
Design schools are everywhere. And everywhere there are good design schools. But the recognized leaders in this field remain Great Britain and Italy. They will be discussed below. But first - about how and what is taught in these schools, and what education provides as an outcome.
In the design community, debates continue about whether the curriculum of design schools is correctly structured, whether it fosters the birth of new talents or the 'stamping' of similar pseudo-designers. There is an opinion that the portfolio formed by each graduate upon completion of design school reflects not their unique view of the world, but how they have mastered basic subjects, how well they understand form, color, and design methodology. But even if that is the case, there is nothing wrong with it. A real designer grows out of such foundational knowledge. After all, to create and innovate, one must deeply understand the subject, know the tradition, be confident, and feel competent. Design schools, like any educational institution, provide above all education, not work skills.
Yet many design students regret that most of the time has to be spent in the classroom rather than in practice. And they would prefer to see practicing designers as teachers rather than theorists. Forgetting or not considering that a good designer is not necessarily a good teacher. Often the opposite is true. The best learning option is a combination of theory and practice. Which, as a rule, design schools provide. For example, in England, a student is literally forced to try everything by hand before deciding which type of design to pursue. In other words, a graduate of a British design school knows not in words but in practice what graphic and industrial design, jewelry design, and interior design are, but is a specialist in just one.
There is another common myth: the earlier and more students start communicating with famous designers, the better. In reality, such communication is useful for upperclassmen and graduates, that is, those who have already formed their own understanding of design, who already represent something. Otherwise, the influence of a world-class authority can be too strong and even harmful.
BRITISH AVANT-GARDE
If you want to know the latest fashion news and trends, go to London. This is an axiom. If you connect your life with design and fashion, study at the London Institute. Any designer will tell you that. The London Institute is five colleges known to anyone even slightly familiar with design: Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design, London College of Fashion, Chelsea College of Arts and Design, Camberwell College of Art, London College of Printing and Distributive Trades.
The most famous and largest is the first, Saint Martins. Future and current graphic designers strive to get in here, fashion designers dream of it. The main thing taught here is creativity. The college has graduated John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney. In addition to the above, Saint Martins is also known for its jewelry design and scenography departments.
Other colleges have their own specializations. Photography mastery is taught at London College of Printing, managers, marketers and journalists for the beauty industry are trained at London College of Fashion, restorers at Camberwell College of Art, and interior and environmental designers at Chelsea College of Arts and Design. The main component of learning is completing your own projects. This could be, for example, an independent, albeit small, clothing collection. Or a joint initiative with some fashion house, design firm or store.
Interestingly, despite the fame and prestige of the London Institute, it is not difficult to get in. Provided, of course, you can demonstrate originality and uniqueness. This is much more important than meeting formal requirements. And then the curator will suggest several programs that, in his opinion, will best develop your abilities. The decision on enrollment in a particular program is made immediately during the interview.
Of course, the London Institute is far from the only educational institution in the UK that trains great designers. An art and design department exists at almost every university. The best ones are included in the annual ranking of The Times newspaper.
ITALY
If England is the center of alternative fashion, then Italy is the hub of classic fashion. Which, however, does not imply stagnation or conservatism. It is simply impossible to ignore a thousand-year history of art and culture. Therefore, most Italian design schools almost mandatorily offer courses and special programs in painting, sculpture and architecture.
Italy's uniqueness lies in the fact that no matter what type of design you take, Italians are 'ahead of the whole planet' in it. The exceptions are perhaps graphic and maybe industrial design, where British supremacy is indisputable. As for the design of clothing, footwear, accessories, interiors, furniture, cars - all this is worth studying in Italy.
Italian private design schools typically offer short and long (up to two years) professional courses, as well as postgraduate programs. However, there are also those that provide higher education. Classical academic education in architecture, art and design can be obtained at the relevant departments of universities.
One of the oldest and most famous private design schools in Italy is the Istituto Europeo di Design. Today it is a network of schools located in Milan, Turin and Rome. The school has three departments - fashion, design and visual arts. The school constantly develops and implements new teaching methods and tools, attracts professionals from abroad, which helps IED students stay one step ahead of others.
The Accademia Italiana design school is located in the heart of Florence, on Piazza Pitti. In this place, where the treasures of Renaissance art and culture are concentrated, Armani, Valentino, and other famous couturiers began their careers. According to the school's teachers, everyone who enters Accademia Italiana “immerses himself in an atmosphere of creativity, initiative, and innovation.” Here the future of fashion and design is created.
Another world-famous Florentine school is Polimoda. It specializes in clothing, footwear, and accessories design, as well as management and marketing in the fashion industry. If the desire to manage the process is stronger than to create, you should enroll in Polimoda. The school has close ties with design companies and fashion houses: Albert Ferretti, Kenzo, Hugo Boss, Krizia, Valentino, Byblos, Max Mara, Genny, Gattinoni, Ferragamo, Donna Karan and Benetton (internship is part of the mandatory program), and furthermore, Polimoda collaborates with the Fashion Technology Department of the State University of New York. So if desired, one can take a Fashion Design course in English (a joint product of the two institutions). As school graduates say, “if you have creative abilities, Polimoda will help you develop and realize them 100%.” However, as Education Abroad notes, the same can be said about any good design school.