Art/Fashion University Showdown.

Early Days

I can remember way back when I was 16years old, I was faced with one of the biggest decisions I ever had to make, which was where do I want to study to pursue my career in design.

One option was to stay in Plymouth  and start my degree at Plymouth College of Art , which had all the facilities and the great bonus of it being very close to home. But after living in Plymouth  for my whole life and being fortunate to travel to places such as Dubai, Switzerland, Abu Dhabi, Washington..etc to visit family, I felt that the world could offer me more opportunities and experiences that I couldn't learn at home.

( Early designs)

 ( First Dress I ever created)

( My final GCSE project in 2010)

The Esmod Experience

So with that mindset, I looked into all of these different fashion universities such as Parsons, LCF, Central Saint Martins, Esmod...etc and with a lot to consider such travel expenses, living arrangements, tuition costs...etc I felt like the best place to go to was Esmod Dubai for the main reason of Dubai being my second home, since I have visited enough times. So in the summer 2010, having completed my portfolio alongside my GCSES, I moved to Dubai and attended Esmod Dubai,  

When I first arrived in the university, I did know what to expect. It was as if shows such Project Catwalk had come to life in that space. Within the university they had a sewing room, lecture space for fashion history talks, classrooms with mannequins and tools and a library full all the fashion history books that you could imagine.

By seeing all the facilities and the space that I was working in before started, I immediately felt comfortable and more excited to start working on my career and the experiences I had in the university was something I will never forget, due the people I surrounded myself with in the university. Each person I met, connected with me in a different way and I love and support each and every single one of them.

Plymouth College of Art Fashion Show

With all of these different memories and experiences held very dear to my heart,  a few days ago, I recently attended the Plymouth College of Art Fashion Show thanks to my neighbours. One of them happened to be the chair of governors of the college for 8years.

Going to the fashion show, showcased some similarities with Esmod,  such as the amount of creativity, included more womenswear and menswear and the pieces required. Although with Esmod, the final years had more pieces to showcase and their got to choose their own music, which could give you an understanding of their collection.

I'll finish off by saying this, attending an art college is defiantly one the most rewarding experiences I have had and I wouldn't change it for anything in the world. It gives you a chance to unlock your creativity, meet new people and gains some experience in your field.

Posted By Urbanista ( Azza Gasim)
Follow me on Twitter/Instagram (@azza_urbanista)