oh juicy, fidm alums.

Juicy Couture’s Founders Have Left the Company...

"The Post suggests the two are leaving because the company just isn't doing quite as well these days. Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdale's are cutting back on floor space for Juicy, according to the Post. The label's sales also dipped 7.8 percent in the third quarter. Gela and Pamela are expected to stay on as creative consultants for the label while they busy themselves with fun new projects and, you know, cool themselves with fans made of money."

Read more about it.

words to live by

"I've never had a job. I've always had a passion. The fact of the matter is I have the same passion about business that I had when I started in 1968. And I think that's what it's about. If you can't get up in the morning and be excited about what you're doing then you better figure out something else. So, what's your passion? Stop and think about it."

--Michael Gould, President & CEO of Bloomingdales

throwing on our louboutins...

just for fun. :)

home-made dress forms

can't afford a dress form?

make your own! check out how two fidm grads used duck tape to make a home-made dress form clones of their bodies...

pretty genius, i know. ;-)

all about steve

the first 5 minutes of this movie was at grand hope park. why didn't anyone tell me that sandra bullock was shooting on our turf? this lady's hilarious! i would've stalked her.

color and design theory - 2nd quarter

my friend finally let me post her project on this blog. thought it was brilliant. her take on the color wheel... apple ipods.

ATTENTION OC Students:

The OC campus is closed TODAY, Thursday January 21st until further notice because of flooding in the street (s) surrounding the campus!!

Pass this on!

You know you go to FIDM...

(I didn't write this. Saw it on the FIDM facebook and thought it was funny. Had to edit some. Enjoy!)

...when everyday is a fashion show.

...when your teachers cell phone rings more then yours & 90% of the time, they come to class later than you

...when you don't even bother checking out the guys that pass you because you already assume they're gay

...when the security guys think they are FBI agents.

...when every other girl has a Louis Vuitton, a Chanel, or a Marc Jacobs bag

...when people who don't go to FIDM ask you about the show "THE HILLS" or about L.C. and you have nothing but negative comments about her and the show

...when the people at Ralphs, Fashion Cafe, or Coffee Bean knows you because you're such a regular.

...when you've gone 24 hours (or more) without sleep because you were sewing.

...when all the USC guys love you because you go to FIDM.

...when you've experienced waiting for a computer at the annex during finals week.

...when half your class has dropped out by their 3rd quarter.

...when there is a cat fight to get into the elevators.

...when half of your friends are gays.

...when you go to the bean bags in the library for naps.

[more to be added later]

Question of the Week

How are classes at FIDM different from other colleges?

Class is just like any other school, you register, you show up, there's an instructor, there's homework/assignments/projects...but the material is all fashion based. Math classes have to do with retail, and cost, and markdowns, science has to do with textiles, history has to do with costume.. etc etc. The classes are pretty small, and the teachers vary. I picked most of my classes based on the teacher. Ratemyprofessor.com is a great resource for knowing about teachers before you pick a class.

Take the stairs. Thats my one advice!

- Lana, Merchandise Marketing

once upon a wednesday night...

Wednesday night and there’s not much to do. This feels so weird. After months of staying up late doing work, cramming in some studying, and finishing up last-minute projects, it doesn’t feel right to have absolutely nothing to do. I had just one chapter to read for tomorrow’s class and I’ve finished. Hmmm… now what? I was so not ready for this. Besides Ugly Betty at 10pm tonight, there really isn’t anything else to look forward to on Wednesdays. Wow, I actually want to get busy again. But for tonight -- I’ll be in bed EARLY for once! Ciao!

10 Cool Ways to Beat the Winter Blues

Picked up these cool tips from the Personal Counselor table at the Winter Welcome fair...

* Excercise to relieve stress and gain energy
* Eat a healthy diet
* Catch some Zzzz's
* Avoid binge drinking
* Enjoy the sunshine and the outdoors
* Surround yourself with supportive people
* Treat yourself to something exciting
* Find ways to stay organized
* Take time to relax
* Set realistic goals adn work toward your resolutions

VOGUE is giving away a makeover!

Our favorite magazine is thinking up new ways to draw in subscribers and readers. What's the solution? A once in a lifetime opportunity to win a complete makeover with the editors of Vogue, the world's fashion authority?

Here's your chance to win the ultimate getaway to New York City, the fashion capital of the world! Vogue's editors will make you over from head-to-toe with:

• a Michael Kors evening look
• Philip Crangi 14k White Gold & Diamond Pavé Choker
• an 18-piece Estée Lauder Beauty Basket

• Jimmy Choo shoes
• Haircut and color from Privé Salon New York by Stylist to the stars Laurent Dufourg and his team of experts

PLUS, you and a guest will be flown to New York City where you'll both escape to your very own pièd-a-terre in the heart of Midtown and stay at the luxurious New York Helmsley hotel.

For a chance to win, you'll have to subcribe to 12 issues with VOGUE. Visit the Vogue online site: www.style.com.

testing one, 2, three.

we are currently seeking a graphic design fidm student to help design a logo for our blog. if you're interested in joining our team and helping us relaunch this site, please email thefidmlife@gmail.com. thanks!

"sink or swim"

my instructor said this line in class today and it completely spoke to me. believe it or not, it's not the first time i've heard it. it's the third instructor at fidm to say this. definitely words to live by. especially if you're living this fidm life. trust. short, to the point, and very true. what do they mean by "sink or swim"?

when you first come to fidm, you'll quickly realize just how overwhelming the work load is. first quarter is not too bad, but once those introductory classes are over, your 2nd, 3rd, 4th... and every quarter onward will seem more challenging that you'll feel there's not enough time in the week to finish all the you have to do. where does sinking or swimming come into play?

fidm will teach you all that you need to know -- as far as your specialized major. your ultimate source for knowledge, skills, and industry information surrounds you here at fidm. how you use it is completely up to you. i'm saying all this because there WILL be times when you feel like you don't know or have the answer to. instead of an FML moment, take a 'sink or swim' action. you absolutely will not survive if you don't stick it out! you'll DROWN. seriously -- you'll be thrown in to do things that you may not know how to do at first... but should you give up right away? if you do, you'll sink. if you work hard, fight through it, you'll swim. are you getting my point?

that's all for tonight. xoxo

"The Shortest Musical You Will Never See Again"

Lady Gaga & Hollywood's finest celebrate at MOCA in L.A. on Saturday - Read the full scoop here.

playing nice and making friends

It surprises me to hear some students at FIDM say they aren’t here to make friends. They’re just here to get their degree and get out. All I’ve got to say to that is: “Good luck out in the real world, honey. You’ll be all alone.”

What I’ve learned from the past 5 quarters is that it’s all about putting yourself out there, networking, and getting noticed. You don’t necessarily have to be BFF with the world, but to not befriend a single person while you’re in school for the whole two years—I find that a little dismaying… and quite frankly, SAD. I’ll be honest, FIDM is a design school, FIDM is fashion, FIDM is incredibly competitive (internally, that is, because ultimately at the end of the journey, we’ll be fighting for the same dream job) – I don’t know, who knows. But we’re also here to learn, to grow, to discover. It wouldn’t hurt to build bridges along the way. I guess what I’m really trying to say is: open up, make friends, SMILE and say hello to the people around you. You’ll be stuck with them for the next 6+ quarters anyway, WHY THE HELL NOT?! And while you're at it... be nice to your instructors and advisors. "Bad attitude ain't gon' get you far."

The beauty of the fashion industry is this: You’ll never know who you’ll need a job from in the future, who you’ll need to hire in the future, OR who can help you get hired in the future. It’s about who’s in YOUR network.

So new kids at FIDM, I advise you to take those little noses out from the air and play nice. Enjoy the first week at school! That’s all for tonight. ;-)

Choosing Your Major

reflecting on 2009

2009 was a year of growth for me. Some of the happiest, craziest, challenging, and most life-changing events took place this year and it’s hard to imagine how fast it all came and went. I moved to Los Angeles about 16 months ago and during the first 5 months of trying to find a job, I lived off of my college savings. That meant no money to buy clothes, barely enough to buy basic necessities, and very limited money for food. Most of my money went to paying the rent and paying bills. I started to feel so desperate and immensely depressed. I needed help but had no one to turn to. At one moment, I remember thinking, “How am I going to get through this?” I had $47 dollars to my name and rent was due the next month. I couldn’t help but feel like a complete failure. “Why am I here? Did I make the right decision when I gave up everything to come here? Is this dream really worth it? Why do I feel so alone?”

It was a slap of reality in the face, the kind of slap that gave me a chance at self-realization. In one year, I came from a self-entitled mindset, thinking I can conquer the world and do it all to realizing that no, it’s not going to be easy and things aren’t just going to be handed to me. I was challenged and tested and God brought me out of it. The emotional and financial stress came to a halt when I turned it all to my Heavenly Father. There is a God and yes, He is faithful. 2009 gave me a chance to live life differently. It was a year of coming out and growing up. So as I reflect back on 2009, I feel nothing but blessed and optimistic—because 2010 is going to be an amazing one.
But no pressure... ;)

new year's resolution

- blog regularly, at least 3-4 times a week

- post interesting topics, ones that are relevant, helpful, and informative to FIDM students

- recruit for more real stories for blog entry

- recruit for more sartorial fidm fashions photography

- stay true to ourselves

- stay focus, graduate on time