Student Highlight - Carissa H.

March 18, 2024 Jennifer Serr

Carissa recently took a series of classes to prepare herself for a graduate program application. She completed her undergrad in another field and has been in the working world but wanted to shift gears into the realm of design. She had a tight deadline and a steep learning curve but really made huge progress over just a couple of months. We are so proud of her and all her hard work! Look what a beautiful dress she made as only her 2nd adult sewing project. Wow! Bravo Carissa - Bellisima!

Understanding Sole Proprietorship in California for Aspiring Fashion Designers

December 26, 2023 Jennifer Serr

For an aspiring fashion designer, deciding on the right business structure can seem daunting. Yet setting up as a sole proprietorship in California may be simpler than it appears – and serve as a stepping stone to success. As the LLC.org guide: Sole Proprietorship in California shows, a sole proprietorship offers budding fashion entrepreneurs key advantages as well as reasonable legal obligations.

Jobs in Fashion - Photo Styling with Susie St. John

October 4, 2022 Jennifer Serr

A photo stylist is someone who works with a photographer and sometimes a team, such as an art director and/or an assistant stylist, to make clothing or products look the way the Brand or Magazine wants them to look. Their goal is to translate the vision of the designer or art director into a scene that can then be photographed.

6 Things You Need to Know When You Are Starting Out as a Designer

September 20, 2022 Jennifer Serr

Recently I interviewed my friend and colleague, Susan Aplanalp-Weeks. She has had a varied career in the fashion industry and has worn many hats, some of which are Pattern Maker, Designer, Technical Designer, Production Manager and finally Professional Fashion Instructor. Susan Currently teaches Fashion Classes in the Design Department at UC Davis and she's also taught for the California College of the Arts and Otis Design School in Los Angeles. During the interview we discuss what new designers need to know when starting out.

Jobs in Fashion - 5 Different Kinds of Models - An Interview with Charleston Pierce

January 11, 2022 Jennifer Serr

This Blog post and video are kicking off a series I’m starting where I’ll talk with industry professionals about Jobs in Fashion. There are so many different kinds of jobs in the fashion industry and I thought it would be really interesting to dig into a few of these and let you know what these jobs are really like and how they can differ from one company to another.

Fashion Illustration - Interview with artist Velicia Gourdin

August 27, 2020 Jennifer Serr

Recently, our very own Julie Ann Brown reached out to fashion illustrator artist Velicia Gourdin for an interview. She asked ten great questions. We hope you enjoy Velicia’s answers and her AMAZING illustrations below. She is such a talented artist and illustrator!

Fashion Careers: What is a Fashion Designer?

February 14, 2020 Jennifer Serr

When I was growing up, all I wanted was, to become a FASHION DESIGNER. I wanted the glamorous life of being famous as well as the daily activity of making clothing that started out in my mind and then became a physical garment. I think that’s what most people think of when they think of a fashion designer. In reality, the glamorous life of a fashion designer is few and far between. That kind of designer is the one that many of us all look up to, but isn’t the actual job that most designers have.

Fashion Careers: What is Pattern Making?

January 16, 2020 Jennifer Serr

This is the start of a new blog series about Fashion Careers. I’m starting with Pattern Making or Pattern Maker, because that’s the job I’m most familiar with . I’ve been pattern making and pattern fixing for the last couple of decades and it’s something that gives me great personal satisfaction as well having been a skill I’ve used to earn a living.

Sign up for Blog updates

See how much fun we have at Fashion Sewing Camp!