Inside or Outside the industry

On the 25th of May i-D fashion magazine dated an article called, fashion students open up about the real pressures of study, click here to read the full article.

I can honestly relate so much to this article, the main headline on the top, is that we want our degrees & our stress to be taken seriously.

Forget law, finance & business degrees, we're the ones that are making a go at the worlds future, we're working our ass's off to make sure you al looks great, have the best shopping experience. Take a break from being so damn stuck up & take a look around, be grateful, without me & my degree you wouldn't have half of the things in front of you right now!

Did you know that last year the global textile industry was valued at nearly $3 trillion dollars. It's been estimated that top fashion events such as New York Fashion week can bring $800 million dollars into a city.

Im only two years into studying my dream job in the fashion industry & I've been questioned so much about what I'm actually going to pursue in the future, & that only me could pick such an easy course. The only people that I can actually discuss my work with are my course mates, considering all outsiders dismiss me when I happen to say I've so much work to do.

Ive just gotten so used to getting my work dismissed from friends & family I tend to not even tell them about all my exciting opportunities.

My course is 95% stress, the stress is made up of constantly having projects to do, never getting a break, having to stay up till 4am to get work done. Spending so long on getting a project done & then being told its good by one person but not good by an other. It's just a whole course of deciding for yourself, theirs no direct answers for anything. I'm not complaining cause it's what I want to do. But outsiders seem to think its drawing your favourite clothes, making & doing, having an easy uni life, socialising, well if you're into all that fair enough but that's not the fashion industry for anyone who's serious about it.

Just to this minute I just got a call, I told them I was in the library, this person is someone who knows me incredibly well, but completely didn't pay attention to me when I said I was in the library. It has to be the most frustrating thing in the world. I've grown up with having seriously academic friends, who go study high professional courses just because they sound smart, being told that my course has less tress than traditional uni courses.

"Unless someone is your housemate,

they have no idea how much blood, sweat,

And tears goes into a year."

A student interviewed in the i_D interview said. I couldn't of said it better myself, even at that I'm not even sure if my flat mates know how stressful the course is. They definitely do know that I've pulled many all nighters in the library & they appreciate my work more than anyone else, which I really do admire.

"It's hard when your friends are studying subjects

with three or four assessments per semester.

You're burnt out and they laugh

at you because you're studying 'fashion'

and apparently aren't contributing to society."

"The lack of recognition for the immense amount of effort

that goes into completing a design degree is infuriating"

"It's gut wrenching when you're finally doing what you love,

but are stressed out of your brains and feel mentally and physically helpless,"

Thanks for reading, & maybe it might make you show some consideration in the future.

Much love,

G x