A Day In the Life of a Fashion Accessories Design Student at the College for Creative Studies
Courtesy of College for Creative Studies1/12Produced for Teen Vogue with College for Creative Studies (CCS)
Ever wonder what it’s like to go to school for fashion accessories design? We got a peek into the lives of the students at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit!
The four-year program educates students in designing and manufacturing a range of products including handbags, footwear, leather goods, and accessories hardware (i.e., buckles, hooks, appliques, etc.). Graduates walk away with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and skills that will set them up for success to work in various roles in the staggering $51 billion U.S. fashion accessories industry.
Ahead, see what it’s like to attend the school and study in the program!
Courtesy of College for Creative Studies2/12Sketching is one of the first things students in the Fashion Accessories Design program at CCS will learn. They present their drawings to the class, sharing their ideas and inspiration.
Courtesy of College for Creative Studies3/12For this specific project, students were assigned a contemporary artist and tasked to create multiple fashion accessories based on their research. They designed and sketched watches, purses, shoes, hats, sunglasses, and hardware that were inspired by the work of the artist.
Courtesy of College for Creative Studies4/12“The sketchbooks are full of ideas that have sprung out from their original research,” said Aki Choklat, department chair and internationally recognized footwear and accessories designer. “The next stage is to start creating and making actual objects. Students will make a full collection on their theme and a selected item.”
Courtesy of College for Creative Studies5/12Each class in the Fashion Accessories Design program has about 15 students. “We take a maximum of about 20 students per year to ensure that we give the students the best possible experience,” Choklat said.
Courtesy of College for Creative Studies6/12During the first year, students take foundation classes and a dedicated fashion accessories course that teaches things like the basics of the fashion world and pattern-making skills.
Courtesy of College for Creative Studies7/12Choklat (pictured) said there’s not really a typical day for students. “It’s a mixture of lecture, drawing, and making classes. We have a full range of traditional and digital design, prototyping, and production facilities that are located right on campus.”
Courtesy of College for Creative Studies8/12Skills such as leather cutting are taught in the program.
Courtesy of College for Creative Studies9/12CCS brought Brandi Devers, a designer/maker and owner of a bespoke shoemaking and leather goods company, into the classroom to show students how to work with leather. Here, a student is going through samples of real and synthetic leathers used in the fashion accessories industry.
Courtesy of College for Creative Studies10/12Each student was given their own hide to practice skiving and cutting.
Courtesy of College for Creative Studies11/12These are some of the shoemaking tools and lasts (shoe forms) students work with.
Courtesy of College for Creative Studies12/12Lasts sit on the classroom windowsill in the Fashion Accessories Design department looking out onto Detroit. The city has been named “One of the Hottest Cities of the Future” by Business Insider, and one of the “10 Up-and-Coming Downtowns” by Forbes.
