Seeing the controversy about LCF shared by a student, it probably means that a Xiaohongshu blogger who graduated from LCF women's wear major raised great doubts about LCF women's course leader, fashion resources and graduation show experience, and caused extensive discussion in Xiaohongshu and the British fashion study abroad circle.
I looked around, and to be honest, this skepticism is not unreasonable.
01 About LCF's mentor and research direction
In fact, a few years ago, Jessica Saunders, the former course leader of LCF women's clothing, caused a lot of discussion. Model-turned-Jessica Saunders officially took over as head of womenswear in 2018, and just a year later, in 2019, LCF appointed Nabil El-Nayal as its new head. Then the LCF staff list looks like this:
Screenshot from LCF's official website
These three people, let's call them Na Dao, Jie Dao and Sa Dao. Let's take a brief look at the profiles of the three instructors, Nabil El-Nayal, Course Leader, Practice Route, experienced in the fashion industry, RCA Master's degree, and has a personal brand Nabil NAYAL. Twice nominated for the LVMH Award and supported by the late Karl Lagerfeld and Amanda Harlech. Two-time winner of the British Fashion Council's Fashion Trust Award and walked the runway during London and Paris Fashion Week.
He completed a practice-based PhD in 2018 (both undergraduate and PhD at MMU), collaborated with the British Library and the Historical Costume School, and collaborated with organisations including IBM, Google and Selfridges to create a range of Elizabethan themed sportswear pieces.
Na Dao with Rihanna and Karl Lagerfeld, source: LCF website
Jessica Saunders is the Course Director of the Fashion Design Course, which includes Honours in Menswear, Womenswear and Fashion Jewelry.
We click on more to see some of the 12 years of experience as a fashion model, such as research focused on the future sustainability of textiles, especially how waste-related policies, legislation and sustainability frameworks can prevent e-textiles from becoming the future pollutant of the earth.
Screenshot from LCF's official website
Sarah-Ann Smith trained in the PGCert course in St. Martin and is an experienced tailor with extensive knowledge of the ready-to-wear industry, including 6 years as a technical manager at Mary Katrantzou, Simone Rocha, Haizen Wang and Roland Mouret. Sarah-Ann specializes in flat and vertical cuts and is currently researching cross-cutting comparisons of draft and overhang pattern cuts.
So what does this mean, what we can feel from this mentor's introduction is that the guide and the guide are biased towards the direction of practical guidance, the rich experience and practical ability of the guide can help everyone get assistance in cutting, cutting and printing, the director is more experienced in historical clothing culture research, the creation and development of personal brands, and the course leader Jie Dao, she is more not like an insider in fashion design, but more good at sustainable and interdisciplinary research.
Romeo Gigli, the fashion mentor at the new school of fine arts in Milan, was Romeo Gigli, the designer who McQueen went to work as his assistant when he became famous
And this, if you are looking forward to "big-name cooperation resources", "show venues and job opportunities", and do not want to study sustainable students, it is easy to feel the misallocation of resources. I have always had a view that no school is unconditionally suitable for everyone, this wave of controversy is not to blame students with bad experience, nor can it all be blamed on LCF, it is recommended that everyone learn more before applying, and find their own suitable colleges and majors.
02 What are the resources that the school can provide?
LCF is undoubtedly a famous school, and at the same time, what you need to know is that in addition to the tutor information and research direction we have written about above, it is also a part of the art and CSM teaching style is different.
Everyone knows that CSM St. Martins is famous and has a very personal style to show and cultivate, compared to LCF, which is much more commercial. So it probably won't give you the space to do what costumes you do or don't make costumes like CSM's undergraduate and RCA. In contrast, it will provide certain brand cooperation and internship opportunities for you to help students find employment.
Two students invited by Moncler's team from LCF23 graduate graduation exhibition collaborated with Pharrell, Adidas, Rick Owens, etc. for the first time, according to the LCF website
In addition, LCF's fashion also means that it is the world's second best art and design QS ranking, and can share the equipment and resources of all the colleges of Lunyi (although in recent years it is said that there is a bit of competition because of the large number of students, but it is generally richer, and cutting-edge equipment will be configured).
Take other schools for example, Belgium's Royal Academy of Art in Antwerp is more special, as a fashionable ace major, the location is not very good, the style is generally a bit of the famous "The Antwerp Six" taste. In the early 80s of the last century, driving a rented broken truck to London Fashion Week held a "poor boy" fashion show, which directly changed the world fashion map. (Walter Van Beirendonck, one of the Six Gentlemen, still teaches at the Royal Academy of Art in Antwerp.)
Antwerp 22 graduation show (partial)
Antwerp's resources mean that sewing machines may have to be brought by themselves, and the style is a strict requirement to break the tradition after inheriting the tradition, very strict and hard, hoping that every student can "make clothes with their bare hands". Every year there are shows in each grade, so even younger students have the opportunity to be directly negotiated by various European luxury brands, but at the same time, this means that in Antwerp, every year is graduation season. There is a elimination rate, no preparatory department, no nationality composition, inclusiveness, sustainability, etc. may be more valued in the United Kingdom and the United States.
For example, red and white roses, suitable for you is "backed by London Fashion Week, rich resources and high ranking" LCF and "European luxury and old fashion resources are numerous, solid teaching" Antwerp, not suitable for you is "tutors indiscriminately guided, many people and expensive and ranked" LCF and "even a sewing machine can not afford to buy, the geographical location is outrageous, the pressure is not known", mosquito blood and rice grains, has always been so.
03 Recommend colleges and universities to students who are more inclined to "big-name fashion resources"
Come to several schools with good fashion resources to recommend and broaden the scope of school selection outside the London triangle of LCF, CSM and RCA:
1. New York Fashion Institute (FIT)
It is wealthy, has a strong teaching achievement, and is closely related to New York Fashion Week, providing students with opportunities for competitions and exhibitions to get in touch with the fashion industry, such as the annual student show sponsored by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CDFA). Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, and Ralph Rucci are among the school's notable alumni, with internships and job opportunities with companies such as Direct Connections to Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Victoria's Secret, Michael Kors, and others.
Hanyi student Y graduated from FIT fashion design at New York Fashion Week
2. Parsons School of Design
Without further ado, it is directly benchmarked against CSM as one of the world's top four fashion design schools.
3. French Fashion Institute (IFM)
A model of international fashion and luxury education, words such as "involving cooperation with fashion brands such as Hermès and Chanel" can often be seen in the course introduction, and it has to be said that in terms of old luxury resources, the advantages of French and Italian institutions can be described as unique, but in contrast, the fame and ranking attached to the degree are not as good as those of British and American institutions.
Source: ifmparis.fr
4. Park Mulder Fashion Institute
Parklane Muda Fashion Institute is a school invested by the government of Florence, Italy, jointly established by 30 top international fashion and luxury brand companies such as Versace, Gucci, Ferragamo, and Todés, with a unique background, abundant resources, and relatively low competitive pressure to apply.
5. Marangoni Fashion Institute
It is also a famous fashion college, briefly introduce Marangoni's fashion resources, so to speak, Kang Shishi's colleague Lu, when he enrolled in Marangoni, the first project partner was Versace.
Marangoni has trained many famous fashion designers for Italy and the world, such as Domenico Dolce, founder of DOLCE & GABBANA, and Franco Moschino, founder of MOSCHINO.
Istituto Marangoni - Milan campus
6. ESMOD Higher International Fashion Design Institute
Big Brother in the fashion industry, the world's largest fashion education group, focusing on haute couture ready-to-wear (daily nailing beads and sewing buttons).
ESMOD Partners (partial) Source: esmod.com
If you are interested in the above universities, or have more questions related to art study abroad, insurance research, graduate school entrance examination, portfolio creation, and application for doctoral studies, please welcome to ask questions by private message Kang Shishi.