#WhenIGrowUp: How to become a FAN-shionista

24 May 2017

The brand-new Johannesburg-based fashion design college, Fashion Academy Network (FAN), has opened its admission doors for its first intake of students in 2018. Headed up by directors Dr Braam Kruger, Kgomotso Moloantoa and Julian Smith, the dedicated fashion school aims to offer its students focused, personal attention as it guides them through all facets of the fashion world.

#WhenIGrowUp: How to become a FAN-shionista

Here, Moloantoa, marketing director for FAN and previously fashion editor for "O" and True Love magazines, shares with us what students can expect from the Academy... and what, in turn, will be expected from them.

What is the official graduate qualification of this course?
Moloantoa: It is the aim of the Fashion Academy Network to offer a Bachelor of Fashion Degree under the auspices of the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), the Council for Higher Education (CHE) and the Government Department of Higher Education & Training (DHET).

What are the entry requirements?
Subject to institutional admission requirements, the minimum admission requirement to a Bachelor’s degree programme is a National Certificate (Vocational) Level 4 issued by Council for General and Further Education and Training. The minimum legislative requirements for admission to a Bachelor’s degree include the achievement of: Three fundamental subjects between 60 - 69% (including English as the language of learning and teaching at FAN), three vocational subjects from the designated list between 70 - 79%.

Who is the course accredited by?
FAN is engaged in the process of accreditation with the Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education.

What should potential candidates know before applying?
Once you are selected, candidates will be invited for an interview and will have the opportunity to present their creative sketches which should consist of three to six pieces. This can include fashion designs; mixed media collages; photographs; digital media images; sewn items; and accessories created by hand.

Who should apply for this course?
It is open to young individuals with an understanding and passion for fashion as well as the economic impact of the industry in South Africa and the world over. A limited number of participants will be selected annually, ensuring focused and personal attention during their studies at FAN.

What aptitudes should a good student have?

Aptitude requires desire (passion) for all things related to fashion such as:
1. the ability to create new concepts for products (creativity),
2. garment technology - making patterns for the garments they design,
3. marketing their ideas to selected target markets,
4. running their own fashion business, and
5. collating and the dissemination of fashion information.

They may well be more interested in some aspects than others - this is fine as there is ample room for specialization in the industry.

They should be adequately literate in English as all our facilitation is in English. It is the LOLT (language of learning and teaching).

How are you engaging with youth to introduce them and draw their interest to a career in the industry?

FAN is launching the ‘Paper dress competition’ this year in which Grade 12 students are invited to create a fantasy dress made entirely out of various types of paper. The winning dress will be selected and appear on the FAN website and across all our social media. The winning school will be awarded art supplies from Herbert Evans and tickets to Fashion Week. The FAN Paper dress competition will be an ongoing annual event.
We primarily engage the youth through Career Day Expos as well as school visits and discussions, where we often use our promotional materials or FAN PowerPoint presentations contextualising the reasons for young people to engage with the fashion industry.

What unique opportunities do you offer your students?

FAN sponsors and selects the top four students to travel to New York during their second year of study.
One bursary is available per annum, on merit.
Third year participants manage operations of the FAN retail space, in which their own designs are sold, thus building a customer base for their own labels.
Participants that have completed their three-year tenure can continue to sell their garments through the FAN retail space, thereby continuing to create their own independent income.
Students’ work with merit is presented to the fashion media at Fashion Week.

What, if anything, do students find surprising about entering this field of study?
Students often find that a career in fashion, from being a student to a fashion professional, requires a high level of diligence and effort to make it.

What is usually the most difficult part/subject of this course?
The fashion course is multifaceted and depending on the individuals’ aptitude and interest, they will find their balance. Often students find Pattern Construction to be tricky but other students find business studies and its accounting to be tricky. But with the training and support provided by established lecturers and fashion experts, our students should have no difficulty. We have also consciously reduced the amount of homework given to allow the students time to relax and for their creative juices to flow.

Which careers could graduates expect to go into after completing this course?