"So you go to school for fashion….?"

As a little girl I was always different than my peers, I never really liked school and I would always dread the words “parent-teacher conferences.” My hobbies included watching the Home Shopping Network to see what the new trends were and drooling over the gorgeous Henri Bendel window displays at Oakbrook Mall. I always loved shopping, whether I was actually buying something, or just window shopping. While all the little girls wore their ballerina flats to choir concerts in elementary school, I was in the sparkly sequin heels from Limited Too, along with a matching pink puffy dress (maybe a tiara too) after all, I was my mommy’s little princess ;). I just loved fashion and everything about it. While my cousins had aspirations to become teachers or doctors, I wanted to marry a man named Gino and open up a boutique called “Gina and Gino’s shoes.”(Well, I was going to open up that boutique whether there was a Gino or not). I always wanted to be like Rachel from Friends, the assistant buyer for Bloomingdale’s and Ralph Lauren.

I am telling you all of this because fashion has always been my life and one true love. If you are/want to purse a career in fashion, you will probably get many negative comments from people. I can’t even count how many times people ask me what my major is and the blank stare they give, followed be “So you go to school for fashion….?” I am also telling you this because you need to be prepared for what people will say. (Also, if you are one of the people that say these things, you should probably stop.) Going to art school for fashion has opened my eyes on so many things. Fashion and having your own personal style is a beautiful thing. There is a reason YOU chose to buy the clothes you are wearing right now. Some of you just simply buy the outfit that you adore on the mannequin and others may have gotten their inspiration from Pinterest. Either way, you both were influenced by people that work in the fashion industry. Who do you think bought those clothes, styled the mannequins, and marketed the item to you? Fashion Marketers. The next time you hear that someone is going to school for fashion, acknowledge that they have to go through as much school as you (if not more), and that they chose such an interesting major because it is indeed their passion and love.

XOXO,
Gina Nicolette

AND I am STILL in my pink puffy dress with sparkly sequin shoes 😉