Business, Design & Style

Discovering the Industry

Diane von Furstenberg

Lesson time 12:46 min

Why do you want to be a designer? Diane challenges you to answer this question and gives advice on how to establish a foothold in the fashion industry.

Students give MasterClass an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars

Topics include: Be Specific With Your Dream • Your Visual Eye • Getting Work Experience

Preview

This class is about how to build a fashion brand. But it is also about how to design your life, because when you are at the beginning of your own life, it is very important to dream and to think about what you will do. And you may have an idea for a product. And you may build around that. But you have to remember, as you design your product, you also design your life. And it is equally as important to understand that. Why do you want to be a designer? I mean, I think that's actually the first question that you have to answer yourself. Why do you want to be a designer? Is it because you have an eye? Is it because you like the idea of it? I think it's important that you know that. I mean, is your impulse really creative and you have an eye and you love colors and maybe you like prints? Or is it that you like the craftsmanship? You have to know why you have this desire. Maybe it's just you like the idea of being a designer. I mean, is it that you really are talented and you have an idea? Or is it that you think it's glamorous and you want to do it? It's very important that you ask yourself the question why. And am I delusional or does it make any sense? It's very, very important. The more precise you are about what you want to do, the more successful you will be. So I think the most important is to-- again, as I said, the rule number one, for me, is the most important relationship is the one you have with yourself. And that works for your career and also you have to know what you want. But then, maybe be open to other suggestion. Think what you want to do. Make sure you're not delusional. And go for it. Right now, we live at a time that everything is changing. All the industries are changing. Magazines don't have the power they used to have. I mean, today, you don't need a dictionary. You don't need a map. You see everything online. So it is difficult to become somebody to be noticed. But now, you have social media. You have the internet. So now, is time not so much to look at the past and how other people did, but it's also a time to take the lessons from how people did it, but to apply it to today. So who in your area is a person that you could work for? I mean, that, I think, would be-- wherever you live, is there somebody that you say, I would like to do that. Because then, your goal is let me try to go and work for this person. Or let me go and meet this person. Because that is the best way to do it. I think that, clearly, the most important thing, if you want to realize a dream is to know what this dream is. And the more concrete and the more specific this dream is, the better chance you have to do it. Who has an eye versus who doesn't have an eye? I mean, it's like music. I mean, you can sing or you can't sing. I mean, I certainly can't sing. Do you ...

About the Instructor

In her 20s, Diane Von Furstenberg convinced a textile factory owner in Italy to let her produce her first designs. With those samples, she flew to New York City to build one of the world’s most iconic and enduring fashion brands. In her first online fashion design class, Diane teaches you how to build a brand. You’ll learn how to create a visual identity, build loyalty, stay true to your vision, and launch your product.

Featured MasterClass Instructor

Diane von Furstenberg

In 17 video lessons, Diane von Furstenberg will teach you how to build and market your fashion brand.

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