Business, Design & Style
Student Session: Catherine
Lesson time 09:44 min
Diane and a student discuss inspiration, influences, and career dreams.
Students give MasterClass an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars
Topics include: Portfolio Review With Catherine
Teaches Building a Fashion Brand
In 17 video lessons, Diane von Furstenberg will teach you how to build and market your fashion brand.
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All right, so Catherine Fourier-- so you're a little bit Italian? Yes, I am. Yes, yes. So when you were a little girl, and you drew your first fashion design, what was it? I think it was overall bellbottoms, and I think I wanted not just to be a round circle at the bell shape, but what if it was a triangle at the hem? I think colors are very important to me. And growing up, who is the fashion-- if you could work with any fashion designer, who is the fashion designer that you associate the most with? I would say Nicolas Ghesquiere, and I would say Hussein Chalayan. OK, so your taste is very geometric? Yes, I would-- Sculptural? --say geometric, sculptural, but then I love the craft of something. I love the hand embellishments. I love the runway. I love conceptual things. I love taking it to another level. So it is about being sculptural? Yes, I would say so. So how old are you now? I am 31 right now. OK, and so what is your goal, your dream? My dream would-- to have my own line, mainly because, to put the creativity not just from a design perspective, but from a holistic approach of how a company may be run, how the employees are taken care. Yes, so go more. So you would like to start your own brand. And what would your brand bring? I mean, why would it be different than anyone? I think, for me, because I am a woman, I know what a woman wants. I think I'm very a forward thinker. I feel trends before they arrive. I'm very fearless and confident. I think, for from my brand, it would really be about delivering a product that makes a woman feel beautiful and confident. But it's very-- I mean, what would you like to learn from me? And what would you like to ask me? Because now you're showing me a very nice line that you're working on, and it's sportswear. But it's the brand that you design for. So obviously, you have learned how to match the fabrics, how to do specs, and all of that. This is very good, but it does not really explain to me too much about your intention and what-- it's a very good sportswear line. These are beautiful. All right, so you are a very good sportswear designer? Yes, I would say so. OK, so then this, for example, is very nice. It's very beautiful. So I mean, where do you go from here, and where would you like to go from here? I think I love learning, in general. I think I was part of our Chicago Fashion Incubator. I was a class of '09. And there, they help launch a brand. I started designing, obviously, during a financial crisis. And I think then, I mean, I was buying more conceptual stuff to really sculpt with. But I think, because of the climate of the industry and at that point, I think I got a rude awakening and a taste of numbers are important, and buys are important, and sell-throughs are important-- so how does knowing that and unde...
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.
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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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