Industry Partnerships

Hosted by Mary Kay Stolz, Creative Director, Film & TV Costume Design, FIDM. Film & TV Costume Design Students collaborate with American Film Institute Students on Master's Thesis Films.

Seven FIDM Graduates created couture gowns inspired by Cadillac cars and entered looks in Ezekiel's Needle & Thread competition as part of Style Week Orange County.

Students were mentored by FIDM Instructor and nationally-renowned Interior Designer Richard Herb as they renovated the Art Center for the Boys & Girls Club of Venice, California.

Students created a runway collection for GUESS. The winning design will be featured in an upcoming GUESS line and sold in stores. GUESS Founder Maurice Marciano announces the winner of the GUESS Design Challenge at FIDM's DEBUT 2010 Runway Show.

Mercedes-Benz partnered with FIDM Graphic Design students for their annual "Foot to the Pedal" promotion, allowing the students the opportunity to showcase their design skills. The annual campaign features children's pedal cars designed by celebrities and then displayed at Saks Fifth Avenue in Los Angeles before being auctioned off at the Carousel of Hope Ball to benefit juvenile diabetes research. This year Elton John, Teri Hatcher, and Anna Molinari were among the stars to lend their creative vision. Using only sketches sent in by the celebrities, the FIDM students masterfully interpreted the design concepts of the drawings and created the colorful graphics needed to make every car a stylish work of art. Each pedal car was painted to the stars' specifications and then adorned with rhinestones, decaled with student art and upholstered in leather, making the cars unique and fun. The finished products clearly illustrated the celebrities' visions as well as the talent that is being cultivated in FIDM's Graphic Design program.

The students who participated were Gen Asaki, Matthew Weiss, Andrew Leslie, Michael Anderson, Brieanne Emery, Kirk Fannin, Grace Hye-Young Kang and FIDM alum Salvador Sahagun. All were thrilled about the opportunity to participate in the promotion and have their work presented at the elegant charity event.

With over 40 stores in 11 states, Windsor Fashions is one of the top 50 largest privately held businesses in California. The thriving junior apparel and accessory company, which has a well-deserved reputation as a premiere purveyor of Prom and special-occasion dresses, has cultivated an exclusive, mutually beneficial partnership with FIDM.

"Windsor has been an amazing partner to FIDM," reveals Merchandise Marketing Assistant Chairperson, Jeanne Colliau. "Ike Zekaria, President of Windsor, has opened up his buying office and headquarters to FIDM's Applied Buying classes for a quarterly field trip, served as a guest speaker in the classroom, and attended FIDM's graduation ceremony as an award presenter." In an exciting new development, Mr. Zekaria is working with FIDM Graduate and Instructor Nick Verreos of Project Runway: Season 2, to create a private label for Windsor.

Windsor has also collaborated closely with FIDM to develop career opportunities for students, from sponsored internships to full-time, salaried positions. This past year, the company has hired three graduates as Assistant Buyers, in addition to the many FIDM Students already employed within the company. The three FIDM Grads, Sarah Izzo, Aaron Burton, and Leana Gonzalez, help determine the direction of the merchandise for the stores, accompany the Buyers to meetings with vendors to choose merchandise for the stores and website, and have travelled to New York for Market Week. Most recently, FIDM grad, Sara Izzo has been promoted to the position of Seperates Buyer.

"Thus far, our experience hiring FIDM Graduates has been nothing but positive," says Mr. Zekaria. "We are finding that FIDM Grads arrive at Windsor with a wide-base understanding of fashion and merchandising and are equipped to start contributing to our business immediately. Accordingly, by working closely with FIDM, we have access to the youngest and brightest talent pool in the fashion business. By employing FIDM Grads, we have strengthened our own team by adding people who have the necessary energy, tenacity, and work ethic to grow our business."

Lionsgate Films selected nine art and design schools across the United States to design local advertising campaigns for their upcoming film The Spirit.

FIDM Graphic Design Students developed the Los Angeles portion of a movie campaign for The Spirit (Lionsgate Films). The 20' x 30' hanging banner they designed was held aloft by a crane in Downtown Los Angeles to promote the film. The students who participated were Alex Kapustin, Lesley Leong, Martha Walker, and Hector De Leon.

When readiness and drive meet opportunity, success happens. Just ask the ten talented students in FIDM's International Manufacturing and Product Development program. They worked with industry partner Pacific Sunwear to complete this year's IMPD challenge―creating a line of surf and skate lifestyle apparel, including new uniforms for PacSun's Pre-Pro Surf Team!

With the best alumni turnout ever, FIDM's 15th Annual Career Connections was the most successful one yet. Over 100 FIDM Alumni returned to campus to share with current FIDM Students how they've become successful in their industries. Current FIDM Students welcome the opportunity to hear of the Grads' accomplishments in the workforce, learn how it was done, and network with them for future internships and jobs.

In the latest of FIDM's many incredible industry partnerships, students from the Graphic Design program created custom-designed guitars for Fender®. Fashion Design students were also involved in the project, designing the rock star outfits worn by models who carried the guitars down the runway at the Debut 2007 Fashion Show. Watch the video to meet the Graphic Design and Fashion Design students who worked on the designs, see them in action, and find out what it takes to turn a project this electrifying into a reality.