Faculty
In what ways do you think the MA in Global Communications Fashion Track gives students the tools they need to have a successful career in fashion communications?
Fashion is a multifaceted discipline and the Fashion Track is designed to give students a deep understanding of fashion history, fashion theory, the business of fashion, journalism and PR as well as the ever-changing digital tools needed to communicate this exciting environment. As Paris is the center of the fashion world, field trips to museums, ateliers, and events are also a vital part of the program.
What have been some of the most memorable moments in your career, and how do you turn them into teaching opportunities?
Covering over a thousand fashion shows in Paris, Milan, and other industry centers such as Sao Paolo, Casablanca, Dusseldorf, New York and Dublin has given me an in depth, firsthand knowledge of how the fashion system works and how it is interpreted in various cultures. I communicate my over 20 year of experience in the business to the students with stories, and through interviews with fashion players such as Karl Lagerfeld, Anna Wintour, Kate Moss, and Audrey Hepburn. I also illustrate my lectures with videos I produced for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s fashion news program: “Fashion File” . The documentaries I produced feature designers such as Alexander McQueen, Valentino, John Galliano, and Jean Paul Gaultier, amongst others, are some of my most valuable classroom tools.
I stress the importance of technological innovation both in the creation of clothes and the tools required to communicate fashion products.
How do the modules enrich the practical components of Fashion Track?
The modules cover diverse topics such as trend forecasting, sustainable fashion, creative 3D design, and how to launch a career in fashion. That academic breadth contributes to enabling students to have a multifaceted understanding of the fashion industry.
From your own professional experience in starting one of the first fashion TV shows, Fashion File, how do you stress the importance of innovation, in a world where the media is changing at such a rapid pace?
I require my students to be up to date with fashion news by reading a vast array of publications. I stress the importance of technological innovation both in the creation of clothes and the tools required to communicate fashion products. Understanding fashion history is vital to the process of putting change into context.