TV Reveals the Best and Worst of Fashion Jobs

by Fran Walker
fran.walker@fashiondesignschoolreview.com
Fashion Design School Review Columnist

In the UK, the TV show Project Catwalk has been a runaway success! Like its U.S. forerunner, it aims to show the viewer the heady, hardworking world of fashion design. Also showing in the UK is The House of Chanel, a five-part BBC program offering unique insights on the reality of fashion design and fashion jobs. It is an inspiration for college graduates of design and lovers of fashion in Paris and the rest of the world.

Project Catwalk: An Inside View of Fashion Design

For fashion lovers without an ounce of artistic talent, Project Catwalk provides information about the ins and outs of fashion design. Using the same format as Project Runway, it gives 12 designers the chance to display their fashion design skills. It also gives them--and the 12 new models--a great chance to network for fashion jobs in the future.

The viewer is treated to the harsh realities of fashion design--the tough schedules, the last-minute changes, and the ultimate disappointment--rejection via expulsion by the judges every week. Three of the remaining 12 fashion designers get to show their collections at London Fashion Week. The winner takes home the ultimate prize of £20,000.00 and the hope of fashion jobs in the future.

The House of Chanel: A Pre-College Insight Into Designing Fashion in Paris and Beyond

Less publicized than Project Catwalk, The House of Chanel is essential viewing if you're interested in finding a college for studying design and fashion in Paris. The day-to-day view of arduous, eccentric, real fashion jobs in this vibrant city has never been seen in this detail before. But whether you want to go to college to design fashion in Paris, or whether you want an insight into fashion jobs worldwide, this gem of a program is the ideal place to start.

I knew my old teacher was wrong. There are some things you can learn from TV! Fashion Design is definitely one of them.

About the Author
Fran Walker is a freelance writer and editor specializing in educational and domestic issues. Fran graduated in 1993 with a degree in English Literature.

Posted on March 7, 2006 at 12:44 PM