Monday, November 4, 2013

Women’s College Alumna Wins Project Runway and Offers Fashion College Advice

Below is my Huffington Post blog post I wrote last week about Dom Streater, Project Runway Season 12 winner!

Project Runway Season 12 Winner Dom Offers College Advice to Women Interested in Fashion Design
 

Dom Streater the cool, calm and creative 24-year-old whose fashion-forward style caught the eye of the Project Runway judges has been very busy juggling design work with local appearances in the town she grew up in, Philadelphia, since winning Season 12. Her design business, Halcyon Clothing Collection, is really hopping; the totes she designed are nearly all sold out, and Samuel L Jackson contacted her via Twitter to design a dress for his wife, LaTanya Richardson. While Dom's Alma mater, Moore College of Art & Design, invited her to speak at their 2013 Leadership Conference for Women in the Arts, Philadelphia's morning TV show, Good Day Philadelphia, invited her to be on the show and the mayor of Philadelphia, The Honorable Michael A. Nutter, honored Dom for her winning Project Runway at a recent event.

It's easy to understand why so many want to get to know this fashion and textile designer who loves creating colorful vibrant clothing and fabrics. Dom's Project Runway pieces were considered amazing by numerous viewers; even this non-fashion oriented gal loved many of her designs; admittedly, there's something captivating about Dom's clothes. She has a real flare for incorporating textiles and prints into designs crafted for all kinds of shapes and sizes that also are stylish and appealing. Down to earth, this soulful designer has a bright fashion career ahead of her. I see a huge market for "Dom Girl" fashion.

Since Dom won the highly-competitive fashion design television series, future fashion designers are seeking Streater out for fashion school advice. Questions she's often asked revolve around her college choice as well as advice for selecting a fashion school. Her advice and insight entails encouraging future students to focus on discovering the best fashion design college for them. With so many excellent programs to choice from, it's important to first be clear with what you want from a fashion design program. Once you are, you can then consider other factors, including learning style and personal preferences. After that, you can begin to research the various colleges. Soon you will have a short list of possible places tailored just for you.

An advocate of campus visits, Dom encourages visiting as many college campuses as possible. Dom visited numerous campuses before deciding upon Philadelphia-based Moore College, graduating in 2010 with her Bachelors in Fine Arts in Fashion Design. In fact, after her many visits, Moore was the only college she wanted to attend.

"The fashion program at Moore was great," she said. "Everything I know how to do is because I went to Moore, in terms of construction and how I think about design. I learned to be very methodical and precise when I'm working. It helped me a lot on the show."

Dom knew what she wanted in a design school. First and foremost, she was looking for a top-notch design program. She also wanted a college that attracted collaborative, high-achieving students, and a college that provided a nurturing and supportive atmosphere with small classes.

While all of Moore's 10 BFA programs are top-notch, it was the college's atmosphere that really made an impression on Dom. Moreover, she loved the idea of a women's college. She knew how competitive the fashion industry is and wanted the best opportunity for being successful. She felt that being at a women's college meant having fewer distractions, which would help her keep focused on her craft (and the reason she was attending college in the first place). She knew that talented young women from all over the world came to Moore, and this was very appealing to her as well. In addition, during her campus visits she experienced the supportive environment first-hand, only reinforcing how critical this environment was to her. Visiting the campus and meeting with students, professors, and staff cemented her confidence that she could fulfill her career dream.

The friends that Dom made while attending Moore College provided much welcomed support and encouragement during her time on Project Runway. "It's all about Moore girls sticking together," Dom Streater said. "Because it's an all women's college that bond sticks even after graduation." And while many women's colleges don't have sororities, women college alumnae will tell you that's because the entire campus is one big sorority -- so rest assured that sisterhood is alive and thriving at women's colleges, and sisterhood comes in handy during and after graduation.

While the fashion industry is highly competitive, the good news is that Moore College is committed to "empowering women to achieve financial independence by providing a high-quality, career-focused education." With over 160 years of educating women for careers in art and design, Moore College of Art & Design is the first and only visual arts women's college. I'm very happy to report their students continue to enjoy career success including recent graduates. Of the 2012 BFA graduates, 93 percent are employed, and 79 percent of those are with organizations in their fields of study.

Dom Streater is very happy she attended Moore and encourages other women visual artists to consider her Alma mater. If you are looking for a fashion school that provides a challenging and creative environment with nurturing and talented professors who are committed to their students, Moore might also be for you.

Follow Dom online via Her Store, Her Work, on Facebook, as well as on Twitter.

(Visit the original blog post for various links.)

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