FASHION GROUP INTERNATIONAL-Beverly Hills
FGI, Fashion Group International Los Angeles, held a very special "Project Runway" panel discussion in the Museum of Televison and Radio in Beverly Hills. Most of the LA-based designers, Kirsten, Raymundo, Daniel Franco, Andrae, and myself were invited to partake in a Q & A discussion moderated by the lovely Alison Nieder, Editor-in-Chief of the California Apparel News. And to our surprise , another Season 2 Designer, Marla, was in the audience! Marla told me that she was in town for a month shopping for fabrics. The discussion and questions were varied : What are each of us doing now? What were our expectations of the show? What did we get out of the show? Why did each of us apply to be in the show? We also discussed the state of Los Angeles designers, what would-be-Project Runway designers could do to prepare, our contracts(as much as we can talk about), as well as "dished" a little bit. I met with Alison Nieder and the publisher of the Apparel News afterwards, and they both felt it was a successful evening; informative, fun and thought-provoking. I, for one, was honored to have been a part of it and I was glad to see so many people from all aspects of the LA fashion industry including academia, stylists, designers, students, public relations, and the media.
I say that next time, we have a discussion on the effect MTV's "The Hills" , "My Super Sweet Sixteen" , and the Celebrity tabloid magazines are having on students of Fashion Design and Merchandising. I will be more than happy to give my two cents!