THE SCHOOL OF ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO

The School of Art Institute of Chicago's Core Values are "We are explorers; making and meaning are inseparable; we are artists and scholars"

The school says that when you are studying in the Fashion Design degree program, you will be working parallel with sculptures, designers, architects, performance artists, among others, creating a unique, interdisciplinary education..  The school wants to challenge the artists to take on a theoretical approach to their work.

The Sage Studios for fashion design is housed in a historic building designed by Louis Sullivan.  He was an architect from the early 1900's and named "The Father of Skyscrapers"!

What I found to be unique to this art school is that it is also the Chicago Art Museum.  

For the Fashion Design students (though not exclusively) is the Fashion Resource Center.  This is a huge collection of garments and accessories for the students to examine, touch!

Over 800 pieces of clothing to advance the students in design and construction.  Over 800 videos of ready to wear and couture runway presentations, technical instruction, interviews, fashion history and annual student shows.  This is a non circulating research setting with over 3,200 fashion publications, contemporary designer biographies, and interviews.

Rare books are shelved right along side with newer publications.  The center has 25 current fashion and lifestyle publications, vintage publications in the archive from the 1890's for the students use.  The center has foundation garments, 19th century lingerie, uniforms, and occupational dress collection.In the collection they have vintage fabrics as well as new materials for the students inspiration.  How cool is that?!  What a wonderful resource if someone hit a "designer's block" or spend a lazy afternoon.  It can be viewed by us everyday folk as a paid tour, which I think would be worth it.What a fantastic idea to come up with this resource for the students at SAIC.  It does jive with one of the schools core values "Meaning and making are inseparable existing as perpetual and productive cycle driven by experience, research and critique"

This picture is from the Fashion Resource Center - but I don't know what it means.

The school wants students to customize their education within the schools open framework to tailor their creative goals.  For Fashion Design degree seekers, it is highly recommended that the students take electives in such as Knitwear Design: the Manipulated Stitch, Handwear Design, Footwear Design, and Shape and Theory in Garments

A few other courses caught my eye - Sculptural Headwear, 

Objects/Artifacts and No Nonsense looked interesting.  And, what also seems unique to the school, the course The Illustrated Poster - telling a story through a single illustration.

The program of course offers a firm foundation in fashion drawing, pattern cutting, draping and garment construction.  

The annual fashion show is for seniors complete collection but sophomore and junior students present a single prime example of their work!  What an amazing opportunity and learning experience for those students.

Admissions

Rolling admissions with the final deadline being May 1 - early action is December 1.  SAIC uses the common app and require SAT or ACT scores.  With the application students need to submit an essay as a "statement of purpose" where you write about your interests, experiences and why you would be a strong applicant for their school.  One letter of recommendation that "must include the applicants full name and date of birth"  

Well, if the letter writer didn't include your name - would you want that person to be writing your one letter of recommendation?  Sadly, if they said it - it must have happened at least once.

Interviews are strongly recommend.  If you attend one of the nation wide Portfolio Days and speak with SAIC - this is considered an interview!  The schedule is on www.portfolioday.net/

These are held all across the 

country and in every major city and you can have your portfolio viewed by many schools-

including some European ones.The School of Art Institute of Chicago has no extra requirements

regarding the portfolio itself, just 10-15 pieces of your best work with any combination or single

media of your choice.

With such a unique fashion design program I am surprised by this.

Three student housing dorms - and they all look pretty big for a dorm - look at that big window!  And they are all across the street or around the block from the school.

My son's freshman dorm room looked like a prison cell - no matter what he tacked on the walls.

 Living and studying in such a vibrant city would be a rewarding experience - except the winters are long and  hard - and I had a hard time researching about internships with SAIC.  But

with the resource center for students, the interesting options in coursework, and showing a garment of your work as a sophomore and junior during the annual fashion show well attended by the industry - all add up to a special place to study fashion

Pam