Choices galore for fashion school graduates<\/p>\n
By Agni Amorita<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): About two decades ago, Indonesia's fashion
\nindustry went through its first boom period. Unfortunately, it
\ndid not lead to the emergence of local experts in the field.<\/p>\n
\"When I returned home from my fashion studies in Europe, I
\nfound that most fashion practitioners were expatriates,\" said
\nSusan Budihardjo, one of the country's noted fashion designers.<\/p>\n
Motivated by the situation, Susan -- who studied at the Berlin
\nLetteeverain Academy and London School of Fashion Design --
\ndecided to set up the Susan Budihardjo Fashion School in 1980.<\/p>\n
\"I was the only teacher then,\" she said. Today, there are
\nbranches in Surabaya, Semarang and Denpasar, with more than 4,000
\nalumni.<\/p>\n
Susan's example inspired others to set up fashion schools. In
\nJakarta alone, there are now three fashion schools under the name
\nBudihardjo, although they are not affiliated in any way with
\nSusan.<\/p>\n
\"I was born Eddy Budihardjo,\" said Eddy Budihardjo, who set up
\nhis Budihardjo Fashion School on May 1, 1985. He had the school's
\nname patented on March 2, 1994. \"On March 5, 1994, I also
\npatented my own technique of making a pattern in one go. This is
\nnow known as the Eddy Budihardjo System of Dressmaking Pattern
\nConstruction.\" In 1987, he also patented a multipurpose ruler.<\/p>\n
Apart from local fashion schools, ones holding franchises of
\ninternational fashion institutions also have flourished in
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
\"The fashion sector holds quite promising career prospects,\"
\nSusan acknowledged. She said dozens of her former students were
\nfamous fashion designers, or made a living in the garment
\nindustry and mass media.<\/p>\n
\"It is a pity that many fashion school students still cling to
\nthe notion that they must become designers after graduation,\"
\nSusan said. \"If they cannot become designers, they think they
\nwill be considered failures. This misleading notion still
\nprevails.\"<\/p>\n
The misconception was confirmed by Dini Novita, marketing
\nmanager of LaSalle College International, Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"In fact, the fashion sector offers a great variety of job
\nopportunities,\" she said. \"One can be a fashion marketer. In
\nfact, fashion marketing is one of the strong points of La Salle
\nJakarta, because few fashion schools in the capital include
\nfashion marketing in their curriculum.\"<\/p>\n
Dini observed that fashion marketing in Indonesia was only
\nconsidered a subsector of the fashion business which remains
\ndominated by expatriates.<\/p>\n
\"In terms of job description, a fashion marketing position is
\ninteresting because it requires you to be always in touch with
\nthe development of the world's fashion trends, and then translate
\nthe trends into reality to conform to Indonesian culture.
\nBesides, this job also entails frequent overseas trips. So, it
\nboth challenges our sense of innovation and provides a lot of
\nfun.\"<\/p>\n
Graduates of fashion schools today find themselves with a much
\ngreater variety of jobs than before.<\/p>\n
\"Apart from being fashion designers and patternmakers, they
\nalso can make careers as buyers, merchandisers, costume
\ndesigners, fashion consultants, fashion illustrators, fashion
\ncoordinators, textile designers and even trend researchers,\" said
\nMaria Tinche, marketing manager of ESMOD Jakarta, a fashion
\nschool based in Paris, France.<\/p>\n
ESMOD, which stands for Ecole Superieure des Arts et
\nTechniques de la Mode, was established in 1841. \"It is the
\nworld's first fashion school,\" said Tinche.<\/p>\n
Because of its international standards, ESMOD sends teachers
\nfrom Paris to its branches the world over.<\/p>\n
\"The language of instruction is French so in each class there
\nis an interpreter who will tell the students in Indonesian the
\nteaching materials,\" said Tinche, adding that some students
\nhailed from Korea, Malaysia and Japan. \"Besides, ESMOD students
\nwill have an opportunity to join a student exchange program
\ninvolving all ESMOD schools in 17 countries.\"<\/p>\n
ESMOD's fees are relatively high because it is an
\ninternational school. \"For a one-year program, the tuition fee is
\nRp 36 million while the international diploma program, which
\nlasts three years, costs Rp 35 million per year.\"<\/p>\n
She added there was a maximum 25 students to each class.<\/p>\n
At LaSalle Jakarta, which has its headquarters in Montreal,
\nCanada, tuition fees are billed in U.S. dollars. \"The
\nregistration fee is US$150 and the tuition fee $2,100 per
\nsemester,\" said Dini Novita.<\/p>\n
LaSalle Jakarta has two programs -- three semesters and six
\nsemesters -- with each semester lasting 3.5 months. The school is
\na joint venture involving several Indonesian entrepreneurs --
\nincluding Poppy Dharsono, Hariyadie Sukamdani, Argo Manunggal
\nGroup, Great River Group, the Indonesian Textile Association --
\nand the Canadian International Development Agency.<\/p>\n
Local fashion schools set lower fees. Susan Budihardjo, for
\nexample, charges Rp 4.5 million for a 10-month course. Eddy
\nBudihardjo sets tuition at Rp 7 million for a course lasting 1.5
\nyears.<\/p>\n
But students with their hearts set on studying at fashion
\nschool are unlikely to be concerned by the cost. More and more of
\nthem are enrolling at fashion schools in the belief that their
\nskills will be needed in the effort to turn Jakarta into one of
\nAsia's fashion hubs.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/choices-galore-for-fashion-school-graduates-1447893297",
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