Go West, Young Designer: Fashion Schools and Careers in LA

70% of the country's fashion designers are located in either New York or LA. If skyscrapers and snow don't do it for you, consider a fashion career in the City of the Angels. Maybe your career could even lead you to Hollywood.
It's not just about fashion, either. Art, culture, commerce, trade, tourism--many industries call Los Angeles their home in the west. In a recent column for an online financial publication, event promoter Drew Beaver drilled down to the heart of the matter of geography in fashion. "In Los Angeles," he says, "it's all about the movie industry."

Fashion and Film

Fashion school students' proximity to the movie industry doesn't just mean the opportunity to design for movie stars, but also the option to pursue a career in costume design. For every film, TV show, commercial, and basically anything else that is taped, there is at least one costume designer.

The Bling

Even flip-flops, if fashionable enough, have been known to sell for $300 in Los Angeles. But like New York, Los Angeles is about vintage, grassroots fashion as much as it is couture and the red carpet. Fashion schools are always working on something new, creating new trends, and going on TV whenever possible. Contests for fashion school students are often held in Los Angeles, and many fashion school scholarships are offered there.
Why not pursue your fashion future in our country's western fashion center?
Sources
MarketWatch, "Fashion Week reaches beyond clothes"
International Herald-Tribune, "L.A. kicks back in fleece"

Joe Cooper is a freelance education and technology writer and edits medical literature. He holds a bachelor's in American Literature from UCLA.