Student
Student Jenna Nase Values Networking Opportunities in Footwear Design Program
A Professional Designation student in the Footwear Design & Development Program, Jenna Nase recently participated in a department field trip to Seychelles and Dynasty, footwear companies owned by Jack Silvera headquartered in Los Angeles. Over the summer, she networked at MAGIC, a fashion marketplace in Las Vegas that showcases apparel, footwear, accessories, and manufacturing resources from around the world. We caught up with her to find out more.
Why did you choose FIDM for Footwear Design? I choose FIDM for Footwear Design because FIDM is the only school in the country that has a completed degree solely in Footwear Design & Development. Also, the teachers in the program are working/have worked in the industry for many, many years now so the students have firsthand learning experience from real professionals in the footwear Industry! It was a no brainer for me.
As a student, why do you think it's important to network? I think it’s so important to meet and network with professionals in the footwear industry because as a student it’s the best way to gain knowledge, make friends, and potentially get an internship or job. Networking is key and it’s great to ask professionals who are already established how they started and how they built up their career to where they are now. It’s fun to hear other people’s stories and they also tell you the dos and don’ts and what they wish they would have done differently.
What was the best part of the day at Seychelles and Dynasty? The best part of the day at Seychelles and Dynasty, for me, was going into the showroom and learning about their different lines they have and why they have different lines. What inspired them to start different lines was inspiring to me, so I plan to take that with me into my future ventures. I learned that in order to save a lot of money with samples, as a designer, you can do a half sample first—it saves money, time, sweat, and possibly tears (hopefully you are laughing at this joke).
Tell us a little about yourself: I’m from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I started playing soccer when I was five and instantly fell in love with the sport. I wanted to be a professional soccer player, but life happened, and I ended up here in LA pursuing my second love—shoes! I also love to travel, and I have done the cross-country road trip three times so far.
Tell us about your interest in Footwear Design: My interest in Footwear Design started when I was in 7th grade and my mom took me into Center City for back-to-school shopping. I knew I’d be the only one with really cool shoes that stood out because I made my mom take me to this one-of-a-kind boutique. The first week of 7th grade I knew I had the BEST shoe game in the entire school. I then started looking into companies with eco-friendly attributes and I found a lot, actually. A big part of what I love about the footwear industry is that people are always striving to make it better—better materials, better sources, better as a whole. At this moment in time I really enjoy watching companies help our environment and they are recycling plastic bottles and using them in the materials of their shoes. There are companies who recycle algae in ponds and other water areas and make footbeds and soles out of it! It’s AWESOME what this industry does when they set their minds to it.
What are your career goals and how is FIDM helping you get there? Wow! I have a couple of career goals right now and I’m sure once I accomplish them I will have more. But, for now, my first career goal is to get working experience in an awesome and established shoe company that can challenge me and my creativity. I just received an internship with ROXY, so my next goal is to get a full-time job as a designer/assistant designer in the industry. After I have a decent amount of experience and knowledge under my belt, I want to branch off and create two brands/lines. The first line I want to cater to people with disabilities. One of my best friends was born with Spina Bifida and needs braces to walk. She can’t run and was told she wouldn’t never be able to drive (she proved them wrong with that) so I would love to create customized footwear for those with disabilities. The second line I want to create for pure pleasure. Let me rephrase that… I want to HAND MAKE the second line for pure pleasure. Again, I want them to be customized but they will be handmade by me. I did seven months of hand making shoes in Brooklyn before coming to FIDM. It’s fun and you feel a lot of self-accomplishment. I love the process of creating this idea of a shoe, drawing it on paper, CADing it up, and then hand making that shoe to life! It’s AWESOME!
Anything else you’d like to share? There are going to be a lot of hard times in the Footwear Program at FIDM, but it will only lead to brighter days as a full-time designer in the industry in your future! Ask A LOT of questions! NETWORK! Don’t try to compete with ANYONE ELSE, except the person you were yesterday! Be BOLD! Sometimes your crazy ideas are the BEST ideas! NEVER GIVE UP! PUSH FORWARD! KNOW “YOU GOT THIS,” and I hope you succeed in everything you do!
Categories: Footwear Design & Development Industry Partnerships Student
