Student

Krystle Mendoza Receives Advice from Fabletics on Study Tour

Born and raised in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, Krystle Mendoza earned her BFA in Textiles and then moved to Los Angeles last summer to pursue a career in fashion. She is now studying Merchandise Product Development and recently participated in the Fashion Disruptors Study Tour, hosted by the Merchandising & Marketing department. 

Tell us about the study tour: The Fashion Disruptors Study Tour gave us an opportunity to meet with different companies so that we could have an idea of what it is like in the real world. Each company is unique, and offered us different insights of what it will be like to work for a company in the fashion industry.

What was your favorite moment? Being able to tour each company and learn how they operate. We got a sneak peek of upcoming collections; we saw how denim gets distressed with laser machines; and we even got to design our own t-shirts!

Tell us something you learned: I learned that whatever major you have in college can lead you to many opportunities. I love that, because it shows the fashion industry is not as limited as the world would have you believe. The industry can offer you so many different opportunities and that's what makes the education at FIDM worth it.

Any advice given on the tour that you plan to follow? To always ask questions. I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that asking questions makes you look bad, but when Mari from Fabletics advised to always ask questions, it makes total sense. I realize that asking questions is what will make an employer or co-worker notice you because it shows that you care and you are interested. Asking questions is what makes you become better at what you do, and gain better knowledge.

Was there anyone you met that you plan on networking with in the future? I plan on networking with everyone we've met on the Disruptors Tour. They all have such great experience, and were once in our shoes before they ever got to where they are now.

Tell us a little about yourself: I was born and raised in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, and moved to LA last summer to pursue a career in fashion. I earned my BFA in Textiles prior to FIDM. I design my own fabrics, and create wearable art collections, however, I realized I didn't want to just be an artist, but to be part of the fashion industry. 

How did you choose your major? I chose my major because I have a creative background and I wanted to learn the business and technical aspect of fashion design. I believe this will help me land a career in the fashion industry.

Favorite class so far? My favorite class has to be Fabric Identification. Although I already had a background in textiles, I learned so much about how each fabric behaves, and what is appropriate for certain garments. This gave me even more confidence in handling and choosing a certain fabric.

What are your career goals and how is FIDM helping you get there? I can see myself as a technical designer for a certain company, and I feel very fortunate to be able to go to a school that is career focused. FIDM not only offers courses and hands-on tools, but the Career Center Advisors are very helpful in offering direction.

Anything else you’d like to share? I have just recently worked for Halston as a Material R&D Intern, and so far it's been fun! I get to meet and work with people who are experienced, and I absolutely loved it! I have to thank FIDM because being able to have this kind of experience is so valuable. You learn something every day, and honestly, this journey has been nothing but inspiring! 

Connect with Krystle Mendoza on LinkedIn and Instagram @krystleraes. 

Categories:  Merchandise Product Development Merchandising & Marketing Student