Student
Ryleigh Botha Will Pursue Her Fashion and Entrepreneurial Dreams at FIDM OC
Name: Ryleigh Botha
Age:16
Hometown: Austin, Texas
FIDM Major: Merchandising & Marketing
FIDM Campus and Start Date: Fall 2018, Orange County
Admissions Advisor: Susan Pope
How did your advisor help with the admissions process? Ms. Pope has been an amazing help for not only me, but my family. Throughout the process of my Junior Advantage she communicated with me to make sure I hit certain checkpoints in completing the process as well as reassuring my parents that everything I was doing was serving a purpose. She was the first person to call me after I was accepted, and has continued to push me in the right direction whether that be choosing my major, or building my portfolio.
Tell us a bit about yourself. I have a huge passion for organizing, creating, and more importantly, fashion, be it clothing, accessories, or interior design. I have taken almost every business or design class at my school which led me to founding my school's first FIDM Fashion Club in hopes of creating a platform to inspire other creative and entrepreneurial minds. A significant inspiration of mine is LA based blogger and designer, Mr. Kate. A leader in the creative lifestyle movement, producing and distributing high quality home, style, and beauty content, she continues to remind me that being what she calls a “creative weirdo” is more than okay, and allows us to be the truest form of ourselves in any industry or environment.
What are your proudest accomplishments so far? Growing up, I always found myself remodeling my bedroom, cataloging outfits for my weekly wardrobe, or working in my tiny boutique store on the weekends—the eternal creative spirit and entrepreneur. Which was why being accepted for Junior Advantage by FIDM has been my biggest accomplishment to date. I knew that there had to be a college out there that would appreciate my innovative perspective and when I found FIDM, I couldn’t wait to cultivate my project and allow the world to see design through my eyes.
What made FIDM right for you? From the moment I stood on the FIDM campus last year, I felt an overwhelming feeling of inspiration, creativity, and passion from not only the staff but the students as well. I knew from that moment that FIDM was a place I could make my own and be vulnerable as a creator and entrepreneur. I also knew that I was being welcomed into a huge family that was willing to help me grow as a student as well as a person.
Describe your entrance project. My entrance project consisted of a FIDM Look Book, which included outfits, accessories, photography, and most importantly, creativity. My main goal of the project was to have the look book be based on a future boutique I hope to create, called “The Wardrobe." The store's inspiration comes from a lot of the eclectic places here in Austin as well as the boutique business I currently work for.
What are your career goals? I have always envisioned running my own business and aspire to use my creativity and education to advance my dream, although I don’t want to limit my creativity to just simply one venture. My initial goal is to start my boutique store offering a mix of high-end brands, eclectic local handcrafted one-of-a-kind pieces, unique gifts, and affordable, fashionable clothing. I’d also love to someday, pursue a license in real estate and expand a division of my business to interior design and staging. Truly, my greatest aspiration is to embrace my creative spirit, grow my entrepreneurial skills, and embark on each new day. Loving what I do is something I feel FIDM will help me succeed in doing.
What do you expect to learn at FIDM? I hope to evolve my skills by learning to be strategically creative, and effectively target my market with accurate forecasting and trends. While creativity is a vital part of who I am, I strive to learn about effective business strategies, hiring like-minded staff and learning to hone both my creative and business skills to ensure my success. Being born into a family of entrepreneurs, both in real estate, design, and the textile industry, it was only a natural progression for me to follow in their entrepreneurial footsteps and I believe FIDM will help me do just that.
Categories: Merchandising & Marketing Student
