Student

DEBUT Designer Jacob Yadidi Read The Dressmakers of Auschwitz While He Developed His Collection

Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Jacob Yadidi attended Palisades Charter High School where he was a FIDM Fashion Club President, before heading to FIDM to complete an A.A. in Fashion Design in 2022. He was then accepted into the Advanced Fashion Design Program. His collection will be shown at FIDM’s Annual DEBUT Runway Show event, livestreaming on March 31, 2023, at 2:30 PM PT. He says his collection, "Blood on The Throat Plate," honors his religion, and serves as a response to antisemitism. We checked in with him to learn more.

Tell us about your DEBUT collection: Before I even started working on my collection it was premeditated that I would have my religion represented. I chose to involve my religion because I see it as a big part of my life and to rebel against the fact that many fashion houses founded prior to World War 2 had been tainted by the Nazis. Today antisemitism still exists in the fashion industry and I was made aware of it when I heard about John Galliano’s comments about Jewish people that lead to his departure from Dior, and recently Kanye West expressive love for Hitler. During the development of my collection I started reading "The Dressmakers of Auschwitz," the book greatly inspired and served as a reminder of why I chose to have my religion involved. I would say there is a sense of pain and brutality I’ve been trying to convey in my collection with some of the cut, patterning and my choice of the color red. Black follows along as I see it representing death and chrome ties the two together while adding to my mechanical and futuristic aesthetic. I’ve developed a quilt that is meant to appear as chains to symbolize being held captive. The title of my collection is Blood on The Throat Plate.

What silhouettes and fabrics can we expect to see? I would categorize my collection as women’s ready to wear and my collection is mostly jackets and pants. You can expect to see leather, hybrid waxed nylon, classic waxed twill, rubber coated twill, nylon canvas, lightweight nylon that has been quilted and translucent PVC.

What inspires you as a creative and as a fashion designer? It is difficult to pinpoint what inspires me but I would say automotive designs and innovation in technology have always been floating around in my subconscious and are a big part of my design ethos as well as architecture designs by Zaha Hadid and Frank Gehry. But more then anything the black and white pornographic photography by Helmut Newton has a greatly influenced my work as a designer. The nude women Helmut Newton photographs serve as a starting point for my designs as I look at these women that are seductive, elegant and sometimes deviant and I ask myself, “Who is she and what would she wear?”

What is your point of view, as a designer? I would say I’m a very conceptual designer and I always aim for purpose and meaning in my designs. I've theorized that as a designer you should create garments that elevate the wearer as I believe in “dressing the part.” I'm a very opinionated person and I stick to my beliefs while trying to design a cohesive collection.

What is a lesson you've learned as you've been working on your collection? Anything is possible if you apply yourself and time management.

How do you hope people will feel when they see your designs? I hope the looks I present are memorable and those viewing feel that I have arrived.

Tell us about your path to FIDM: Ever since I was 13 I knew I wanted to be a designer. Living in Los Angeles and having parents that run a successful western wear line of men’s clothing are two of the main reasons why I became interested in fashion. One day I expressed interest in being a designer and I was Lucky to have a supportive parent who encouraged me to attend FIDM.

How is FIDM helping you get closer to your career goals? My career goal that I hope to achieve within the next five years is to be designing for any of the fashion houses that I respect. FIDM has been helping me get closer to that goal by giving me the opportunity to create and present my collection and providing me with a high quality education.

Any advice for someone considering applying to be a DEBUT student? Just keep telling yourself “by any means necessary.” It’s worth it to spend the extra time that is needed to perfect your garments or patterns. Don’t cheat yourself, and always hold yourself to the highest standard.

Anything else you'd like to share? Honestly being part of Debut has been a blessing and a life changing experience.

Categories:  Fashion Design Student