Faith Ibrahim Competes in Red Bull x FIDM Challenge
Faith Ibrahim is one of a select few chosen to participate in the Red Bull x FIDM Challenge. She is an international student from Nigeria working on her Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management and her ultimate goal is to start up a denim production company as well as a contemporary clothing brand back in her home country. We caught up with her to find out more.
Tell us a little about yourself: I am Faith Ibrahim, a Nigerian student with two Associates degrees from FIDM, in Fashion Design and International Manufacturing and Product Development (IMPD).
What degree are you currently working on? I am currently in my final year, working towards achieving my Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management here at FIDM.
What aspect of the Red Bull challenge appeals to you the most? The most exciting aspect of this challenge is the fact that I get to tap into a completely different aspect of designing which revolves around a corporate sector but, it’s also a flexible challenge because of the versatility that Red Bull is associated with.
How is your IMPD experience helping you on the Red Bull x FIDM project? The Red Bull x FIDM Project has a lot of similarities to my IMPD collaboration with Converse. For both, I was given a specific region to focus on while designing. Also, with both, there’s an accessory involved. With Red Bull, there’s a backpack and with IMPD, I had to design shoes. It’s very exciting to really bring forth all the knowledge and skills I acquired during my time in IMPD to this Red Bull collaboration. It validates how incredible IMPD was and how useful the acquired skills are as I get to further my experience in the industry.
What did you like about visiting the Red Bull headquarters and what did you learn there that is going to help you in your designs? Visiting the Red Bull office firstly opened my eyes to how successfully the brand has been able to grow into various industries. It also showed me the importance of positive corporate culture in an organization because everyone at Red Bull was incredibly warm, welcoming and filled with positive energy and creativity. Learning about their background and going around their headquarters helped me to really understand the brand’s vision and strategy and how to efficiently portray that through my designs.
In your words, what is the value of participating in industry partnerships such as this one? Industry partnerships are exceptionally important because it helps students to really see the understand the “ins and outs” of their desired industry. It is very essential for networking and it also gives students the opportunity to put their skills to test, acquire new ones and exercise already existing ones.
What are your career goals and how is FIDM helping you get there? My ultimate goal is to start up a denim production company as well as a contemporary clothing brand back in my home country. My education as a fashion design student at FIDM certainly gave me the necessary tools needed to expand my creativity and to learn to train my visual eye. The IMPD program taught me everything I need to know about sourcing and production through an international lens and now, the business management program is providing me the with vital knowledge required to run my aspiring businesses.
Feel free to check out my online portfolio amanahdesigns.com or my Instagram @faithibrahim_ to get to know more about me.
Categories: Business Management Fashion Design International Manufacturing & Product Development Industry Partnerships
