Just Accepted Fashion Design Student Dreams of Being a Designer Who Gives Back

Find out what's happening in Fashion Design.

Name: Jillian Maksudi

Age: 17

Hometown: Corona, California

FIDM Campus and Start Date: Orange County; July, 2017

Admissions Advisor: Susan Pope

How did your advisor help with the process? My advisor was amazing. I'm always nervous meeting new people, but with her, I felt more relaxed and calm. She encouraged me to do my best and gave me advice on how to deal with some difficult things I was going through. She told me what to improve on and helped me improve my confidence.

Tell us a bit about yourself. I love to volunteer as a Hospice Volunteer. The patients at the facility teach me how to sew, knit, and crochet, giving me new inspirations. I also love to read books, manga, webcomics, manhwa, webtoons, and watch anime. The art is always amazing and inspires me to create an outfit shown on the cover or within the story.

What are your proudest accomplishments so far? I attended Santiago High School during 9th grade and every year they put on a fashion show. I was the only freshman in the fashion class so I worked really hard to catch up with my seniors. After months of hard work, I was able to finally finish my garment and the audience seemed to really like it. Another accomplishment is when I became vice-president of the Hospice Club at Centennial High School. I had the most volunteer hours than the rest of the volunteers so the head of volunteer services chose me to take that role.

What made FIDM right for you? FIDM has a warm, welcoming aura. We had a field trip to FIDM with my fashion class and once I stepped onto the campus, I felt like I was at home. I had a hard time fitting in during 9th grade and seeing all kinds of different people and personalities made me feel like I belonged at FIDM.

Describe your entrance project. My designs reflected my sense of style. They were simple and classy, with a little twist. I tried to make each design different from one another because many things inspire me. My favorite designs were two dresses that I created specifically for two of my closest friends. Their dresses reflected their personalities.

What are your career goals? I want to become one of the top fashion designers, like Christian Dior or Coco Chanel. Hopefully, I will achieve this dream and give back to the community. I want to donate most of my fortune and create dresses for those who can't afford one.

What do you expect to learn at FIDM? I expect to learn how to succeed in the fashion industry. I know it's going to be a long and hard road, but with the knowledge I will acquire, I can finally achieve my dreams.

Categories: Fashion Design