The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) is known as one of the best fashion schools in the world as of 2023 according to CEOWORLD Magazine, and thus, one of the prestigious places for aspiring fashion designers and marketers to begin their career. Junior Isabel Santamaria of Spring Lake Heights spent her summer harnessing the opportunities that the college offers and advancing her skills in the realm of fashion illustration.
Santamaria took FIT’s pre-college program, Intro to Fashion Illustration, taught by renowned designer and full time professor, Christopher Unvenio. Uvenio’s work has been seen in numerous projects such as Disney’s “102 Dalmatians,” Rupaul’s “SuperModel of the World (You Better Work)” music video and numerous New York Fashion Weeks.
After a lifetime of couture accolades, his expertise helped Santamaria gain a full understanding of what it means to have a career within the field beyond the script of “The Devil Wears Prada.”
“As a member of the admissions board, my professor showed me what FIT is like, along with what a career would be like post-graduation,” Santamaria said. FIT’s pre-college program gave Santamaria the tools to develop imaginative designs and evolve her skills as an aspiring designer. Throughout the course, she was formally taught how to accurately draw figures, indicate stitching and the basics of laying out her creations on models. While before she was unsure of her ambitions, the course has given her nothing if not direction for her future.
“I’ve always liked clothes and how they make a person feel,” Santamaria said. “I’ve always been interested in how clothes are constructed, this course helped me figure out the career path I want to take.”
The Intro to Fashion Illustration course is marketed towards students in middle and high school who are looking to turn their dreams of a career within the fashion industry into a reality. After a summer learning under the guidance of a fashion extraordinaire and amongst the future minds of design, Santamaria remains excited to explore her skills and grow as an artist.
“I would definitely recommend the course to other students. FIT is a really appealing option for studying fashion as it’s affordable and offers so many different classes.”
