IBRAHIM MUSA is a graduate of fashion design from Istituto Marangoni, London and participated in this year’s annual Fashion Show in Florence, Italy. Speaking to STEPHEN ONYEKWELU, he shows what vocational education looks like in the United Kingdom and how Nigeria’s could be improved. Excerpts:
Describe yourself.
I am a driven, enterprising creative who combines imaginative and artistic abilities with an organised and business-like approach.
Why are you studying in the United Kingdom?
Creative based education in the UK is regarded as one of the most prestigious in the world. The teaching and study methodology used in the UK give you the freedom to be creative and develop skills sets and confidence.
In the United Kingdom, there are more than 30 colleges and universities currently offering fashion design degree courses, with thousands of fashion design graduates each year. The UK is revered for as a custodian of cultures and history derived globally, through its Museums and art galleries such as the Whitechapel gallery, Saatchi gallery and the British museum.
For fashion design students, the benefits of studying in London are immense. A wide range of opportunities await those who are willing to explore them, networking opportunities and an abundance of creative communities’ brew within the city. Young creatives and professionals in London are given the opportunity to come in and set the trends in the creative industry that are felt around the globe.
How would you describe the education system in the UK, the theory/practical’s mix in the curriculum?
The fashion education sector in the UK has been booming, in recent years. The scale and scope of the industry has soared over the last decade. The fashion industry known to be secretive about its business operation has now been more accessible to the public due to the emergence of social media. This has consequentially seen a rise in the appeal to pursue a fashion education by young people.
As far as the curriculum is concerned, the teachings and practicals only work to complement each other. There is a favourable fusion between both. For instance, where the theory is generally used to cultivate an understanding of the subject matter, the practical focuses on executing those ideas derived from the theory. Courses tend to include as a central element studio-based work in media ranging from embroidery, painting, photography, printing and all other forms of digital media.
Students commonly are offered the chance to discuss and critique their own work with their tutors. Universities often invite industry experts, from buying, design, and marketing in to talk to students and give an insider perspective of the industry. The practical work culminates in a graduate show open to the public.
With concentration on the fashion design programme, students learn how to create collections from an accurate analysis of the market, the trends, materials and fabrics, as well as translating ideas and inspiration derived from any form, concept or art, or simply from their own experiences, successfully combining a personal vision with industry needs, or brand strategies.
The fashion design course moves through key aspects of illustration and graphic design techniques including the study of form, colour, pattern drafting and draping, and an accurate analysis of clothing manufacturing through deconstruction.
Upon attaining a solid base in the fashion system students are introduced to many aspects of the industry, not only in the principles of fashion business, brand identity, positioning and marketing, but also interpreting art and craft in fashion production, retail, consumer habits and trends. Students are encouraged to experiment with new approaches in the industry that are evolving today, including renewable and sustainable resources, innovative materials and new technologies, building an individual style and nurturing creative and professional abilities.
How often is the curriculum reviewed?
To my knowledge the curriculum is reviewed yearly, the institution knows its strengths lies in feedback, so a great deal of effort is made to act on those feedbacks given to the university by its students and in turn to modernise the curriculum.
How did you end up studying fashion?
Initially, I had embarked on a journey to study software engineering in Canada. Midst of my time there I had begun to establish a fervent interest in the arts and fashion industry by virtue of blogging on microblogging website Tumblr. Blogging on Tumblr instilled in me the vital education needed to form a niche understanding of the fashion industry.
Realising where my interest lay, I was adamant that the change in my studies was necessary. It was clear to me then that I would have to pass through a creative institution to understand the process of design within the fashion system. Thus, I was then led on a path to enrolling at Istituto Marangoni, the school of fashion and design.
What is the state of vocational education in the UK, how is it perceived?
In the UK, design and art based institutions are held to a certain level of excellence as they are responsible for training the future professionals who become responsible for the curation of these pleasing aesthetics and joyful visual moments society inhibits and enjoys on a daily basis.
This fostering of creativity, communication, thinking skills and problem solving is one of the things that British schools have become renowned for across the globe.
Art Based education is critical to maintaining a balanced intellect, to developing the ability to think creatively in future roles, to encourage risk taking. In the UK creative industries contributed £84.1 billion to the British economy in 2014 and grew almost twice as the rest of the UK commercial community.
What can be done to improve vocational education in Nigeria?
A number of things could be done to reignite the desire to follow a vocational education; one of those could be the implementation of creative summer camps for primary/secondary school students via the support of motivated individuals or the private sector. This would help create a community of likeminded individuals.
Emotional and financial support from parents is imperative, from my experience, parents have a major role to play in supporting and guiding their offspring’s passion. A child forced to do something he/she isn’t passionate about will most likely not revel in that path.
Most importantly creative talent needs to be recognised and developed. The institutions where technology and vocational education programme is offered should encourage and enhance entrepreneurial skills of students through constant revision of the curriculum to mirror the technological advances being made in the global tech village.
Where do you want to be five – ten years from now?
I prefer to take life one day at a time, nevertheless I hope to be able to still be paving and innovating new paths for the youths to consider in life. I believe I’m here on earth to serve people, so for now I’m focused on using my talents to do that.
What advice will you give a young Nigerian considering vocational education?
I’d say make sure you have a concrete plan, seek out mentors and familiarise yourself with whatever craft you’re trying to master.
What is the future of vocational education? Which opportunities are there?
From my perspective the future of vocational education can only be promising with the vast number of Nigerians home and abroad practicing and advocating for art and design based studies, it’s only a matter of time before Vocational education becomes the norm within Nigeria.
Nevertheless, for the hastened embrace of vocational education a number of issues would have to be properly addressed. One of those would be rewiring the perception of vocational education amongst the youths. Incentives should be attached to vocational education in order for members of the youth to view it as a valid alternative form of education that provides them with valued driven skill sets.
Another would be for our institutions to focus on enhancing entrepreneurial skills using current technology. Graphic software’s such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe illustrator should be taught to students in institutions, as this contemporary software’s could act as the catalyst for creative discovery by willing students.
I hold the belief that opportunities are created. Nigeria has a diverse range of cultures and a rich ethnic history. With the immense talents its citizens hold, opportunities can be cultivated by talented individuals who dive into that history and culture and convey it to the public using those practical skills.
