Fashion Industry Essentials Certificate
During the summer after I graduated, I enrolled in the Fashion Industry Essentials program through Parsons School of Design in collaboration with Teen Vogue. The program offered a well-rounded introduction to the fashion world through five core courses: Unlocking Visual Style, Thinking Like a Designer, Understanding Fashion Production, Working in Fashion Media, and Developing Fashion PR and Marketing Skills. I’m incredibly grateful for the experience; it gave me the foundational knowledge, inspiration, and confidence to take the next step in my creative career. I have included a few of my favorite assignments from this program below to showcase my hard work and creativity!
The “MC” Bag
During the “Thinking like a Designer” module, I completed a hands-on project that challenged us to bring a handbag concept to life, from initial inspiration and fabric sourcing to mockup design and production planning. This project took on a much deeper meaning for me when my grandmother passed away in March, right as I began the program. She played a huge role in shaping my love for art, style, and self-expression, so I decided to honor her legacy through my design.
Inspired by one of her favorite vintage statement pieces, I created “The MC Bag,” a bold yet classic design that reflects her unapologetic confidence and timeless sense of style. The bag features a chic, neutral color palette with structured elements that make it both functional and fashionable. This piece is more than just an accessory; it’s a tribute to the way she lived, loved, and inspired creativity in others. Designing the MC Bag reminded me of the power of fashion in telling stories and preserving memories through design.
Storytelling Through Style
As part of the design process for The MC Bag, I was tasked with taking a piece of visual inspiration and transforming it into a tangible accessory using unconventional materials. I titled my concept “Free to Be”, a reflection of my grandmother’s bold, expressive spirit and the feeling of confidence and individuality I want this piece to evoke.
To bring that vision into focus, I curated and photographed three meaningful objects from home that captured the essence of the bag. I chose two statement jewelry pieces that matched the elegance and boldness of my grandmother MC’s favorite jacket, the item that originally inspired the bag design. I also included a photo of Maggie Rogers, a musician whose music makes me feel fearless, unique, and free, emotions my grandmother encouraged in me. Lastly, I incorporated the jacket itself, grounding the board in its visual weight and sentimental value.
After reviewing my photos, I used them as a jumping-off point to further develop the idea for The MC Bag, thinking about how the textures, tones, and emotional energy could be translated into something wearable. Inspired by the structure of the jewelry and the confidence in the imagery, I designed the bag using materials that reflect both style and meaning. This exercise reminded me that creativity starts with observation, and that inspiration can come from the most personal, everyday objects if you’re willing to look closely enough
Your Visual Style
This assignment asked us to find and photograph objects that represent our story: the details in our environment that quietly shape our personal and creative identity. I gathered several pieces for my “My Story” Pinterest board, but this one stood out. It became the focal point for the whole vision. The warm tones, the abstract figure, and the expressive lines all feel aligned with how I move through the world: open, intuitive, and deeply connected to feeling. The figure in the artwork conveys a sense of ease and confidence that mirrors how I hope to present myself in my work, both grounded and open to exploration.
I chose this image because while working on this assignment, I came across a piece of art I had picked up during a visit to my sister in New York. At the time, I wasn’t totally sure why I felt drawn to it; it just felt like something I needed to have. Looking at it now, primarily through the lens of this project, I realize how much it reflects my own perspective on creativity, identity, and emotion.
In a way, this piece has come to represent my creative point of view. It’s thoughtful, a little mysterious, emotionally present, and visually striking without being loud. What once felt like a small, spontaneous purchase has evolved into something that holds meaning; a reminder that our instincts often know us better than we fully understand ourselves.
Visual Style in Fashion
As part of developing my editorial eye, I created a themed Pinterest mood board to explore the role of visual storytelling in fashion. For this assignment, I chose the theme "Summer Lines," a concept centered around stripes and linear patterns, curating imagery for a pretend clothing company that embodies the timeless, playful energy of summer stripes. I gathered a collection of at least six images with a cohesive visual style, drawing inspiration from a range of fashion websites and international publications like Donna Moderna. This project helped me recognize visual patterns, refine my sense of style, and gain a deeper understanding of how mood boards can be used to build a strong brand identity and creative narrative in the fashion industry.
