California trend scholar thrives in LA Vogue District

As a trend scholar at ASU FIDM, Grace Skukan discovered herself in a novel place — not simply finding out trend, but in addition residing and dealing on the heart of it. 

Based mostly within the coronary heart of Los Angeles’ Vogue District, Skukan spent the previous 12 months and a half gaining hands-on expertise via an internship with Kalimo, a worldwide textile firm with places of work in Brazil, Europe and Los Angeles.

Her time at Kalimo helped form her skilled id and deepened her ardour for sustainable, human-centered design.

“The previous 12 months and a half at Kalimo has been an unimaginable studying alternative,” she mentioned. “I’m perpetually grateful for the mentorship the group has given me.”

At Kalimo, Skukan’s work spanned advertising and marketing, digital design and shopper engagement. She helped create and execute e mail campaigns aligned with product launches, developed digital motifs in Adobe Photoshop and ensured that every one paintings met shopper expectations and manufacturing necessities. She additionally participated in shopper conferences and displays, sharing colour tales and print ideas with patrons, and took half in trade occasions together with LA Textile and The Textile Present.

“Being in these rooms, sharing inventive concepts instantly with patrons, was each thrilling and motivating,” she mentioned. “It taught me how each element issues — from the design itself to the way you talk it.”

Initially from Lengthy Seaside, California, Skukan earned an affiliate diploma in trend merchandising from Lengthy Seaside Metropolis School earlier than transferring to ASU FIDM to finish her bachelor’s diploma in trend with a give attention to enterprise administration. She selected ASU FIDM, which operates in each downtown Phoenix and Los Angeles, partially as a result of it allowed her to remain rooted in Los Angeles and absolutely immerse herself within the trend trade.

“There aren’t many trend faculty choices in LA, and ASU FIDM felt like the best match,” she mentioned.

Skukan credit her time at ASU for serving to her perceive the broader cultural forces that affect trend. A course in development forecasting, she mentioned, modified the best way she thought of design and creativity.

“You see how a lot tradition impacts your selections, whether or not consciously or not,” she mentioned.

Dwelling and finding out within the LA Vogue District saved her related to the heartbeat of the trade.

“I reside, work and go to high school right here. It’s an enormous hub, and I like being proper in the course of it,” she mentioned.

She additionally factors to the ASU FIDM Museum as one in all her favourite locations on campus and says professors Nicole Craig and Jenny Drew Oubari performed a significant position in shaping her imaginative and prescient and serving to her towards her profession objectives.

“They’ve been extraordinarily supportive,” she mentioned.

After commencement, Skukan plans to remain in Southern California and pursue a full-time position in merchandising or trend communications.

“SoCal will all the time be residence,” she mentioned.

If given $40 million to handle a worldwide situation, she would give attention to the impacts of quick trend.

“Quick trend and textile waste — it breaks my coronary heart,” she mentioned. “It’s extraordinarily vital to design with sustainability in thoughts.”

Her recommendation for fellow college students: “Soak in as a lot as you’ll be able to — you’ll use it.”