INSIDE THE FASHION SCHOOL OF FLORIDA

Returning to a classroom as an adult is a very different experience from learning when you're younger. I've written about why I decided to return to fashion school separately.

Returning to School

The Fashion School of Florida offered an environment that felt focused and purposeful from the outset. Classes were small, the pace was steady and there was an expectation that students would show up prepared to concentrate. 

What stayed with me most was the mix of people in the room. Many of the students were not much older than my own children, and I was very aware of that when I first walked in. I’m sure there were moments when they wondered why I was there—an adult returning to a classroom they were just beginning in.

But that difference in age quickly became irrelevant. I genuinely loved being in class with the girls. There was something refreshing about their energy, and it was so much fun listening to them, chatting between tasks, and sharing space with people at such a different stage of life. It reminded me how learning connects people far more than age ever separates them.

I wasn’t there to rush, prove anything, or keep up. I was there to understand the process properly and that shift in mindset, learning without urgency, became one of the most valuable parts of the experience. What I appreciated most was the emphasis on fundamentals—something that would later reshape how I approach construction. Even when revisiting skills I already had, the structure of the teaching encouraged accuracy, repetition, and consistency. Techniques weren’t treated as shortcuts, but as building blocks—something to be practiced until they became second nature.

Being in a space dedicated entirely to making also mattered. Working alongside others who were equally invested created a quiet discipline. There was room to ask questions, make mistakes, and try again, without pressure to perform or compare. The focus stayed on the work.

Combining in-person learning with online garment construction classes added another layer, allowing me to develop skills that would later influence how I approach pattern making. It allowed me to absorb information at different speeds revisiting demonstrations, practising independently, and then returning to class with a clearer understanding of where I needed to improve.

More than anything, the school reinforced the value of learning within a structured environment. It reminded me that progress doesn’t always come from doing more, but from doing fewer things with greater care.

That foundation would go on to shape how I approached construction, pattern making, and fit—and it continues to influence how I work today.

Where I Studied

The skills and techniques discussed in this article were developed during my time at the Fashion Institute of Florida. Their comprehensive curriculum in garment construction, pattern making, and professional fashion practices provided the foundation that continues to shape my work today.

Continue the Series

This is the second in a seven-part series on returning to formal fashion education:

1. Why I Went Back to Fashion School 
2. Inside the Fashion School of Florida (you are here)
3. What Fashion School Taught Me About Construction
4. Learning Pattern Making Changed The Way I See Clothes
5. How Formal Training Shapes My Work Today
6. From the Classroom to the Runway NYFW 2024
7. My 2nd Season at New York Fashion Week

Related Reading

• Sewing & Making
  • How proper construction changes how you sew
• Process & Practice
  • Learning traditional techniques through sustained practice
• The French Couture Jacket
  
  • Learning traditional techniques through sustained practice