Dubai: It's clear that the UAE is hungry for fashion education. Due to an overwhelming response to its short courses offered in May, the London College of Fashion (LCF) has returned to Dubai this weekend and will run several short courses until November 11.
LCF'S draw card is its line-up of tutors who are well-known figures in the fashion world and highly accomplished in their respective fields.
A group of 11 LCF tutors are in town to give students the chance to learn skills ranging from business and marketing through to design and communication.
Among them is Richard Sorger who teaches the Fashion Design course. Sorger has had clients that include Courtney Love, Jennifer Lopez, Cindy Crawford, Kate Beckinsale and Heidi Klum. He is currently the final year design tutor on the BA (Hons) Fashion Design course at Middlesex University, London.
Explaining why people would want to take a course with LCF, Sorger said: "It's going to be intense but educational! Students can spend years studying fashion design so the course is intended to be an absolute introduction into how designers work (and how design is taught) in the UK."
Slow process
"The design itself can be a slow process to begin with, but we hope that the students will leave with an understanding of the processes, regardless of how many designs they've completed."
Paul Tierney, who is a freelance journalist with 20 years experience and a visiting lecturer at LCF, also says there is a huge demand for the kind of short courses LCF delivers.
He teaches the Fashion Journalism, Fashion Communications and Starting Your Own Fashion Magazine courses.
"We are attuned to what people need to know about the industry, so in four to five days people absorb a lot of information and leave armed with the knowledge to move on and follow their goals. It's condensed learning, but effective in its professionalism," he said.
According to Tierney, both students who are already working for publications and individuals who are testing the water to prior to studying academically will find his courses valuable.
"And then there are those, often harbouring a long-held desire to write about fashion, who simply want to give it a go."
Tierney has written for leading newspapers and magazines including French Vogue, Vogue Hommes International, The Independent and the London Evening Standard.
But why short courses and not fully fledged degrees or diploma programmes?
According to Linda Roberts, LCF Senior Business Manager, short courses are very popular as they offer potential students a taste of the industry without committing to a full degree programme.
Short courses available
Luxury brand management and product design Online fashion marketing Strategic fashion marketing Fashion communications Fashion journalism Starting your own fashion magazine Starting your own beauty business Starting your own fashion label Starting your own shoes or accessories label The power of visual merchandising Fashion buying and merchandising The essentials of the fashion industry Your signature style Fashion design Shoe design Perfume: understanding fragrance
London College of Fashion's short courses in Dubai have started this weekend and will run until November 11. For more information on dates, fees and bookings visit www.fashion.arts.ac.uk/dubai
