With all the upheavals in the Middle East people still feel they need their creative outlets and to pursue their passions; Ahram Online hears from the Garment Design and Training Services Centre in Jordan The Istituto di Moda Burgo seems to be everywhere lately through it's various branches or academies that it certifies, most recently at the internationally-covered Lakme Fashion Week that sees participation from the INIFD, the local design school. Notably, the institute has a significant presence in the Middle East, having certified the school in Egypt and Amman, Jordan, not to mention in other countries, such as Nigeria and India. Despite the upheavals of the Middle East and North Africa, design events are still popping up, like a recent fashion show in Afghanistan. Ahram Online got a chance to interview the Istituto di Moda Burgo director in the Milan headquarters in person as well as ask the Garment Design and Training Services Centre (GSC) in Jordan, who will be celebrating a student fashion show this summer. ## Ahram Online: Are you seeing more fashion designers coming out of the MENA region? In Jordan in particular? Garment Design and Training Services Centre, Jordan (GSC): Jordan proudly presents a number of upcoming designers that are gaining recognition on a regional level, in the areas of haute couture and wedding dresses, prêt-a-porter as well as the much-in-demand modern/classic embroidery lines. At GSC/Burgo School we aim to ensure that our graduates make valuable contributions to the fashion industry. We hope to graduate a minimum of 18 students every year in both pattern-making and sketching courses. AO: What's the philosophy / mission of the school? GSC: Our programmes are meant to assist individuals who are talented, driven, and interested in this field to find the right platform. We teach them how to present a fully-fashioned figure on paper via drawing techniques that register individual taste and style through signature artistic lines of the designers, as well as to utilise technology through the aid of specialised software to achieve industrial patterns to implement designs for the benefit of the industry. This is the foundation that students will build on evolving until they reach the professional level of their individual expectations, evidenced by their creativity, harmony and elegance of their designs in a very competitive field. ## AO: What's your specialisation? GSC: Our classes teach several pattern-making techniques, including draping. ## AO: Has there been any exchange between the Jordanian and the Egyptian schools? GSC: No, however the Burgo school in Egypt was used in the preparation of our business plan as a benchmarking model. AO: What are some of the regionally- or internationally-known designers that your institute collaborates with? We collaborated with the Italian fashion designer Francesca Liberatore to deliver two courses on Collection Design. AO: What have some of your students gone on to do? GSC: Graduates from these programmes have a choice of establishing private businesses in this field or qualify as skilled professionals who will find opportunity within the garment sector in Jordan. For more Life & Style news and updates, follow us on Twitter:@AhramLifestyleor ourFacebook page) http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/70094.aspx
