"I've always loved playing with clothes since I was a kid, so I enrolled myself in the Fashion Stylist Course so I would be an efficient stylist for my graduation and be capable of making a complete collection,” said Basma Fouad, 22, who has been studying at the Fashion Design Center for two years. Working under the umbrella of the Ministry of Trade and Industry is the Fashion Design Center and the Jewelry Technology Center, supported by the Technology and Innovation Center. Both work jointly with the International Fashion School in Italy - Instituto di Moda Burgo of Milan, Italy. Fashion Design Center The idea for the center came in 2002, to establish an educational center for design and sewing that would be the first of its kind in the Middle East. “Egypt is similar to Italy, it has a European mentality and is the most developed among the Middle East nations. They don't have the same need and spirit as Egypt has,” said Stefania Gulina, general director of the Fashion Design Center (FDC). “We targeted a center where young Egyptian talents are being created,” added Gulina, expressing her wish of becoming “the most exclusive place where students can get design and can create a new fashion trend in Egypt.” The center offers three main courses. The first is the Fashion Stylist Course, in which students attend drawing classes, learn how to apply drawing techniques for fashion and also learn how to make patterns, sew and finish a dress. In the Fashion Design Course students develop their own style through illustration, coloring and drawing techniques. Students also become familiar with fabrics and learn how to make patterns in the Pattern Making Course so they can create different articles of clothing. Zeinab Yehia, 26, a student at the FDC, says, “I'm a graduate of the faculty of fine arts where I studied history of costumes, but it has nothing to do with my desire to study fashion, so I applied to the FDC to study patterns and I'm currently working on my graduation project.” Students' ages differ, but in general range from 20 to 30 years of age. Applicants don't need prior experience that relates to sewing or patterns or designs, on the contrary, they can start from the very beginning, according to Gulina. “The number of enrolled students so far is around 500, with ten per class. An instructor lectures the group and then helps each student individually,” said Gulina, “The center is getting to be known very fast. We have another branch in Alexandria and are planning for a new one in Mehalla as there are many clothing factories there.” Every year, the center stages fashion shows in which students can exhibit their designs and collections. “Famous designers like Hani el Beheiri are cooperating with us. He held a workshop through which he chose graduate students to work with him,” says Gulina. “We held a competition this year with around 100 participants. Five of them qualified to take part in the 'Salon du prêt à porter' held in Paris and organized by the FDC for the third year,” said Gulina. Being supported by the Ministry of Trade and Industry is an advantage, as Gulina says it gave the center the chance to deal with major factories across the country, “We now can also offer consultations to these factories as we have experts from both Egypt and Italy.” Interestingly, the FDC also offers job placements to graduate students in the factories they collaborate with. “We have a recruitment office for students after graduation to get a job placement, through our good relationships with Egyptian firms,” clarified Gulina, “Many students now work with some of the well-known brands like Marie Louis, Daly Dress, Golden Tex and others.” And for those who don't have enough money to establish their own showroom, the FDC offers an “incubator” service in which applicants that demonstrate an action plan for their business are provided with a place, machines and consultations until their product is completed. According to Nancy Sayed, head of the incubator service, once the applicant is approved they can come up with their own design and choose their own material. Jewelry education in Egypt A Jewelry Technology Center (JTC) was founded in 2006 to develop the Jewelry industry in Egypt, making use of Europe's latest technology in accessories manufacturing, according to Reham Ahmed, the center's manager, who also noted the “acute shortage in the jewelry workforce in Egypt.” “Students' ages range from 20-25 years, with 62 students enrolled in the current semester," explained Ahmed, "Instructors are basically fine arts graduates who've taken courses with Italian experts. We have experts who come from time to time for stone setting and jewelry making courses.” Similarly, the JTC also offers job placements through its good relations with the local factories it collaborate with. “Students leave us their CVs, so we can recommend students to factories who need workers,” says Ahmed, noting the mutual benefit involved. Lamees Farouq, 22, a fine arts graduate, says “I studied graphic designs and I thought about studying here in the center.” Mostafa Atwa, 18, a factory worker, says “I work in a factory of accessories and gold, the factory has contacts with the center so they sent me here to take these courses.” Working under the same administration, both managers of the JTC and FDC seemed to share the same vision. “There are no other places for jewelry education in Egypt. If it existed it would be theoretical study only not practical, but here we have both,” says Ahmed. Gulina expressed her wish of the FDC becoming “a place where young talents are created.”
