By Bella Macleod
Executive Features Editor
Ballantine participated in a week-long fashion intensive at the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising (LIM) College in New York and is currently enrolled at the Southern California Regional Occupational Center (SCROC) Fashion Design class.
“I like how [the field] is always changing and you have the ability to do anything with it and be creative,” Ballantine said. “It’s really cool to work with people who are interested in the same things you are and knowing you have a place with people like you.”
SCROC is a program that is associated with the California public school system and offers a variety of courses to students in the South Bay. Ballantine takes their Fashion Design class everyday for two hours after school because she wants to major in
fashion in college, Ballantine said.
“I joined [SCROC] because I heard it was a good program from some of the seniors that graduated last year,” Ballantine said. “My teacher is really cool and helpful when teaching us about the fashion industry and helping us out when sewing our garments. It’s really cool to have [Fashion Design] as a class to get credit for, and it’s really helpful for college because I spend two hours everyday doing it, which is more than any other of my classes. [Fashion Design] is something I really like to do so it’s great that I get to do that as a class.”
Ballantine’s teacher, Bella Ivory, graduated from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising and has also created her own clothing line. At SCROC, she teaches Ballantine and her peers about the fundamentals of fashion design.
“Talking to [Ivory] has helped a lot,” Ballantine said. “She tells us about what [the field of design] is like, what her college experience was, her brand and the work she’s done. Getting insight from people who are already in the field of fashion is really interesting to hear about and understand really what it takes to be in [fashion design] and the work you have to put into it to be successful.”
In the SCROC program, Ballantine learns about pattern making, sewing and how to predict upcoming trends. Currently, the class is working on a project that consists of creating a constructive dress and a mood board for inspirations for second semester.
“Right now, I’m working on a [black] dress with puffy sleeves and a mock neck style,” Ballantine said. “Working on [the dress] has been my favorite project so far and has really showed me how much time and effort it takes to make a garment.”
Ballantine also attended a week-long fashion intensive program over the summer hosted by LIM College, a private college located in Midtown, Manhattan, New York with a focus on business of fashion. Here, she attended classes about how to get into the field of fashion and what it takes to be a stylist.
“I gained a lot of independence being alone in the city and was able to meet a lot of cool people that were interested in the same thing I am,” Ballantine said. “I got a preview into what college was like since I had a roommate for a week, someone I hadn’t met before; it was a mini look into college.”
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