“Why would we try to do what Central St Martin’s and London College of Fashion already do so well?” asks the dynamic and forthright Susie Forbes, a former fashion magazine editor and now the principal of the school.
As a company that runs the best-known fashion titles in the world, Condé Nast was aware of how many young people wanted to get into the fashion industry, says Forbes. “But we also knew how opaque and bewildering it can be. The idea is to help students understand the industry better and clarify what bit of it they want to work in.”
What the Condé Nast College offers, then, is a fast-paced intensive survey of the world of fashion, practical information on how to get a job in the industry and, of course, some of the best contacts and insider knowledge in fashion. With its elegant all-white interiors, sleek black steel entrance and dramatic double-height foyer designed by the UK architects Feilden Clegg Bradley, the building looks the part, too.
“In some ways we wanted it to be the antithesis of fashion,” says lead architect Julian Gitsham. “We felt the Condé Nast brand had a timeless quality and we wanted the building to reflect that.”
Diverse crowd
The college currently runs two courses. The intensive 10-week Vogue Fashion Certificate covers key fashion designers, the international fashion calendar, print and digital fashion journalism, PR and marketing, styling and art direction, and brand marketing and retail. The year-long Vogue Fashion Foundation Diploma, which started last month, covers the same subjects but allows students to specialise in the second and third terms.
Both courses attract students from places as diverse and far-flung as Brazil, Russia, France, Thailand, Belgium, Australia, Cyprus, Japan, Argentina, Lithuania, Belgium and India. “I can barely not name a country where we haven’t had enquiries from,” says Forbes.
The majority of students are women in their 20s, though there are some mature students and also a few men on each course.
UAE student
Farah Sheik Al Sagha is 21 and has Syrian parents but was born and brought up in Dubai. She had completed a three-year fashion management course at the London College of Fashion but chose to stay on in London to do the Vogue certificate in October. “Because it’s more real life,” she says. “You get to interact with people who are actually in the industry.”
Every week, a different guest speaker comes in to talk to the students and this term they have included the entrepreneur Tamara Mellon, the former supermodel Yasmin Le Bon, the up-and-coming fashion designer Simeon Farrar and various editors from Condé Nast titles such as Vogue and Glamour.
One of the most rewarding speaker sessions was with Melinda Stevens, the editor of Condé Nast Traveller UK, says Al Sagha. If you’re wondering what a travel magazine could possibly have to do with fashion, so did the 21-year-old. “They run lots of fashion and style pieces. I had no idea and I found that really interesting,” she says.
Future prospects
At a cost of £6,600 (Dh35,600)for the 10-week certificate, the course is certainly not cheap. But Al Sagha believes it has been worth every penny. “You get the sort of in-depth knowledge of the creative and editorial side of the industry that you wouldn’t learn at any other university,” she says.
Even having to learn how to do all her three projects on the publishing software stalwart InDesign has been immensely useful, she adds.
And the chances of finding a job or internship after graduating are high. Forbes is at pains to point out that attending the college does not mean a guaranteed internship or a junior role at a Condé Nast publication, however. Any student going for an internship or junior role at a Condé Nast publication is interviewed alongside other candidates. “That equal playing field is very important,” says Forbes.
Many other companies are posting their internships and jobs on the college’s student portal daily, however. The students apply through the college, which saves the company and the student valuable time. “We never put forward a student who we don’t think is right for the job,” says Forbes.
Graduates of the previous two 10-week certificate courses have gone into magazine jobs at Vogue Mexico, Vogue India, Marie Claire, i-D magazine and Esquire, as well as PR or communications roles at Gucci, Net-a-Porter and Kate Spade.
Not bad for a course that’s only nine months old.
• For more information, visit www.condenastcollege.co.uk
artslife@thenational.ae
Company%20profile
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Company%20Profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The%20specs
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Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Profile of MoneyFellows
Founder: Ahmed Wadi
Launched: 2016
Employees: 76
Financing stage: Series A ($4 million)
Investors: Partech, Sawari Ventures, 500 Startups, Dubai Angel Investors, Phoenician Fund
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
DUBAI%20BLING%3A%20EPISODE%201
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SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
About RuPay
A homegrown card payment scheme launched by the National Payments Corporation of India and backed by the Reserve Bank of India, the country’s central bank
RuPay process payments between banks and merchants for purchases made with credit or debit cards
It has grown rapidly in India and competes with global payment network firms like MasterCard and Visa.
In India, it can be used at ATMs, for online payments and variations of the card can be used to pay for bus, metro charges, road toll payments
The name blends two words rupee and payment
Some advantages of the network include lower processing fees and transaction costs
Venom
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Cast: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed
Rating: 1.5/5
Korean Film Festival 2019 line-up
Innocent Witness, June 26 at 7pm
On Your Wedding Day, June 27 at 7pm
The Great Battle, June 27 at 9pm
The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion, June 28 at 4pm
Romang, June 28 at 6pm
Mal Mo E: The Secret Mission, June 28 at 8pm
Underdog, June 29 at 2pm
Nearby Sky, June 29 at 4pm
A Resistance, June 29 at 6pm
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5